Searching for a tent campsite near Black River Falls? The Dyrt helps you find campsites with tent camping near Black River Falls. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Black River Falls's most popular destinations.
$17 - $20 / night
The area offers 12 rustic campsites with pit toilets and water, 9 miles of hiking trail, 3 miles of surfaced bicycle trail, a large beach, picnic areas, handicap fishing pier, boat launch and several scenic vistas of the surrounding forest land. Reservations are accepted on 6 of the 12 campsites. Reservations can be made for camping Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Reservations require a 3 night minimum and are subject to a $7.00 reservation fee for each site reserved. Reservations can be made by credit card, the mail or in person. Checking the availability of desired sites is encouraged when making reservations through the mail No refunds. Reservations are accepted from December 1 - Labor Day for the following year. Exceptions are made for seasonal campers (anyone staying 50 days or more in a row) who can start making reservations the first week in November.
$15 - $21 / night
Two primitive canoe campsites are available south of Black River Falls. These campsites are on the east side of the river and include a picnic table, fire ring and portable toilet. The sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis and limited to a one-night stay. A free Special Camp permit is required and can be picked up at the Castle Mound campground or the Black River Falls DNR Service Center. The permit can be filled out online or, if you’d like us to mail you one, please see our contact information. For additional information, including a map of canoe landings, see our Paddling the Black River brochure: https://p.widencdn.net/ixm7ly/Paddling-the-Black-River
If your dream vacation is full of details like soft forest light, colorful leaves, and winding trails—that is, if you are thinking of disconnecting and disappearing into the countryside for a few days—then resort camping at Justin Trails Resort eight miles from town is just the ticket. Rejuvenate your spirit and refresh your body with a hike around our 200-acre property or try your hand at disc golf. We have the #1 Disc Golf Course in all of Wisconsin!
Songbirds chirp in the morning, wild turkey and deer cross the property, and an owl hoots as the sun sets over the ridge. Ready to make a booking at Justin Trails Resort? Review your options and make a booking with us online.
Camp along a Mississippi tributary beside the Minnesota-Wisconsin line in this whimsical farm paradise. Run around the pasture, take a walk in the forest or dip your toes in the flowing creek at Shady Rest Acres. You are welcome to sit back, relax, and observe the farm animals. No guest are allowed inside the fenced off area of pasture without a host with them. We do have 4 well behaved dog's an 8 indoor outdoor cats, cows, goats, sheep, mini donkeys, ducks, chickens, turkeys and honey bee's. Tent Sites Pitch a tent in the field beside a fire pit and get a great view of the night sky or pitch a tent beneath the walnut trees beside the creek and relax in a hammock. Bee Relaxed Studio If you would rather stay indoors, kick back in the fully furnished studio with a wood burning stove and vinyl record player. Please no pets in the studio. No matter where you decide to stay at Shady Rest Acres you will be in close proximity to the Mississippi River, Beaver Creek Valley State Park, and Great River Bluffs State Park. This area is great for hiking, fishing, kayaking, and swimming. When making reservations please include in your total any person over the age of two.
$40 - $120 / night
Women's Retreat Center.
Rustic cabins and primitive campsites available.
40 secluded wooded acres with walking trails, yoga and meditation platforms and fire pits.
Sacred Healing Space.
Promoting and supporting sobriety.
Use headphones for music to preserve to wonderful sounds of nature.
Porta-potties on site.
Some cabins have composting toilets, microwaves and refrigerators.
Over age 18 and no pets please.
Private Solar showers available on request.
The Pines have an endless supply of branches and firewood for continual healing fires.
See Peace Cabina Cabin also for rent on Abnb. Sleeps 4, air-conditioned, fridge, microwave, coffee pot, queen bed and pull out futon.
$35 - $135 / night
There are five family walk-in tent campsites and a group tent site on an island, connected to the mainland by road. The island also has a log shelter, boat and canoe launches, picnic area, pit toilets and drinking water.
