Section 45.10. Camping.

 

(1)   General.

(a) Camping is prohibited except as follows:

1. Within designated camping areas.

2. On state-owned islands in the Mississippi river.

3. On state-owned islands and sandbars in the Lower Wisconsin state riverway.

4. On other state-owned islands outside of state forest boundaries when the island is posted open to camping.

5. In state Ice Age Trail areas as defined in s. NR 1.29 (3) (d) and on lands purchased for the Ice Age Trail by those hiking the Ice Age Trail where the trail segment is posted open to camping.

6. On properties purchased for the North Country Trail by those hiking the North Country Trail where the trail segment is posted open to camping.

7. On state-owned sandbars on the Lower Chippewa River downstream from County Highway "H" in Dunn County to the confluence with the Mississippi River, excluding the northerly shoreline portion between Dunnville Road and the mouth of the Red Cedar River.

(b) No person may camp in designated camping areas without a permit and the payment of prescribed daily fees where required.

(c) A camping permit shall be obtained prior to setting up camp, unless otherwise posted.

(d) No camping party may move from its assigned campsite to another campsite without prior approval from the park or forest office.

(e) All camping permits expire at 3:00 p.m. on the last day of the permit period.

(f) No camping party may start setting up or taking down its camping unit between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and the following 6:00 a.m. except for juvenile or adult groups camping at the Devil's Lake North Shore campground and Governor Dodge Cox Hollow campground during the period from October 1 through April 30.

(g) Violation of any state law or any rules of the department by a member or guest of a member of a camping party is cause for revocation of the camping permit and eviction from the property.

(h) Any person without an advance camping reservation who is at a property may request a camping permit for a site to be occupied that day and one additional permit for the same time for another camping party, provided he or she has all the required information for registration to obtain both camping permits. Any person making advance reservations for a camping permit may apply for additional permits for themselves or others, providing he or she has all the required information to obtain the camping permits. Group leaders and parents of juvenile campers may obtain permits for use by juvenile or adult groups. The person to whom the campsite is registered shall be part of the camping party on that site.

(i) All registrants without an advance camping reservation shall occupy the site with a camping unit the first night of the registration and every night for the duration of the reservation. The department shall require on reserved sites that a camping unit occupy the reserved site by 3:00 p.m. on the second day of the reservation and be present for the duration of the reservation.

(j) Once a camping reservation has been confirmed, the reservation's original end date may not be extended beyond that date.

(k) The department reserves the right to reject or cancel camping reservations when necessary to protect either campers or the natural resources.

(L) If 2 camping parties are inadvertently assigned the same campsite, the department may assign one of the camping parties to another site and adjust the fees charged.

(m) Camping permits are not required and payment of daily camping fees is waived when camping on state-owned islands in the Mississippi river or state-owned islands or sandbars in the Lower Wisconsin state riverway, on state-owned sandbars on the Lower Chippewa River, on other state-owned islands outside state forest boundaries when the island is posted open to camping, in properties described in sub. (1) (a) 5. and 6. , designated campsites on the Willow flowage and designated watercraft campsites in the northern state forests, Chippewa flowage, Menominee River natural resources area or the Turtle-Flambeau scenic waters area except a camping permit, reservation and fee are required on campsites B3, B4, B5, B6, B7 and B8 in the Turtle-Flambeau scenic waters area.

(n) Camping is restricted to one day only at designated watercraft campsites in northern state forests and in properties described in sub. (1) (a) 5. and 6. , up to 3 days as posted on state-owned islands outside state forest boundaries, to 3 days on state-owned islands and sandbars in the Lower Wisconsin state riverway and state-owned sandbars on the Lower Chippewa River and to 10 days at designated campsites on the northern flowage properties. Camping at these locations is restricted to persons and their equipment arriving by watercraft only.

(o) No person may use family campground shower facilities in any state park or forest unless that person is a registered camper.

(p) When camping at designated campsites at the northern flowage properties, the campsite shall be occupied by the camping party on the first night camping equipment occupies the site, and the campsite may not be left unoccupied by the camping party for more than one night of the permit period.

(q) The department may terminate the reservation or registration for any site not being occupied in accordance with this subsection.

