Lower Wisconsin Riverway, near Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, is a fantastic spot for those who love canoeing and camping in a more natural setting. This area offers a unique experience with its beautiful sandbars and the chance to camp right by the river, making it perfect for a laid-back getaway.

Visitors rave about the stunning scenery and the abundance of wildlife, including eagles soaring overhead. The river is great for fishing, and many campers have enjoyed catching catfish during their stays. One camper noted, “If chilling and canoeing is what you want with little to no other human contact, the lower Wisconsin river is the place.”

While there are no developed amenities like toilets or showers, the freedom of dispersed camping allows for a more rustic experience. Campers have mentioned the importance of bringing your own supplies, including water and firewood, as well as being mindful of the weather conditions. As one reviewer put it, “Make sure to keep an eye on water levels for the area you will be on, and also the weather.”

For those looking to paddle, the river offers a variety of routes, and shuttle services are available for convenience. Whether you're planning a quick overnight trip or a longer adventure, Lower Wisconsin Riverway provides a peaceful escape into nature where you can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors.

Lower Wisconsin Riverway

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Prairie du Sac, WI has a lot to offer. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Prairie du Sac campgrounds just for you. Find the best campgrounds near Prairie du Sac, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

Prairie du Sac

The Best Camping Near Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin

Spend another amazing weekend on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway! We did 15 miles this trip- put in at Lone Rock (Otter Creek) Friday and canoed about 6 miles until we found a nice high sandbar near Gotham Jack Pines Burren State Natural Area. We spend Saturday just hanging out and fishing, then paddled out 9 miles on Sunday to the Muscoda boat launch, where Wi River Outings gave us a shuttle back to our truck. Water was very high this trip- not many sandbars out there, but also not as many people. Fishing wasn’t too great either due to the high water, but we did get a bunch of catfish. Beautiful scenery, very few houses until we got closer to Muscoda. The Riverway goes 92 miles from the Sauk City Dam all the way to the Mississippi River and sandbar camping is free the entire way! Make sure to keep an eye on water levels for the area you will be on, and also the weather. (Shout out to the Midland weather radio that I’ve reviewed for the Dryt before that alerted us to the severe weather when it blew up out of nowhere!)
I use the Wisconsin Canoe Company’s website for a lot of information for planning trips. They have detailed maps and guides for the entire Riverway. Remember that no glass is allowed on the river because the fine is pretty steep and no one wants to step barefoot on broken glass! You need to pack in everything you need, including water. The river is very sandy and eats through water filters quick. This is wilderness camping, yet close to town if you need supplies or assistance. Some firewood can be scrounged from the islands, or you can get some from many roadside stands or an outfitter. It was pretty hot this trip so we didn’t do a big fire, just a little one in the stick stove for some ambiance. The nice thing about being right on the river is being able to take a dip in the cool water any time it was too hot! Be careful of drop offs, especially on the downstream side of islands and make sure kids and people that aren’t strong swimmers always have a life jacket on when wading- the currents can get very strong. There are many loaner life jackets at many of the landings as part of a DNR program. Also be sure to bring lots of sunscreen and something to make some shade- it’s very sunny out there!
As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I occasionally get gear to review. This trip I had the FL1R headlamp from Coast. Right out of the box I was surprised by how light it was- about 1 oz! I’m not too worried about weight on the canoe, but the small size meant I could shove it in my bag with no worries and not taking up a ton of space. The 200 lumen light really lit up a huge area. I wish I could have gotten better pictures, but it doesn’t really show up as good as it looked in real life. The battery lasted the entire weekend with no problem. Before the trip I tested it out at home and it lasted at continuous high power for over 3 hours. The red light feature was my favorite. It allowed me to do all kinds of tasks while keeping the bugs away. I also appreciated that it came with a hat clip if I preferred to use that instead of the included band. The splash resistance was also a must for on the water or in bad weather. Overall a very good headlamp and I would definitely order from Coast again. 

Ranger Review- COAST headlamp on the Wisconsin River

If chilling and canoeing is what you want with little to no other human contact the lower Wisconsin river is the place.  Eagles everywhere.  Great fishing.  

My favorite place to camp

So much fun. Bring dry wood! Don’t forget your meat ( obviously we did)! I Great time regardless. Canoe and then camping on the river. There was a storm, it was a rough summer (2023) many storms.  So much fun. 

Highly recommend. 

River Canoeing Camping

Paddle trip in early June 2023.  From Prairie du Sac to Spring Green, about 21 miles?  Went mid week, saw one Boy Scout troop but generally nobody else.

Campsite was beautiful with a fire pit and some left over wood from the previous group.  BUT, even though you couldn’t see the road you could hear it.  It’s a truck route so at 6:30am it was busy with trucks and noisy which definitely took away from the vibe of dispersed camping.

Water levels were good.  Weather was beautiful. 

Only camped one night.  We rented the canoe and they ran the shuttle for us, which was very easy to arrange.  Would do this again!

Photos of Lower Wisconsin Riverway

Real photos from real campers