$15 - $40 / night
The Elroy Campground is along Highway 71 near the intersection of Highway 80 in Elroy. An underpass allows campers to walk under Highway 71 and up a 100-yard asphalt road to the campground. This is a walk-to campsite. You must park your vehicle and walk approximately 0.4 miles along a steep incline to access the site.
Legend
Very wooded campsites, which allowed for some privacy, but you will still see your neighbors. The campground was pretty and very well kept by all standards. It is one of the 3 campgrounds of the Black River State Forest, but this one appealed to us because of its location to the town and to the highway. Its a very nicely spread out campground that had a lot to offer. When you first pull in you are directed to the pay kiosk/office park. Note that you can't pay right now due to the virus, so you will need to have a sticker on your car ahead of it.
As for the sites. They can be large or small depending on where you choose. The majority are for tent camping and not larger RVs so if you have a bigger RV make sure you are looking ahead at the size of the pad. We saw a variety of people in different rigs from medium winnebagos and airstreams to small tear drops. Some sites are electric and that is where the campground was full. The tent sites were nice and we could get our scamp into one of those fairly easily. The nice thing is the trees...they provide great shade and also allow you to hang your hammock up if you choose. We did see warnings of ticks so just be cautious.
The showers were very nice and looked to be housed in a new shower house. They were working on the water heater when we stopped so the cold water was all they had, but that was fine as it was a hot day. The toilets around the campground are pit, but they are more than just an outhouse so you are safe.
One random thing was the firewood was the cheapest I have ever seen it at any state park. Nice to see them offering up a good deal on what nature provides!
Guide
I camped here last summer and wasn't impressed at how close the camp sites were. We camped in a tent and there were several RV's nearby. Additionally when we went to hike around the area we couldn't seem to escape the sounds of the nearby highway. Aside from that the bluffs were beautiful and really fun to climb!
Guide
Small city park. Just a field for tent camping. A few RV spots. Easy on-and-off if you are looking for a quick overnight.
GuideStayed here for a dive trip to Lake Wazee (15 min). Very nice sites. Quiet. Close to Black River Falls. Great hike around Castle Mound.
Legend
This campground is nice. Good tent sites, camper sites and is well maintained. There are several hikes around and good fishing. I would recommend for the young and old alike.
Ranger
Beautiful place, tent camping is available. Great breakfast and romantic setting for our anniversary. They sell wine and food in the store. Host is amazing and friendly. Disc golf is busy here, in winter they have sledding hills. The llamas are fun to feed.
Traveler
Nice big tent sites down by the river. Walking trails were nice but recommend pants as the grass was long in spots. Plenty of wildlife and could not hear the cars from the highway.
Traveler
Pros:
Cons:
GuideCastle Mound was a great state forest campground. All sites are drive-in, and well spaced with ample woods in the summer. Some sites are kind of small, and finding root and stone-free areas for more than one tent might be a challenge. Bathrooms are clean and seem to be recently renovated. The campground is not too far from freeway, which didn’t pose a huge problem, but those sensitive may be bothered by noise. Woods are gorgeous with nice trails. Black River Falls is a very short drive from the campground as well.
Traveler
Sites are basic with water, pit toilets, tables and fire rings. I originally planned to stay here but came across the non-resident charges (my state does not do this). I made reservations at the Village of Norwalk and the town of Hillsboro instead. Both have City parks with free tent camping. Norwalk even has showers and RV spots. I've added both to The Dyrt library.
Traveler
Very nice area, camped in a tent at the end of September. Firewood had very easy access. The campground was a pretty large layout, but still easy to navigate. Nice hiking spots with amazing views. Bugs weren't too terrible, I maybe had two mosquito bites the whole 4 days, and that was before I put bug spray on.
Rentals for canoes and kayaks are available. Unfortunately, when I went the current was too strong. We could still rent one but they warned us that if we weren't able to make it through the current, that we wouldn't be able to get our money refunded.
There were signs posted that the drinking water cannot be boiled, nor can it be given to babies or elderly due to high nitrates. But we brought our own water anyways.
