Policies for Visitors

Our policies aim to ensure you have the safest, most enjoyable visit possible, and to protect the cultural and historic value of the Leopold Shack, the Leopold Center, and the surrounding landscape.

Tour Groups

• Dress for the weather. Multiple layers and rain gear are strongly recommended.
• Poison ivy and ticks are very common on the site. Closed-toe shoes and long pants are recommended.
• In event of severe weather, a tour may be canceled or delayed.
• If your group is not able to keep your tour appointment, we’ll try our best to reschedule your tour for a later date. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please let us know as far in advance as possible.

All Visitors

• The Leopold Shack and Farm is not open to recreational use, and visitors may only access the Shack on a formal, guided or self-guided tour. Visitors must always check in at the Leopold Center first for permission to visit the Shack.
• Use trails only during posted visitation hours, and please keep to the marked paths.
• Dogs are not allowed at the Shack property, but they are welcome on the Leopold Center trails. Please use a leash and remove pet waste to keep the trails pleasant for all hikers.
• Motorized vehicles are not permitted on trails.
• Smoking, use of alcoholic beverages or illegal substances, and littering are prohibited.
• Both ticks and poison ivy are present on the site. Use caution, stay on trails, and be sure to check yourself after your visit to be sure you have no “hitchhikers.”
• Wear blaze orange when hiking during hunting seasons.
• The 300-yard dirt driveway leading to the Shack is accessible by wheelchair, but the rest of the trails are not.
• The Aldo Leopold Foundation assumes no responsibility for any injury and/or accident to a person or persons while visiting our property.
• Swimming in the Wisconsin River is strictly prohibited. Currents are extremely dangerous and the bottom constantly shifts, creating drop-offs. Many people drown each year in this body of water. No swimming allowed.