May 1, 2025
Considering camping this Memorial Day weekend? One of the most popular camping weekends of year is coming up! Here are some things to keep in mind that may help you secure a last-minute site if you have not reserved one already.
There is a 3-night minimum when reserving a site for Memorial Day and other holiday weekends. Your reservation should include Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. Often visitors book sites for holiday weekends early in the season, meaning highly visited properties fill up fast.
That said, if a site were to open up on Saturday (a party leaves early, or a last-minute cancellation), you can book the remainder of the weekend by phone. This trick will not work through the online system as it holds that minimum stay.
How do you know if the party left or had that cancellation?
Use the “notify me” button! We recommend setting alerts for parks you are interested in especially on busy weekends. This way, you will receive an email letting you know a site has become available. The email is not a guarantee of the site, so you do have to act quickly if you want to be the first person to grab it. Often cancellations occur in the week or so before the camping weekend, so this is when to watch for it. For those still looking to get outdoors this holiday weekend – campsites are available across the state. Look at available sites on through our online camping reservation system.
12-Month Vehicle Admission & State Trail Pass
Purchase your 12-month vehicle admission pass and trail pass now to skip the line next time you visit a state park.
A vehicle admission pass is required on all motor vehicles stopping in state parks, forests and recreation areas. Admission passes can be purchased online, at individual properties or from DNR service centers. Purchase a Wisconsin state park and forest vehicle admission pass online.
The 12-month vehicle admission pass is a great value for visitors who plan to visit state park properties throughout the year. A 12-month vehicle admission pass to Wisconsin state parks and forests is valid for 12 months from the time of purchase.
Wisconsin state trail pass fees are the same for Wisconsin residents, seniors and nonresidents. The annual pass is good for the calendar year, and the daily pass is good for the day of purchase. The 2025 annual state trail passes are valid through Dec. 31, 2025. Annual trail passes cost $25, and daily passes cost $5.
Trail passes can be purchased online, at individual properties, at DNR service centers or from state trail pass vendors. Purchase a Wisconsin state trail pass online by selecting “Trail Pass” under “Product Type.”
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