(2)   Family camping.

(a) No more than one camping party may occupy a single campsite. No camping party consisting of a non-family group may exceed 6 persons.

(b) No person may camp and no camping unit shall remain for a period greater than 14 days in any 3-week period in the property of registration. After 14 days, the camping unit and camping party shall be removed from the property for at least 7 days before being eligible to return. The requirement to vacate the campground for 7 days is only applicable for the following named campgrounds in the northern state forests: Crystal Lake, Muskie Lake, Firefly Lake, Clear Lake and Indian Mounds campground in the Northern Highland-American Legion state forest. For all other campgrounds in the northern forest, users may transfer to other campgrounds on the property without waiting for 7 days.

(c) Extension within the 14-day limit may be granted on camping permits if the site is available. Extension may be obtained up to the day prior to expiration of the camping permit during posted office hours at the state park or forest campgrounds. Extensions beyond the 14-day limit, for up to 7 days, may be granted on camping permits in a calendar year when camping prior to Memorial Day weekend or after Labor Day weekend if the site is available. An extension may be obtained up to the day prior to expiration of the camping permit during posted office hours at the state park or forest campgrounds.

(d) No person may park any motor vehicle outside the parking area designated at each campsite. No person may park more than 2 motor vehicles in the parking area of any campsite, except that as many as 6 motorcycles are permitted for members of a camping party registered as a non-family group.

(f) No more than one recreation trailer, pickup truck camper or motor home may occupy a campsite. Pickup campers or motor homes pulling a trailer shall be treated as a single unit.

(2m)   Outdoor group camping, backpack camping and reservable remote camping on the Northern Highland-American Legion state forest.

(a) No person may camp and no camping unit may remain on a group or backpack campsite or in backpack camping areas or on reservable remote camping sites on the Northern Highland-American Legion state forest for a period exceeding that authorized by the camping permit and in no case for a period exceeding any of the following:

1. For state parks, state recreation areas and southern forests:

a. 14 days on outdoor group sites.

b. 7 days on backpack sites.

2. For northern forests:

a. 7 days on outdoor group sites.

b. 14 days for backpack camping areas as authorized by a special camp registration permit.

c. 14 days for reservable, remote camping sites on the Northern Highland-American Legion state forest.

(am) After a site is occupied, in person or by a camping unit, for the maximum period authorized, the camping unit and camping party shall be removed from the property for at least 7 days before being eligible to return.

(b) Juvenile groups shall be accompanied by at least one adult for each 10 members of the group.

(c) No more than 10 persons may be permitted at each designated backpack campsite in the Kettle Moraine state forest. A permit shall be issued for no more than one night at each designated backpack campsite in the Kettle Moraine state forest.

(d) No more than one camping party is permitted at a backpack campsite in state parks, recreation areas, other state forests offering these backpack campsites and reservable remote campgrounds. Except as provided in par. (c) , no camping party consisting of a non-family group may exceed 6 persons on a backpack campsite.

(e) All backpack campers shall pack out refuse generated while camping.

(f) No more than one camping party may occupy a single group campsite and no camping party may exceed 15 persons on the Willow Flowage scenic waters area or the Turtle-Flambeau scenic waters area.

(3)   Family, outdoor group, backpack and reservable remote campsite reservations. The department may grant reservations for family, outdoor group, backpack and reservable remote campsites and shall upon request provide a list of parks and forests where reservations are accepted. Reservations for family, outdoor group, backpack and reservable remote campsites may be granted under the following conditions:

(a) Reservation applications may be accepted for camping up to 11 months before the date of occupancy. The following minimum stays shall apply:

1. Family sites: 2 nights, except a minimum of 3 nights for any of the following:

a. On Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends, the stay shall include Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

b. When the Fourth of July is on a Friday. The stay shall include Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights of that weekend.

c. When the Fourth of July is on a Monday. The stay shall include Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights of that weekend.

2. Outdoor group sites: 1 day.

3. Reservable remote sites on the Northern Highland-American Legion state forest: 2 days.

4. Backpack sites: 1 day.

(b) One-day family campsite reservations may be made starting on May 15 and ending October 31 each year for any time between those dates within the calendar year.

