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Brothers (left to right) Adam, Dave, and Rich Makowski stand at the construction site of their newest Wisconsin Dells business venture, nature-themed attraction The Land of Natura, on April 11.

The Makowski brothers have always relished the natural beauty of their hometown and are now building an attraction that looks to emphasize it to visitors and locals.

The Land of Natura — a five-phase, 150-acre, $60 million development described by the three owners (Adam, Rich and Dave) as a “natural adventure park” — will feature a carved-out lake with an adjacent small, man-made mountain. The 40-acre first phase, which will include a “canopy tour” through part of the park, will open this summer.

Currently under construction, the new attraction will be located along the Lower Dells of the Wisconsin River close to downtown Wisconsin Dells on Grand Cambrian Drive (soon to be renamed Natura Drive) slightly west of Wisconsin Highway 16.

“Our whole lives we grew up here, living 40-some years here and second generation,” said Dave Makowski.

The brothers emphasized how they wanted to bring their family history of living in the Dells area to their newest development.

“It’s based on where the fun comes naturally,” said Rich Makowski.

The entire attraction will take between three to five years to complete and will feature enough material to be open year-round by its completion, including many indoor activities, the brothers said.

Natura Treescape Resort, Hot Rocks restaurant, and The VUE are all owned by the Makowskis and located in the city. Visitors to The Land of Natura will receive preferred overnight rates at the resort properties, including Aloha Beach Resort, located in Lake Delton.

The treetop canopy bridges at the Natural Lagoon at Natura Treescape Resort in Wisconsin Dells are a miniature prototype of the canopy tour slated for The Land of Natura.

Bluff outcroppings, woodlands, marsh, prairie, rock formations and rolling topography all make up the large parcel of land where The Land of Natura will be located, fronting 2,000 feet of the Wisconsin River that will have boat docks.

The carved-out lake — dubbed Lake Wisconsin Dells — will be a 5-acre body of water filtered naturally by plants and beneficial bacteria and have no chlorine. It will be 20 feet deep in the middle and will feature “America’s Largest Floating Waterpark,” according to a March release from Natura Destinations and the attraction’s website.

A large assortment of inflatables and slides ranging from 100 feet to 150 feet off of Mt. Natura — the 60-feet-high mountain adjacent to Lake Wisconsin Dells — will make up the waterpark built on the lake, as well as a forest-themed splash pad with a dump bucket that “looks like a ladybug with leaves,” according to the release. Lake Wisconsin Dells will also feature a sand beach and volleyball court along with a walking path and backyard games.

“What we’re doing is creating basically this natural playground as an attraction,” Adam Makowski said. “That’s why we called it The Land of Natura adventure park.”

An 1,100-foot, self-guided canopy tour will take guests through the wooded area near the river on the south end of the park. Bridges and walkways suspended off the ground will run from tree to tree with themed platforms to blend in.

“It takes you through the treetops at basically 20-30 feet up in the air through the forest,” Adam Makowski said.

A similar attraction is located between two trees at Natura Treescape Resort, which also features a small pond with a natural filtration system as well as a mini slide into the pond.

An Original Wisconsin Duck vehicle emerges from Red Bird Gorge on the attractions trail in Wisconsin Dells during a tour July 9.

An Original Wisconsin Ducks vehicle cruises on Lake Delton during a July 9 tour of the areas trails and waterways at the Wisconsin Dells attraction.

An Original Wisconsin Duck drives upstream on the Wisconsin River in Wisconsin Dells during a July 9 tour.

A deer on the Original Wisconsin Ducks tour trail July 9 in Wisconsin Dells.

An Original Wisconsin Duck splashes into Lake Delton during a July 9 tour.

Guests load into an Original Wisconsin Duck vehicle for a tour of the waterways and trails at the Wisconsin Dells attraction July 9.

Fifteen-year-old Jack Garwood, who works as a parking lot attendant at Original Wisconsin Ducks, guides guests to load into a duck vehicle to begin a tour of the nature trails and waterways July 9 at the Wisconsin Dells attraction.

An Original Wisconsin Duck heads upstream on the Wisconsin River in Wisconsin Dells during a July 9 tour.

An Original Wisconsin Ducks splashes into Lake Delton during a July 9 tour.

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To learn more about Wisconsin Dells upcoming nature-themed attraction, click here.

Brothers (left to right) Adam, Dave, and Rich Makowski stand at the construction site of their newest Wisconsin Dells business venture, nature-themed attraction The Land of Natura, on April 11.

The treetop canopy bridges at the Natural Lagoon at Natura Treescape Resort in Wisconsin Dells are a miniature prototype of the canopy tour slated for The Land of Natura.

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