Now for the final part of the 2018 Wyalusing State Park adventure.

In addition to hiking many of the trails in the park, we also camped in the Wisconsin Ridge Campground. The views from the campsites lining the ridge are unforgettable. Having camped at numerous state parks throughout the state, I can say with a small (maybe tiny) degree of authority that these campsites are some of the best (if not the best) in the state. Let me tell you why.

First, if you missed the hiking portion and would like to catch up on it, check out the two-parter of Wyalusing Hiking 1 and Wyalusing Hiking 2.

So the first reason why this campsite is my favorite becomes obvious pretty fast. Driving into the campground, the road first passes by a bunch of campsites not lining the ridge. These campsites are pretty typical and look like campsites you could find anywhere else. However, Once you reach the end of the road and start driving along the ridge, it’s a whole different level of campsites.

Look.

Yes, that was the view from our campsite. To be exact, we stayed at campsite #127.

(The top row of campsites line the ridge.)

Even within a campground full of greats, site #127 stands out as one of the best in the campground. While this map makes it look all the sites would be jam-packed with amazing views, not all campsites are created equal. Some of the sites are partially or fully blocked by trees, while others offer a full view of the land below.

Why else is this campsite so great? The sunsets.

You can’t beat a sunset over not one, but two rivers. (The Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers for all of you playing along with geography at home.)

Another reason, which isn’t pictured here, is the bathroom situation. It’s rare enough to find nice flush toilets at a campground but it’s even rarer to find nice showers. The campground bathroom facility has a number of single-room showers offering all the privacy of home. After a long, hot day of hiking, these showers were very much needed and very much appreciated.

Campfire cooking with a view.

Do you like birds? Do you like trains? If you do, this site really is for you.

If you were standing at the river, the campsite would be pretty high above. So high up that when birds are searching for food, you are mostly level with them. It’s common to see buzzards and red-tailed hawks circling near you. If you are lucky, you might even see a bald eagle. We saw one fly the entire length of the ridge at our level.

Trains. There is a pretty busy train track running along the Mississippi. You can hear the distant sound of train whistles all day and night. From this vantage point you can see miles and miles of track. Seeing the entire length of a train from above is pretty neat.

The site is spacious enough for a number of tents (we had a third tent the night before this picture) and a set up of bags.

The only downside to this site is the lack of privacy from neighbors. The same lack of trees and tall foliage that allows for amazing views of the rivers also allows for views of you from your neighbors. But hey, nothing can be perfect.

One thing to note about this site and many of the surrounding sites is that they book quickly. You can usually find an open weekday to reserve but weekends on these sites are hard to come by. Reservations for sites open 11 months in advance and are usually scooped up immediately. I’m proud to say I already have my reservation for this site in 2019.

Until next year, you gorgeous view.