Campgrounds

Wisconsin is home to plenty of beautiful country, and Rusk County is no exception. With so much wonderful scenery, many people take an opportunity to share the beauty of the landscape with others by establishing campgrounds on their property. Campgrounds can include anything from a site provided for tent camping to an RV park or a more organized campground featuring cabins. 

 

Is it a Campground or Special Event Campground?

  • A campground is any parcel of land that is designed, maintained, intended or used for the purpose of providing sites for nonpermanent overnight use by 4 or more camping units or by one to 3 camping units if the parcel is represented as a campground, with or without charge.
  • A special event campground is a single event such as a fair, rally, sports event, or festival involving the gathering of camping units for a maximum of 7 consecutive nights.

 

Obtaining Licenses

Follow these steps to work towards obtaining a recreation license:

  • Review the Campground licensing packet links, to the left.
  • Contact the following:
  1. TOWN: Contact the Township, Village, or City for any local requirements regarding conditional use or zoning permits that may be required.
  2. COUNTY ZONING: Contact Rusk County Land Conservation & Development at 715-532-2156 to determine if a land use permit must be submitted.
  3. WELL/WATER TESTING: If a private well is present, the well must be constructed, maintained and operated according to NR812. The water must also be tested annually for coliform and nitrates. (This will be evaluated during your annual health inspection.)
  • Complete the Lodging Application, including Campgrounds, which can be found on our Lodging and Recreation page or complete the Special Event Campground application.
  • Submit your completed application with the required license fee(s) to our office.
  • Contact our Environmental Health Specialist, at (715) 532-2299 to schedule an onsite inspection based on the scope of rules in DATCP 79. Provide a copy of your water sample results, the completed lodging license application and pay the required license fees, if not done previously.

 

License Duration

  • Licenses are valid from July 1st of one year to June 30th the following year. 
  • Licenses granted on or after April 1st will extend to June 30th of the following year (rather than expiring on June 30th of the year the license was issued). 
  • Licenses expire June 30th of each year. 
  • Renewal fees for existing establishments shall be submitted to Public Health before June 30 each year. 
  • Licenses are non-transferrable. If ownership changes, a new license must be attained.