Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area
Camping

The Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area offers 60 remote campsites accessible by water only. These sites are available year round on a first come first serve basis. There is no registration or fee for use of the sites and a camping permit is not required.

Camping is allowed in designated campsites only. Designated sites all have a steel fire ring and an open air pit toilet and are identified with a site number. You MAY NOT establish new campsites or camp at undesignated sites. There is a ten day limit on camping at all campsites on the property. In addition, when you set up camp you must occupy the site the first night and you may not leave it unoccupied for more than one night thereafter (you may not leave unattended camping equipment to "save" a site).

• Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area Map (includes campsites) [PDF 5847KB]
• GPS Coordinates for Boat Landings and Campsites [PDF 31KB]

Family Campsites

Fifty-eight sites scattered throughout the property are designated family campsites. These sites are limited to a single camping party only. A single camping party consists of an individual, a family (parents, dependent children, and not more than two guests), or a group not exceeding six unrelated persons. Seventeen of the family campsites include a picnic table as well as the fire ring and open air pit toilet. These sites are designated with a letter "C" as the prefix to the site number.

One of the family sites includes facilities which make it more accessible to persons with physical disabilities. This is site number "A1" on the map above.

Forty of the family sites are more rustic and do not include a picnic table. The site numbers for the rustic sites have a letter "D" prefix.

Group Campsites

There are two group campsites. These sites include two fire rings, two pit toilets and a picnic table. These sites are for use by groups larger than what is allowed in the family sites. They are designed to accommodate groups of between seven and approximately twenty persons. The group campsites are designated with a letter "B" site number prefix.

Things To Remember

• Because there is no camper registration, you should leave your planned itinerary with friends or family so that you can be located in case of an emergency.
• If there are National Weather Service warnings, available property staff will attempt to notify visitors; however, staff are not on duty 24 hours a day and staff that are available will not be able to contact all visitors. Bringing a weather band radio or tuning to WCQM 98.3 FM for local weather warnings is a good idea.
• In case of emergency call 911. You may want to bring a cell phone; however, cell phone coverage can sometimes be unreliable. A public pay phone is available at Springstead Landing.
• Bringing a GPS unit may be helpful for reporting the location of an emergency or for locating a campsite or boat landing using GPS Coordinates [PDF 31KB].
• Sound carries long distances over water. Please be respectful of others and keep noise to a minimum. You may not operate any sound truck, loudspeaker, generator, chainsaw or other device that produces excessive, loud or unusual noise. Possession or discharge of any type of fireworks is illegal.
• Bring water for drinking and cooking from home or use the hand pump at Springstread Landing. Consuming water from any lake or stream is not safe unless it has been properly treated.
• Always store food securely out of the reach of animals. Never bring food into your tent. Problems with bears at campsites have been infrequent. Visits by raccoons and red squirrels are a more common problem and these animals can do a lot of damage. If food is not available, unwanted visits will be minimized.

Additional Opportunities

Because camping in the Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area is first come first serve, there is always the possibility that you will not find an available campsite when you arrive; therefore, you should have a contingency plan.

Camping is available at Lake of the Falls County Park located on the north end of the Flowage off County Highway FF. Smith Rapids Campground, Twin Lakes Campground, and Emily Lake Campground in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest [exit DNR] and Sandy Beach Campground in the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest are also nearby.

For information on private campgrounds, resorts, and motels in the area contact:

Mercer Chamber of Commerce [exit DNR]
5150N Hwy 51
Mercer, WI 54547
(715)476-2389
info@mercercc.com

or

Turtle-Flambeau Flowage Association [exit DNR]
Route 2
Butternut, WI 54514
(715) 769-3680
visittff@yahoo.com

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Garbage and Waste

Garbage service is not provided at the campsites. All refuse must be carried out with you. Do not leave items "for the next campers to use"; these things are generally not appreciated by others and tend to detract from the rustic setting.

Dry paper may be burned but do not put plastic, cans, glass or other waste in the fire ring. Please reduce waste by packing supplies in reusable containers.

