Russ and I took our Scamp trailer recently to northern Wisconsin for our one-and-only camping trip of the summer. We’d tried to camp earlier in the season, but had trouble making reservations in state and provincial parks because the reservations get snapped up so fast. We even woke up once before 6 a.m. to try and make a reservation but open spots were gone in seconds!
Thankfully, sites were available at the Bois Brule Campground, which I got to know during my stint as a Road Scholar trip leader this summer. We made reservations for three nights in mid-September.
One warning, however! Non-Wisconsin residents need to be prepared for extra fees, plus you need to buy a Wisconsin State Parks vehicle pass. If my memory serves me correctly, we ended up paying more than $150 for the privilege of staying in our camper in a place without electricity or running water. (There is a hand pump, however, and artesian wells nearby.) But we were determined to go camping, dammit! So, we made the reservation.
Campsites nestled among tall pines and carpeted with pine needles attracted us to this campground near the Brule River. Plus, it was less than an hour’s drive from Duluth, and it had reservations available.
Our first evening, we took a walk around the campground. Ironically, we met some other Scamp owners who lived in Duluth! It felt funny to travel someplace distant and yet meet people who lived not far from us. We enjoyed a campfire that night as we listened to barred owls hoot along the riverbanks.
The next morning, we hiked the Stoney Hill Nature Trail, which is accessible from the campground and covers 1.6 miles in a loop. Interpretive signs along the way provide information about the natural and cultural history of the Brule River State Forest.
We chose to hike the loop clockwise for a less strenuous hike. (The other direction features a steep 184-foot climb that we would rather walk down than up.) The trail culminated in a lookout over the Brule River Valley. But once we arrived, we had to laugh because we couldn’t see a thing. The lookout is overgrown with trees! But we enjoyed the exercise and learning more about the area.
After lunch, we drove to Bayfield, a town about an hour away on the shores of Lake Superior. Our first stop was the Apfelhaus Cidery. Part of the Hauser Farm, the cidery is run by a former coworker of mine and her husband. The apples come from their own orchard. I’d seen the cidery tasting room when it was under construction and was excited to see it now that it’s open.
We ordered a flight of four different ciders. Two were alcoholic and two were N/A. We enjoyed the N/A offerings best because they were sweeter. Our favorite was the cherry variety. As we sipped, we enjoyed a view of Lake Superior from the cidery’s perch atop a ridge.
Sated by cider, we made our way down the ridge to town. We spent time shopping and perusing the many art galleries and gift stores there. For supper, we ate on a dock jutting out into Lake Superior at Hoops Fish and Chips Dockside. Hoops is a commercial fishing operation, and they serve lake whitefish caught that morning. They used to only offer it fried and breaded with French fries but now have added it grilled with rice. I’d eaten there before but Russ hadn’t. We ordered one of each dish. Both were excellent! They also serve Apfelhaus cider.
On our way back to the campground, we stopped at the infamous Moquah Bar, which you can read all about in a separate post, “We Survived the Moquah Bar.”
After another quiet night and campfire, we awoke the next morning to a mostly empty campground. Most of the other campers are fly fishers, who leave at the crack of dawn to fish the Brule River, which is famous for its trout.
We hiked again, this time traveling about a half-hour to Upper St. Croix Lake, near Solon Springs. The picnic area there is home to the Brule-St. Croix Portage Trail, which is what the Voyageurs and fur traders of old used to travel from Lake Superior to the Brule River and Upper St. Croix Lake. This would then take them into the St. Croix River, which led to the Mississippi River and beyond.
At the trailhead, you can either choose the portage trail or a bog trail that leads to a boardwalk. I’d already been on the bog trail, so we hiked the portage trail. It begins with a steep incline up a ridge but then levels out after that. Along the way stone markers commemorated historic explorers from the fur trade era. We hiked about half the trail.
After returning to the campground for lunch, we headed out with our bikes on the car to the small town of Ino, Wisconsin. Our goal was Forest Road 236, a seldom-traveled picturesque back road good for cycling and motorcycling. We rode 30 miles and only saw a few other vehicles.
We returned to the campground to enjoy our classic camping dinner of scrambled eggs and Spam. The only thing that would have made it better was if we had remembered to pack the ketchup!
As our trip came to a close, we reflected on the joys of camping in northern Wisconsin—from peaceful hikes and friendly encounters to delicious meals shared under the pines with the gurgle of the Bois Brule in the background. Sipping crisp apple cider with a view of Lake Superior was a highlight, perfectly capturing the spirit of relaxation and adventure that defined our getaway. We left feeling grateful for the memories made. I’m not sure if we’ll have other camping adventures since we are considering selling our Scamp. If this was our last outing, it was a good one!
