Council Grounds State Park Campground

SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile

Tall trees close in overhead from the moment you enter Council Grounds State Park, and that canopy defines the experience at this Wisconsin DNR campground along the Wisconsin River outside Merrill. Sites are wooded and well-spaced, with enough separation that campers frequently note feeling like they have the loop to themselves, even on busy summer weekends when the campground fills to capacity.

The layout gives most sites a forested buffer, though shade levels vary. Tent campers should pick sites carefully, as one reviewer noted that heavy storms can send water running directly through low-lying spots. Group sites A and B sit close to the beach and boat launch, each with concrete pads, electric hookups, and a hand-pump water source. The standard sites run on dirt pads and tend to be more level than they look. A park road passes behind some riverside sites, but with roughly 100 yards of tree cover between road and campsite, Annie C. found it "wasn't too noisy."

Water access is a consistent draw. Alexander Lake and the Wisconsin River are both within the park, with trails connecting the campground to the beach and boat ramps. Kayak and paddleboard rentals are available on-site. Anglers have access to the river and lake, though at least one visitor reported slow fishing on Alexander Lake and limited guidance from the park office. The beach is small but the water is clean. Trails within the park run one to two miles each and are well-maintained, though deer flies can be aggressive near wooded sections at dusk.

Firewood is sold at the ranger station entrance, showers are included at no extra charge, and the shower house earns consistent marks for cleanliness. Note that the park charges both a camping fee and a day-use fee, which some visitors find adds up quickly. RVs up to 35 feet can access electric and sewer hookups. Nearby, Camp New Wood County Park and Horn Lake and Lincoln County Forest provide additional options if the campground is full. Reservations are recommended for summer weekends.

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RV Road Trip Guides

Map & DirectionsCouncil Grounds State Park Campground is located in Wisconsin near Merrill

Detail location of campground
Public Campground

Directions

Located just west of Merrill. From U.S. Highway 51, exit onto State Highway 64 (Main Street) and go west about 2 miles through downtown Merrill. Turn right on State Highway 107 (Grand Avenue) and go about 1.8 miles. Turn left on Council Grounds Drive and go about 0.5 mile to the park entrance station.

Address

N1895 Council Grounds Dr
Merrill, WI 54452

Coordinates

45.18500048 N
89.73500075 W

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Connectivity

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    Verizon5G
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    Verified by 2 users
    Last on 8/28/26
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    Last on 8/28/26

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Connectivity

Presented byT-MobileT-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoorsLearn More
  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile5G
    Good Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    Verizon5G
    Good Coverage
    Verified by 2 users
    Last on 8/28/26
  • signal strength bars
    AT&T5G
    Excellent Coverage
    Verified by 5 users
    Last on 8/28/26

Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Sewer Hookups
  • Pull-Through Sites
  • 30 Amp Hookups
  • 50 Amp Hookups
  • Big Rig Friendly

Drive Time


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Reviews12 Camper Reviews - Council Grounds State Park Campground

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5 Stars

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4.5

out of 5

12 Reviews

Many campers appreciated the wooded, well-spaced sites and clean facilities with free showers. Visitors often highlighted the peaceful atmosphere and beautiful Wisconsin River access, though some noted higher costs due to combined day use and camping fees.

SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile
Reviewed Jul. 14, 2025

Nice for a group

This was our first camping trip as a group with 12 people and 4 cars in July 2023.

Biggest con was how open/unshaded our site was. We didn’t mind but didn’t love being as close to the other group sites as well.

We enjoyed being able to rent kayaks and paddleboards and relax on the beach. We also liked the proximity to the pit/vault toilet and water pump.

Probably won’t return as a group but had a great time!

SiteGroup C
Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Apr. 28, 2022

Beautiful day trip!

Stopped out here for the day to do some hiking and check out the camp. This was a very nice clean place and the trails were excellent. I would definitely go back here again and do some camping as the sites looked very nice as well.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Troy A., April 28, 2022
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Troy A., April 28, 2022
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Troy A., April 28, 2022
  • (15) View All
Reviewed Sep. 12, 2021

Wonderful

We love it here and can’t wait to go back and camp again. Tall trees, peaceful, quiet, new fire pits, good bathrooms. Friendly attendant at welcome station. Abundant firewood right at entrance. We may choose a different site next time as ours was a bit close to our neighbors, but really not a deal breaker! We just prefer a little more privacy, but even with that we’d camp at this site again. Trail to river is short and easy to access. Lots of places along river to geocache, walk, or just relax and watch the world go by.

Site21
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Stacey N., September 12, 2021
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Stacey N., September 12, 2021
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Stacey N., September 12, 2021
  • (9) View All
Reviewed Aug. 20, 2021

Perfect Peaceful Spot

This was dry camping at its best. Sites are wooded and offer plenty of shade. Well spaced so you feel like you’re all alone. Quick walk to the river or drive along the loop to the beach. Dirt pads but fairly level in our spot. (We did have a huge storm during our stay that crated a river in our site -so tent campers may want to chose wisely) Bathrooms could use a good cleaning but we didn’t really use them.

Site19
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Erin A., August 20, 2021
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Erin A., August 20, 2021
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Erin A., August 20, 2021
Reviewed Jul. 24, 2021

Great time

Campground was full all weekend. We stayed 4 nights. Decent bathrooms. Nice little beach area. Good hiking/walking trails. Quiet. Sites were spaced nicely.

