Pentoga Park opens Memorial Day weekend with 135 campsites

Pentoga Park is set to reopen Memorial Day weekend with the kind of practical amenities that make it one of Iron County’s most useful summer destinations: 135 scenic campsites, water and 30-amp electrical hookups, a dump station, and two shower and bathroom facilities.

The county reservation system places the campground at 1630 County Road 424 in Crystal Falls, between Alpha and Gaastra, next to Pentoga Trail. That location matters because Pentoga is not just a place to park an RV for the night. It is a waterfront base for families, anglers and weekend visitors who want lake access without driving far from home, and the county says camping fees increased for the 2026 season. Credit card transactions also carry a 3% convenience fee, a detail that can affect the final cost of a stay.

The park’s layout gives it a broader role in local recreation. Iron County’s recreation plan describes Pentoga Park as a 60-acre county park with a campground, playground, swimming beach, boat launch and Indian Burial Grounds. That makes it one of the county’s most flexible public assets for summer planning, serving overnight campers, day users and groups that need a pavilion by the water for reunions or gatherings.

Pentoga also functions as a trailhead. The Brule River Trail begins at the registration booth, crosses County Road 424 and continues to the Brule River, a 2.5-mile route from the park to the river. The Indian Ceremonial Bowl trail is about one mile from the registration booth. For visitors who want to add a short hike to a camping trip, those routes give the park value beyond the shoreline.

The county’s materials mostly line up on the park’s scale, though one campground listing puts the site count at 134 while other county materials and the recreation plan cite 135. The reservation system remains the most direct source for trip planning, especially as the season opens and families start booking the few summer weekends that fill quickly across Iron County.

Pentoga’s appeal is not only scenic but operational. Iron County purchased the land in 1924 to develop the park on Chicaugon Lake and preserve the burial grounds, and the Pentoga Park Office and Bathhouse, built in 1936, still reflects the county’s long investment in the site. For residents and visitors weighing where to spend a weekend, Pentoga remains a working campground, a trail access point and a reliable draw for tourism spending close to home.