The 15 Best Campgrounds in Wisconsin

Campsite	Type	RV Hookups	Nearest Town	Nearby Attractions
Devil’s Lake State Park	Tent and RV	No	Baraboo	Sandy beach, kayak/canoe rentals, rock climbing, hiking trails
Mirror Lake State Park	RV, Tent, Walk-in, Cabins	Yes	Lake Delton	Watercraft rentals, no-wake lake, close to waterparks
Patricia Lake Campground	RV, Tent	Yes	Minocqua	Volleyball, basketball courts, swimming beach, nature center, ziplining
Governor Dodge State Park	RV, Tent, Backpack	Yes	Dodgeville	Hiking, waterfalls, equestrian and mountain bike trails, watercraft rentals
Fox Hill RV Park And Campground	RV, Tent, Cabins	Yes	Baraboo	Heated swimming pool, restaurants, dog parks, playgrounds, disc golf
Plymouth Rock Camping Resort	RV, Tent, Cabins	Yes	Plymouth	Heated pools, hot tub, arcades, mini-putt, basketball and volleyball courts
Lake Arrowhead Campground	RV, Cabins	Yes	Montello	Kayaking, fishing, swimming, two pools, basketball and volleyball courts
Smokey Hollow Campground	RV, Cabins	Yes	Lodi	Mini-golf, swimming pool, candy store, near Madison
Mississippi Bend Campground	RV, Tent	Yes	Lynxville	Access to Mississippi River, boat launches, birdwatching, fishing, canoeing
High Cliff State Park	RV, Tent, Cabins	Yes	Sherwood	Limestone cliffs, Lake Winnebago, hiking, museum
Kettle Moraine State Forest	RV, Tent, Walk-in, Horse	Yes	Dundee	Fishing, Ice Age Trail, horse riding, hiking, biking, lakeside campsites
Harrington Beach State Park	RV, Tent	Yes	Belgium	Lake Michigan shoreline, hiking, birdwatching, fishing
Rock Island State Park	RV, Tent, Walk-in	Yes	Washington	Ferry ride, lighthouse, hiking, lavender farms, parks and beaches
Blue Mound State Park	RV, Walk-in, Bike-in, Tent	No	Blue Mounds	High point views, biking, hiking, swimming pool, sand dunes
Stoney Creek RV Resort	RV, Tent, Cabins	Yes	Osseo	Kid-friendly activities, laser tag, skate park, volleyball, horseshoes

Where Is The Best Camping In Wisconsin?

The following list contains our favorite 15 campgrounds in Wisconsin.

1. Devil’s Lake State Park
2. Mirror Lake State Park
3. Patricia Lake Campground
4. Governor Dodge State Park
5. Fox Hill RV Park and Campground
6. Plymouth Rock Camping Resort
7. Lake Arrowhead Campground
8. Smokey Hollow Campground
9. Mississippi Bend Campground
10. High Cliff State Park
11. Kettle Moraine State Forest (Northern Unit)
12. Harrington Beach State Park
13. Rock Island State Park
14. Blue Mound State Park
15. Stoney Creek RV Resort

1. Devil’s Lake State Park

Near Baraboo and north of Madison is perhaps the state’s most popular state park and one of the best Wisconsin campgrounds, Devil’s Lake. This campground’s main selling points are its idyllic location and the bounty of outdoor activities nearby.

Only Quartzite campground has a first-come-first-served reservation system and offers only 10 sites. It is also the only camping area open in the winter. There are no hookups available, but you will have access to toilets and running water.

The main attractions on and around Devil’s Lake State Park include a beautiful sandy beach for swimming; kayak, rowboat, and canoe rentals; and award-winning rock climbing. If that’s above your adrenaline needs, take a hike to circumnavigate the glacial lake on towering quartzite bluffs. 

The park is home to 29 miles of hiking trails which range in difficulty from mellow and kid-friendly to challenging. Our pick of the bunch is the East Bluff trail, a short, 3.2-mile out-and-back hike that delivers stunning views each step of the way. The trail also leads you to the iconic Devil’s Doorway, and the Elephant Rock and Elephant Cave rock formations.

Over 3 million people visit this state park every year, so make sure to reserve ahead of time. 

• Type: Tent and RV
• Full RV Hookups (water and electric hookups): No
• Nearest town: Baraboo (3.7 miles away)

2. Mirror Lake State Park

Mirror Lake State Park offers some of the best lakeside camping in Wisconsin, just west of the state’s capital, Madison. It’s an easy jump from the waterparks of Wisconsin Dells (“The Waterpark Capital of the World”) if you and your family are hoping to make a bigger trip out of your journey down I-90/94. 

