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Submission
Trails may be used to access remote areas of the Brule River State Forest and backpack camping is allowed. However, you must hike with your gear a minimum of 1 mile from where you park your vehicle and camp at least 100 feet from any trail and out of sight of any water body. Camping along the Brule River and Lake Superior shoreline is prohibited.
The most suitable trail for backcountry camping is the North Country Trail. Hunter Walking Trails are also a good way to access the forested backcountry.
Please follow the rule of "carry in, carry out," taking all of your trash and recyclable items home with you, and make sure your campfire is out when you leave.
You must possess a special camp registration permit before heading out to camp. This permit is free of charge and can be obtained from the Brule River State Forest station.
We stopped at the Brule River State Forest site near Brule with the DNR headquarters. We hiked on the 1.6 mile Stony Hill hiking trail Loop. The trail is nice but very buggy and the Overlook has very limited visibility due to the trees and brush. The picnic area is in a small loop with limited parking and vault toilet building. There are several picnic tables and outdoor grills available in a nice grassy area with shade trees overhead. There is a canoe launch as well. The campground As Nice wooded sites with a little bit of privacy for each site.
The Brule River State Forest contains all 44 miles of the famous Bois Brule River, one of the best known rivers east of the Mississippi. For over one hundred years, it has been known as an exceptional trout stream. The Brule River contains resident brook, brown and rainbow trout. Lake brown and rainbow (steelhead) trout along with Coho and Chinook salmon migrate up the Brule annually from Lake Superior. The river itself has two distinct personalities. The upper river (the southern portion) flows through miles of coniferous bog and is fed by numerous springs. When the river crosses the Copper Range, it begins a fall of 328 feet in the eighteen miles to Lake Superior. Here, flashing cascades tumble over rocks and ledges and between steep river bluffs forested with aspen and balsam fir. Pets are welcome in Wisconsin State Parks but must be on a leash and under control at all times.
Brule River State Forest is a beautiful place to visit. My trip coincided with the end of the Hex hatch on the Brule river. Fishing in the dark, in a new place can be a bit tricky, even with a headlamp. Caught more tree branches than fish. Landing nothing bigger than a 13" brown. Spent a few more days hiking, wading and fishing the Brule. Lots of little fish...scenery was awesome, scouted a few good steelhead spots for a later return and what few decent fish I got to show themselves was enough to keep me searching. Stayed at Copper Range campground which was nice but close quarters and had a canoe access down a path. Also stayed at the Brule river motel...nice place with very nice people. Kro bar was a short walk down the street. I will be back for some steelhead.
Camped at Copper Range, nice place although not much at the campground, just the basics, pit toilets only. The river is fantastic, caught some small trout, enjoyed nature. A short drive up to Lake Superior where there is some form of a beach, would go here again.
- [ ] The Brule River State Forest accompanies is a 44-mile-long river that flows through Douglas County and into Lake Superior. The Forest and River has served as a lifeline for Indigenous peoples, who used its resources for fishing, hunting, and travel. French explorers, including Samuel de Champlain and Jean Nicolet, also traveled the river in the 17th century, using it as a route to reach the interior of North America. The river served as a retreat for famous figures such as Henry David Thoreau, who wrote about his experiences on the Brule in his book "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers."
