Looking for Camping in Wisconsin's North Woods. Don't know what to expect from the different public campgrounds. Well, you have come to the right place. In the series from the summer of 2023 I am working to remedy any questions about the different public campgrounds in both the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest, as well as the Northern Highlands American Legion State Forest.
Between the two areas of Wisconsin's north woods I have visited 32 Campgrounds. Some with as few as 6 sites and others with over 100.
I will provide you with a walking tour showing and describing each and every campsite I can without risking the privacy of children within them. I will also attempt to show what amenities each campground provides as the time of filming.
In the National forest the sites are spit between first come first serve and reservable sites via recreation.gov. Even the reservable sites can be nabbed for a few nights if the reservation sign does say it has an upcoming reservation. You would just need to move sites before the reservation date.
In the Wisconsin State Forest the reservations can be made on wisconsin.goingtocamp.com
All sites are reservable up to 11 months in advance. However, you can also make same day reservations through the site or by calling the number provided on the information sign at each campground. Except for a few overly loved campground in the state like Devil's Lake, Koller and a few others and on some particular dates like July 4th, You can usually find last min sites through out the system especially if you are only staying one or two nights. And same day reservations do not charge the reservation fee.
For example, I recently looked for a night at a campground with my wife on a Tuesday. I looked same day. Devils Lake was completely sold out, but by going up the road 10 miles to the other side of the Wisconsin Dells I found 1/2 the sites at Rocky Arbor empty and available. I did the same thing last year with a trip up the Lake Michigan coast. I tried last min at Koller with no luck, but had a great night stargazing at Point Beach State Forest.

The point is, be flexible, Plan ahead if you really want that perfect spot, but don't tell me All the State Park Campgrounds are always full. This series will show just how many waterfront sites could be nabbed last second throughout all of these campgrounds in Wisconsin's north woods for verry little money.