Apply for a Permit

Photography

Formal Photography Permit

Personal photography and videography are permitted in every Milwaukee County Park. Boerner Botanical Gardens, Mitchell Park Domes and Wehr Nature Center have different fees from other parks. A photography permit is required for all wedding, engagement, family and school pictures or any other posed photography session that uses a park location as a backdrop and/or requires special attire.

*plus per person admission fees
**plus per vehicle parking fees

Commercial Photography & Filming

A Wisconsin tax exemption form, permit and certificate of insurance are required for all commercial and advertising photography.

*plus per person admission fees
**plus per vehicle parking fees

Geocaching

Geocaching is a popular outdoor "scavenger hunt" that uses a global positioning system (GPS) device and internet-published coordinates to locate a virtual or physical cache. A virtual cache may be an amazing view; a physical cache may be a trinket or log book in a plastic container hidden under some leaves. Geocaching is an acceptable activity in the Parks when all the guidelines are followed.

To place a physical or virtual cache, you must have prior written permission from the Milwaukee County Parks Natural Areas Coordinator. For each cache location, complete a separate Geocache Permit Application and provide a map (a Google Earth or similar map).

Complete Geocache Permit Application 

Dog Park Passes & Fees

Buy a pass to enjoy unlimited visits to all six Milwaukee County dog parks! 

• Bay View
• Currie
• Estabrook
• Granville
• Warnimont
• Roverwest

Get Details on the Dog Parks & Passes!

Before you buy a pass, your dog must be licensed by your municipality and up to date on vaccinations.

Self-Serve Online Purchase Available 7 Days a Week from 5 a.m. – Midnight!

Any transaction not completed by 1 a.m. will be rejected as the system performs updates (from 1– 5 a.m.)

Purchase a Dog Park Pass Online! 

Boating / Launch Permits

Daily and seasonal launch permits are good for use at ANY of the Milwaukee County Parks launch sites, during the Official Boating Season, May through October.

• McKinley Marina
• Bender Park
• Riverfront Launch
• South Shore Park

Single day passes can be purchased at on-site pay stations at each boat launch. If you do not have a launch pass, you will be ticketed.

Self-Serve Online Purchase Available 7 Days a Week from 5 a.m. – Midnight!

Any transaction not completed by 1 a.m. will be rejected as the system performs updates (from 1– 5 a.m.)

Get Details on Launch Permits!

Buy Your Launch Permit Online!

Disc Golf

Buy a single-day Disc Golf Pass or an annual (calendar year) pass to get unlimited play on all Milwaukee County Disc Golf Courses.

Full Disc Golf Courses

• Brown Deer
• Dineen
• Dretzka
• Estabrook
• Madison
• Root River

Free Short/Practice Disc Golf Courses

• Milwaukee County Sports Complex
• Doctors Park
• Kops Park
• Wil-o-Way Grant
• Wil-o-Way Underwood

Get Details on Disc Golf Courses & Passes!

Players under 16 are not required to purchase a pass.

Self-Serve Online Purchase Available 7 Days a Week from 5 a.m. – Midnight!

Any transaction not completed by 1 a.m. will be rejected as the system performs updates (from 1– 5 a.m.)

Purchase a Disc Golf Pass Online! 

Right-of-Entry Permit

PLEASE NOTE: Due to staff capacity, permits may take 4-6 weeks or more to process.
All projects that are not time-sensitive may need to be delayed. Projects on parkland should be requested ONLY when all other viable alternatives have been explored.

Apply for a right-of-entry permit for utility work or other construction-related impacts to parkland. The Parks Department requires that any outside party seeking to access and/or impact park property for a project must first obtain permission in the form of a Right-of-Entry Permit signed by the Parks Director or his/her designee.

Projects Near Lake Michigan Coastline

See Milwaukee County’s Coastline Management Guidelines (prepared by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission-SEWRPC) to see if your project falls in the Coastal Management Zone, and how to propose a project in this vulnerable area.

SEWRPC Memorandum Report No. 248

Moratorium Policy on Vegetation Management During the Bird Nesting Season

NOTE: The nesting season is not the same for all species, and not all sites will have nesting birds present during the entire nesting season.

Get Details on the Moratorium Policy

Applying for a Right-of-Entry Permit

Before a right-of-entry request is reviewed, all applicants must explain the alternatives that were considered, and why access across parkland has been determined to be unavoidable. If there is an alternative that does not impact parkland, please select that option. Permittees are required to decontaminate their equipment before arriving and/or leaving a project area to prevent the spread of invasive species.

A Certificate of Insurance with Milwaukee County listed as an additional insured must be furnished with this application. Note that Right-of-Entry Permits may include a fee of up to $10,000, depending on the impact and duration of the proposal. Permits are granted at the discretion of the Parks Director, and submitting an application does not imply an approval will be granted.
Right of Entry Permit Application Administrative Fee: $50.00 (non-refundable)

Apply for a Right-of-Entry Permit