Where to camp near a river in southeastern Wisconsin

[bkpkr]

Is there anywhere in the southeastern corner of Wisconsin that I can hike in and camp near a river? Preferrably a primitive location. I'd like to avoid the typical state parks and overloaded county parks.

[Mike]

Re: Where to camp near a river in southeastern Wisconsin

The only USA public parks/forests in Wisconsin that allow you to wander about and primitive camp where you please are USA National Forests. State forests in Wisconsin do not allow free-range camping. You MIGHT, however, get permission to wilderness camp in a county forest by contacting them and asking for a permit. There usually are fees for doing this.

There are no national forests in SE Wisconsin. However, the northern half of Wisconsin is nearly ALL national forest.

Also, the Wisconsin River which runs down the middle of the state has the longest free-range camping anywhere in the USA with the southern half of the riverway shoreline and sand bars being all camp-useable.

Canoeing rivers is a better option than hiking them because you can canoe any river without trespassing. You cannot hike along private property that borders a river without trespassing unless you have permission. Wisconsin law still allows owners to own land to the waterline. Thus, with a canoe, you can travel to some designated area with permission to camp on private land OR camp at a state or county or private campgrounds which are numerous along Wisconsin Rivers. Of course, stealth camping might also be an option, if you are willing to accept the risks of angry and possibly hostile landowners.