Wildcat Mountain State Park
| Wildcat Mountain State Park | |
| Wisconsin State Park | |
 A view of the Driftless Area from Wildcat Mountain State Park
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| Country | United States |
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| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Vernon |
| Location | Ontario |
| - coordinates | 43°41′53″N 90°33′45″W / 43.69806°N 90.56250°WCoordinates: 43°41′53″N 90°33′45″W / 43.69806°N 90.56250°W |
| Area | 3,643 acres (1,474 ha) |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Management | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |
| IUCN category | V - Protected Landscape/Seascape |
  Location of Wildcat Mountain State Park in Wisconsin
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| Website: Wildcat Mountain State Park | |
Wildcat Mountain State Park is a state park of Wisconsin, United States, on the Kickapoo River in the Driftless Area. Sandstone bluffs topped with limestone, two of which are Wildcat Mountain and Mount Pisgah, provide views over the narrow valley of the river and its tributaries. The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is immediately adjacent and forms a continuous protected area. Wildcat Mountain State Park is open for year-round recreation including hiking, canoeing, fishing, and cross-country skiing. The 3,643-acre (1,474 ha) park is located in Vernon County near the town of Ontario, Wisconsin.
Wildcat Mountain State Park is in the Kickapoo Valley. Archaeologists have found evidence of human occupation in the area dating back to 2000 BCE. Indian rock shelters and mounds have been found in and around the park. Most archaeologists believe that the shelters and mounds are remnants of temporary hunting camps. No evidence of agricultural practices have been found in the vicinity. Historians believe that the Natives used the Kickapoo Valley as a hunting area and held more permanent settlements in the Tomah area near the confluence of the Kickapoo and Wisconsin Rivers.
The Kickapoo River was known as the "river of canoes" to the Indians who lived in the area. It was canoes that brought the first European explorers to the area. French voyageurs from New France explored the area and called the area bateaux. The first English-speakers to see it were British fur traders who made use of the area after the end of the French and Indian War. When English-speaking settlers arrived in the area they pronounced it as Bad Axe. In fact, Vernon County was originally known as Bad Axe County and the name was not changed until 1862 to Vernon, which means greenness.
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