Traveler
Small rustic campground with no hookups or electrical sites which is perfect if you are tent camping! Sites are smaller but nice, the outer sites have better privacy with most inner sites backing up to the restrooms. The hiking here is amazing with numerous lookout points to see the river from the bluffs. There are short and long hikes to get to the views, so it’s good for all levels of hiking. Overall this campground has a lot to offer and we will definitely go back!
GuideIn the end we were happy to have made the hike up to the top of Castle Mound but camping isn’t required to hike. Overall we won’t be camping there again. The people were nice, the facilities were clean and the campground was pretty. This forest seems to really cater to ATV people and we are not those people. Also my husband got stung three times because there was a ground hornet nest next to the tent pad. We stayed one night, had two booked but ended up only using a small portion of our site because of the hornets. The very nice people in charge were going to take care of it when we left, it just wasn’t the place for us. Maybe it’s all the bad energy that hangs over Black River Falls?
Scout
Tent sites are just okay. They are located directly across from houseboats, so little privacy. The area was also damp, which meant lots of bugs. I was envious of the RV side, which looked much nicer. It was not quiet due to being practically under the bridge into La Crosse. On the upside, The man working there was very friendly and helpful. It did not appear that anyone was masked or social distancing. The bar was open and patrons were next to each other on stools at the bar. Employees were also not wearing masks.
Legend
This camp South of Lacrosse Wisconsin is a great family or road tripping camp. Goose Island has very friendly staff and a nice little camp supply store at the entrance where you can also purchase firewood in two sizes of tubes. You’ll need a way to haul the wood to your site. We tent camp so we choose nonpowered sites away from the RV’s. The website refers to the camp as being on the backwater of the Misssippi. What ever it is, it is beautiful and right on the water. Bring the bug spray for the evening becasue the mosquitoes do come out in force. The camp facilities are clean and convenient. There is a small children’s playground and a small swimming area also. The camp was relatively busy in the powered RV area but clean and quite thoughout. It looked like there were some long term RV campers by the looks of their set up. You won’t regret staying at Goose Island.
Guide
Note: I have not camped here yet, but I will be in the summer at the tent sites.
I have been going to this campground for years, walking around, going to the beaches, launching the family pontoon and fishing in Lake Petenwell. Everyone is always so friendly upon arrival. All of the tent sites are right on the edge, it is the best view of the lake. Other RV spots are partially shaded or full sun depending on the location.
I have US Cellular, it does work excellent in the area, but is very spotty lakeside. I am not sure what other providers are like.
There are two other camping areas that also are apart of this park. The second one is down the road a little and is west to the main grounds. It has been there for a while and is a spectacular place for sunsets! The park also just added a third campground right across the street as another option for additional camping. This one is atv/utv friendly where if you are on the trails you can drive right in that area. One thing to note is that they are not allowed in the main campground. There is a small atv entrance about 200ft passed the car entrance where you will need to check in.
There is a pretty nice beach to relax on, the lake is a little green and mucky sometimes- but hey its a lake! There are playgrounds for the kids to let the energy out and plenty of activities to do in the area.
Overall, I would highly recommend this campground!
GuideThere is a lot of hiking (the view from the bluffs are amazing) you can rent kayaks canoes etc. and they have a boat landing. No shore fishing or swimming which is disappointing.
The nonelectric sites were a bit small (compared to many state parks I have been too) -especially considering the gravel spot they leave for pop ups - not great to tent camp on and takes up most of the space that is safely far enough from the fire pit.
The bathrooms were decent but quite a hike (which stinks late at night) the showers were clean but I never used them.
However, the bugs and mosquitos were almost unbearable. We fogged the site daily, had thermacells, and coated ourselves in bug spray - still came home completely bit up and trying to play cards at night the constant hum of bugs was a bit much.
