Camping at Buckhorn State Park

Buckhorn State Park offers a rare chance to enjoy camping in a wilderness setting. Reservations are available from April through November.

Buckhorn has 42 backpack sites; one of them accessible for people with disabilities. Most of our backpack campsites are secluded and near the water. You get to them by foot trail or by boat. Garden carts, to haul in your camping gear, are available for many of the sites. Toilet facilities are available at these sites, but you will need to transport your supply of drinking water. Three drive-in sites (27-29) on the shoreline can accomodate tents or hard-sided and pop-up trailers.

There are also eight family campsites (A1-A8) which can accommodate tents or hard-sided and pop-up trailers. Each family site has a picnic table and campfire ring.

There are three group sites that can accommodate up to 40 people each. A two-stall unisex shower/flush toilet building is planned for the future near the south shelter pit toilet building.

Camping is available year round at sites 8, 9, and 16. Campers must register at the park office or use the self-registration box in the office parking lot before setting up. Site 8 has electrical hook-ups and is available for any camper from November through March. During the rest of the year, this site is held for people with disabilities.

Cart-in camping is unique to Buckhorn

So, you love to camp. Ah.....the exhilaration of the outdoors, fresh air, a sense of being one with nature. But crowded campgrounds, noise and traffic have tended to lessen your "back to nature" experience. You crave privacy, but you haven't the equipment or stamina to try full-scale backpack camping.

We've been listening to many campers with similar comments. Buckhorn is one of a few parks in Wisconsin to offer carts to campers at our backpack sites. These carts are available for sites 1 through 7, 13 through 15, 17 through 19, 26, 34-37, 38, and 43-45. A shared cart is also available for sites 10-12, 23-25, 30-33, and 39-42.

This type of camping offers the best of both worlds. It provides the opportunity to enjoy nature in a secluded wilderness setting without the effort and weight limitations of backpack camping. No special gear is required. Since most of our backpack sites are on water, users also can get their gear to 34 sites by boat or canoe.

All the backpack sites are located in small clusters. The individual sites are further apart than traditional campsites. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and bench. A portable toilet is available for each cluster of sites.

Campsite reservations

Most sites are reservable. Campsites 34, A5, and 99 are first come, first-served and availability is very weather dependant. Though not required, the campsites fill on most summer weekends, so reservations are recommended. Reservations are available for group, family and backpack campsites by calling a toll-free reservation number 1-888-WI-PARKS or visiting the web site [exit DNR].

More about reservations

Campsite re-registration policy

If you want to stay longer than you originally planned, you can reregister for your campsite during park office hours up to the day (3 p.m.) before the expiration of the camping permit, providing no one else has reserved the site. See Wisconsin state parks camping rules.

Group camping

Three group tent camping sites (B1, B2 and B3) on the park's east side have room for 120 people to camp. Water and vault toilets are available at the site, but no electricity. RV's and pop-up units must park on the gravel in the parking area.

A short trail leads to the Wisconsin River portion of the flowage. There, campers have access to aquatic activities such as boating, canoeing, fishing, and swimming (not a designated beach area).

The group camp area has a volleyball court and a horseshoe pit. Horseshoes and volleyballs can be checked out at the park office free of charge.

Day use shelter for sites 10-12 and 25

A rustic shelter was built in 1995 for use by campers in sites 10 through 12 and 25. The shelter is intended for day use only and is equipped with a picnic table and screened windows. Campers may use it to escape the mosquitoes or to cook food out of the rain.

The campsites adjacent to the shelter are only a few hundred yards from a parking area and can be reserved. A cart, which is shared by all the campsites, is available to haul in camp gear. The shelter is very popular with the campers at these sites.

For more information on Buckhorn State Park, please call 608-565-2789 or email Buckhorn State Park.