Blackhawk Park, DeSoto, WI

We headed out to Blackhawk Park, a campground managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. It had great reviews online, but we were only able to get non-specific sites with no amenities. The drive over there was interesting. At the left turn to DeSoto where the campground was located (according to Google Maps) was a big sign stating that the road was closed a few miles in. I went back on the main road, but Google Maps kept telling me to turn around and take the same road in. Eventually, it told me to turn at the next left which also had a similar sign, and so on. It took several more miles and closed left turns before I found the long way to DeSoto.

The campground was located along the Mississippi River; the roads inside the park were unpaved and dusty. We parked at two open sites on the lower area, as far from the dusty road as we could. At $18 a night ($9 with our senior pass), there were no amenities besides vault toilets and water spigots nearby with signs warning of non-drinkable water due to high manganese levels. There was drinkable water near the entrance to the park, but we found that water brownish and did not attempt to use it. I used the items stored in the cargo carrier for outdoor cooking: brought out the table cloth, cooking pots, connected camping stove to the portable propane tank, and tested using my Jackery with my rice cooker and mini toaster. Everything worked as they should. There was good cell coverage and I was able to use my hotspot for internet access and watched videos on the portable TV I brought along. We spent two relaxing nights in the park; I did not try to fish despite having the license; not having access to clean water was a deterrent. But there were a lot of people fishing in the area, most were there for the day.