Guide
We stayed with a group for Memorial weekend. We have such a great time. Some of our group was tent camping and said the showers were nice and hot but tended to be a little muddy after awhile. Our site was a little hard to get into. We stayed at site 116 with a 40 ft 5th wheel. I would recommend booking early to get a better spot for a big rig. That spot would be easier to get our 30 ft travel trailer into. Water filling stations are all over the campground. It was our first time and we though the dump area was the water station. It was not. Other than that we would definitely recommend.
119 is paved ada 116 can fit a TT and atv trailer comfortably 115 - tight for a 32 ft travel trailer the trees are very close 132 - the area is below the street level which flooded out with mud
Legend
There are three campgrounds run by the Wisconsin DNR in this area (not counting the 2 site boat-in camp on the river) Castle Mound, Pigeon Creek and this one, which is the smallest and farthest away from anything. It's on the river, but not the scenic and most canoe-able part which is down below the town and dam in Black river falls. However there is a good shallow boat ramp for canoes/ kayaks.
There's a group campground away from the river, nearer to the marsh and 24 individual sites. Three of them are pull through (104, 113 & 120).
We are tent campers, so I didn't pay close attention to hookups, but I doubt there are any.
We were there in October, and the birds had gone for the winter, so had the ATVers. I don't know what it's like in the peak of the summer, but the area has lots of off-road trails for ATVs. Having said that, it was eerily quiet during our entire stay and we had maybe three other campers staying with us.
There's one trail leading out of the campground, but we were there to canoe and didn't hike it. We did hike the castle Mound trail which has cool rock formations and spectacular views (you have to climb an iron ladder at the very end, worth it).
We use Black River canoe rentals as our portage service so we could drift downriver to our car. It's run out of a liquor store, so that's convenient.
Traveler
We ran across a little camp ground called Sleepy Hollow Campground W922 Lower Eagle Valley Road, Fountain City, WI. 54629(609) 687-8351 This is one of the nicest places we have found. It is not marked on RV Trip Wizard or any others that we could find. I found it by accident through Google Maps. It looked like what a campground would look like from the air and by querying the address I found the name of the campground called Sleepy Hollow. They do not advertise and it is a small camp with little amnesties. It has a shower house with restrooms and a laundry. They are clean and well maintained. They have 13 pull through sites 80” in length and very wide with full hook-ups, eight back in sites with just water and Electric. And tent sites as well. It is on a quiet road called Lower Eagle Valley Rd. It is set in a valley with 3 to 4 hundred foot hills full of trails on a working farm. About a mile from the Mississippi just north of lock and dam no. 5A if you are looking for a quiet place to recharge this is the place for you. This is a camping site where there are adults, not designed for kids.
Legend
Peaceful area! Esofea campground has a shelter, several ponds and streams, and some nice hiking trails.
The camping options range from full hookups to tent camping. The campground is open for camping between April 15th and October 15th each year. Esofea campground has 27 campsites in total (4 with full hookups, 8 with electricity and 15 primitive sites). Fresh water is available for campers and park users. Reservations are not always necessary but if you a planning on camping on holiday weekends or wanting electric sites book in advanced.
There is good trout fishing at this campground. Recommended spots are one of the 5 ponds or the Bad Axe River.
Product Review:
As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test awesome outdoor products! At Esofea, I tested out my new 3-1 RōM Pack from RōM Outdoors.
Here’s what I like about the 3-1 pack:
Quality. This poncho is heavy duty. It’s not like the plastic ones that rip when your hiking through brushy areas. The thickness of the poncho is perfect for keeping dry but also very warm. It’s perfect for the northwoods!
Packable. Easy to unpack and great for woodland areas. Comes with instructions on how to pack up but you really don’t need them. The pack folds up in a logical way. I found it easiest to store all my small items in the front zip up pack.
Traveler
I had read about this being a really nice, quiet campground for tent camping, and though I was not ready to stop for the night (on my way to a wedding up north), I did get off the highway and drive through it. Honestly, I wanted to stay!
It was not a huge campground, and facilities were basic (I guess they call that primitive), but each campsite was generous in size, well separated from the next site and nicely landscaped by nature's appointment of trees and shrubs. It was clean, well-kept, and enticing.
