If you're looking for a place to dispersed camp in Wisconsin, look no further. It's easy to find a Wisconsin campground with dispersed camping with the Dyrt. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the woods or wide open spaces, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect dispersed campsite.
PLEASE NOTE: HORN LAKE IS NOT A DESIGNATED CAMPGROUND
Overnight camping, including tents, trailers, cars and trucks may be permitted in the County Forest without charge for a period of no more than 14 days cumulatively in a calendar year. Any camper who violates the rules of good conduct, including cutting or defacing timber, carelessness with fire, violation of game and fishing laws of the State, or improper disposal of garbage and litter shall be subject to ejection from the County Forest and subject to the penalties provided by County and State laws.
When camping on the County Forest, blocking roads, parking areas, or lake access is not permitted.
Foster Falls (access via Sullivan Fire Lane, Saxon) – 1 campsite, privy (no ATV access)
Rustic campsites (no water or electricity) have been established at Foster Falls (1 site). Camping is allowed at these sites or set up camp anywhere in the County Forest for up to two weeks at no charge. Everyone is always welcome to explore the entire forest on foot.
Primitive shoreline campsites scattered along the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers offer the opportunity to move from campsite to campsite for multi-day trips. These campsites are often only accessible from the water and are relatively isolated. Campsites are on a first-come, first-serve basis and are easier to secure mid-week and during non-holiday weekends. There are no fees or reservations required. However, a camping permit is required on the St. Croix River below Highway 8.
River camping - dispersed options on the river Primitive campsites with river views
Dispersed camping is the type of recreational experience that is outside the confines of a developed campground setting. It’s just you and the woods without latrines, fire rings, or any other type of amenities you’d find in a campground. There are still some rules that need to be followed to preserve places for others to enjoy.
There are still some rules that need to be followed to preserve places for others to enjoy.
Please follow Leave No Trace practices to make sure no evidence of your visit remains. This means packing out all garbage and supplies you brought with you– leave the site cleaner than when you found it. Where toilets are not provided, bury and cover waste in a shallow trench at least 200 feet away from any water. Be aware of fire restrictions that apply to campfires outside of developed campsites. In dry conditions, campfires may be banned in the general forest, but still allowed in campgrounds. Never leave a campfire unattended. Be sure your fire is out before you leave the campsite. Check the most up to date Motorized Vehicle User Map (MVUM) to make sure the Forest Service road you wish to drive on is open to motorized vehicles. Please contact your local Forest Service office to obtain the latest copy of the MVUM map. Motor vehicles may be parked up to 30 feet from the edge of the road surface when it is safe to do so without causing damage to National Forest resources or facilities, unless prohibited by state law, a traffic sign, or special closure order. Parking motor vehicles or trailers is not allowed where it will impede traffic, harm vegetation, or impact soils. For example, driving and parking in open fields beyond the shoulder of a road right-of-way. Parking in front of gates is prohibited. RV or vehicle campers may utilize shoulder parking pull off areas or closed roads with a berm to park and camp. Visitors who are tent camping should be a minimum of 150 feet from the edge any trail or Forest Service road. Camp sites must be 200 feet away from any water or lakeshore. You may not construct any “improvements” at your camp. Examples of prohibited improvements include digging ditches, cutting of live trees or other vegetation, or construction of permanent fire rings. Disperse all signs of a campfire once it is extinguished, if you use one, or use a camp stove. You may not leave your camping equipment unattended for more than 24 hours. Occupancy is limited to 21 days at the same site within a 30 day period, one mile away from previous site. Be considerate of other campers or users that may be in the area. Hold down the noise please. Use only dead and downed material for firewood. Do not carve, chop, cut, peel bark, install nails or screws, or do any other damage to live trees. Use of wheeled carts or any mechanized or motorized equipment is prohibited in all designated wilderness areas.
Guide
Winter camped here, was a nice spot pic nik table, fire ring, wilderness toilet. There is hiking trail access from campsite,but no water access to butternut lake or it would have been 5 star. There is access down the road.Did get one bar of cell (cricket) full with 20 foot ant. Note I've been through here in summer and the road is gravel very dusty from traffic.
Scout
Nice clean and quiet site. No facilities or cell service. Easy access to mountain bike trails. Keep it clean if you use it 🙏
Guide
We camped here in May not much for skeeters, good sites on the lake with a fire pit on a dead end road with a boat landing.
ScoutAs a primitive camper who hates paying to sleep on the ground somewhere, this is my new favorite spot. Two sites, fire rings, no bathroom, water, electric.
GuideNice spot to camp can fit trailer in parking area. There are two picknick tables and fire ring. Tent spot by lake boat access.
GuideTwo sites on lake some distance apart. Sand bottom on shore, picknick table and fire ring. No fee for camping can stay 14 days.
Traveler
8 Mile drive off the main road. Mostly paved, some gravel, but all smooth. We had the place to ourselves. A short walk down to the waterfall. Quiet and serene, towering trees and only a few mosquitoes.