(c) The department may close the processing of reservations 2 days prior to date of occupancy.

(d) Reservations may be made for all available sites until all sites have been reserved for that date.

(e) A vendor reservation fee plus full payment of camping fees, in the form of a Mastercard or Visa credit card, or a check or money order, shall be included with each application.

(4)   Indoor group camping and reservations. The department may grant reservations and establish minimum and maximum group sizes for indoor group camps. Upon request, the department shall provide a list of parks and forests where reservations are accepted and the minimum and maximum group sizes for indoor group camps. The department may grant reservations for indoor group camps under the following conditions:

(a) Group camp reservations for Wyalusing and the Black River state forest shall be accepted only for a minimum of 2 days on weekends.

(am) The indoor group camp at Big Bay shall be utilized only by nonprofit organizations recognized by the internal revenue service under 26 USC 501 (c)(1), (3) or (4) and may be reserved only for a maximum of 3 camper days.

(b) Reservation applications for indoor group camp facilities shall arrive at the park or forest office no more than one year in advance of the date the camp is to be occupied. Walk in reservations shall be held for 5 days and treated equally with mail in reservations postmarked the same day by using a random selection list.

(c) The reservation fee plus full payment of camping fees, in the form of a check or money order, shall be included with each application.

(d) Juvenile groups shall be accompanied by at least one adult for each 10 members of the group.

(e) Unless waived by the department, no group may camp for a period greater than 7 days in any 4-week period in the indoor group camp in the property of registration.

Cr. Register, December, 1983, No. 336 , eff. 1-1-84; am. (1) (a), (2) (b), (d) and (e), (3) (a) (intro.) and 4., (4) (a) 2., r. (4) (b) 3. g., cr. (4) (b) 4. k. to m., Register, December, 1987, No. 384 , eff. 1-1-88; r. and recr. (3) (a) (intro.), am. (3) (a) 1., (5) (a) (intro.), 6. and 7., Register, March, 1992, No. 435 , eff. 4-1-92; am. (1) (a) and (g), (2) (a), (d), (3) (b) (intro.) and 1., r. and recr. (1) (h) and (4), cr. (1) (k), r. (5), Register, December, 1993, No. 456 , eff. 1-1-94; am. (1) (a) and (k), (2) (a), (b) and (d), (4) (a) 2. and 3., (6) 2. and (c) 1., cr (1) (L) and (m), r. (2) (e), (3) (b), (4) (a) 5., (b) 4. and (c) 4., renum. (4) (c) 5. to 7. to be 4. to 6. and am. 5., Register, November, 1995, No. 479 , eff. 12-1-95; am. (1) (a), (k), (L) and (4) (intro.), r. and recr. (2) (c), r. (3) (a) 3., renum. (3) (a) 4. to be (3) (a) 3., and am., Register, December, 1997, No. 504 , eff. 1-1-98; cr. (2m), r. and recr. (3) and (4), am. (1) (a), (k) and (L), Register, December, 1999, No. 528 , eff. 1-1-00; CR 01-011 : am. (1) (k) and (4) (a), cr. (1) (n) and (2m) (f) Register April 2002 No. 556 , eff. 5-1-02; CR 03-035 : am. (1) (k) and (n), cr. (4) (am), Register December 2003 No. 576 , eff. 1-1-04; CR 04-092 : r. and recr. (1) and (3) (a), am. (2) (b), (c), (2m) (a), (d), (3) (intro.) and (b) Register April 2005 No. 592 , eff. 8-1-05, except (1) (a) to (i), (k), and (m) to (q) are eff. 5-1-05; CR 07-026 : am. (1) (m), r. and recr. (3) (a) 1. Register December 2007 No. 624 , eff. 1-1-08; CR 10-042 : cr. (1) (a) 6., am. (1) (m), (n), (2m) (f) Register December 2010 No. 660 , eff. 1-1-11; CR 10-118 : am. (1) (a) 5., (m) and (n), cr. (1) (a) 6. Register May 2011 No. 665 , eff. 6-1-11; renum. (1) (a) 6. to be 7., under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 1. , Stats., Register August 2011 No. 668 .

Note

Maximum stays are listed in sub. (2m). Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1