Best Dog-Friendly Camping near New Auburn, WI

Stayed here on a east/west camping trip. Beautiful state park. Sites are shaded and large. Big enough that we were able to tie out 2 large dogs each on 30 ft leads. The park has a bicycle path that walkers can also use that’s along the river. Our site backed up to the bicycle path with the river behind us. Great place to walk. Staff and hosts very friendly and helpful. Don’t be alarmed when you drive by a school and housing area to get to it! The park also has an off leash dog park. I wasn’t able to check that out though but have wished state parks would consider adding. Bathrooms extremely clean with the best state park showers Ive ever used (and I mostly camp at state parks across the US). If I get back to this area I would definitely camp here again.

Campground Review:

Lake Eleven campsite is a back country site located within the Chequamegon National Forest in Taylor County, Wisconsin. It is the 15.5 mile Lake Eleven Segment, part of the 1200 mile long Ice Age Trail. A 2.5 hr drive from the Twin Cities it is an excellent diverse section of trail with many geologic wonders formed by continental glaciation, with the most recent effects formed at the end of the Wisconsin Glaciation, a period ending about 10,000 years ago.

Starting our hike at the STH-64 parking lot we hike approximately 10 miles to our campsite. There are two sites on Lake Eleven, one on the south side and ours on the north side. Our initial intentions were to camp on the south side but surprisingly it was occupied on an otherwise empty trail. Our late October backpacking trip skirted hunting season in Wisconsin and it appeared a few groups were getting a head start on the weekend. The guide book does mention that this site is used for backpackers, hunters, fisherman and equestrians. We were fortunate to grab the north side location moments before another group of men came thru. I should note that there is plenty of space for large groups at the north side site but as a group of 7 women, the men knew better than to try and camp at our site; fortunate for us as we could hear their drunken banter across the lake. This north side location is accessible via a short spur trail and situated under a grove of pines so we had adequate protection from the sleet storm that was coming as well as a soft pad of needles for all 5 of our tents. This site also provided excellent space for hammock camping. Located next to the lake, it provided ease of access to water that was drinkable with a filtration system. The site has a nice stone fire pit with log benches surrounding it. Plenty of downed/dead trees provide firewood. There is no pit toilet at this location but plenty of open (no low lying brush) wooded area to find a spot to do your business.

Overall a pleasant spot to consider as you travel some or all of the Ice Age Trail.

Product Review:

As a Ranger Reviewer for The Dyrt, I am honored occasionally to test and evaluate products. During this trip I tested out the Oofos womens Oolala Slide Sandal https://www.oofos.com/collections/womens-oolala-slide-sandal

This sandal is touted as a recovery sandal but frankly I use it as an everything sandal. I walk the dog in them, use them at the beach, use them after running, use them around the house, use them at the campsite after a long day of hiking… they are so comfortable that I don’t really care to wear any other sandals. The extra cushy foam, apparently called Oofoam, really does make your feet and legs feel better. The thick sole took a little bit getting used to but like a day not a week. The grippy bottoms give you great traction on all surfaces and my feet fit comfortably yet snugly in the slide, no worries about them slipping off. For our backpacking trip they were a great post 6-8 hr hike shoe. I’d throw off my hiking shoes and throw on the sandals. I really felt this allowed for a quicker recovery and less leg pain and fatigue for the next days hike. What was also great was popping them off right before I got in the tent. No struggling with wet muddy shoes as I crawl into my ultralight 2p tent (aka no room at all). Speaking of light, these puppies were attached to the outside of my pack and added a whopping 10 ounces. As far as the pricing goes these tend to be mid to upper range compared to other recovery sandals. I’ve had a different brand of sandal at a similar price and while nice they only lasted a couple years. For the pricing and the fact that they’re not used for hard use (hiking, running, etc.) I feel they should have lasted longer. Only time will tell if these Oofos will do the same. If they do last longer than they are worth the price.

