Council Grounds State Park
Notice: Council Grounds SP Log Shelter Closed — details
- Status
- Temporarily closedDaily 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Statewide rule — see below
- Camping
- 55 campsites
- Official site
- dnr.wisconsin.gov(715) 536-8773
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Current alerts 1
Closure Council Grounds SP Log Shelter ClosedThe Log Shelter at Council Grounds State Park is closed until further notice due to needed repairs with the shelter roof. Impact: Low.
Posted by the park 2025-08-25. Official alert
Overview
Council Grounds State Park is a 488-acre park in Lincoln County, in Merrill.
Popular activities here are canoeing and kayaking, hunting in season, boating, swimming, and fishing. For overnight stays there are 55 campsites across 2 camping areas (tent sites and group camping).
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Daily | 6 a.m. – 11 p.m. | — |
| Daily | 6 a.m. – 11 p.m. | — | |
| Daily | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Summer season |
Official wording
Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. year-round. The park is open year-round from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. During the summer season the park office is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Chicago).
Pets
Pets allowed on a physical leash no longer than 8 feet at all times and under control; loose pets may be seized. Property-specific pet areas/restrictions appear on park pages.
Statewide rule from Wisconsin's park system (source). This park’s page doesn’t state its own pet rules, so check for local restrictions.
Fees and passes
Per vehicle, resident vs nonresident pricing: a vehicle admission pass is required on all motor vehicles stopping in state parks, forests and recreation areas (daily $13 WI / $16 out-of-state; annual $28 / $50; rates effective Aug. 19, 2025). State trails use a per-person trail pass for certain uses. Heritage Hill SP charges a per-person admission instead.
Statewide fee rule from Wisconsin's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
Wisconsin park passes
- 12-month vehicle admission pass (Wisconsin plates) — $28. All Wisconsin state parks, forests and recreation areas for 12 months Details
- 12-month vehicle admission pass (out-of-state plates) — $50. Same, nonresident vehicles Details
- 12-month pass, Wisconsin residents 65+ — $13. Resident senior vehicles Details
- 12-month reduced-rate pass (additional household vehicle) — $15.50 resident / $32.50 nonresident. Additional vehicles at the same household address; bought with a full-price pass Details
- Daily vehicle admission pass — $13 resident / $3 resident 65+ / $16 nonresident Details
From the Wisconsin state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Camping
- Required
- Booking system
- Wisconsin State Park System reservations (Camis 'Going to Camp')
- Phone
- 1-888-947-2757
Camping reservations are required and can be made for the same day of your arrival or up to 11 months in advance of your planned date of occupancy.
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Camping
| Campground or site type | Sites | Hookups / features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family campground The family campground is heavily wooded and has 52 campsites, showers and flush toilets. There are 19 sites with electricity. Each site has a table and a fire ring. The campground also has a dump station and recycling containers.
• Park and campground map | 52 | Electric (some sites)Showers | — |
| Group campground The outdoor group campground is mostly unshaded and has 3 campsites. Sites A and B accommodate up to 3 wheeled campers and 32 people each. Site C accommodates 1 wheeled camper and 22 people. Each group campsite has electricity, tables, a fire ring and a grill. The group campground has vault toilets, drinking water fountains and garbage/recycling available. Showers are available in the family campground. Campers may use the sanitary dump station in the family campground to fill their camper tanks. | 3 | Electric (some sites)Showers | — |
Camping details from the park
Council Grounds State Park offers family and group campsites, open from May 1 to October 31. Shower and toilet facilities and the dump station are open seasonally from approximately mid-May to mid-October.
Family campground: The family campground is heavily wooded and has 52 campsites, showers and flush toilets. There are 19 sites with electricity. Each site has a table and a fire ring. The campground also has a dump station and recycling containers.
- Park and campground map
Group campground: The outdoor group campground is mostly unshaded and has 3 campsites. Sites A and B accommodate up to 3 wheeled campers and 32 people each. Site C accommodates 1 wheeled camper and 22 people. Each group campsite has electricity, tables, a fire ring and a grill. The group campground has vault toilets, drinking water fountains and garbage/recycling available. Showers are available in the family campground. Campers may use the sanitary dump station in the family campground to fill their camper tanks.
Bears: Bears can be present at this property. For more information about how to be prepared and precautions to minimize negative encounters, please see the Recreating in Areas with Bears web page.
Firewood: The Friends of Council Grounds sell firewood during camping season. Firewood can be purchased at the park office. All firewood is harvested sustainably from the park and work is done by Friends of Council Grounds volunteers.
Don't move firewood!
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
BoatingCanoeing and kayakingCampingFishingHikingHuntingPicnickingSwimming
Amenities
Facilities
- Picnic areas
- Group facilities
Camping
- Tent camping
- Group camping
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Council Grounds State Park offers accessible opportunities including accessible campsites, an accessible fishing pier, and accessible picnic shelters. Also, the park has an adaptive kayak available through its rental program. Call the property for more information on the adaptive kayak.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- N1895 Council Grounds Dr.
Merrill, WI 54452 - Nearest town
- Merrill
- Coordinates
- 45.1875, -89.7342
- Phone
- (715) 536-8773
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
Council Grounds is located just west of Merrill. • Get directions
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Wisconsin State Park System — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- Wisconsin DNR 'Find a Park' directory (server-rendered Drupal view, ?page=0..5), filtered to /topic/parks/ property pages
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology