Summer is the best. Join Milwaukee Record and Wheel & Sprocket August 3-10 as we search the city and beyond for the Spirit Of Summer.
What’s in a name? When it comes to the unlikely name “Richard Bong,” is it simply a puerile and juvenile joke, the inevitable result of one of those “make your own porn name” things? Similarly, is Wisconsin’s Richard Bong State Recreation Area something of a regional proto-meme, a precursor to the 69 temperature tower, a highway sign to be photographed or straight-up stolen by chortling teens?
Neither is true, of course. Bong himself was a World War II flying ace—some might say the World War II flying ace. The Wisconsin native shot down 40 Japanese aircraft during the war, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1944. His death on August 6, 1945 while testing a P-80A jet in California shared headline space with the bombing of Hiroshima. Bong was a big deal. (You can find more information about Bong at the Mitchell Gallery of Flight inside the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.)
The Richard Bong State Recreation Area, meanwhile, is a sprawling 4,500-acre state park in Kenosha County, a 45-minute drive south from Milwaukee. (Turn right at the Mars Cheese Castle.) Per its namesake, it was originally meant to be a jet fighter base complete with a 12,500-foot concrete runway. That plan was abandoned in the late 1950s, and the land’s transformation into a publicly accessible state park began in the early ’60s. It was dedicated in 1967.
These days, “recreation” is indeed a huge part of the Richard Bong State Recreation Area. The park boasts an abundance of fascinating amenities: hiking trails, biking trails, ATV trails, horse riding trails, a lake for swimming or kayaking, space for hunting and fishing, space for dog training, and much more. In keeping with the legacy of Major Bong (yep, Major Dick Bong), the park also has room for RC aircraft and model rocketry. Not into any of these activities? The park offers thousands of acres of managed grassland, prairie, and wetland to simply stare at and enjoy.
And camping! Yes, Bong has two campgrounds on opposite sides of the park: Sunrise Campground on the east, and Sunset Campground on the west. In total, there are 214 campsites, 57 with electric hookups. Accessible sites and cabins, water, showers, and flush and vault toilets are scattered throughout. Reservations can be made online or by calling 888-947-2757.
Camping at Bong is a no-frills treat. Not only is the park within an hour drive of Milwaukee, it’s perfect for an affordable, spur-of-the-moment summer mini-adventure. Make a reservation, make the drive, and set up shop. Reservations are roughly $30 per night. (Vehicle admission passes are sold separately online or at the park entrance.) Check-in is at 3 p.m. and check-out is at 1 p.m. Need ice? You can buy a bag at the entrance for $3 cash. Need firewood? You can buy some via an electronic locker system for $8 per bundle (card only). Easy peasy.
The campgrounds offer a mixture of wooded and open-field sites, both with fire pits and picnic tables. The sites are secluded, but not that secluded. Highway 75 runs near the east end of the Sunrise Campground, while County Road J can be seen (and heard) from the west end of the Sunset Campground.
Solo camping at Bong is its own unique pleasure. If you already have the basics (tent, sleeping bag, etc.) you can quickly assemble everything else you need (food, drink, etc.) in under an hour. No need to get fancy: pick up a bottle of your favorite booze from the liquor store, grab a Milwaukee Slugger from Pick ‘n Save, and you’re all set. Oh, and don’t forget that crummy little AM radio you bought at American Science & Surplus years ago. The Brewers are on tonight.
And that’s that! Sit back, relax, and watch the day slowly turn into night. Start a fire. Stare at the stars. Go to sleep. Wake up with the sun. Pack up your things and head home. It’s easy. It’s bliss.
What’s in a name? When it comes to our Spirit Of Summer series, is it simply a collection of summer-related articles, a celebration of what the region has to offer during the warm-weather months? Or is it a call-to-arms, a reminder that the season is cruelly brief and seemingly over before it begins?
The answer is both. Dig into the Spirit Of Summer series and read all about it. Then, when you’re finished, dig into the spirit of summer and catch it before it disappears. It’s not too late! Like the song says, summer is ready when you are.
Want more Milwaukee Record? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and/or support us on Patreon.
RELATED ARTICLES
• Finding nirvana at a Brewers game, alone
• Let’s remember some former Milwaukee-area amusement parks
• 49 things to do in Milwaukee during the 49 remaining days of summer