• Several parks in Brown County provide access to water.beach image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
  
  Brown County, which is nestled along the shores of the Green Bay, is home to the Green Bay Packers football team. With a population of 245,000, it's also the fourth largest county in Wisconsin. Brown County manages 18 county parks with features like camping, pet exercise areas as well as boating, skiing and recreational trails for horses, biking, hiking and rollerblading.
  
  

Bay Shore Park

• Cecil Depeau Bay Shore Park, located just off of Highway 57 about 15 miles north of the city of Green Bay, is set on the Niagara Escarpment with views of the bay. The park offers a boat launch, a nautical-themed playground, scenic hiking trails as well as an open-air shelter and an enclosed building that are available for rent. The open air shelter has a seating capacity of 70, with a maximum limit of 100. The rental fee for 2010 is $65 plus tax. The enclosed shelter has a seating capacity of 80, with a maximum limit of 200. The rental fee for 2010 is $110 plus tax. Both shelters are typically available May 1 through the second Sunday in October.
  
  Reservations are not accepted for the campsites; they are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Costs in 2010 for a primitive tent site (no water or electricity) is $15 per night, while a site with utilities costs $25. The group camp area is $50.
  
  5637 Sturgeon Bay Road
  New Franken, WI 54229
  (920) 448-6242
  
  

Pet Exercise

• A park for dogs.dog image by Joanna Redesiuk from Fotolia.com
  
  The Brown County Park and Pet Exercise Area, located on Highway 54, features both leashed and off-leash areas for dogs, including sections that are designated for small or large breeds. The park is situated on four acres of wooded land with Duck Creek running through. Daily passes, which are required, in 2010 cost $2. An annual pass is $15 per dog. All dogs must be licensed in their home municipality and must also be current on rabies vaccinations.
  
  Visitors can purchase the daily or annual passes at the on-site pay station kiosk, by mail or by visiting the Golrusk Pet Care Centers, the Bay Area Humane Society or the Brown County Facility & Park Management office. The park is open year round from 8 a.m. to sunset.
  
  1000 Pleasant Lane
  Hobart, WI 54313
  (920) 448-6242
  
  

Fox River Trail

• The Fox River State Recreational Trail, which stretches 20 miles between downtown Green Bay to the Brown and Calumet county lines, features an urban asphalt paved section, a portion that has been surfaced with limestone screenings, as well as a graveled section for horseback riding.
  
  Additional features include 12 informational signs that are located along the trail that provide historical information related to the Green Bay area, as well as a "health trail" with a fitness challenge course.
  
  Dogs are allowed on 5-foot leashes, and owners are responsible for waste removal.
  
  The trail is open year round from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and requires a daily or annual State Trail Pass for biking, rollerblading and horseback riding for those over 16 years of age. Daily passes for 2010 cost $3 and annual passes cost $20. Both passes are available via mail, at several pay stations, the Facility & Park office, as well as several local vendors.
  
  The trail head is located at the intersection of Porlier and Adams Streets, just south of the Mason Street Bridge.
  (920) 448-6242
  
  

Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve

• Get aquainted with waterfowl.duck image by Svetlana Gurdina from Fotolia.com
  
  The Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve, located along the shore of the Green Bay on Lakeview Drive, consists of 920 acres of forest and marshes and is home to several varieties of waterfowl, plants and other wildlife. Nine miles of hiking trails that are also groomed for cross-country skiing take visitors through the vast lands that were once inhabited by paleo-Indian tribes.
  
  The preserve also features the West Shores Interpretive Center which provides educational programs, including hands-on exhibits. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, and noon to 4 p.m. on weekends. Trails are open from sunrise to sunset.
  
  Due to the delicate ecosystems located within the preserve, pets, bikes and motorized vehicles are strictly prohibited.
  
  While use of the trails is free, Barkhausen offers a group camp area for special scout programs with a minimum 2010 fee of $15 per scout.
  
  2024 Lakeview Drive
  Suamico, WI 54173
  (920) 448-4057