They are also securing a matching grant to create a wheelchair-accessible trail around the base of Mill Bluff, and would like to convert an abandoned railroad line to a bike trail that would connect the park with the Omaha Trail. They help us see each unique property from a different perspective. Dr. William Scheckler and other members of the Newport Wilderness Society want the department to continue managing Newport Beach State Park as a semi-wilderness with only backpack camping. Part of helping the public enjoy this park is to keep it the way it is now,'' said Scheckler, a Madison resident and University of Wisconsin medical school professor. Newport's 2,400 acres are not developed like Peninsula and Potawotomi state parks, Scheckler said.
People appreciate variety.
Scheckler fell in love with the park's wilderness a quarter century ago, bought property and built a cabin next to the park. In the last decade, the group has lobbied to stop snowmobile trails and boat launch development at Newport. In addition to serving as watchdogs to safeguard the property's wild character, members enhanced interpretive displays. They also lead interpretive hikes about the natural and human history of this one-time logging village. Others developed brochures to identify the wildflowers and 175 bird species found in the park.