I wanted to take a picture of one of the attractive sites, but couldn't decide which one! The small lake was so peaceful, and there was some new-looking children's play equipment, as well as some benches perfect for reading or eating on its banks. I only saw one campsite occupied with a tent, and one small camping trailer elsewhere, which may have simply been stored there. It was Friday afternoon in early June. I would have expected to see more activity there. Perhaps, as some have mentioned, there is an abundance of mosquitoes and other insects from the river (which I was unaware of) that disuades people, I don't know. I didn't notice any when I sat by the lake.
The author of the camping book through which I had found it also said he had found the place quite charming, and he did not understand why it was so little occupied. He, apparently had spent the night there. I'd like to stay there next time I am driving north on 94.
I gave it 4 stars even though I have not stayed there, because it has much of what I want in a campground, and which is getting harder for nature-loving tent campers to find--simple, quiet beauty. I took off the extra star only because I haven't actually stayed there, and want to give East Fork a chance to live up to even more!
LegendPerrot has it all: hiking, biking, paddling and camping and that makes it a popular place in the summer. It was totally booked the weekend I stayed here. Site 23E was not the best due to the location of the electric pedestal which was more set up for tent camping than an RV, but made it work, although it required an extension to the power cord. The electric power was also running low and the RV AC wouldn’t work. Fan only due to watts/volts varying. Site was also parallel to the campground road so there was road noise. There are much better sites in the 91E-95E section of tall pines!
Sites that were located on the water, were next to swampy, green algae type ponds. I can only imagine what the mosquitoes were like at those sites. Site pads are dirt and grass. Not easy to level.
Now for the good! This area is beautiful. Awesome bluff views of the Trempealeau and Mississippi rivers and definitely worth the hike up for them. The Great River State Trail head is located in Perrot and this is a must do if you like cycling on the rails to trails. The ride into quaint Trempealeau is enjoyable and not too strenuous. Make sure to check out the ice cream place that is located in the old caboose. Kayak and canoe rentals are available in the park as well. This is a paddler’s paradise, just be ready for the current and follow the water trail.
Also, a heads up: I was surprised that there is a daily vehicle pass required and this costs $8/day in addition to the usual camping fees.
Legend
I grew up in Minnesota, 13 years ago went to college in Madison/married a boy from there, and moved back to Minnesota after college. This means that I have driven past Black River Falls State Forest at least 36 times as an adult. It is an excellent halfway point between me and my Wisconsin-dwelling family, so this past weekend was the first time that I’ve actually chosen it as my actual destination.
There are several different sections to this park, and good grief the social media presence of this park is terrible. I’m starting to think that this is because the locals do not want non-locals to come and spoil the charms of the park so they figure that they should just completely ignore improving their website. Anyway, on a whim we wound up at Pigeon Creek campground.
If you look at the map of the park you can see that there is water and beach access, but you don’t really know just how charming it is. The entire time we were there I kept on exclaiming how it was so beautiful in the most retro of ways. You should know that the water is a fun shade of root beer, this is from the trees and mosses leaching into the water(check out my pic of the park sign for a bit more info). The water is tested weekly to make sure that it is safe to swim in. A lot of people had stand up paddleboards and kayaks.
During these pandemic times you need to make sure to buy your pass online or via phone ahead of time. There is no attendant at the little ranger station at the entrance- at this time you couldn’t buy firewood either. Don’t try to pull a quick one on the park service though, because a ranger will come around and inspect your vehicle if you are parked at the picnic area and approach you to find out which vehicle is yours.
This park is rustic and does not offer showers. We came here with no expectations of the campsites, so we were very pleased to find that they are large, mostly packed dirt (many reviews mention heavy TICK populations eek), and offer a good deal of privacy. Sites that I like(check out pics): 204, 205, 234,235, 212,224, and 226.
Legend
This is a diamond in the rough - exactly what we wanted on our journey. Our criteria - less than $100, pet friendly and rustic.
