These are Wisconsin's most popular public campgrounds, according to DNR data

Camping reservations continue to trend up post-pandemic, but only one state park can call itself the most popular public camping destination in Wisconsin.

That honor, as expected, goes to Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, according to data from the state Department of Natural Resources. The popular destination boasts some the state's most notable natural features like the Devil's Doorway, Balanced Rock, the East and West Bluff Trails, and has trails that connect to Parfrey’s Glen Natural Area. It's no wonder that during the warmer months, Devil's Lake is often fully booked months out.

As of Nov. 28, Devil's Lake had 21,780 reservations made at its campsites this year. Between it's roughly 430 campsites, there were 35,790 total nights occupied at those sites. With a month left in the year, that is already more than 300 reservations than the 21,419 in 2022 but less than the 36,113 nights occupied last year.

While Devil's Lake may be Wisconsin's most popular campground, many gems sit right below it on the list.

Second in 2023 is Peninsula State Park in Door County, which drew 19,282 reservations in 2023.

More:Here are 8 favorite Wisconsin state park campgrounds within a few hours of Milwaukee

The public area with the most nights occupied was number three on the reservations list. That's Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest, which stretches across more than 225,000 acres in Vilas, Oneida and Iron counties. With such a large area and over 950 campsites, not including those for backcountry backpackers, the state forest had 52,558 nights occupied at its sites. Even with such a high number of nights, that translates to only a 54% occupancy rate at its campsites.

Wisconsin's most popular public campgrounds

Wisconsin's least visited state parks

Just as there are the most popular parks, there are also the campsites less traveled.

State parks aren't the only places with public campgrounds in the state. In fact, the least used and occupied public campgrounds are scenic water areas, state forests and recreation areas.

At the very bottom of the list is the Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area, which is an artificial lake in Oneida County formed by a dam on the Tomahawk River. For all of 2023, it has only 11 reservations total but only four sites that are reservable; whereas, there are 37 rustic campsites that are first-come, first-serve with no reservation and no fees required.

The same goes for Menominee River State Recreation Area, which is second from the bottom in reservations. It has only four campsites for canoeing and only accessible by water. The same goes for Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area's 66 campsites that are only accessible by water but require a reservation.

More:Milwaukee kids get taste of the outdoors, learn lessons at Mississippi River camp

For state parks, the least camped are Straight Lake, Tower Hill, and Mill Bluff. This is likely due to their size as some of the smaller parks in the state. Straight Lake has 10 campsites that are hike-in only, Tower Hill has 10 campsites that are open seasonally, and Mill Bluff has 21 campsites that are only available from May through September.

Even so, they still hold steady just below the average state parks in occupancy rate with 39%, 53% and 45%, respectively.

These are the 10 least-reserved public campgrounds in Wisconsin in 2023

Camping has become increasingly popular in Wisconsin post-pandemic

High or low, camping numbers continue to be higher than they were pre-pandemic. In 2023, there have been 236,850 bookings at the public campgrounds operated by the DNR. That covered 401,997 nights, or 64%, out of 631,073 possible nights to be booked at all of the campsites. That's a roughly 3% increase on 2022.

Prior to the pandemic, those numbers looked more like 325,761 nights booked, or 55%, out of 580,353 possible nights.

Tips for booking a campsite in Wisconsin

With increased demand and the ability to book as far out as 11 months, it can seem like it is getting tougher find a spot these days. Naturally, most campers opt for the warmer months, which is why June, July and August are the most camped months in Wisconsin.

Yet, there is always a chance to get out for a weekend or weekday. For those interested in booking campsites at public campgrounds in Wisconsin, DNR Camping Program Manager Corrina Regnier offered a few tips:

• All reservable campsites can be booked up to 11 months in advance; however, reservations can also be made online or by phone right up through the day of arrival. Regnier said that electric campsites and very in-demand parks like Devil’s Lake and Peninsula, tend to book up quickly, so the earlier the better when it comes to booking these.
• For more availability, try non-electric campsites, smaller parks and weekdays, Regnier said. "Weekdays tend to be much, much quieter than weekends. Last summer, for example, campsites statewide were 91% occupied for weekends but only 53% occupied for weekdays."
• Don’t give up if you don’t find the campsite you want. Peoples' plans change and reservations get cancelled. In 2023, there have been 52,175 cancellations, which amounts to 18% of all bookings this year. Regnier recommends that visitors use the “Notify Me” button on the reservation website to set up email notifications when sites meeting their search criteria become available.
• If you can't find a campsite in the park, Regnier also recommends searching the nearby areas around the parks for private campgrounds.
• All campers using public campgrounds in Wisconsin need to purchase vehicle admission stickers. These are already on sale for 2024.

Drew Dawson can be reached at ddawson@jrn.com or 262-289-1324.