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Camping in state parks

For summer, reserve far ahead.

A camper sits by a Kandiyohi County lake.

© Beth Gauper

People who want choice campsites in popular state parks need to plan ahead. Here's how to do it.

Iowa: In Iowa, sites can be reserved three months in advance at 877-427-2757, www.reserveiaparks.com. The reservation fee is $4 if made online and $6 if made by phone, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Only 50 percent of campsites can be reserved. For details, call 515-281-5918, www.exploreiowaparks.com.

South Dakota: Campsites can be served 90 days in advance at 800-710-2267 or www.CampSD.com. For more information, call 605-773-3391.

Camper cabins have become extremely popular, and South Dakota has 125 of them in 34 state parks, each with heating, air conditioning, electricity and a deck, $35-$45. Most sleep four, with a double bed and a bunk bed; cabins at four parks, including Fort Sisseton, sleep six. They can be reserved 90 days in advance. For more information, call 605-773-3391.

Michigan: In Michigan state parks, campsites can be reserved six months in advance. On the first day of availability, reservations can be made at 8 a.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. weekends; after that, reservations can be made online 24 hours a day and by phone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends. Reservation fee is $8.

At some campgrounds, particularly at beach parks on the west coast of Lake Michigan, 100 percent of sites can be reserved, so it's crucial to reserve early.

At Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park on the Upper Peninsula, 80 percent of sites can be reserved. Call 800-447-2757, or go to www.midnrreservations.com. For details, call 517-373-9900 or go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Wisconsin: In Wisconsin, campsites can be reserved 11 months in advance. The most in-demand campsites are in Peninsula and Devil's Lake state parks and the Crystal Lake and Clear Lake campgrounds of Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest near Minocqua; reserve at 888-947-2757, www.reserveamerica.com. There's a $10 reservation fee.

If you're not able to reserve that far in advance, check to see which Wisconsin park and forest campgrounds have a high percentage of first-come, first-served sites,  608-266-2181, to see where you'll have a good chance for a last-minute site.

Two of the most popular camping forests have many non-reservable sites: Northern Highland-American Legion near Minocqua, 634 of 956 sites; and Kettle Moraine Southern Unit near Whitewater, 180 of 332 sites. In the north woods, all of the sites at Brule River and Flambeau River state forests are first-come, first-served.

Lodges and cabins in Wisconsin state parks and forests can be reserved a year in advance. Go to www.wiparks.net, choose a park or forest, go to Camping, then Indoor Group Camp. Print out and send in or fax the reservation form. Reserve as soon as possible for summer and fall weekends and holidays.

In Big Bay State Park on Madeline Island, the indoor group camp (actually, a log lodge with fireplace and kitchen but no running water; see The more, the merrier) sleeps 20 and is available only to nonprofit groups from May through the second weekend in October, $40 minimum, or $3 per person, with a $4 reservation fee, 715-747-6425.

Point Beach State Forest, north of Two Rivers on Lake Michigan, has two rustic cabins; one sleeps 14 and the other 16, $60, 920-794-7480.

Wyalusing State Park on the Mississippi has four buildings that each accommodate 27 people, with indoor bathrooms and a separate kitchen; $4 per person with a $200 minimum, 608-996-2261.

Black River State Forest near Black River Falls rents a two-bedroom cabin that sleeps 12, $3 per person with a $40 minimum, 715-284-4103.

Minnesota: Campsite reservations in Minnesota state parks can be made a year  in advance.

Memorial Day is the busiest camping weekend of the year, and Split Rock, which has a very scenic location on the North Shore but not many sites, is the hardest-to-get reservation.

The next most-popular campgrounds are Temperance River, Tettegouche, Itasca, Gooseberry Falls, McCarthy Beach (on the Iron Range, near Hibbing), Bear Head Lake (near Ely), Judge C.R. Magney, Jay Cooke and Cascade River.

Minnesota’s state parks do keep 20 to 30 percent of its campsites open for walk-ups. However, spaces for holiday weekends may be filled early in the week.

Camper cabins and guesthouses also can be reserved a year in advance. For more about camper cabins, see A roof in the woods. For more about guesthouses, see House in a park.

Reservations can be made online or by phone, starting at 8 a.m. on the first day of availability; after that, online reservations can be made 24 hours a day and by phone between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Call 866-857-2757 or reserve online at www.stayatmnparks.com; there's a nonrefundable reservation fee of $8.50. For details on parks, check the DNR Web site, www.mnstateparks.info.

Last updated on August 20, 2008