About Bear Lake Recreation Area
The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest has an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities at the Bear Lake Recreation Area including camping, fishing, swimming, kayaking and canoeing. Only electric motors are allowed on Bear Lake providing a quiet and relaxing environment. The Rat River Recreational Trail is a good nearby hiking opportunity and popular with grouse hunters and fall color enthusiasts. The Bear Lake Campground sits on the southwest corner of 68-acre Bear Lake with some sites located along the wooded shore and ridge with outstanding views of the lake. The campground is a mix of hardwoods and pine. Bear Lake Campground has 27 sites. A majority of campsites can accommodate campers as long as 30 feet and longer. The campground also has five tent-only walk-in sites on a wooded peninsula jutting into the lake. Drinking water, vault toilets, swim beach, picnic area and a boat…
- Fees: Individual campsite fee is $15, or $7.50 with the use of an Interagency pass (access or senior). The interagency pass applies only to the…
- Season: May 2 – November 30
- Managed by: USFS - Chequamegon-Nicolet NF
- Where: 8 mi southeast of Laona, WI · 45.51233, -88.51369
Things to do:
Amenities:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: Jun–Sep (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Nov–Apr.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halley Creek Bird Trail | Hiking | 0.4 mi | 0.9 mi |
| Bear Lake-Kufner Road Hwt | Horse | 1.4 mi | 3.5 mi |
| Fr 2136C | ATV road | 1.7 mi | 1.5 mi |
| Colburn Creek Hwt | Horse | 2.7 mi | 5.8 mi |
| Michigan Rapids | Hiking | 2.8 mi | 1.8 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
No signal at camp
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way shows rich detail, horizon to horizon.
Class 2 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Dump station: 17.6 mi
Water fill-up: 17.6 mi
Camps nearby
- Goodman Park Campground 8.3 mi
- Lakewood - Laona District 8.8 mi
- Richardson Lake Recreation Area 11 mi
- Heaven's Up North Family Campground 11.8 mi
- Camp Nan A Bo Sho 12.2 mi
- Laura-Gordon Lakes Campground 13.1 mi