Richardson Lake Recreation Area

Area Status: Closed

Richardson Lake Recreation Area features a campground with 26 wooded sites located on the south shore of Richardson Lake, a 47-acre lake with plenty of bass, northern pike and panfish. Take your boat or canoe on the water in search of wildlife along the shoreline. Then relax on the sandy beach or take in the view of the lake from the picnic area that is located on a hill above the swim area.

So, if you like to swim, boat, fish or picnic then the Richardson Lake recreation area is the place for you, conveniently located just 5 minutes west of Wabeno. Richardson Lake is one of our dog friendly recreation areas.

At a Glance

Current Conditions:	This campground opens May 5, 2022
Reservations:	The reservation system provides visitors the opportunity to reserve their favorite spot during specific times, ensuring a place to stay, which will be beneficial to local users as well as users traveling from afar. Sites can be reserved at www.recreation.gov or by calling Reserve America at 1-877-444-6777 or TDD 1-877-833-6777. The campground will still have first come first served sites available for those who prefer a more spontaneous adventure.
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 fee for the campsite physically occupied by the pass holder, not to any additional fees or campsite(s) occupied by members of the pass holder's party.
Open Season:	May 5 - November 28
Usage:	Medium
Busiest Season:	Summer holidays
Restrictions:	Restrictions for all National Forest System lands can be found by visiting Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations 261 by clicking here. The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest specific restrictions can be found in the Occupancy and Use Restrictions for the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Campsite Capacity Maximum of 8 people and 4 vehicles at each camp site. Vehicle capacity limit includes vehicles, wheeled camping units and trailers. Pets and Animals Pets must always be restrained or on a leash while in developed recreation areas. Pets (except guide dogs) are not allowed in swimming areas. Saddle or pack animals are allowed in recreation sites only where authorized by posted instructions. Firewood Closure Order Our firewood closure order prohibits the possession, storage, or transport of any firewood that originates from more than 25 miles from your campsite. Firewood certified by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Transportation and Consumer Protection can originate from more than 25 miles from National Forest destination. Both certified firewood and Kiln-dried, untreated/unpainted/unstained/construction/dimensional lumber that is free of any metal or foreign substance is approved. Pallet boards are not approved. Operation of all ATVs & UTVs are prohibited in campground.
Closest Towns:	Wabeno
Water:	Drinking Water
Restroom:	Vault toilets
Passes:	The USDA Forest Service honors all four Interagency Recreation Passes that may be applied at National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife sites charging recreation use fees.
Information Center:	Campground hosts greet visitors as they arrive, inform them of the campground regulations and assist them with their campsite. Lakewood-Laona District

General Information

Directions:

From Wabeno, drive north 0.8 mile on Highway 32 to Highway 52. Turn left (west) on Highway 52 and drive 2.4 miles to Richardson Lake Road (FR 2880): Turn right (north) on Richardson Lake Road and continue 0.4 mile to the campground.

Recreation Map

Map showing recreational areas. Map Information

Activities

Campground Camping

Richardson Lake Campground has 26 sites. Some sites can accommodate campers up to 30 feet. A camp host, drinking water, vault toilets, swim beach, picnic area and a boat landing are also provided at this location.

RV Camping

Some campsites can accommodate campers up to 30 feet in length. Sites can be reserved online through recreation.gov.

Reservation Info	Campsites may be reserved through the campground reservation system at www.recreation.gov. Reservable sites: 1, 6, 9, 10, 13-17, 20
Size Restrictions	(Back-in sites unless indicated below): Back in 25 feet: 2, 14, 21, 25 Back in 30 feet: 4, 7, 10, 12, 15 Back in 35 feet: 5, 13, 16, 17 Back in 40 feet: 1, 3, 6, 22, 23 Back in 45+ feet: 8, 9, 11, 18, 19, 20, 24, 26