GuideSingle campsite on small lake. Room for small camper in parking less than 15 foot. Fire ring and picknick table. Road to get in is narrow and pot holed.
GuideOn small lake has fire ring and picknick table. Room for small camper 10to 15 foot also tents wilderness toilet. No motor lake
Guide
Small campsite along paved road,fire ring and picnic table ,wilderness toilet. Stayed two nights in September it was quiet fishing was so so. I had 8 foot pop up could fit a 20 footer easy or tent camp. Seen two fire ring along the right shore of lake accessable by water.
Guide
There are three sites two small one large site which you can fit larger camper or RV in. Entrances need a lot of TLC washed out and large drop from paved road. Middle camp site has best access to brook I put a 8 foot pop up in it you could go bigger 20 foot max. One site I would say is tent only very tight. Wilderness toilet but they look pretty full.
Guide
Small pull off little ways off 64 on mountain lakes Rd. Pick nik table and fire ring. Big site for ATV campers right off trail can probably get toy hauler in here easy.
Guide
Small site little rough to get into a lot of trash left. Short path to river this is a two site spot good distance between them.
GuideSmall parking lot located off well-maintained gravel roads. Nice and quiet flat no facilities.
GuideA single campsite can park next to tent only. Access to lake
Guide
Tents only. Short walk to campsite only one on lake. 5 dollar parking national Forest.
Guide
This campsite is about an hour away from where I live. The listing here on The Dyrt seemed promising, and I hoped that by getting out there early I would find a nice spot. I first went to the National Park Service Scenic Riverway Visitor Center in St. Croix Falls to obtain a permit and learned that I don't need one for Sandrock Cliffs, I was already there so I got one anyway. About 40 minutes later I arrived at Sandrock Cliffs. The campsites all have a fire ring and are decently spaced apart, but most of the sites were full of trash and broken tent poles. There was a large group of kids that arrived by canoe/kayak just after I did. Soon the parking lot was also full of cars of some shady looking people who appeared to be looking for a spot to party. The kids seemed to have deterred these people from staying. I set up my camp and started to read a book. The kids began running through my campsite and upset my dog. After 3 times of them running through my campsite I just packed up and went home. Since this spot is accessible by road I'm assuming that its best not to visit in the summer, it seems to be a place that gets abused by the locals as a party area. I may consider visiting again in the fall when it is hopefully less busy.
TravelerA few mosquitoes, but the wind kept them to a minimum! Great view of the lake and very private. About 2 miles of dirt road to get there. Turn right when you get to ATV trail. Two camp sites 10 yards apart.
Traveler
We camped here on our way to the badlands starting from michigan. It was easy to find, and the spot itself was good and had restrooms. The only problem was the mosquitoes.
ScoutVery cool spot right on the river. In ground fire pit. Decent amount of off-road vehicle traffic. No service :)
Guide
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!
GuideThe McCauslin Brook runs through Townsend and Lakewood. There are a total of 3 sites in this location and all are on the Brook.
RangerGreat spot right on the water. There are 2 camp spots with stone rings. They are about 40' apart on a cul-de-sac at the end of the road where the boat launch is. I'd suggest using your own firepit/ grill if you have one as some moron decided burning tires in the firepit was a good idea.
It's a beautiful spot. Very quiet. Land to the north is private property, so keep that in mind. You'll see a few houses on the way in.
If you travel to the left where the road "T's" off, take care. The road is tight and very twisty. There are numerous spots to camp, but no pits to the left. I would not recommend going to the left unless the max your hauling is a teardrop. Anyone up to 20' would be OK going to the right where the established 2 sites are.
GuideSo 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.
TravelerLoved this spot. Stayed two nights, and the first night was almost absolutely silent other than the waterfall (difficult to access) about a mile away. The campsite is right along a deep, and steadily moving stream. Water is very cold, and flows from an aquifer upstream.
There is an outdoor toilet, and I've attempted to point it out in the pictures.
The entrance was doable for my sedan, but was tricky. I believe a camper could make it going slowly. The second campsite entrance may have an easier time in.
Do not follow road past campsites, either way unless your vehicle is lifted my sedan would have gotten stuck if I tried.
Both campsites are accessed from the main road and have a brown "campsite" sign.
AT&T: No Service.
GuideWe arrived in the late afternoon and drove all the way down the road, there are a few spots near the boat ramp and bathroom, but we parked near the trailhead and it was perfect! There were a few hunters out but they weren’t anywhere near us, I’d definitely recommend this spot
GuideI pulled into the campsite late at night and was really confused where to go. There are bathrooms and 1 bar of Verizon (no T-mobile service). We ended up staying in the parking lot near the boat ramp and woke up to amazing bird calls and left before 6am. Pretty campsite with boat ramp to St Croix river.
Wisconsin offers a wealth of opportunities for those seeking the tranquility of dispersed camping, where you can immerse yourself in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.
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