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Old 12-30-2019, 10:58 PM   #1
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Sept. 2020 trip to Wisconsin suggestions

Scratching out route/RV parks for a late summer destination in Wisconsin. My brother and I have specific places we want to visit to trace roots of our family.
We have high school report cards, pictures of a hotel/restaurant someone in the family owned, etc. The general area and a few of the towns are: Ladysmith, Gilman, Withee, Thorp.

I've started snooping for RV parks but not having much luck. We will arrive just after Labor Day and some places I've checked will already be closed for the season. Interested in FHU and my rig is 60' long/truck & trailer.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. At this time the plan is to come in from the Rapid City/Custer area of South Dakota. I'm not always looking for the fastest route...but do need to get the heck out of there before the weather changes to get back to Southern Nevada.

Thanks!
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Old 12-30-2019, 11:29 PM   #2
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My wife and I travel back to our home state of Wisconsin each fall.


We live in Florida now to get away from the winters but we travel back every Fall to experience the colors.


As you've noted, many campgrounds will be closed in September. I wish I could recommend some in the areas you intend to visit.



We usually camp in the Northeast near Crivitz. (about 1.5 hours north of Green Bay) at the Tommy Thompson State Park. I believe it's open year round. We've been there in mid-October.


We will do a little "head scratching" and get back to you if we can come up with some useful suggestions.
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Old 12-31-2019, 12:41 PM   #3
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Thanks, Pilotalso, appreciate your info. Wish we could arrive a bit earlier but...my brother has a fishing trip scheduled and that takes priority
In case we decide to wait another year, is August usually the best month for camping/pulling a trailer weather in Wisconsin?
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Old 12-31-2019, 01:13 PM   #4
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My experience is that MOST Wisconsin CG's are open until Oct 15th. "Just after Labor Day" sounds like September to me. I don't think you'll have any issues finding a CG in September. Here are a couple around Chippewa Falls.

Eagle Ridge CG, open until 10/15

Eagle Ridge Campground in Chippewa Falls, WI

O'Neil Creek CG, open until 10/15-ish

https://www.oneilcreek.com/

Pine Harbor CG - closing date not stated

https://pineharborcampground.com/rates
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Old 12-31-2019, 01:33 PM   #5
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Check out Milton KOA !!!
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Old 12-31-2019, 01:37 PM   #6
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Wisconsin Ideas

Do not have any recommendations for CG but just thought I would add that if you're in the Lake Geneva area, try to catch the mail boat run/tour. Interesting facts about the area plus you get to see how mail is delivered along the lake front.
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Old 12-31-2019, 01:56 PM   #7
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Also no specific CG rec's, but, looking at the areas you're referencing, from Withee you'll be about 100mi away from Door County (the 'thumb' of WI, if you will; the Lake Michigan peninsula (-?)). That's the perfect time to visit, if you have time.
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Old 12-31-2019, 02:01 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945 View Post
Check out Milton KOA !!!
We stayed here last year in October. Right around the 15th. The park was empty when we checked in but full come the weekend. Even that late in the season.

If you do stay here book early. And look for one of the pull through a closer to the front entrance/pool area. We were at the last site away and they got record flooding the week we were there. We were under water. The sites higher up the “hill” were much dryer.

Nice park overall but not happy with our site.
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Old 12-31-2019, 02:11 PM   #9
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We were there in September a couple of years ago, large site, I think #60,
Great food delivered right to our door !!!
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Old 12-31-2019, 02:25 PM   #10
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Ladysmith Area

I live in WI and my wife is from Ladysmith (we are also taking a SD trip next summer). There aren't many campground options in Ladysmith. Brunet Island State Park is a little south, but no full hook up. You would have to see if you can fit in there.

As mentioned above, O'Neil Creek in Chippewa Falls (45 min away) is nice with many amenities. Lake Wissota State Park (again no FHU). The Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls area might be the most centralized area to stay and hit many of your stops with a 45 min or less drive. Also near Leinie's Brewery.

The Hayward, WI area about an hr north of Ladysmith is a popular tourist area with a few campground options. We stay every summer at Lake Chippewa Campground which is very nice waterfront and has great fishing.
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Old 12-31-2019, 02:28 PM   #11
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Also, as mentioned above, in my experience most Wisconsin campgrounds close mid October. We have done a lot of nice camping in September.
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Old 12-31-2019, 02:50 PM   #12
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Make sure you check out the brewery in Chippewa Falls while you are in Thorp!
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Old 12-31-2019, 03:22 PM   #13
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Discovered a county Cg guide a number of years back. Their offerings were on par with the state & private ones we used but that’s been over 10 years ago. Wouldn’t image a lot of them have disappeared.
Might be worth a google to see if the guide itself is still available or possibly the sites themselves.
Allstays had most of them listed too.
Good luck & enjoy!!
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Old 12-31-2019, 03:30 PM   #14
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If any CG is closed in Wis in Sep you probably wouldn't want to go there anyway! Milton is a long ways from Ladysmith! Your brother wants to go fishing and it's not at Chippewa Flowage? There are many CG's north of Ladysmith, eg Hayward area and without looking at a map to see how far away the Wis R is from Owen/Withee area there are many state parks on the river. If you have the time I also recommend spending some time in Door Cty.
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Old 12-31-2019, 03:37 PM   #15
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Thanks! That gives me a different mind set. guess I was looking too far north for a campground. Chippewa Falls area might just work, close enough to Ladysmith one direction, Thorp another. Will spend time checking out all the suggestions.

My Grandmother graduated from Ladysmith High School (have to look up the date but it was in the very early 1900's) and have pictures of a Hotel in Gilman owned by relatives. Two years ago my bro and I traveled to Alberta, Canada up above Edmonton to trace roots and it was an outstanding trip - thanks to many of you who answered questions back then!

Edit: Brothers fishing trip is a 'fly in' somewhere in British Columbia. I might float the thought of making our Wisconsin trip in 2021 to allow more time. It's all in the planning stages now....
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Old 12-31-2019, 04:53 PM   #16
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Sheboygan is nice in Sept

We stayed at a state park near Sheboygan, right on the lake and pretty nice sites and things to do near by. It was open in Oct.
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Old 12-31-2019, 06:19 PM   #17
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Do you use Google Maps? I found the maps to be very helpful. After zooming in on the area that you are considering staying at do a search for campgrounds, you'll be amazed at what the search will return. Hope this helps.
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Old 12-31-2019, 07:23 PM   #18
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Remember Wisconsin is a really big state with lots of really small roads. Check your mileage between places. Some may be farther than they first appear.
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Old 01-01-2020, 12:08 AM   #19
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Thanks everyone. I do use RVtripwizard and have a Garmin 760, plus, since I'm a full timer have spent lots of time on RV Parkreviews. Used to driving back roads in OR/WA/ID/MT/WY/SD/NV/AZ/BC&AB. Always helps to have first hand info from folks who've been there, done that. Was in Wisconsin in 1977 or so but have to say I didn't visit this area and had NO interest in RV parks!

With the info you have all posted on this thread, my bro and I have decided to rearrange time schedules and will arrive the middle of July heading back by the first week of August. That way we won't be cutting our time short worrying about the weather changing and he can still make his fishing trip to BC. Any reason why that would be a bad decision???
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Old 01-01-2020, 09:02 AM   #20
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The earlier in the season (summer) the worse the bugs (like many other places). Wisconsin has plentiful mosquitos and some area have biting black flies. I have found the fly problem is significantly reduced in August and we don't see them in September. Wisconsin is a beautiful state with many lakes and rivers with excellent fishing (for your bro).
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