Centuries before it served as a natural landmark along French fur-trading routes, Roche-A-Cri Mound held significance for the area’s earliest inhabitants. The
mysterious carvings in the bare rock of the south face bear witness to their passing. Layers of graffiti, the first added by settlers of European descent over
170 years ago, have not erased them. The archaeological importance of these prehistoric art forms has earned Roche-A-Cri Mound its listing on the National
Register of Historic Places.

The 300-foot castellated sandstone mesa, from which the park derives its name, was once an island in glacial lake Wisconsin. The summit, now accessible by a
stairway, offers a breathtaking 120-mile panorama.

The stairway to the top of the mound was funded by the Stewardship Program and built through the cooperative efforts of the Department of Natural Resources and
the Wisconsin Conservation Corps. It is but one of the ambitious improvement projects supported by the Friends of Roche-A-Cri State Park (FRAC).

As intended, the stairway has served to simultaneously improve public access to this natural monument while helping to protect the park’s environmentally
sensitive areas.

The varied terrains of the 425-acre park, designated a State Natural Area, included grasslands, open cliffs, pine barrens, oak forest, prairie, and the trout-rippled menders of Carter Creek.

Friends of Roche-A-Cri State Park

Astonished by the numbers of local residents unfamiliar with the natural wonders Roche-A-Cri State Park has to offer, and dismayed by plans to close the park because of poor attendance, FRAC was organized in 1992 through the support of community members and the Adams County Chamber of Commerce to reverse these trends.

FRAC was instrumental in the successful effort to keep Roche-A-Cri State Park open and they have lent their support to numerous park improvements.  The first of these was the interpretive panels installed at the base of the mound and , in 1993-94, the construction of the 303-step stairway to the top of Roche-A-Cri Mound. FRAC also assists in promoting the use fo the park through education activities offered to school groups.

FRAC sponsors several events at Roche-A-Cri, including the Annual Amateur Photo Contest, Breakfast with the Birds, Fall Festival, Open House and various
naturalist presentations designated to promote the use and appreciation of the etxraordinary natural resource.

The Friends welcome your help to continue these efforts on behalf of this and future generations, for all who are awed by nature’s magnificence and intrigued by its intricacies.

Help us support the Park

We invite you to support the Friends of Roche-A-Cri State Park.

FRAC was organized to promote awareness of one of Wisconsin’s most beautiful natural assets: Roche-A-Cri State Park. The Friends is a nonprofit organization
whose goals are to:

make people aware of, and encourage the use of Roche-A-Cri State Park. provide learning experiences and opportunities for school age children.
provide educational experiences for the general public. encourage activities which make use of the park facilities. provide technical and physical manpower for the park staff. provide financial support. If you are interested in contributing some of your time or expertise to this worthwile effort, please contact us at: 608-565-2789. or mail us at: Friends of Roche-A-Cri State Park, P.O. Box 741, Friendship, WI 53934