The state of Wisconsin sets aside land, leased from farmers usually, as Fishery Areas, allowing…read moreaccess to the water for anglers. This one is closer to Ithaca, WI, a few miles east of Richland Center. Great spring creek, with native brook and brown trout. Small water, easily fished without wading; in fact, I was surprised to see another angler wading right up the middle, where the fish are. Huh. Susceptible to flooding, check weather and flows before you go. Wonderful resource in a nice country setting.

Love this camping park. It is beautiful and quiet. Fishing and hiking available. Bathroom and…read moreshower houses. The price is very reasonable

Very nice out-of-the-way campground. Can still hear a train off in the distance but other than that…read moreit is quiet with the exception of the geese by the nice little lake, fluttering of hummingbird wings or the occasional coyote off in the distance. The crew of 2 campworkers that I had the pleasure to meet are great gentlemen that go out of their way to help with whatever thay can. I believe the Red Cross harvests the skeeters here when blood supplies are low but the campground is very clean and the people are basically quiet and friendly. Lenny said he would give me a dollar if I gave him a shout out. (just kidding). Definitely recommend this place.

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.

This was super easy and fun for my first kayak experience. I really enjoyed my day. Staff was…read morefriendly and helpful in helping me figure things out

No wake area, perfect for kayaking!…read more Mirror lake rentals is inside the park, so you do need to get a state park pass for your vehicle. It is $10 a day, or $35 for the entire year. It is recommended that you book in advance if you are a large group, as the kayaks seem to be limited. It is a very popular place, as the scenery changes dramatically. The lake its' self is rather small, but is connected to windy rivers that are lined by orange cliffs. There is a nice mixture of shaded areas, as well exposed sunny areas. There are many beaches to pull up onto, and a dam at the end of the course. The lake is very friendly for beginners and experts. Kayaks are $10 an hour or $25 for a half day. It takes about 2 hours to get to the dam and back, more if you go casually and like to stop a lot like we did!

I don't even want to rate 5 stars as this is a HUGE hidden gem. We stay nearby in warrens every…read moresummer and always take a day trip to Lake Wazee. It is beautiful and nothing like it in the Midwest (well what I have found) if you are in the area or have time traveling through you must stop. A day pass is $5 and well worth it. We always pack lunch and just enjoy the day. The water is SO clean and the beach sand is amazingly soft. Almost ocean like. Bring your floaty, beach toys and sunscreen and have the best day ever! New showers, bathrooms and even concessions on the beach. I like that there is NO lifeguard and no one hawking you about 'rules' *it can drop off pretty fast so be cautious about that. Lake Wazee is the best!

Lake Wazee Park and beach is amazing for $5 a car it's well worth the price. We have spent the day…read moreat the beach and on the lake. The water is clean and you can actually see the fish swimming in the water. Deep enough to scuba dive. Nice enough to kayak on. The beach is clean. Snack shack and clean rest rooms. It has it all for a nice day on the beach!

This lake is very beautiful. It is hidden from the main road and you can't get access unless you…read morehave a cottage there or if you come through the narrow passage from a park. Be wary of the lake rules. The DNR is in plain clothes and will give you a citation for anything! He lands in th garage from the middle of the lake and has a Jon boat!

This is a fishing pier. A great place to have fun in the outdoors. Sunfish and bass are the most…read moreplentiful in this location. We caught fish all morning long from 8am-10am. Pier is handicap accessible and has plenty of parking. Restroom on site. Great for kids. Bike trail is close to the pier if you want to make a day of it and bike around the lake.

Beautiful place, scenery, and amenities galore. The owner's are amazing, and they have thought of…read moreeverything to make your stay with them very enjoyable. Highly recommend staying at Nature Nooks Retreat. You will not be disappointed.

We had a lovely time exploring the area around Viroqua. And coming home to our cabin at Nature…read moreNooks was perfect.

I went for fishing on a Saturday. The place was not crowded. There were 2 ponds. One pond for…read moresmaller trout and another one for bigger one. I went for the bigger one. There were a lot of trout in the pond. There is no catch and release in either of the ponds. Probably we dont even need a fishing road. Just putting a small net is enough to catch the fish. I caught 3. The store lady was nice. She cleaned it well. I just had to take home put some spice and bake/fry it. Fish tasted real good. In fact I saw others stopping by and just catching 1 fish per head and leaving. I guess they are just trying to make a tasty dinner. It was a really fun experience.

Cute little Polish mom and pop shop. There are two small ponds- one for small trout and one for big…read moretrout. You pay based on the size you catch. They clean and gut all of your catches for $5 which is nice. You get long sticks with string attached and are given corn kennels for bait. We each caught a fish within 30 sec to a min and were only there for like 15 minutes lol. But it was fun! We cooked it the next day- tasted fresh!

We camped here on our road trip back to MN. It was a great experience! I was a little nervous given…read moreall the cuts to funding lately and stories of state parks not having enough staff to keep the parks clean and safe but that was not the case here. The staff were all very friendly and available to help throughout the weekend. There was running water, bathrooms, and showers available. We would definitely stay here again.

Black River State Forest is chock full o' awesome things to do!…read more You can bike, hike, snowshoe, ATV, ride horses, dive, swim, camp, paddle, fish, among many other options. The staff at the main office at the Castle Mound Campground are friendly and helpful regardless of where you may be camping or recreating. I frequently camp with my paddling groups at Castle Mound prior to paddling the Black River. The sites are well laid out, and if you reserve sites 12, 13, or 35, you are closest to both the outhouses and the wood house. Racks of wood are available for $3. Just load up the handy rack located next to the shelter, and deposit your $3 in the collection box. Each site has a fire ring with a cantilever grill grate. Be sure to bring some aluminum foil if you want to cook right on the grate! The showers located near the main office are fairly clean and easy to use compared to those at many other state parks. They have a good potable and non-potable water station you can hit on your way out for the day's activities. The group campsite at the north end of the State Forest is very spacious. They only allow a relatively small amount of people to camp there, considering the space could host a county fair. It used to be a horse camp. Now it hosts group sites with large pads for RVs and campers. The rangers we dealt with at this location were very friendly, and the one high school kid who was assisting was a great help in finding where to access some of the local trout streams (a challenge in this watershed because almost every stream is in a box canyon). The only drawback to camping at the group camp, the East Fork Campground, or the indoor group camp (which I want to try this winter) is that they are pretty far from the paddling locations we use. It's a hefty drive from the Interstate to the north end of the State Forest. If you're in the area and the timing is right, stop in at the Ho-Chunk Pow Wow which takes place on the northwest edge of the State Forest. It's quite an experience, and the announcer is hilarious: "We're doing the same thing tomorrow. The same... damn... thing."