Backpacking sites in WI

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nights1977

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Dec 20, 2006
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So, basically I need to get out of the house more. I am interested in attempting some overnight backpack camping. I have camped at several of the Wisconsin State Parks, but I would like to find some sites that aren't in a crowded campground type setting. Any Wisconsin members here that could recommend some more isolated, wilderness type areas to camp? I have checked out the DNR website, but frankly it doesn't offer much information. Copper Falls was the last place I stayed at and it was beautiful.
 
Ice Age Trail-it's heavily regulated, but can be some gnarly scenic hiking (I guarantee you you'll see at least a hundred deer and as many wild turkey in a 15 mile dayhike) and I believe they have a cabin system set up for some sections of the trail. I'm very familiar with the Greenbush trail system, which it cuts through-another great spot for dayhikes (great by WI standards anyway) though at this point I'm sure the mountain bikers and cross country skiers have that place moving so fast you would have to be constantly watching your back so some 200 lb 50 year old guy doesn't wind up plowing you in the back doing 30mph on his fat tire beast (like my Dad-he's a big trail bum there). The kettle moraine in general is good for midwest standards, just for dayhikes though... Parnell Tower, Long Lake, Butler Lake... I grew up about 20 miles away from the most of it so Dad and I spent most of our weekends biking out there on road bikes and hiking or on mountain bikes and cruising the trails. I have good friends still back in WI that are big into backpacking and try to make the most of what few overnight trails there are-they have some sort of facebook or yahoo group or something and do longer trips at least once a month. I know Pictured Rocks is their hot spot.

I can't believe I forgot Devils Lake. One of the few places in WI you'll have measureable elevation change, though it will still be less than a thousand feet... an extremely deep glacial lake surrounded by 400 foot cliffs on all sides. It's a hot spot for family camping, camp on one end of the lake, hike the 20 miles around it one day and spend the next day on the lake fishing, swimming or canoeing. No matter what you're pretty much trying to supplement for the real thing. I know big blades are illegal, most people look down on using any kind of wood found on the trail for a fire (my buddies have to take stoves) but it's most certainly better than nothing.
 
It is strange, Wisconsin has a lot of wilderness but it seems as though there is little "wilderness & survival" culture here. What I mean is, I strolled into Gander Mountain the other day and they were clearing out ALL of their Case knives, Buck Knives, etc. All they had left were Gander Mountain brand and some SAKs.
Little else in the way of supplies other than your basic Coleman stuff.

I almost feel like around here, people go into the woods for deer hunting season and stay home the rest of the year. It just seems odd for a state with so much forest land to offer, there seems little interest in nurturing any backpacking culture.

In contrast, I took a camping road trip last summer to the Badlands, through the Black Hills, ending at Devils Tower. Let's just say it was the first vacation I ever took where I didn't want to come home at the end of it. I think I may have lived on the plains in another life!:D
 
It's the socailist government-if you sway from the flow at all, people go nucking futs. I went home to Fond du Lac for Christmas with long hair, and my dad walked right past me in the airport. All the sudden I'm a homosexual and a hippie for having well kept, well maintained hair down to my shoulders. There's a reason I live in Idaho now-same climate, but we have mountains and overall the people are much nicer-do what you want, I don't care kind of attitude versus a "WTF? You're wrong and I'm better than you" kind of attitude... the same goes for backpacking. Backpacking? What purpose? What does that give you? You should be working and making money and farthering your career. All you're doing is wearing out the boots you should be wearing at work, and wasting your time. Because the general populace doesn't feel the need to backpack, you shouldn't either, and thus we're going to draft laws to make it hard for you to do so." That's the general feel I get about the government there-and when it comes to hunting, most farmers put three salt blacks at the end of their corn rows and shoot their baited and fattened deer from a permanent blind or their front porch. It's not so much hunting as it is harvesting from the venison factory... In my home county last season there were three 30+ point bucks that all weighed over 200 pounds.
 
I too found it to be difficult finding information and good spots to backpack. What I ended up doing is buying the Ice Age trail map and just went out and explored. I found tons of great spots this way. Some great places to go are the Chequamagon National Forest near Medford and the Harrison Hills area by Merrill. There are many more but like I said, they aren't often marked on maps which can make them difficult to find. If you are interested, send me a pm and what you are looking for exactly(area of the state, distance from the main road, etc) and I can let you know a good place to go.

I like that it is a little more difficult to find some of these spots because they don't get overrun with FIBs and tourists. At the same time though, it makes it difficult to go out without knowing where to go.

Just an FYI though, bow season has started and some of these areas are open to hunting, so just be aware of that as there may be some folks out and about with bow and arrow.
 
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