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Camping in state parks

For summer, reserve far ahead to get choice spots at peak times.

A camper sits by a Kandiyohi County lake.

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

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; call ReserveAmerica, 888-947-2757. 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.

All of the sites at Brule River and Flambeau River state forests in the north woods and at Tower Hill State Park near Spring Green are first-come, first-served.

Lodges and cabins in Wisconsin state parks and forests can be reserved a year in advance. Reserve as soon as possible for summer and fall weekends and holidays.

Point Beach State Forest, north of Two Rivers on Lake Michigan, has two rustic cabins; one sleeps 14 and the other 16, $60 or $5 per person. Each has a boardwalk to a white-sand beach on Lake Michigan and has a fire pit, pump and latrine but no electricity. There's also a covered pavilion for eating.

For details, see Two trails from Two Rivers.

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.

Wisconsin state parks do not have camper cabins, but they do have nine cabins for people with disabilities, $30 per night plus a $4 reservation fee. They’re very popular and can be reserved a year in advance.

Modern cabins are in Buckhorn, High Cliff, Mirror Lake, Kohler-Andrae and Potawatomi state parks and at Ottawa Lake in the Southern Unit of Kettle Moraine State Forest and in Richard Bong Recreation Area. Rustic cabins are at Copper Falls and Blue Mounds state parks. Reservations are taken by individual parks; for information, call 608-266-2181.

For more about Devil's Lake State Park, see Devil's heaven.

For more about Peninsula, see Outdoors in Door County.

For more about the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest area, see Browsing in Boulder Junction.

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

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., 866-857-2757. There's a nonrefundable reservation fee of $8.50. For details, check Minnesota state parks.

Minnesota also has 67 camper cabins at 23 state parks, $45-$50. They can be reserved a year in advance. For more, see A roof in the woods.

It also rents cabins, lodge rooms, lodges and guesthouses. For more, see Lodgings in Minnesota state parks.

For more about Itasca State Park, see The people's park. For more about Gooseberry, Split Rock and Tettegouche, see The near North Shore.

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. Reserve up to six months in advance at Michigan DNR Reservations, 800-447-2757.

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. Eighteen Michigan state parks line the sandy shores of Lake Michigan between Mackinaw City and the Indiana border.

Or rent a mini-cabin that sleeps four; there are 13 at Petoskey, Leelanau, Traverse City, Orchard Beach, Ludington, Muskegon and Warren Dunes state parks. They're $45, $35 in the off-season, when campground shower facilities are closed.

Michigan rents 61 mini-cabins in 36 state parks. Cheboygan, Interlochen, Wilson and Traverse City state parks rent tepees, $30. Reserve up to six months in advance at Michigan DNR Reservations, 800-447-2757.

Eleven state parks rent camper cabins that have covered front porches and sleep six on bunk beds and a futon sofa, $80 and $60.

They include refrigerators, microwaves and coffeemakers but not bathrooms. Interlochen has three and Holland has two; Port Crescent, Lakeport, Mitchell, Pinckney, Waterloo, Metamora Hadley, Tawas Point, Onaway, Orchard Beach, Van Riper and Tahquamenon Falls have one.

Reserve up to a year in advance at Michigan DNR Reservations, 800-447-2757.

Eighteen state parks include heated rustic cabins that accommodate groups from two to 24 and are reserved through each park, $50-$80. Among the most popular are the 19 wood-heated cabins in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park on the Upper Peninsula; cabins on Mirror Lake, Lily Pond and Lake of the Clouds include boats.

The park also has three year-round yurts, $60. They can be reserved a year in advance at Michigan DNR Reservations, 800-447-2757.

For details, see the campground operation schedule.

Michigan state parks also rent modern cottages and lodges, including the 1940s Kaug Wudjoo Lodge in Porcupines Mountains Wilderness, which sleeps up to 12. They're rented through each park.

For more information about Michigan state parks, call 517-373-9900.

For more about the Porcupines, see Afoot in the Porkies.

Iowa

In Iowa state parks, which do not require a vehicle permit, campsites can be reserved three months in advance at Iowa DNR Reservations, 877-427-2757. 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.

Eight Iowa parks offer camper cabins, including McIntosh Woods near Clear Lake, which has two yurts (See Yippee for yurts). They sleep four and have dorm-size fridges and microwaves. There's a minimum stay of two nights.

Pleasant Creek, northwest of Cedar Rapids, has four camper cabins, and Wilson Island, north of Council Bluffs, has one, $25. The others are $35: Dolliver, south of Fort Dodge, two; Green Valley in southwest Iowa, two; Honey Creek in southeast Iowa, four; Lake Darling, southwest of Iowa City, five; and Stone near Sioux City, two.

They can be reserved up to a year in advance.

Iowa parks also rent studio, family and deluxe cabins with bathrooms and cooking facilities. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, they're rented only by the week, from Friday to Friday. They're quite a bargain. For more, see A cabin in Iowa.

South Dakota

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

South Dakota has 182 camper cabins 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.

Custer State Park, in the Black Hills, has 50 camper cabins. They can be reserved 90 days in advance.

Last updated on March 12, 2010

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