Beautiful shaded campground with semi private sites. Nice beach that is a walkable distance from the sites. Lots of walking, biking and horse trails that are full of wild berries. Several stairways down to the lake, no beach at these spots but good for taking the dog in the water since they aren’t allowed on the beach. Wonderful staff in the visitor center. Firewood and ice sold on site. Also boat rentals and free yard games that can be checked out at the visitor center. Clean bathrooms with showers. Lots of boat noise from the lake and a plane noise from a nearby airport. Close to Chippewa Falls for restaurants and stores. A great family destination, not so great for a peaceful couples weekend.

 This park is on a smaller scale and less crowded than Devil’s Lake. There is a small beach that is in the process of renovation. The sites are large surrounded by trees and very private. The sites on the lake side are not electric and some of them are huge buddy sites, great for extended families. There are two shower houses in the campground located next to sites 29 or 72. If you are on the legs furthest from the lake it is a long walk to them, but all those sites have electric. There are two vault toilet locations and a total of 116 campsites all with a picnic table and fire ring. There is a very large playing field and a playground in the Family Campground and another playground past the beach near the fishing dock. This State Park has a large number of picnic shelters and picnic grounds with picnic tables. There are about 10 hiking trails. There is a boat launch and you can rent kayaks or canoes at the visitor center. Everything was kept clean and in good repair. Cell service for both AT&T and Verizon was strong enough to stream video. If you want to take a trip to town, there are about 5 no longer than a 10 mile distance. There was a large grocery store in Chippewa Falls. Only ice and firewood are available at the park.

I’m willing to declare this the best hipcamp site within a couple hours of the twin cities. Most hipcamp sites are not my scene at all, since they generally seem to be in a random unmowed part of someone’s land. It combines the things that I like about the stereotypical hipcamp listing(farm animals of some sort and enough privacy) with things that the stereotypical hipcamp site doesn’t offer(mowed grass and not being in someone’s backyard). I really recommend that you check out their website and instagram, since it gives you a bigger picture of what the farm consists of beyond just a place to spend the night. They are heavy into permaculture. You can buy fresh or frozen produce off of their site, as well as CBD infused products that they make with hemp that they grow themselves. I didn’t get to see their farm area since it didn’t seem to be connected to the farmhouse(available on airbind)/campsite part of the property, but their aerial shots of it are gorgeous. Once normal life resumes I would love to participate in some of their educational opportunities! Onto the site review! Both the White Pine Meadow and the Lakeside Serenity sites are amazing and large. We wound up staying at the Lakeside site, which has a nice view of Mud Lake and one of the herds of goats. You park your car where the gravel driveway ends, and you have the choice to set up your tent down by the lake or in the upper area which is more by the goats. Be prepared to make multiple trips back and forth between your car and your campsite. The fire ring had plentiful stacks of firewood closeby, and there was also an electrical outlet(which was an unexpected surprise!) The mosquito situation was very good, we never even went into our screen house that we had set up just in case it was mosquito misery. There is a designated(and clean!) portapotty for each campsite, the lakeside one ais on the other side of the goat enclosure. It was close enough for daytime trips, but I wish it was closer for middle of the night visits. While the Lakeside site was serene, walking into the White Pine Meadow campsite felt magical. Also buggy. The pines tower over you, and the understory is full of beautiful ferns. The site is mowed, but we still managed to pick up one tick walking through the trail that leads to it. There is actually some educational tick materials in an informational binder that is located in a little structure by the parking spot for the lakeside spot. If you are sad that you aren’t by the goat pen, don’t worry because there is a second herd of goats(and their guard dog) that overlook this site. I would definitely recommend all sorts of bug survival gear to make your life less slappy if you are camping at this site in the summer. Random notes: The lake is pretty, but I’m picky and chose not to swim in it. The goats are friendly and are quiet once it starts to get dark. A goat tender comes twice a day to feed the goats, I’m not sure what staff activity levels are like during the weekdays. I wish that I hada brought ear plugs because there was a fair amount of noisy wildlife activity during the night.