Rock Island camping closed after massive mice infestation at Wisconsin park (2025)

The mice are so bad right now in Rock Island State Park off the northeastern tip of Door County that rodents are reportedly chewing through campers’ Crocs, shredding tent floors and chomping their way into Rubbermaid bins.

The massive infestation prompted the state Department of Natural Resources this week to close the popular site to camping for the rest of the season. Visitors are still allowed during regular park hours from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

“This is a smart decision,” posted a frequent camper on the Friends of Rock Island State Park Facebook site.

“I’ve been going to Rock Island for 25 years. And while I’ve dealt with a July black fly hatch — which was terrible — this is different. Our family was there two weeks ago and it was horrendous,” as “hundreds of mice surfaced at dusk.”

People are also reading…

State

Wisconsin DNR admission stickers to be valid for full year from time of purchase starting in 2025

  • Emilie Heidemann

Others posting to the Facebook group described the deluge of mice as “chaos.” The Door County Shore Report also reported about the infestation.

“I think longtime visitors and campers would probably not be really surprised, because that’s just the rhythm of nature,” said Dan Plutchak, editor and publisher of the Door County Shore Report.

However, raccoons are typically more of a problem for campers and their food supplies, he said. In mid-September, there was also evidence of a black bear visiting camping areas of Door County’s Peninsula State Park, which is also quite uncommon, Plutchak said.

Eric Hyde, Peninsula Unit superintendent for the DNR, said Wednesday that the mouse infestation is “something we’ve never really experienced here at Rock Island since we’ve been a state park.”

The mouse population is normally kept in check by the island’s healthy population of fox snakes, northern water snakes and other predators, Hyde said. DNR wildlife experts think several climate factors might have contributed to the population boom, he said, such as last year’s mild winter, followed by a wet spring and very dry conditions in August and September.

Rock Island is off the northern tip of Door County’s Washington Island and is accessible by ferry. The state park is home to the Pottawatomie Lighthouse and 10 miles of hiking trails, as well as 40 primitive, walk-in tent sites. All camping supplies and equipment must be backpacked in.

State

Here's how to make the most of Wisconsin's stunning fall colors

  • Lucas Robinson | Wisconsin State Journal

Some 25 or 30 buildings are also on the island, said Hyde, including staff and maintenance buildings, a boathouse and the historic lighthouse. Six of those are wired for electricity, so there are concerns about mice chewing through wires, let alone the mouse droppings or mice dying indoors, he said.

Widespread poison control is not an option because it could affect other desirable species on the island, Hyde said. The DNR is planning to take a wait-and-see strategy with hopes that nature will take care of the problem.

“It will take time for predators such as snakes, birds of prey and foxes to bring the mouse population back down,” said an official statement from the DNR. “Park staff are actively monitoring the situation and will continue to into next year to determine if there is a need to intervene. With an average winter and help from predators, mouse populations should return to normal levels in 2025.”

Day visitors should come prepared with food items stored in rodent-secured containers and ensure that all food scraps and waste are disposed of properly, the DNR said. The Rock Island Ferry to the island will continue to run through Monday.

The mouse population is normally kept in check by Rock Island’s healthy population of fox snakes, northern water snakes and other predators.

0 Comments

'); var s = document.createElement('script'); s.setAttribute('src', 'https://assets.revcontent.com/master/delivery.js'); document.body.appendChild(s); window.removeEventListener('scroll', throttledRevContent); __tnt.log('Load Rev Content'); } } }, 100); window.addEventListener('scroll', throttledRevContent); }

Be the first to know

Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Rock Island camping closed after massive mice infestation at Wisconsin park (2025)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Nicola Considine CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 6443

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Nicola Considine CPA

Birthday: 1993-02-26

Address: 3809 Clinton Inlet, East Aleisha, UT 46318-2392

Phone: +2681424145499

Job: Government Technician

Hobby: Calligraphy, Lego building, Worldbuilding, Shooting, Bird watching, Shopping, Cooking

Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.