nelson dewey state park

This is a bit long, but hopefully informative. We had the chance to camp again this year at Nelson Dewey the last weekend of September. This quiet campground is named after Wisconsin’s first governor and sits high on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. It has two campgrounds, a group area and individual sites, along with picnic areas and shelters, hiking trails, and scenic overlooks. There are also Native American mounds scattered throughout the park. Of the 45 individual sites, approximately 18 are electrical. They also have flush toilets and showers. The showers have attached changing areas with a bench and hooks for your clothes and towel. You cannot control the water temperature and they are the type where you press the button about every five seconds to keep the water going, but they are spacious and clean. This is a quiet campground, actually almost serene. There seems to be a number of seniors who enjoy bringing their RVs, but because the sites are nicely spaced and wooded (in other words woods and growth between you and the next camper), you don’t get that RV park feeling. You will also see tents scattered throughout. So there is a nice mix. Last year we were unable to get one of the walk-in sites and booked site #18 that sits at the end of the west loop. This is a non-electric site with three sides wooded – rather private. The only complaint I had was the area where we set up our tent had a slight grade to it. I’m probably overly picky, but we just stuck the extra sleeping bag under one corner of the air mattress and it leveled out fine. Although we liked this site, it didn’t have the view the walk-in sites had, so this year I got organized and booked a walk-in site 6 months in advance. I still could not get an October weekend even that far out, but I did get the last weekend in September. This year the end of September was still warm and so it was a little buggy. Last year we camped the second weekend of October (they shut off the water to the toilets and showers after that) and we like to have froze, but hey, no mosquitos. I guess there’s a tradeoff. I would also add that there is a train below the bluffs that comes by on a regular basis. I was never bothered by the sound and after a while did not even hear it. However, some might find this distracting. If that’s the case, I would suggest a site further from the bluffs. Anyway, as far as the walk-in sites, there are only 4, but the views and privacy because they are so far apart are unparalleled. The sites sit right on the edge of the bluff looking out over Iowa to the west with the Mississippi River 500 feet below. The parking for these sites is at the end of the west loop. Two-wheeled carts are available to load your tent and gear in order to haul everything down the trail to your site. Off of the main trail are the paths leading down to the sites. The first site is D. Then there is a pit toilet up along the trail, then site A, B, and finally C. If you’re going for total privacy, I guess site C would be it, as it sits at the end of the trail (therefore you have no one walking past you). Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. One note here: I would seriously rethink these sites with younger children. One wrong step and it’s about 500 ft. straight down the bluff to the bottom. With that said, we did have a chance this year to visit Wyalusing and drive by Wisconsin Ridge campground which also sits on the bluff, but overlooks the Wisconsin River and Prairie Du Chien. Although the view is very nice (I did not see it at night), I was shocked at how close the campsites were to each other with no wooded areas in between for privacy. It reminded me of linear group camping which might work if everyone knew each other, but with total strangers (particularly families with lots of kids and dogs) it was way too close for me. Even the regular campsites at Nelson Dewey for RVs offer more privacy. My opinion, for what it’s worth – visit Wyalusing for the day, spend the night at Nelson Dewey.

Loved the scenic views that were reached after a very short hike. (The drive into the park was also enjoyable.) Never did see the trains that passed frequently, but you could sure hear them.The rest of the campground was very quiet and we saw few people other than those in our group. The bathrooms were very clean and the campsite was large and flat. Had over a dozen chairs around the campfire and it was not too crowded at all.

The trains come by all night and day blasting their horns. It was almost impossible to get any sleep. I had two citronella candles, bug spray and a cool device to keep away mosquitoes, but by the end of the first day I was bit up from head to toes. The flies were even more annoying packs of dozens over everything. Landing on you over and over again. I was hoping a picked a spot with a view, I guess I didn't. Only a small few had one, but the website makes it look like they all do.

It is a nice place and the toilet/shower area is extra clean but there were so many gnats and mosquitoes we couldn't enjoy our time outdoors. since it is close to the Mississippi River I suggest you call and ask how the bugs are before you go there.

I spent three nights at Nelson Dewey campground over Memorial Day weekend. The campground is located on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. The campground is built on property that was originally owned by the first governor of Wisconsin. Only a few of the campsites have actual views of the river (get one if you can), but hiking trails are available with very scenic views. The hiking trails were very short (a couple were only 0.2 miles long) but the views were very nice. The campground was full for Memorial Day weekend but the sound from adjacent campsites was dampened by the heavy wooded areas. The bathrooms were not kept as clean as we would have liked and trains below the bluff could be heard on 15 minute intervals (not exaggerating). The tent sites at our campsite were flat and smooth. Each site is furnished with a picnic table and a fire ring. Most, but not all, of the fire rings have grates that can be used for cooking food if desired. There is plenty of down firewood available - at least early in the season - so I would go gathering before spending the $5 for a pack of wood from the campsite. The bugs were minimal at this campground and usually only were out around dawn and dusk before disappearing. Overall this was a great campground and an enjoyable stay.

Great views from the bluffs . . . seems like a good place to camp . . . lots of very nice picnic areas . . . a number of short hikes. Overall scenic and very nice.

We just returned from a 2-night camping experience at Nelson Dewey and we were very pleased with the experience.The park is very much "no frills" and is the little brother of nearby Wyalusing State Park. Both parks feature blufftop campsites with stellar views of the Mississippi River, but they make you work for it (it's worth it) at Nelson Dewey by offering 4 "cart-in" campsites.The main campground features around 40 very nice car/trailer/camper sites that are nicely wooded. In my opinion, the best sites started at #32 and higher. There is a nice shower building that was well maintained. The real gems of the park are the cart-in sites, however. The views and unmatched privacy make the extra work worth it. There are 4 parking stalls and 4 dual-wheeled carts available at the top of the hill. The sites are strangely numbered/lettered. Site D is the shortest walk and offers the best views of the Mississippi and the surrounding bluffs. It does lack some privacy as everyone in the other 3 sites walk past and can pretty much see everything in the campsite. Sites A and B are next, and I'd put site B as the better of the two. A is completely exposed to passersby, but B is a longer hike downhill. The two sites are close to each other so some privacy is sacrificed.We happily stayed in site C...which is the longest walk to-and-from your car, but the privacy is unmatched and the view of the river is stellar. Site C is a bit cramped, with a built-in retaining wall framing most of the campsite. All of these sites are more for a couples getaway versus a family weekend.The only downfall of these sites are the (seemingly) nonstop Burlington-Northern freight trains that barrel past at all hours of the day and night along the river below. These suckers are flying at 55mph and are LOUD. Thankfully they only blow their horns when approaching Cassville, so the horns are not really an issue at the campsites. I actually found them to be rather soothing after awhile...We will happily return! Book these cart-in sites early as they go fast 11 months in advance!

Attending a wedding on a warm September afternoon was a most pleasant experience in this neatly kept park. When you get to the very top, you look across the Mississippi River to the bluffs of Iowa.

I went to Nelson Dewey in early spring with my boyfriend and we both had a really good time. It is a beautiful park with a few cute trails to walk and the staff was very friendly. There were humming birds everywhere (if you have a feeder to attract them). We camped right next to the walk-in campsites and we got to check those out before any else arrived and they were beautiful. If you have the chance try to get one of these sites, the view is spectacular.The park is both clean and well kept especially the bathrooms, they were awesome! One of the big upsides of this park is that Cassville is so close (its like a 2 minutes drive from the park) that it made picking up groceries a breeze. Another plus was that there are other parks located close by to visit as well. We had a blast camping here and I would love to go back again.