Federal Campgrounds in Wisconsin
Federal coverage only. This directory lists campgrounds on federal land (Forest Service, Park Service, BLM, Corps of Engineers and other agencies) from the Recreation.gov RIDB export. State-park, county and private/KOA campgrounds are out of scope.
Wisconsin has 46 federal campgrounds offering 1,427 overnight sites across three managing agencies. The U.S. Forest Service operates 41 campgrounds, primarily within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and distributed throughout the state's lake and woodland regions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages 4 campgrounds at water-resource projects, and the National Park Service operates 1 campground. Of these 46 campgrounds, 44 accept advance reservations through Recreation.gov, where visitors can check real-time site availability and make bookings.
This overview covers federal campgrounds only. State park campgrounds operated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and private commercial campgrounds (KOA and others) are outside the scope of this directory. For current information on specific sites, amenities, and to reserve campsites, visit Recreation.gov. Visitors should note that conditions and availability change seasonally, and some campgrounds may have limited operations during winter months.
How to read the Wisconsin directory
Use this page as a starting map of federal camping in Wisconsin: the agency split tells you whether you're mostly looking at national-forest sites, park-service grounds or Corps-of-Engineers lakeside camps, and the busiest rec areas below point to where the campgrounds cluster. Every name links to its live Recreation.gov page for current site counts, photos and booking.
| Rec area / forest | Campgrounds |
|---|---|
| Hayward | 6 |
| MEDFORD | 5 |
| Eagle River | 5 |
| PARK FALLS | 5 |
| Laona | 4 |
| EAGLE RIVER | 3 |
| LAKEWOOD | 2 |
| SPRING VALLEY | 2 |
Common questions
How many federal campgrounds are in Wisconsin?
46 in this directory, with about 1,427 overnight sites, across national forests, parks, Corps of Engineers and other federal land. State and private campgrounds are not included.
Are these campgrounds reservable?
44 of the 46 take reservations through Recreation.gov; the remainder are generally first-come, first-served. Confirm on the facility's Recreation.gov page before you travel.
Largest federal campgrounds in Wisconsin
- Blackhawk Park · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 148 sites · Desoto
- Boulder Lake · U.S. Forest Service · 99 sites · Lakewood
- Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Camping Permits · National Park Service · 95 sites · Bayfield
- Two Lakes · U.S. Forest Service · 94 sites · Washburn
- Franklin Lake · U.S. Forest Service · 77 sites · Eagle River
- Chippewa · U.S. Forest Service · 76 sites · Medford
- Grant River · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 73 sites · Potosi
- Highland Ridge · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 59 sites · Spring Valley
- Day Lake · U.S. Forest Service · 52 sites · Hayward
- Laura Lake Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 41 sites · Laona
- Spearhead Point · U.S. Forest Service · 39 sites · Medford
- Luna White Deer Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 37 sites · Eagle River
- Boot Lake Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 34 sites · Lakewood
- Namekagon · U.S. Forest Service · 34 sites · Hayward
- Spectacle Lake Campground (Wisconsin) · U.S. Forest Service · 34 sites · Eagle River
- Lac Vieux Desert Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 32 sites · Eagle River
- Bagley Rapids Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 31 sites · Lakewood
- Kentuck Lake Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 31 sites · Eagle River
- Black Lake · U.S. Forest Service · 29 sites · Hayward
- Bear Lake Campground (Chequamegon-Nicolet Nf, Wi) · U.S. Forest Service · 27 sites · Laona
- Lost Lake Campground (Wi) · U.S. Forest Service · 27 sites · Eagle River
- Eastwood · U.S. Forest Service · 26 sites · Medford
- Richardson Lake Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 26 sites · Laona
- Sailor Lake · U.S. Forest Service · 25 sites · Park Falls
- Ada Lake Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 20 sites · Laona
Ranked by overnight-site count from RIDB; “n/a” means the site count isn’t published (often a first-come or dispersed area). Each name opens the Recreation.gov facility page.
Compare every managing agency → · Reservable vs first-come in Wisconsin → · Choosing a Wisconsin campground →
Compiled from the federal RIDB export, verified June 2026. How we compile this. Confirm current details on Recreation.gov.