Camping in Wisconsin State Parks and Forests

• Reserving a Campsite
• Reserving a Shelter or Building

Spend the night with nature in one of more than 4,600 campsites in Wisconsin state parks and forests.

A typical campsite is in a natural setting with road access, a fire ring, and a picnic table, and can be used by either vehicle or tent campers. But there also are backpack, walk-in, and canoe-in sites, sites with electrical hookups, and sites designed specifically for either tent or vehicle campers. Some sites are accessible for people with disabilities. Some are for people with horses. Others accommodate large groups of campers.

Remember, camping has inherent risks.  Shelter and storm communications are not as readily available as in urban areas.  Know what to watch for and what to do to minimize these risks and stay safe during severe weather.

There is no age requirement for renting a campsite. If you're under 18 and camping without an adult, you should let a parent or guardian know where you'll be and the park office know how to contact a parent or guardian in case of emergency.

The reservations Web site has campground maps and details about each site. You can zoom in on the maps and click on a campsite symbol, or click "All the Sites in this Campground" on the menu below a park map and then click the site number.

Reserve a campsite

• Availability of Sites
• Holiday Weekends
• One-night Reservations
• Paying for Your Site
• When to Reserve

You can search for available state park campsites statewide and reserve a campsite by using the Web or by calling toll-free (888) WI-PARKS ((888) 947-2757. The toll-free TTY number for reservations is (800)274-7275. We do not accept written campsite reservation requests.

During periods of high use, you may experience temporary delays in connecting to the system. If you receive an error message, please try again later.

Holiday Weekend Reservations

At least three nights reservation is required on holiday weekends:

• Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, the stay must include Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.
• When July 4 is on a Monday, the stay must include Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights of that weekend.
• When July 4 is on a Friday, the stay must include Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights of that weekend.

For reservations for more than three nights including such a holiday weekend, you must call the customer service line, (800) 372-3607, rather than using the Web or regular reservation number.

When to Make Your Reservation

You can make reservations using the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The call center hours are shown below.

*Holidays include Thanksgiving (November 27), Christmas Eve and Day (December 24-25), and New Year's Eve and Day (December 31-January 1).

To change or cancel a reservation, call ReserveAmerica's Wisconsin State Parks Customer Service Line, (800) 372-3607, during these hours:

Most sites are reservable only during the park or forest's busy time, generally spring through fall or just summer. If the campground is open at other times, you nearly always can get a site without a reservation.

You can reserve a specific site 11 months in advance or as late as two days before you arrive. Reservations for the date 11 months away become available at 9 a.m. Central Time for both Internet and telephone customers. If you try to make on-line reservations within two days of camping, it will appear that all sites are taken. Call the campground directly and ask if any sites will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

One-night Reservations

One night reservations can only be made through the call center (not the Web).

Backpack and Outdoor Group Sites may be reserved year-round, up to 11 months before the night you want to camp for one night.

Regular (Family) Campsites may be reserved for one-night camping May 15 through October 31 only during that time period within the calendar year.

Paying for Your Site

Visa and MasterCard are accepted. If you don't have either, you must reserve by phone (not the Web) and ask the operator how to pay by check or money order.

There is a nonrefundable $10 reservation fee per site per reservation, and a cancellation fee of $5 per transaction. Other forfeitures may also apply in case of cancellation.

You may change the beginning date of your stay or shorten your stay, as long as least one day of your stay remains the same. There is an $8 fee for such a change. If you want to extend your stay or camp at a totally different time, you will have to cancel the original reservation and make a new one.

Availability of Campsites

Although some parks are filled for some dates, there are still plenty of campsites available. You can ask for alternate sites, campgrounds, or dates if your initial request can't be accommodated.

Not all campsites in the system are reservable--many properties maintain some sites as first-come, first-served for people without reservations.

Shelter and Building Reservations

Picnic shelters, indoor group camps, and cabins for people with disabilities are not included in the central reservation system; please use the appropriate reservation forms for those facilities. Print, fill out, and mail the form to the park or forest where you want to rent.

• Cabins designed especially for people with disabilities—application form [PDF 21KB]
• Rustic cabins especially for people with disabilities—application form [PDF 35KB]
• Indoor group camp—reservation form [PDF 203KB]
• Picnic shelters and amphitheaters—reservation form [PDF 7KB]

Reservations for the Seth Peterson Cottage [exit DNR] at Mirror Lake are made through a private organization.

For more information on this topic see the questions and answers page or ask Wisconsin State Parks, (608) 266-2181.