The open air pit toilets at the campsites rely on composting action to reduce waste volume. Periodically pouring some water into the toilet will promote the composting action. DO NOT put refuse, chemicals, or disposable diapers in the toilets; this will significantly reduce the life span of the toilet and could force closure of the campsite.

Dumpsters and recycling receptacles are provided at Springstead, Fisherman's and Murray's Landings. Please recycle! NOTE: The garbage and recycling receptacles are provided for waste generated on this state property only - you may not dispose of waste from your home or cabin here.

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Fires and Firewood

Firewood can harbor pests such as gypsy moths, emerald ash borer, and oak wilt that threaten the local forest. New regulations regarding the transport of firewood are aimed at stopping the threat. It is now illegal to bring firewood to this or any other state property from more than 50 miles away. It is also illegal to bring firewood from out of state. The following map link shows the range from which firewood may be transported to the Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area.   Range of Allowable Firewood [PDF 250KB]

You are allowed to gather wood that is "dead and down" for your fire; however, available dead and down wood is becoming scarce. You should consider purchasing locally harvested firewood to bring to your campsite. There are several local businesses that sell bundled campfire wood.

As added insurance against introducing forest pests, please burn all your firewood; do not leave it for the next camper and do not transport it to other properties.

You MAY NOT cut standing trees whether they are live or dead. Standing dead "snag" trees provide valuable wildlife habitat. You MAY NOT use a chain saw to cut firewood.

Prevent forest fires by confining your campfire to the steel fire ring provided at each campsite. Keep campfires small and burn only wood and clean paper. Make sure your fire is dead out before you leave.

• Firewood Facts, Rules & Advice

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Pets

Your pets are welcome to join you when you visit the Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area.

On the Hidden Rivers Nature Trail dogs must be kept on a leash no longer than 8 feet. In areas where other visitors are present, your pet must be kept under control; you may not allow your pet to interfere in any manner with the enjoyment of the area by others.

Please respect other visitors and clean up after your pet.

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Protecting Your Flowage

The Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area offers the opportunity to camp and fish and enjoy the outdoors in a scenic wilderness type setting. The undisturbed wooded shorelines and islands are what make the Flowage unique. Please help us protect the Flowage by considering the following concerns.

• Do not pound nails into trees; this damages the trees and could create a hazard for other campers or for maintenance crews.
• Do not peal bark, carve the bark, or prune limbs of trees; damaging the bark will eventually kill the tree.
• Set your tent on the leveled tent pad or in an opening away from trees. Too much traffic on tree roots near the ground surface will eventually kill the tree.
• Hang your lantern away from tree trunks; heat will damage the trees bark.

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Invasive Species

Exotic species are one of the biggest threats to our natural environment. You can help prevent introduction of invasives to the Flowage.

• Do not bring firewood from outside the area.
• Do not release live bait including worms, minnows, or crayfish into the environment.
• Drain all water from your boat including live wells, bilges, and bait buckets before you leave any lake, river, or stream.
• Do not transport any live fish away from a lake, river, or stream unless they are bait fish purchased from a bait dealer that have not been exposed to water from that water body.
• Inspect your boat and trailer and remove all aquatic plants, animals, and mud before leaving any lake, river, or stream.
• Spray/rinse your boat and equipment with hot and/or high pressure water or dry your equipment for 5 days before going to another water body.

The Department, with volunteer help from the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage and Trude Lake Property Owners Association, is working to control purple loosestrife on the Flowage. If you observe purple loosestrife (or other invasive plants) please report the location. We will then remove the plants and monitor the location in the future.

• Invasive Species

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Driftwood

Driftwood provides valuable fish and wildlife habitat and adds to the unique character of the Flowage; it is rapidly disappearing through natural processes and from illegal harvest.

State law prohibits removal of driftwood from the property. We also ask that you not try to burn driftwood. Generally driftwood is water logged and does not burn well (even if it appears dry on the outside).