Nestled in the rolling hills of Highland, Wisconsin, Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area offers campers a serene escape into nature. Our campground guide will provide everything you need to know to make the most of your stay at Blackhawk Lake. We share detailed information on how to camp at Blackhawk Lake, the amenities & activities you’ll find here, as well as a review of our camping trip. Whether you’re looking for a tent site, rv site, or even a cabin- there are lots of options at Blackhawk Lake. We’ll also give you tips on nearby activities, such as visiting the town of Spring Green.
About Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area
2025 County Highway BH, Highland, WI 53543
https://www.blackhawklake.com/
Blachawk Lake is a 2,050 acre site including a large lake, recreation & camping area, and wildlife areas. The ownership/management of the area is a little odd, though. The property is owned by the Wisconsin DNR, but is not part of the state park system. There is an easement for the county to manage the park, and it is run by a commission with members from the two local towns (Highland and Cobb). The Wisconsin DNR does have jurisdiction over the lake and designated wildlife areas.
Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area Campground Guide
Campsites
Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area has over 150 campsites, which are a mix of 50 amp, 30 amp, and non-electric sites. There are sites for RVs, walk-in tent sites, and group sites. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. There are a mix of paved and gravel parking pads and sites vary in how easy they are to back into (we saw some with pretty weird angles).
Cabins
Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area also has 5 cabins available for rent. Cabins 1-4 are in their own area near the lake, and Cabin 5 is in the middle of the main campground loop. Most of the cabins sleep 6 people, but Cabin 3 sleeps 12. All of the Blackhawk Lake cabins have bunkbeds, vinyl mattresses, tables + shelves, and heating and air. Cabin 5 is near the showerhouse and the cabin area has its own pit toilets.
Cabin Fees
Cabins 1, 2, 4, & 5
Sleep 6
$75
per night
+ $7.50 reservation fee
+ 3% credit card fee
Cabin 3
Sleeps 12
$95
per night
+ $7.50 reservation fee
+ 3% credit card fee
Campground Amenities
Camp Store
The park office has a small shop inside, and sells branded clothing, bug spray, ice, firewood, drinks, and other small miscellaneous items.
Showerhouses
There are four showerhouses in the Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area. The showerhouses are all opened seasonally only- typically from the first weekend in April to the first weekend in November. There is a showerhouse near the beach, near Site 105, in the center of the main campground loop, and in the group site area.
Our nearest showerhouse was the beach one, and we ended up not using it. Josh said he looked inside one morning and the stalls weren’t very private. We didn’t end up looking in any of the others, so we’re not sure if they’re all like that or if it’s because it’s meant for showering at the beach.
Dump Station
Next to the main campground loop there is a 2-lane dump station. The station is designed so you can pull in or out. We found it easy to navigate and use, and if you camp in the main loop it would be very convenient. Because we were in one of the beach sites, it was too far of a drive for a midweek dump with a toter.
WiFi
There is no WiFi in the campsites, but there is free WiFi available in the park office- including some seating in the back nature center that you’re welcome to use.
Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area Campground Fees
These are the nightly camping fees at Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area as of August, 2024. If you’re reading this after that- they may have changed!
| Regular Season (May 1- Oct. 15) | Off Season (Oct. 15- May 1) | |
| Electric | $26 | $21 |
| Non-Electric | $16 | $11 |
| Electric Group | $66 | $61 |
| Non-Electric Group | $46 | $41 |
Blackhawk Lake also charges a $7.50 reservation fee for phone & in person reservations or a $10 fee for online reservations. They also charge a 3% credit card fee.
Blackhawk Lake Policies & Rules
There are a few things to be aware of when camping at Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area, most importantly:
Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area Admission Sticker
Unlike most campgrounds, admission to the park is NOT included in your camping fees and you must buy a separate admission sticker to access your campsite. There is a $500 county citation if you are caught without a sticker.
Admission Fees
$7 day pass, $16 weekend pass, $19 holiday weekend pass (3 days), $26 annual pass
Other rules to be aware of are: you must check in at the camp office, check in is 3pm and check out is 2pm, there is a 6 person maxium for each campsite, you are allowed one camper per site, no atvs are allowed in the park, quiet hours are 11pm-8am, and pets must be leashed.
Blackhawk Lake Camping Cancellations
Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area does not offer refunds for cancellations, but you can cancel for camping credit. If you cancel 5 or more days in advance, you can receive credits for the total number of nights for your bookings. You will forfeit your reservation and credit card fees, though. If you cancel less than 5 days from your reservation, you forfeit your entire deposit. Camp credits expire 1 year from issue date.
