Back to Twin Cities Touring
Nugget Lake County Park. Photo by Unny Nambudiripad
Overview
Nugget Lake is lesser known and out of the way. It’s in Pierce County.
Bike Ride
It’s moderate hills once you cross over to Wisconsin. The rural roads there are quiet, and shared waves to passing car traffic is common.
Camping
The campgrounds are nice, and my spot was pretty secluded. As I write this (June 2022), reservations can only be made over the phone.
The lake is not suitable for swimming. The campground staff said there used to be a swimming beach, but the closed it decades ago because the water quality is poor because of runoff from the nearby farms.
Why I would go again
- It’s a different place than my usual camping spots
- There’s more park to explore
Why I would not go again
- There are nicer bike rides to places that are close
For the first time in my recollection, something fell off my bike, I didn’t notice that it fell, and I lost it. That thing was my rain fly. It was a warm weekend, and it didn’t rain at night. But it rained in the morning and I got wet! So I cut the trip short and biked home. Nonetheless it was a great trip. And I’m amazed and grateful that it didn’t feel stressful at any point. Perhaps it’s that I’ve done a lot of touring, or perhaps I didn’t worry because I was just happy to be outside.