The main draw to the park is Mirror Lake itself. You can rent a plethora of watercraft, ranging from kayaks and canoes to rowboats and pontoon boats.  Mirror Lake is also a no-wake destination, meaning there will be no whining jet skis to interrupt your peace and quiet. 

A few private campgrounds can also be found within easy driving distance of the park. The pick of the bunch is Yukon Trails RV Resort, which serves RV and tent campers alike and is one of our favorite Wisconsin campgrounds for rustic family camping.

A close second is Bonanza Camping Resort, located just 5 miles north on the Wisconsin River and a short drive from Castle Rock Lake.

• Type: RV, tent, walk-in, cabins 
• Full RV Hookups: Yes
• Nearest town: Lake Delton (3.5 miles away)

3. Patricia Lake Campground

Particia Lake Campground is one of the top camping locations in Wisconsin for families. Situated just outside the beautiful tourist town of Minocqua, this Wisconsin campground serves as an excellent basecamp for families of RV campers looking to explore the great outdoors.

This family campground has a mixture of permanent and seasonal campsites – both RV and group camping areas – set in beautiful, shady wooded lots. The campground has flush toilets, electrical hookups, and a handful of pull-through sites. It also has volleyball and basketball courts, on-site laundry, shuffleboard, and a sandy swimming beach. 

While you’re there, make sure to explore the town of Minocqua, where you’ll find the Wildwood Park and Nature Center, ziplining, and even surfing! 

• Type: RV, tent
• Full RV hookups: Yes
• Nearest town: Minocqua (4.3 miles away)

4. Governor Dodge State Park

Governor Dodge State Park is the perfect Wisconsin campground for visitors looking for an escape near the beautiful state capital of Madison. If you’re looking for a picturesque lake campground, Governor Dodge is the place to go.

The park boasts 269 standard campsites in its Twin Valley and Cox Hollow campgrounds. You’ll have access to showers, toilets, and dump stations, and electrical hookups are available at 80 sites.

Here you’ll find plenty of hiking for the more active members of your family. If you’re fans of waterfalls, be sure to check out the gorgeous waterfall on a short jaunt up the Stephens’ Falls Trail. Equestrian and mountain bike trails also abound.

The motor-free lake features a soft sandy beach with epic views of the surrounding oak and hickory forest and rocky bluffs. And if you feel like spending some time on the water, watercraft rentals are available.

For the extra-active bunch, bring a bouldering pad to take part in the park’s popular climbing routes. Make sure you have a spotter, though, because the bouldering problems are notoriously high!

• Type: RV, tent, backpack
• Full RV Hookups: Yes
• Nearest town: Dodgeville (4.2 miles away)

5. Fox Hill RV Park and Campground

Fox Hill RV Park is one of our favorite private Wisconsin campgrounds owing to its fun-filled surroundings and awesome amenities. It’s located right on Devil’s Lake in the Wisconsin Dells. 

This campground offers full hookups and boasts a heated swimming pool, restaurants, dog parks, playgrounds, and laundry facilities, disc golf, and much more.

This Wisconsin campground also offers a complimentary casino shuttle to the famed Wisconsin Dells for the adults in your group.

• Type: RV, Tent, Cabins
• Full RV Hookups: Yes
• Nearest town: Baraboo (5.3 miles away)

6. Plymouth Rock Camping Resort

Plymouth Rock Camping Resort, located just minutes from Lake Michigan, is a great choice of camp sites in Wisconsin for avid RVers. The full hook-up sites at this gated RV park include everything you might need for life on the road, and the resort also has plenty of themed activities and events for families. For a more cozy glamping experience, cabin rentals are also available. 

Amenities here include three large heated pools, hot tub, mercantile store, two arcades, 18-hole mini-putt, full basketball court, sand volleyball court, and water and electric hookups.

Plymouth Rock Camping Resort is just minutes from Elkhart Lake and the 17-mile hiking trail that leads to the Lake Michigan lakefront in Sheboygan. You’ll also find a short commute to Indian Mound State Park and Kettle Moraine State Forest, where further hiking opportunities abound. 

For you museum-goers, check out the Wisconsin Maritime Museum or the Elkhart Lake Depot Museum, both of which are just a short drive from PR Camping Resort and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Type: RV, tent, cabins 
• Full RV Hookups: Yes
• Nearest town: Plymouth (4.2 miles away)

7. Lake Arrowhead Campground

Lake Arrowhead Campground is the ideal Wisconsin campground for families or couples looking for a quiet getaway near Wisconsin Dells. Unlike many camping areas on the lakes of Wisconsin, motorized watercraft are allowed here, so there’s plenty of scope for water-based recreation.

The most popular activities here are kayaking, fishing, paddling, and swimming in Lake Puckaway.