Our Experience & Review of Blackhawk Lake
We spent five nights at Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area in August, 2024. We stayed in Site 125E, which is in the beach site area. These sites are tucked away from the main campground at the top of a hill near the beach. Our biggest takeaway is that if we were to stay here again, we would stay in the main loop instead. The beach sites felt really isolated, and some seem like they would be tricky to get into if there are other campers there. The other major downside to the beach area is that there is no water spigot and it’s far from the dump station. We typically do a midweek gray water dump and fill up, which just wasn’t practical here.
Overall, the campground seemed very well-maintained and clean. We appreciated the amount of activities available in the recreation area- we hiked, swam, kayaked, and visited the nature center.
The other thing we really disliked at Blackhawk Lake was that we had to buy an admission sticker to the park and it wasn’t included in our camping. Most places we’ve been to where there is an admission fee, it’s included in your camping, at least for getting to the campground.
Activities at Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area
Blackhawk Lake offers lots of activity options without leaving the park, many of which focus around the 220 acre manmade lake.
Fishing
Blackhawk Lake is very popular for fishing. The lake has a maximum depth of 42 feet and is home to bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, and more. Besides Wisconsin DNR rules, make sure to check lake limits too.
There is a fish cleaning station near the main campground look, across from the dump station. All fish entrails must be discarded here and not in any dumpsters or trash cans.
There is plenty of shore access and multiple fishing piers to use- including 2 accessible piers (one by the boat launch and one by the rental boats).
Boating
Blackhawk Lake is a no wake lake, but is still popular for boating and paddling. There is a public boat launch off of the main park road, boat rentals, and limited mooring for campers with boats.
Blackhawk Lake offers rentals of pontoons, motorboats, canoes, and kayaks. You can check out current rental pricing on their website here. Rentals include life jackets, boat gas, paddles, and instructions from staff.
Swim Beach
There is a 300 foot sandy beach with a roped off area for swimming. Nearby there are picnic tables, grills, a playground, and concession stand, making this a great place to spend a day. Make sure you note that pets are not allowed at the beach.
Hunting
Outside of the campground and recreation area, there are around 1,500 acres of wildlife area that is part of the property. This area is open to hunting- mostly deer, turkey, pheasant, squirrel, and duck.
Nature Center
In the back of the park office there is a small nature center. There’s not a lot to see here, but it’s worth popping in when you’re at the office.
Hiking
There are 12 named trails withing Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area, ranging from 0.1-4 miles. Full trail descriptions and maps can be found on their website here. Some of the trails we went on didn’t seem super maintained, and not very often used- so they were a bit overgrown. We didn’t fully get out on all the trails, though, so the more popular trails might be better.
Misc. Activities
There are 4 playgrounds in Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area- in the main campground, at the beach, in the low numbers campground loop, and near the group sites. There are also a few reservable shelters, and 2 sand volleyball courts (at the beach and in the group sites).
Things to Do Near Blackhawk Lake Recreation Area
Blackhawk Lake is not a great location for shopping, but you can find the basics relatively nearby. We got gas and groceries in the town of Cobb, about 10 minutes from the campground.
Dollar General- 303 E Main St, Cobb, WI 53526
Mobil- 404 W Main St, Cobb, WI 53526
Blackhawk Lake is also less than half an hour from the town of Dodgeville, which has full grocery stores and more robust offerings.
Spring Green Area
During our stay at Blackhawk Lake, we drove 40 minutes to Spring Green for a day of activities. We started off with a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin. Taliesin was Wright’s personal home and studio, as well where he ran an architecture school.
After lunch at the Taliesin Visitor Center, we headed over to House on the Rock. If you’re in the area and have never been, House on the Rock is a must-do. It’s a surreal attraction full of collections, musical machines, and just plain weird stuff.
A few years back we stayed in this area for a spring break trip, and visited even more fun and weird sites. We took a tour of Cave of the Mounds in the town of Blue Mounds, which is known for its diversity of crystal formations. We visited the town of Mount Horeb which is known for its trolls all throughout town. We also did a quick visit to the Don Q Inn in Dodgeville, a themed hotel, to visit (and climb in!) the vintage Boeing C-97 on its lawn.
This area also has some great state parks! Governor Dodge State Park is a large park, with many trails and fun sites to see. There is camping here, also, but Wisconsin state parks book up fast for camping.
Tower Hill State Park in Spring Green is named for its historic shot tower, which was once used to create lead shot. It’s smaller than Governor Dodge, but still has plenty of hiking.
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