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Patrick D., July 24, 2021
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Patrick D., July 24, 2021
Reviewed Jul. 27, 2020

Beautiful!

What a gorgeous state park! From the moment you enter, you are in awe of the landscape. Trees tower above you as you drive through the park. For this particular trip, we reserved group sites A and B. They each have concrete pads for 3 campers and TONS of space to spread out and/or set up tents. Non-flush toilets in between the two sites on opposite side of the campsites. Each have electric for each pad, and there is water that can be pumped on each group site. We didn’t have group site C, but that one only had a pad for 1 camper and was a smaller area. Group sites are close to the beach and boat launch. Water was refreshing and there is a small beach area. Beautiful hiking trails, but watch out for the biting deer flies as the sun goes down! Three kids got attacked in one of the trails and had huge welts and lots of tears. May have been an isolated incident, as everyone else was ok. Overall, I would highly recommend this state park and group sites!

  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Amanda G., July 27, 2020
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Amanda G., July 27, 2020
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Amanda G., July 27, 2020
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Apr. 30, 2019

Nice wooded campground

Stayed here one night while driving home from Lake Superior. I found this to be a pricey evening as you have to pay for a day use fee as well as a camping fee. But, it was all in all a nice campground. The shower house was clean, the campsites were wooded and well spaced out, and there were a couple of trails that went from the campground to the beach, boat ramps, or in the opposite direction, just nice walking/hiking trails. There seemed to be plenty of spots along the Wisconsin River or on Alexander Lake to fish if that’s your thing and you have a license. You can buy firewood up front at the ranger station. The park road went behind my campsite between me and the river, but it wasn’t too noisy as it was set back about 100 yards from the campground and there were plenty of trees to break the noise.

Site41
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Annie C., April 30, 2019
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Annie C., April 30, 2019
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Annie C., April 30, 2019
  • (13) View All
Reviewed Sep. 9, 2018

Great Site

I lived near here growing up. We would bike there, and around the whole thing, and back home. It has a nice beach, and boat launch area. Campers and Tents can camp there. There are all the hookups you need. My Aunt and Uncle had a nice camper they would stay there a week, and we'd come visit and sit by the fire. You can kayak down the river past the dam to and avoid the other boating area. That's where all the motor boats go. Great family area.

Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Tina D., September 9, 2018
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Tina D., September 9, 2018
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Tina D., September 9, 2018
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Aug. 12, 2016

Nice, Clean Campground

Very nice campground, more family-oriented. The campsites were clean and spacious, we had enough room in our site for a tent, screen tent, and a boat. Bathrooms and showers were clean. Showers were free, which is a plus. The beach was a nice size, water was clean. Hiking trails were ok, routing throughout the park. Not very long, only one to two miles per trail, but well maintained. There were beautiful views along the Wisconsin River, would probably be a nice stretch for canoeing or kayaking. The only downfall was the poor fishing on Alexander Lake. The park office didn't have much information on the fishing in the lake, and we only caught one smallmouth the whole weekend.

  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Amy E., August 12, 2016
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Amy E., August 12, 2016
  • Review photo of Council Grounds State Park Campground by Amy E., August 12, 2016

Frequently Asked Questions

What do visitors say about Council Grounds State Park in their reviews?

Council Grounds State Park earns high praise for its beautiful forest setting with towering trees providing ample shade. Campers appreciate the clean, spacious sites that offer privacy while still being family-friendly. The park's cleanliness extends to its shower houses and bathrooms, with free showers noted as a plus. Many visitors comment on the peaceful, quiet atmosphere that makes for relaxing stays. While some mention the hiking trails are more suitable for casual walks than challenging hikes, the overall experience is consistently rated very positively, with most considering it a hidden gem worth returning to.

Where is Council Grounds State Park located in Wisconsin?

Council Grounds State Park is located near Merrill, Wisconsin. The park sits along the Wisconsin River, offering scenic views of the dam and waterway. Its accessible location makes it a convenient destination for locals who can bike to the park, as well as travelers passing through the region. Situated among forests, the park provides a natural retreat within easy reach of town amenities.

What recreational activities can visitors enjoy at Council Grounds State Park?

Council Grounds State Park offers diverse recreational opportunities year-round. Water enthusiasts can enjoy the clean beach area for swimming, plus boating access via a boat launch. Kayaks and paddleboards are available for rent at the park. Several hiking and walking trails wind through the forested landscape, ideal for casual nature exploration though some find them better suited for shorter walks. The park transforms in winter, offering cross-country skiing opportunities. Wildlife viewing, picnicking, and simply relaxing among the tall trees are popular passive activities. With its mix of water and land-based recreation, the park caters to various interests and age groups, though some visitors note the activities may be more engaging for younger children.

What camping options are available at Council Grounds State Park?

Council Grounds State Park offers versatile camping options to suit different needs. Individual campsites accommodate both tents and RVs, with most sites providing good shade under tall trees. Group camping areas are available with concrete pads for up to three campers per site and ample space for additional tents. The campsites feature fire pits and are generally well-spaced for privacy, though some sites may be closer together than others. While this is primarily a dry camping experience, the campground provides clean bathrooms and shower facilities. For the best experience, consider reserving in advance as the campground frequently fills up during peak season.