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Buckhorn State Park
Necedah, Wisconsin

 

Buckhorn State Park, established in 1971, includes a 4,500-acre park and wildlife area, a peninsula in the Castle Rock Flowage of the Wisconsin River, and land along the Yellow River—a paradise for water recreationists, hunters, hikers and nature lovers. It has an outdoor group camp, 45 cart-in campsites, 11 drive-in sites, two-level accessible wildlife blind, accessible cabin, accessible fishing pier and waterfowl hunting blinds.

For more information: Joe Stecker-Kochanski Buckhorn State Park

W8450 Buckhorn Park Ave.Necedah 54646-7338 Phone (608) 565-2789

Camping at Buckhorn State Park

Buckhorn State Park offers a rare chance to enjoy camping in a wilderness setting. Reservations are available from April through November.

Buckhorn has 42 backpack sites; one of them accessible for people with disabilities. Most of our backpack campsites are secluded and near the water. You get to them by foot trail or by boat. Garden carts, to haul in your camping gear, are available for many of the sites. Toilet facilities are available at these sites, but you will need to transport your supply of drinking water. Three sites (27-29) on the shoreline can accomodate tents or hard-sided and pop-up trailers.

There are also eight family campsites (A1-A8) which can accommodate tents or hard-sided and pop-up trailers. Each family site has a picnic table and campfire ring.

There are three group sites that can accommodate up to 40 people each.

Camping is available year round at sites 8, 9, and 16. Campers must register at the park office or use the self-registration box in the office parking lot before setting up. Site 8 has electrical hook-ups and is available for any camper from November through March. During the rest of the year, this site is held for people with disabilities.

Cart-in camping is unique to Buckhorn

So, you love to camp. Ah.....the exhilaration of the outdoors, fresh air, a sense of being one with nature. But crowded campgrounds, noise and traffic have tended to lessen your “back to nature” experience. You crave privacy, but you haven’t the equipment or stamina to try full-scale backpack camping.

We’ve been listening to many campers with similar comments. Buckhorn is one of a few parks iin Wisconsin to offer carts to campers at our backpack sites. These carts are available for sites one through seven, 13 through 15, 17 through 19, 26, 34-37, 38, and 43-45. A shared cart is also available for sites 10-12, 23-25, 30-33, and 39-42.

This type of camping offers the best of both worlds. It provides the opportunity to enjoy nature in a secluded wilderness setting without the effort and weight limitations of backpack camping. No special gear is required. Since most of our backpack sites are on water, users also can get their gear to 34 sites by boat or canoe.

All the backpack sites are located in small clusters. The individual sites are further apart than traditional campsites. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and bench. A portable toilet is available for each cluster of sites.

Campsite reservations

Most sites are reservable. Campsites 34-37 and A5 are first come, first-served. Though not required, the campsites fill on most summer weekends, so reservations are recommended. Reservations are available for group, family and backpack campsites by calling a toll-free reservation number 1-888-WI-PARKS or visiting the web site.

This centralized reservation system provides “one stop shopping” for any reservable site in the Wisconsin Park System. Campers may make site-specific reservations, reservations for multiple dates and/or multiple properties, and will receive immediate confirmation of their selections. A credit card is required for Internet reservations. The call center accepts a personal check if it is more than 21 days before you will camp or a cashier’s check or money order if it is more than 10 days. Your reservation will be unconfirmed until your check or money order arrives. If the check or money order does not arrive within seven days, your reservation will be canceled.

Campsite re-registration policy

If you want to stay longer than you originally planned, you can reregister for your campsite during park office hours up to the day (3 p.m.) before the expiration of the camping permit, providing no one else has reserved the site. See Wisconsin state parks camping rules.

Group camping

Three group tent camping sites (B1, B2 and B3) on the park’s east side have room for 120 people to camp. Water and vault toilets are available at the site, but no electricity. RV’s and pop-up units must park on the gravel in the parking area.

A short trail leads to the Wisconsin River portion of the flowage. There, campers have access to aquatic activities such as boating, canoeing, fishing, and swimming (not a designated beach area).

The group camp area has a volleyball court and a horseshoe pit. Horseshoes and volleyballs can be checked out at the park office free of charge.

Day use shelter for sites 10-12 and 25

A rustic shelter was built in 1995 for use by campers in sites 10 through 12. The shelter is intended for day use only and is equipped with a picnic table and screened windows. Campers may use it to escape the mosquitoes or to cook food out of the rain.