This is a sawmill that has it all - they run the mill when needed, but also have primitive cabins (where we stayed), full cabins with in house bath, electric RV/tent camping and more. Even wood fired pizzas with homemade crust most nights of the week and sometimes live music!
We were in cabin #3 - rustic. Yes - it did have heat! A little ceramic heater had it so toasty when it was 30 degrees outside we actually turned it off - so it's sure to please on chilly nights. The interior was amazing - lumber that I'm sure came from the mill and ceiling planks that were gorgeous - left over planks from many years ago, stored in a shed and re-purposed for the cabin. The bed was very comfortable with clean sheets and squishy (in a good way) pillows. A small covered front porch and we just parked in front.
Bathroom - if you are in a cabin without a bath, it's very nearby. One of the largest, cleanest bathrooms I've seen. He built it himself. Women's had 2 sinks with a large vanity area, about 3 stalls (very large - you don't have to squish into them) and two very large shower stalls with full doors - not shower curtains. Heated as well.
Pets - easy pet policy. Just let the owner know and it's no problem as long as you are responsible, pick up after them and leash them when necessary. Just a small charge for them and they were very welcomed here.
He even has event space indoors (heated) and outdoors for weddings and such. And hiking trails (6 miles) if you choose to take on the outdoors.
The owner plans on adding saunas and a hot tub in the near future - so this would be the place to drop for a while if you want something out of the norm, peaceful, rustic and relaxing. It's off the main road, behind a field in Amish Country. Lovely place to stay for the night. Very quiet.
GuideMy husband and I picked this park because of it's friendliness towards kids. We took our 2 9 year old nieces on their first tent camping adventure. We chose site 28 because it was a walk in site and on the water. When we arrived and checked in we grabbed one of their pre-loaded GPS units for Geocaching; It's something the park offers for free. They give you a bag, GPS and information book on all the Geocaching sites. We drove to the site and started loading up the cart to walk in. We walked past a very open campsite that was right next to ours, could be bad if you have loud neighbors but ours were great. There are 2 other sites in this location but far enough away and they don't walk past your site to get to them. The site was spacious and has a great fire pit for cooking. There is a small trail leading to the water with an extremely small beach front but it was enough to keep the girls entertained. Set up camp and started our geocaching fun. We hiked to the kids fishing pond & the tower. Trails are easy and well groomed. Following hiking we made our way to the beach; unfortunately, the algae was in bloom so the water was caked green! However, it doesn't do any harm so we made our way out into the more clear portion of the water and had a blast! The beach area has showers and a great area to have a picnic. The evening presented itself with an amazing sunset from our beach and lots of crickets chirping. It made for a peaceful night. In the morning we took the girls fishing off the dock and then over to the kids pond; the park also offers free poles and tackle. We ventured into the campground area for fresh water. From what we saw the sites were spacious and fairly private. The shower area was well maintained and is also accessible for anyone with disabilities. We will be coming back to this park; it was great! We didn't run into any issues with mosquitoes or other bugs while there.
TravelerThis campground is owned and operated by the village of Wilton, Wi. It is primarily marketed toward cyclists riding the Elroy Sparta Rail Trail. The trail’s halfway point is about 5 blocks away, so one could easily do the southern half one day and the northern half the next. It is part of a community recreation center that includes a nice swimming pool and various ball fields. Camp sites are for both RVs (towed and motor homes) and tents. Sites have access to 30 amp and conventional electric outlets grouped in a multi outlet board. Depending on your proximity to the board and the length of your cord, this could be problematic. Showers are easily available and will run you 50 cents for 4 minutes of water. The swimming pool is also available for a $5 admission. Hours are irregular due to a shortage of available lifeguards. Individual campsites have a picnic table and fire ring.
Tent camping near Black River Falls, Wisconsin, offers a variety of scenic spots and outdoor activities for nature enthusiasts. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, there are several well-reviewed campgrounds to choose from.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Black River Falls, WI is Coon Fork Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 14 reviews.
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