DNR Elroy-Sparta Walk-In Site

Beautiful little campground. Cozy campsites accessible by grassy trails. Rustic bathrooms available with hand sanitizer at the door. Hand-pumped water available, but might take some time/effort to get it running clear. Sporadic traffic noise can be heard from campsites. The walk in includes a steep uphill climb for ~.1/.2 miles. I enjoyed that aspect, but it’s not the most accessible - something... Beautiful little campground. Cozy campsites accessible by grassy trails. Rustic bathrooms available with hand sanitizer at the door. Hand-pumped water available, but might take some time/effort to get it running clear. Sporadic traffic noise can be heard from campsites. The walk in includes a steep uphill climb for ~.1/.2 miles. I enjoyed that aspect, but it’s not the most accessible - something to consider when booking. A pull-cart and/or a cooler with wheels will certainly be appreciated. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re looking for a cozy site with not a lot of frills/RV noise, I think it’s worth a visit. I’ll be back.

I'm glad this campsite exists, but on June 5, 2024, it was useless to me. As a base camp to begin the E-S trail by bike, it seemed ideal: a place to camp overnight at Elroy and to leave my car. In reality, the access culvert from the trail was flooded with a foot of water, making a bicycle approach impossible. The gate and lack of opening from the road would necessitate unloading a touring bike t... I'm glad this campsite exists, but on June 5, 2024, it was useless to me. As a base camp to begin the E-S trail by bike, it seemed ideal: a place to camp overnight at Elroy and to leave my car. In reality, the access culvert from the trail was flooded with a foot of water, making a bicycle approach impossible. The gate and lack of opening from the road would necessitate unloading a touring bike to throw everything over the gate and reload after climbing over. When I trudged up the long and steep road to the campsites, they were overgrown with foot-tall grass. Not a welcoming sight in tick-heavy deer country. I was forced to bail out and was happy to find a camping area in the Elroy community park that included a shower and a place to leave the car. Those can be reserved at Elroy Commons. I asked for and received a partial refund from the DNR for their site. The walk-in sites could be greatly improved by draining the trail access culvert, putting a bike notch in the road gate, and mowing or replacing the tall grass with wood chips. A push cart to schlep gear and firewood up the steep hill would be a godsend. This is not too much to expect for a $37 campsite.

When they say “walk-in” campground, they mean “park across the street then walk uphill for 0.2 miles to the site you booked”! It’s in the name but it surprised my buddy and I. Why didn’t the DNR just finish building a complete campground? Whatever. It’s a fine place to camp otherwise. There weren’t many bugs when we were there, a nice family down the road sells bundles of firewood, and there was a... When they say “walk-in” campground, they mean “park across the street then walk uphill for 0.2 miles to the site you booked”! It’s in the name but it surprised my buddy and I. Why didn’t the DNR just finish building a complete campground? Whatever. It’s a fine place to camp otherwise. There weren’t many bugs when we were there, a nice family down the road sells bundles of firewood, and there was ample space at our site for my buddy and I to fit our two tents. We had a good time after we finished lugging our stuff to the site. Wasn’t too bad.