The campsites adjacent to the shelter are only a few hundred yards from a parking area and can be reserved. A cart, which is shared by all the campsites, is available to haul in camp gear. The shelter is very popular with the campers at these sites.

For more information on Buckhorn State Park, please call 608-565-2789 or email Buckhorn State Park.

Threatened bird calls Buckhorn home

Spotting its prey, the large bird plummets from 80 feet above the river. The bird disappears briefly in a spray of water emerging a moment later clasping a two-pound walleye in its talons. While straining to gain altitude, the bird changes its grip on the fish so it’s carried easily, with its head into the wind.You’ve just seen an osprey, a large rare bird of prey that feeds exclusively on fish. The catch will be shared with newly hatched chicks back at the nest.

Osprey generally nest in large trees or on rocky cliffs, but they will accept nest platforms on top of tall trees. One such man-made nest site is along the shoreline in Buckhom State Park.

The osprey has never been common, but the use of DDT and other “hard” pesticides caused a drastic decline in their numbers in the 1950s and 1960s. Since the banning of DDT in 1972 the species has slowly increased in number, but remains on the Wisconsin threatened species list. Osprey are seen here on a regular basis, so keep your eyes on the sky while visiting Buckhorn.

This may be your only chance to see one in the wild. The osprey is mostly white underneath, but its back is brownish-black. A conspicuous dark “stripe” runs across its cheeks. These birds often spotted gliding above the river in search of their next meal. Watch for these “anglers;” they’re real experts.

You can give time or money to help the state park

If you enjoy Buckhorn State Park, you may want to express your appreciation through a gift of money, materials, equipment or volunteer services.

Gifts help Wisconsin State Parks provide facilities and services that otherwise would not be possible.

Money may be placed in the donation box in the park office or mailed to:

Superintendent
Buckhorn State Park
W8450 Buckhorn Park Ave.
Necedah WI 54646-7338

Money for projects also can be donated to the Friends of Buckhorn State Park.

If you enjoy camping and meeting people from all over the country, you may wish to become a volunteer campground host. As a host, you will receive free use of a campsite in exchange for helping campers, providing information about the park and surrounding area and doing minor maintenance.

To get more information about the host program, to be a nature volunteer guide or do other work in the park, talk with the superintendent or submit a volunteer application. It could open the door to an unforgettable and rewarding experience in Wisconsin’s wonderful outdoors.

For more information about the Friends of Buckhorn State Park, any volunteer project, or Buckhorn State Park, please call 608-565-2789 or email Joe Stecker-Kochanski, Buckhorn / Roche-A-Cri State Parks

Enjoy the Water at Buckhorn State Park

No matter how you view it, the Castle Rock Flowage is enormous. The lake was formed by damming the Wisconsin River just downstream of its confluence with the Yellow River. Its surface area of nearly 14,000 acres places Castle Rock as the fifth largest lake in Wisconsin.

The land that remained above water between the two rivers became known locally as the Buckhorn peninsula. A little more than 4,500 acres at the tip of the peninsula and along the Yellow River were purchased by the state and became Buckhorn State Park and Wildlife Area. A peninsula setting allows Buckhorn to offer aquatic recreation of all kinds—swimming, canoeing, fishing and more.

The open waters of the flowage are the domain of every type of watercraft imaginable. Bass boats, sailboats, ski boats, pontoon boats, jet skis, and even houseboats can be seen in constant motion. The sloughs and back-waters of the flowage, however, offer a slower, quieter experience to canoeists. Here, each stroke of the paddle can yield a new discovery. canoe launch, canoe interpretive trail

The park offers a developed beach area, boat ramp and a 90-foot accessible fishing pier. Changing stalls, toilets and a playground area are found adjacent to the beach.

Swimming

The marked 300-foot swim area has an all-sand bottom. No lifeguards are on duty at the beach. Swim at your own risk and be sure children are supervised at all times.

Canoeing

The canoe launch is located on the peninsula’s east side in a quiet slough that leads to the main part of the flowage. Canoeists should remain near shore to avoid rough water when the wind is blowing. Canoes can be rented at the park office. A concession agreement between the Friends of Buckhorn State Park and Country Cruisin’ Canoe Rentals provides this.

A self-guided 10-stop canoe interpretive trail will help you learn about Buckhorn’s wetlands.

