South Campground

I camped on Brunet Island State Park October 17-19. I had site number 1 in the southern loop which is a pull-through and could fit a sizable rig.

Since my stay was after the facilities closed down, I cannot comment on things like boat rentals, services provided, bathroom cleanliness etc. Value toilets were the only thing available and they were clean enough for me. I had 30 amp electrical service.

There are two camping areas, the northern and southern loops. The southern loop had electrical service for sites 1-23 while the northern loop is primitive camping for sites 25 - 69. While I loved the park given it's unique location and the abundance of wildlife, I don't think I would camp in the southern loop again unless I was able to get sites 8-11. The sites are closer together than they appear on the map and there is no foliage or trees between the ones on the inner loops, so you're pretty much in a bowl.

The northern loops is entirely different. All the sites are wooded and back up to water. They're beautiful. Mostly this is tent camping but there were some sites I could have fit my 18' teardrop into and I did see some popups. I would definitely "boondock" there next time and plan to.

There was a very nice hiking trail that crossed the river - about five miles or so. Being so close to the water is a great experience and I was able to see many deer, woodpeckers, geese, loons and lots of playful squirrels. Lots of fisherman on the waterways as well.

It's a great ride from Chippewa Falls up Hwy 178 to the park. I started off at the Leinenkugel Brewery Tour and then made my way north.

Remember there is a $7.75 fee tagged on to each reservation for processing.

Our previous visit here was in 2003 during our tent camping days and it was a disaster. Things were much different this time and we left wondering why it took so long to return.

Site 11 was the best site in the park - at the end of the loop with no neighbor on one side giving us a view of nothing but forest. The park itself is located next to a sleepy small town with no major highways nearby. Our only noise problem was our neighbor who mistook their site for a bar and stayed up drinking until 2 am. We had seen park rangers throughout the day, but there was obviously nobody on duty at night.

The electrical service is 30 amp, not 20 amp as in the description. The park has a large beach and picnic area, and canoes and kayaks are available for rent. The road that circles the island has a dedicated bike/pedestrian lane and there are plenty of trails in addition to that. There are a few geocaches in the park and dozens within 5 miles of the park.

It's been a long time since we explored northwestern Wisconsin, but we have resolved to make a tour of it next year and Brunet Island will be one of our stops.