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Established Camping

Council Grounds State Park Campground

Council Grounds State Park Campground, near Merrill, Wisconsin, is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying some modern comforts. With spacious, wooded sites that provide plenty of shade, it’s a great place to kick back and relax, whether you’re tent camping or rolling in with an RV.

The campground is known for its clean facilities, including decent bathrooms and showers, which visitors appreciate after a day of hiking or boating. Many campers rave about the peaceful atmosphere, with one saying, “Tall trees, peaceful, quiet,” making it a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Fire pits are available for cozy evenings, and firewood is conveniently sold at the entrance.

For outdoor enthusiasts, the nearby trails offer easy access to the Wisconsin River, where you can enjoy activities like hiking, geocaching, or simply unwinding by the water. The beach area is a nice touch for those looking to cool off or take a dip. Just be mindful of the biting deer flies at dusk; they can be a nuisance!

With a friendly vibe and a variety of activities, Council Grounds State Park Campground is a solid choice for families and solo adventurers alike. Whether you’re planning a day trip or a longer stay, this campground has everything you need for a memorable outdoor experience.

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Location

Council Grounds State Park Campground is located in Wisconsin

Detail location of 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.

Coordinates

45.18500048 N
89.73500075 W

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Access

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

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

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
  • Big Rig Friendly

Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

13 Reviews

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 Jun. 29, 2019

Great little river camp ground

Great little campground on the river. I just spent one night but there are many hiking paths. The rain of the spring this year supposed mosquito proliferation but they seemed less during the day.

Reviewed Jun. 29, 2019

Enjoyable overnight.

Spent one night here the spring of 2019. This was a rainy spring and as a result of the standing water the mosquitoes were abundant. But they died down during the day and there are plenty of hiking trails that run away and along the river. The whole Midwest is full of mosquitoes this spring but this is a great park and campground that is nicely secluded and small.

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
Reviewed Jun. 30, 2016

Great camp and boat grounds

We camped here many times in my childhood. Beautiful forest, boating, dam views along the Wisconsin River.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does Council Grounds State Park Campground have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Council Grounds State Park Campground has 30 amp electric hookups and sewer hookups.

  • What is the max vehicle length at Council Grounds State Park Campground?

    Council Grounds State Park Campground allows vehicles up to 35 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Council Grounds State Park Campground?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Council Grounds State Park Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Does Council Grounds State Park Campground have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Council Grounds State Park Campground does not have wifi.