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Buckhorn State Park

3.8 (17 reviews)

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Trail to backcountry campsites 30- 45
Lauren E.

We camped at Buckhorn SP with a group of friends over Labor Day weekend. Because it was a holiday weekend they made us reserve the site for all three weekend nights even though we were only camping for two- at $18 a night not a huge deal for a group to split the extra night. The ranger station was open until 9pm on Friday and they sell wood for $5 a bundle. The map is a little confusing so it is good to have them point you in the direction of your site, especially in the dark and *low cell service*. We stayed in backcountry campsite 45. They have a decent amount of car camp sites as well which we didn't check out. Parking for campsites 30-45 is down a dirt road with a lot of potholes. The backcountry sites are walk-in with varying lengths of walk to the sites. Of sites 30-45, 45 has the longest walk buttt no one walks past your site to get to theirs. Although 'backcountry' makes you think of a hike-in, it is really like a 6 minute walk on a grassy trail the width of a car. When we checked in they gave us access to a locked cart specific for our site to haul our gear (nice that you don't have to share carts). If you're not opposed to wheeling your gear down a trail in a cart, the backcountry sites are worth it for the privacy if you like being loud, have dogs or just like to get away (from other people)! There was a port-a-potty about 2 minute walk up the trail from our site and a pit toilet at the parking lot. The site was a nice size, we had four tents, the campfire ring, a cooler area next to the picnic table, and even space for a bags set up.The lake was a 39 second walk down a trail from our picnic table and when we went swimming it felt like we had the whole bay to ourselves. The shore was forested, not beachy, and had some poison ivy so at our site at least you couldn't really hang out by the water, you had to be in the water or back at the camp site. The bay we were on was very shallow and you could walk out a long ways. If you brought a boat you could tie it up to the shore, we opted instead for floaties and frisbees. We did walked a few of the marked trails on the west side of the peninsula but didn't last too long because of the bugs. I would go back to Buckhorn, especially on a hot summer weekend when you wanted to do more lounging in the lake than hiking; in the meantime I want to keep exploring Wisconsin's other state parks!

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1 year ago

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4 years ago

Excellent place to go fishing or boating. I'm from the area and love going there!!! Great choice!

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Review Highlights - Buckhorn State Park

The tent sites at the park are some of the best I have seen in the State Park System.

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Woods Edge Campground - Clean and level campsite

Woods Edge Campground

5.0(3 reviews)
19.2 mi

Long Review, but read it for good information…read more Nice, small inexpensive, clean and quiet RV park. Hosts: Super nice and inviting/accommodating. There was a heavy rain the day we were booked and out site held water. He was out there with a sump pump when we arrived. They placed us in a temporary site and the next day the host mowed and blew pine needles from our site so it was ready for us. Bath House: clean with good pressure. Laundry: 1 washer ($1.50) 1 dryer ($1.00) Commercial Grade machines. Never had to wait to get our laundry done. Firewood: $5/bundle. Nearby: Short drive to Tomah (Starbucks for the wife), Fort McCoy, Sparta, Wilton (for the Sparta-Elroy bicycle trails). There is a small bar across the street/walking distance. Haven't tried it yet, but I will add when we do. Host recommended Smitty's for lunch or dinner. It was an excellent suggestion, with inexpensive meals and great service. Internet: Haven't tried theirs. Our Starlink Roaming worked great here in both sites we were in. Here are the cons: Water had a metallic taste/smell to it. If you don't like that, I recommend bringing extra bottled water. Mosquitoes are vicious here. Lots of standing water in the cranberry bogs and marshes, so they are abundant. Small sites, though plenty of room for me to put out my corn hole boards and play. Turns are tight. I recommend. Update 26 July for Cons: My neighbor learned a less than desirable lesson. Not all campsites have individual breakers. He left the campsite early in the morning to venture around, and the camper on the other side of him pulled out while he was on the town. Both sites were on the same breaker. When they unplugged from the site, they cut the breaker as they should. However, my neighbors power was cut as well. And he was gone all day. No pets involved, but that is another reason to have a pet monitor in your camper.

VERY clean, well-maintained and quiet campground! Here on a Saturday night and no party groups!…read more This is a very well-run campground. Would highly recommend passing the KOA next to the freeway and driving 5 minutes up the road for peace and quiet.

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Woods Edge Campground - Amazing full moon over the little pond

Amazing full moon over the little pond

Woods Edge Campground - Site T3

Site T3

Woods Edge Campground

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Whiskey Creek Family RV Park - The fire pit

Whiskey Creek Family RV Park

5.0(2 reviews)
43.9 mi

Stayed One nite on our way to South Dakota back home to California. Great Facilities. Clean and…read morePlenty of Room for our 34ft Rv with a tow dolly. Went to the store before leaving and met three wonderful ladies and chatted a while. Did some damage at the store on souvenirs. Thank U for the hospitality.

