Great tips, Harley! I have been to the Horicon but not for many years. We do have an over-abundance of Canadian Geese around here so I would rather see some other birds, like Sandhills or wood ducks, snow geese etc. Anyway, am going to check out the campground! Sounds cool and I love that the Fox runs through it. Great kayaking opportunities.

Around here we have a LOT of county parks - McHenry County Conservation District is huge and has snatched up thousands of acres of pristine land and most of it is open to at least hike on though they only have a couple parks that allow camping. I love Pleasant Valley Conservation and Glacial Park which has some nice geological features such as kames. What we don't have is an amazing State Park nearby - but there is a new one in the works that will be a wildlife corridor between N IL and S WI. Looking forward to that!

Within a reasonable drive of our home - We like Wyalusing State Park up at the confluence of the Mississippi and the Wisconsin rivers and anywhere in the Driftless Region of WI which is incredibly hilly and picturesque. It's called the Driftless Region because it was untouched by glaciers. Lake Geneva is a cool town that's about 20 minutes away - very touristy but a nice lake for boating and fishing - clear and deep - springfed supposedly by underground springs that run all the way from Lake Superior.

We enjoy going to the cool little Swiss town of New Glarus for a day trip and to have lunch and a beer at Baumgartners.
(New Glarus is the home of the "Spotted Cow Brewing Co", FYI )

We usually head pretty far north every summer and go all over the UP of Michigan including Copper Harbor and Porcupine State Park. Last year we saw 2 wolves, which was definitely a highlight.

I'll check out your recommendations! Thanks!