4.3650 reviewsPrice
$6 - $15/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
19 campsites
Season
Open seasonally from...
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
Price
$6 - $15/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
19 campsites
Season
Open seasonally from...
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
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Learn more about alerts →Wanoka Lake Recreation Area
Wanoka Lake Recreation Area, Washburn Ranger District, Wisconsin
Fall weekends are the sweet spot here: foliage peaks, bugs drop, and the 19 first-come sites stay less crowded than summer. Kayakers and trout anglers get direct carry-in access to a quiet 15-acre lake, and sites 1-3 have partial water views worth grabbing.
No reservations means no guarantees on a Friday night, and what you find can include generators running all day, unleashed dogs, and ATV groups cutting through. The on-site water has drawn serious complaints, so pack your own drinking supply regardless.
Reference information about Wanoka Lake Recreation Area sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
<div><p>Wanoka Recreation Area is located off an ATV route that connects to local ATV trails and other open routes. Visitors may ride their ATV or smaller UTVs to and from the route. ATVs may not be used to drive around the campground for fun. ATVs need to be kept on their trailers or on the parking spur on the site.</p><p>Located approximately 7 miles east of Iron River, this campground is located on a 15-acre lake that has panfish and trout. Wanoka Lake Campground has 20 sites. Each site has a defined parking spur, fire ring, picnic table, and tent pad, and can accommodate RV's up to 35 feet. Please help to not increase the size of the area and keep all equipment on the parking spur. There are two pull-through sites. Drinking water and vault toilets are available. There is a carry-in-boat access.</p><p>Did you forget something? Don't sweat it! The small town of Iron River can meet your camping supply needs ranging from groceries to firewood. If you need an out-of-state fishing or ATV/UTV license, Iron River gas stations have these available for purchase.</p><p>So, if you like to fish, kayak, hike, bike or enjoy being close to town, then the Wanoka Recreation Area is the place for you, conveniently located just a short drive from Iron River.</p></div>
The elevation is 1,160 ft. The campground has two overlapping loops at the southern edge of Wanoka Lake, a small lake with carry-down boat access and is well-suited for canoeing and trout fishing. Campsites 1, 2, and 3 have partial views of the lake. Egress and ingress to trails from the campground is allowed but ATVs must be trailered. The area is the former site of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp Twin Lakes, Company V-1676 (1933 to 1942). Possible day trips are to Rainbow Lake Wilderness and city of Iron River. The CAMBA (Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association) and Tri- County Corridor Trails are also nearby. NOTE: ATV may be driven in and driven out the campground.
Open April 26 through November 29. NOTE: Services reduced October 15 through November 29
One water spigots is solar powered and the other is a hand pump.
Wanoka Lake is 15 acres.
The parking aprons are grass and gravel
In Iron River, WI, at the intersection of County H and US Rt.2, take Rt. 2 eas 7.3 miles to Nat'l Forest campground sign. Turn right at sign onto Forest Rt. 234 and go 0.9 mile to campground on right.
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Fall delivers the best conditions, with daytime temperatures from the mid-40s to mid-60s°F and crisp mornings in the 20s-40s°F range. The hardwood canopy turns vivid gold and crimson, bug pressure drops, and stable weather makes for comfortable paddling, fishing, and hiking. Weekends during peak foliage draw more visitors, but crowds stay lighter than summer. Summer brings warmth and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter transforms the area into snow country for those equipped for cold.
Fall delivers best conditions with vivid colors and quieter, more peaceful campsites.
Wanoka Lake Recreation Area features 20 campsites, each equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and tent pad. The campground provides potable water via two spigots—one solar-powered and one hand pump. Vault toilets are available, but no flush toilets or showers are present. This campground is designed to accommodate RVs up to 35 feet, with defined parking spurs, including two pull-through sites. The drinking water quality has mixed reviews; one user mentioned, 'The water was so rusty it looked like Flint Michigan water! It tasted like blood.' However, another review stated, 'Drinking water is offered at a pump house and hand pump; it tasted fine at both.' Trash and recycling services are not explicitly mentioned, and there is no camp store, firewood for sale, or laundry facility on-site.
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