Saxon Harbor campground opening announced

SAXON, Wis. - For the first time since the former location was flooded in the July 2016 storm, people will be able to camp at Saxon Harbor's campground today.

Although the campground is only scheduled to open for the weekend before closing to allow for some final work to be done, the plan is to reopen for the season Thursday.

"It will be nice to see a full facility again," said Eric Peterson, Iron County's forestry and parks administrator.

The campground opens today at 4 p.m., on a first-come, first-served basis for the weekend only, according to a post on the Saxon Harbor Facebook page, and will close again at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Peterson said the closure will allow workers to complete some of the final touch-up tasks that were determined during Thursday's final walk-through of the site.

"It will be easier to do that without campers around," he said.

The campground's reservation system will open at 4 p.m. Wednesday, with the campground reopening for the rest of the season at 4 p.m. Thursday.

There will be 26 RV sites and five tent sites open, Peterson said, with the RV sites going for $38 a night and the tent sites costing $23 per night.

With the reservation system not online this weekend, Peterson said campers can pay the on-site staff.

Although camping this weekend is on a first-come, first-served basis, reservations will be required for the remainder of the season, starting Thursday.

The new campground is located across County A from the Harbor Lights bar, a location that was determined after several previous locations were determined not to be suitable. Initially, the county wanted to build the campground where it was located prior to the July 2016 storm. However, that site was ruled out due to a state law requiring an advanced warning system for any campground constructed in a flood plain - something Saxon Harbor's proximity to Oronto Creek made impossible.

In March 2016, the county board voted to move the campground to land the county acquired east of the harbor. However, the shape of the property and discovery of an active eagle's nest on the land meant it wasn't a feasible location as federal law prohibits building within a certain proximity of a nest. Following this news, the board eventually decided to locate the campground to the current site.

Campground reservations can be made at the Iron County Forestry Department's website, ironcountyforest.org.