Fishing At Buckhorn

The Castle Rock Flowage has earned a reputation as an excellent fishery. The wide variety of fish species found in the flowage offers anglers year’round action, in a vast number of areas. The Castle Rock Flowage, like some other waters, contains some fish species on the State Health Advisory List that may have higher than acceptable levels of mercury or PCBs. For current information please check with the park office.

The best places to catch fish from Buckhorn’s shores are off the 90-foot accessible fishing pier by the North Picnic Area, and from the shoreline by the canoe launch. Don’t forget: a fishing license is required for anglers 16 years of age and older.

Walleyes are the most sought after species in the flowage. They are hard to beat as table fare, and reach trophy size all along the Wisconsin River system. Fishing for walleyes can be especially good in spring and fall, and during morning and evening hours. Drop-offs along the old river channels are good spots to try. Use a jig and minnow or troll with a plug that imitates a small baitfish. The most popular areas are near the Buckhorn Bridge, the mouth of the Little Yellow River, and the railroad bridge on the northeast end of the flowage.

White bass, or stripers, as they are sometimes called, can provide fast action. Schools are easiest to locate in early summer, but these scrappy fish provide angling fun all year long. Again, a jig and minnow combination may be your best bet, but spinners and small crankbaits work well, too. The Buckhorn Bridge and adjoining causeway is a real white bass hot spot. Largemouth bass inhabit many of the shallow bays of the flowage. Drag or “bump” a plastic worm along the bottom. When a “pick-up” is felt, give some slack line, and then set the hook. These acrobatic fish can really put on a show. Surface baits may also draw strikes—especially when the water is calm.

Smallmouth bass are also found in Castle Rock. Unlike their bucket-mouthed cousins, they prefer rocky areas or downed trees, the numerous rip-rap areas along the shore, as well as the mouth of the Yellow River provide good bronze back habitat. Lures than imitate crayfish and minnows will usually work best.

Trophy-sized northern pike are caught at Castle Rock, too. Spoons, bucktails and spinner baits retrieved near patches of weeds will often attract the attention of these tackle busters. Large minnows or shiners work well for those who prefer live bait, Use care when landing northern pike. Their teeth are extremely sharp.

Panfish are the preferred quarry of many anglers. Bluegills, crappies and perch all reach large proportions and are found nearly everywhere in the flowage. Castle Rock crappies can tip the scales at two pounds or more, and one-pound bluegills are not uncommon. Small hooks and worms or minnows will help the whole family to enjoy reeling in a meal of these tasty, finned fighters.

Warm summer evenings are ideal for doing battle with channel catfish. Try fishing below the Castle Rock dam. Use cheese, doughnuts or stinkbaits and fish along the bottom. Be sure to use fairly stout tackle. Channel cats can weigh more than 20 pounds and will fight hard to remain in deep water. Shore fishing from campsites provides a good opportunity to catch catfish.

Ice fishing for walleyes and panfish is also a very popular sport. Tip-ups baited with minnows work best for walleye. A small hook tipped with wax-worms, mousies or small minnows are in order if it’s panfish you’re after. Look for groups of shanties or anglers to indicate the best winter fishing spots. Be extremely careful, as ice conditions change rapidly on the flowage.

The Island Self-guiding Canoe Trail

Our 1.8-mile canoe interpretive trail was specifically designed to assist you in enjoying and learning more about one of nature’s most productive ecosystems, wetlands. The trail begins and ends at the canoe launch on the property’s east side. A large map at the launch shows a detailed layout of the trail. There are 10 numbered posts situated along the shoreline that make up the trail. Click on the numbers on the following map to read descriptions.

A brochure gives the interpretive descriptions for each site. The canoeing is easy, and at one point, provides a view of the open part of the flowage. If you are quiet and alert, you are sure to see some wildlife. Deer, herons, ducks, geese and many species of songbirds are common sights along the trail. If you are lucky, you may spot osprey, sandhill cranes, egrets, or even a bald eagle.

The trip usually requires 60 to 90 minutes, but plan for more time. You may want to explore further.

This brochure is also available at the launch or at the park office but is re-printed here so you can get an idea of what you will encounter on your journey.

Welcome to The Island Trail! Enjoy your trip, paddle safely and get ready to discover some wetland wonders!

For your safety.....You must have a Coast Guard approved lifesaving device for each person in your canoe. We recommend that you wear them. Don’t overload your canoe. Please pack out all your trash.

For more information on Buckhorn State Park, please call 608-565-2789 or email Joe Stecker-Kochanski, Buckhorn / Roche-A-Cri State Parks

Source: WDNR