Whiskey Creek Family RV Park was wonderful! We were fortunate enough to happen upon their website…read morewhen looking for a campground around the Sparta area - reserving one of their full hook up sites. The attention to detail and planning the owners have put into this new RV park is incredible - down to the very best shower/bathroom facility I've ever seen! I know they have many things planned for this park, but just the land and creek running through the land was enough for us to know we will be back soon! The sites are well-planned out, the water/sewer/electrical hook ups are brand new, once the grass grows a bit more the sites will be perfect! You can jump on the La Crosse River State Trail, only 5 minutes by bike or drive and park nearby. If you fish or just like to hike around, the creek is beautiful. The amount of time and effort put in to maintain the health of the creek is evident. The multi-generational family owners were so welcoming. I'm glad they decided to share this beautiful land with others! We will be back soon.

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Whiskey Creek Family RV Park - Camp site set up

Camp site set up

Whiskey Creek Family RV Park - Lovely group firepit to enjoy with new friends!

Lovely group firepit to enjoy with new friends!

Whiskey Creek Family RV Park - Tiki fire

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Tiki fire

Glacier Valley Campground - Our country store

Glacier Valley Campground

4.2(14 reviews)
47.9 mi

Very small in everything!!! The bathroom and showers not handicap accessible. Store hours are…read morevery limited. The pond had a liner that was very slippery going in or out of the pond. We had a group of 26 and 7 people fell. Also saw numerous other people fall. Staff was not very welcoming. Kids and adults loved the blow-up's in the pond. Many barking dogs all day and night!

We were recommended Glacier Valley by a family member in the area and we were not disappointed…read more When we pulled up at check-in, we found a very long line of campers waiting to dump (we saw this was an issue in Google reviews so was prepared) but finally got a space to go around and get checked in. We rented two of the cabins and the amount of space inside was perfect for this family of 4! Each kid got their own loft, we had a bed with wonderful space. The number of things to do while there was perfect for the ADHD kids and the ability to sit and watch them do ALL THE THINGS was perfect for this tired momma! We played mini-golf at 6:45 am, horseshoes at 6:54 am, and playground at 7 am to just start all over again (multiple times)! Definitely plan your drinking schedule with the fact that the bathroom is not in the cabin but still close! We had s'mores on the fire pit and two nights of BBQ! We even swam in the lake and the kids LOVED the inflatables (even the 40-year-old fat dudes got out there). The owners were incredible and friendly. Really can see that they care and have built a wonderful community. We will be back!

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Glacier Valley Campground - Volleyball

Volleyball

Glacier Valley Campground - Our hiking bridge

Our hiking bridge

Glacier Valley Campground - Playground

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Playground

Wildcat Mountain State Park

Wildcat Mountain State Park

4.5(12 reviews)
32.9 mi

This was a grade C campground. Wildcat Mountain is so named because the locals killed a wildcat…read morethere many years ago. The campsite we stayed in, #8, was directly across from the Park Office and was not secluded at all. We did see some other campsites that were secluded, but they all seem pretty close together, so if you're looking for privacy, search elsewhere. But the place was neat and clean, and the toilets were not bad at all. Not many bugs in June, in the toilets, and the toilets did not smell bad. The good thing about camping across from the Park Office is you get to use their beautiful facilities when they are open. The staff were super friendly and helpful. Just by sheer happenstance we heard on the radio that Natural Bridge State Park was in the area and it sounded cool, so we drove over there to see it and it's so beautiful! The Overlook Point here at Wildcat is also very beautiful and easy to get to. We walked most of the Starlight trail, until it got overgrown, but it was nice and level and an easy hike. The Amphitheater...whoa. This was definitely the most rustic one I've ever seen so far. And I can't imagine one that would be more rustic than this one. It's not bad, it's just small, the seats tip forward, the stage is barely a stage, I don't see how they can possibly hold productions on it, but what do I know? I'm not in the theater--I'm sure they make it work somehow. It's very intimate and cozy, let's put it that way. We came across a gigantic moth at the base of a tree and it turned out to be a Luna Moth, which after it emerges from its cocoon doesn't have mouth parts, so it can't eat! It lives a week to breed, and then dies! All in all, it's not worth a very far drive, but if you're in the general area and want to camp, it's OK. At least it was not noisy at night. Some really nice campgrounds have lots of nice features but are super loud in the evening. This one was quiet, and you could see tons of stars.

Wildcat Mountain State Park is a beautiful but smaller gem in the Wisconsin SP system. If you're…read morelucky enough to reserve one of the only 20 campsites on a weekend, good for you! (We were not quick enough on the draw). But the campgrounds by the entrance look very nice. In 2020 it's all Do It Yourself parking passes and camp check-in. We enjoyed the lookout stop, complete with a "selfie station" to put your phone. We also did a nice, but mildly rigorous hike of the Old Settler's Trail. The 2.5 mile trail has some steep stairs and elevation changes (don't wear your fashionable high heeled boots like we saw an older lady struggling down the stairs with). Would love to see the trail marked a little better- markings seem to date back a few decades, and we got lost on a switchback. (Note: the nicer looking Hemlock Trail was closed off June 2020 due to erosion or weather.) We loved the hike and the park, and it was nice to have access to clean bathrooms. Sitting at a picnic table enjoying lunch, there was an incredible amount of great bird watching! And yes, a drive or cycle through this park is incredible.

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Wildcat Mountain State Park
Wildcat Mountain State Park
Wildcat Mountain State Park

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Buckhorn State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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