Are you headed to Wisconsin any time soon? Don’t forget to visit Copper Falls State Park near Madison, Wisconsin during your trip. This beautiful park is a great camping spot for the entire family. This park has beautiful wildlife to take in and places to camp overnight as well. Read on to discover more about camping at this lovely park.
What To Expect
If you are into nature trails and beautiful geography, this is the spot for your next camping trip. The campsites are shaded and forested and located away from the more popular areas of the park. Read on to discover more about camping at Copper Falls!
Camping
Copper Falls has two areas of campgrounds that you can reserve online at the state park website. A vehicle sticker is required for admission. The Northern Campground has thirty-two campsites: twenty-eight electric and four non-electric. One of these campsites has a cabin that is accessible for people with disabilities. The Southern Campground has twenty-three sites that are all non-electric.
In addition to these sites, there is even one backpack camping site at Copper Falls. It is very remote, and cell service is spotty in the area. Make sure to tell someone where you will be and how long you will be there.
Additionally, there is a concession stand in the main park area that sells food and camping supplies. In the spring and summer water is readily available if you are staying there, you can still get water during the winter, but there is just one hose on one of the buildings you can use.
Things To Do At The Park
While you are camping at Copper Falls, there are plenty of activities to take in. There is a 1.7-mile hiking trail to enjoy. Unfortunately, pets are not allowed on this trail. If hiking is not your thing, you can also:
- Go swimming in Loon Lake
- Fish
- Ride your bicycle
- Have a picnic with your family
You can even stay here in the winter if you are so inclined. Copper Falls keeps six plowed campsites to enjoy. There are skiing paths to enjoy in the winter if you are staying there.
Wildlife
There are many opportunities to take in the various wildlife in the area. You can see them while you are hiking or camping here at Copper Falls. There are black bears, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, gray wolves, and even porcupines.
If you are into bird watching, there are over 200 species of birds to take in. There are five species of snakes in the area, but none of them are poisonous.
Geography/Vegetation
If you are into plants, there are beautiful trees and vegetation to be seen here. These include hemlock, sugar maple, white pine, aspen, and red oak trees. Second-growth forests include ironwood, paper birch, and more trees.
Geographically, there are beautiful waterfalls and interesting rock formations along the river to be seen. The main waterfalls are over 29-feet tall! Most of the trail runs along a gorge. The southern campground is nestled in a valley. Most of the terrain is very level.
Reviews
The main theme in the reviews is that people complained that their pets were not welcome at the park. Otherwise, people enjoyed their stay and said the scenery was beautiful. One reviewer also cautioned that you should bring bug spray depending on the time of year you go. Another reviewer also said they had to purchase a $38 pass to hike there, so keep that in mind when you go. The reviewers did say that the park is well maintained.
History of the Park
The most recent Native American tribes in the area were the Sioux and Chippewa, tribes. They were here when the French first came to the Lake Superior area. There was some copper mining in the area in the 1860s. Copper Falls State Park was officially created in 1929. Much of the work was done by two agencies created during the Depression: the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
So, if you don’t have pets, this is a great place to hike for the day or camp for the night. Bring your RV or tent or use the cabin if you have disabilities. Come for the activities and stay for the Copper Falls State Park camping. Are you planning to go? Have you been before? Tell us about it in the comments.
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