This campground boasts all the amenities of a classic RV resort, including two pools, a basketball court, a volleyball court, and a playground. You’ll also enjoy laundry facilities, free wifi, hookups, hot showers, and restrooms. If you feel like treating yourself to a little luxury and air conditioning, you can also rent one of the campground’s cabins.

• Type: RV, cabins
• Full RV Hookups: Yes
• Nearest town: Montello (6.3 miles away)

8. Smokey Hollow Campground

Smokey Hollow Campground is one of the most fun campgrounds in Wisconsin for groups or families who need a little bit of everything to keep everyone entertained.

Featuring plenty of activities just outside Madison in the small town of Lodi, Smokey Hollow Campground has something for everyone. Here you can play a round or two of mini-golf, trek to the candy or convenience stores, and dip into the large swimming pool or dunk tank. There are also activities scheduled throughout the summer, meaning there’s plenty of fun to be had for kids and adults alike.

Just down the highway is the state capital of Madison, where you’ll find restaurants, shops, and watersports on the famed Mendota and Monona Lakes.

All site here are pull-through, and you’ll have access to a fire pit, picnic table, use of dump station, and hotspot (available to rent), and free use of swimming pond, water toys, giant shopping cart, pumpkin coach, skate park, bocce ball, volleyball, horseshoes, and various activities.

• Type: RV, cabins
• Full RV hookups: Yes
• Nearest town: Lodi (4.7 miles away)

9. Mississippi Bend Campground

Mississippi Bend Campground is one of our favorite campsites in Wisconsin for water-based recreation. With both the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers on your doorstep, there’s plenty of fun to be had in the wet stuff!

From the campground, a short hiking trail leads to a scenic overlook and provides easy access to the Mississippi River, where plenty of additional recreational opportunities await. Within just two miles of the campground, you’ll find four boat launches as well as excellent birdwatching in the bordering wetland area. Fishing and canoeing are also popular on this stretch of the river.

This campground has both diesel and electric sites, tent camping, and 40 seasonal RV sites.

• Type: RV, tent
• Full RV hookups: Yes
• Nearest town: Lynxville (0.5 miles away)

10. High Cliff State Park

High Cliff State Park, is one of the best campsites in Wisconsin for campers looking for a combination of outdoors activities and cultural attractions.

Here you can climb to the top of high limestone cliffs to overlook Wisconsin’s biggest inland lake, Lake Winnebago, then take the kids to see the 12-foot statue of Winnebago Indian Chief Red Bird, which sits on a huge slab of granite overlooking the lake. The statue can be reached on the mellow, 3.4-mile Red Bird Trail, which takes you along the Niagara Escarpment and serves up sumptuous views of the lake. 

Also, be sure to check out the quirky General Store Museum to learn about the area’s intriguing past as one of the country’s biggest limestone quarries.

This campground has 112 campsites, 32 of which have electric hook-ups. There are also two accessible sites and eight group campsites. Pets are allowed in the family and group campgrounds. Amenities include a flush toilet/shower building, vault toilets throughout the campground, and a sanitary dump station and recycling station.

• Type: RV, tent, cabins
• Full RV hookups: yes
• Nearest town: Sherwood (2 miles away)

11. Kettle Moraine State Forest (Northern Unit)

Kettle Moraine State Forest, located 45 minutes from the town of Cedarburg, is a great Wisconsin camping destination for families who like to dabble in a wide variety of recreational activities. 

For the fishing enthusiasts in the family, you’ll find northern pike, bluegill, crappies, and largemouth bass in the park’s 12 ponds and lakes. (These ponds are lakes called the “kettles.”) If you don’t have your own gear, renting fishing supplies is easily done.

This park has every kind of camping, even backpacking shelters along the 1200-mile Ice Age Trail that meanders throughout Wisconsin. 

For your horse riding enthusiasts, bring along the trailer and camp at the horse campgrounds to check out the park’s many miles of trails. And for hikers and bikers, there are 13.5 miles of trails to be explored, too. 

For incredible lakeside campsites, head to the Long Lake Campground. Here you can take advantage of the lake’s sandy beaches, and take a dip in the water when temps are high. If you come to the area in June, head to Cedarburg’s Strawberry Festival or September’s Wine and Harvest Festival.

• Type: RV, tent, walk-in, horse
• Full RV hookups: Yes
• Nearest town: Dundee (6.0 miles away)

12. Harrington Beach State Park

Harrington Beach State Park boasts some of the best beachside camping in the state of Wisconsin, if not the US as a whole. At 715 acres, this park takes up more than a mile of Lake Michigan’s shoreline, giving you access to a whole lot of sand and water! 

This campground’s lakeside location, just 25 miles north of Wisconsin’s largest city, Milwaukee, allows you to enjoy beautiful sunrises and also makes it the ideal location for fishing enthusiasts.

If you’re a hiker, be sure to meander around the hardwood swamp and lovely limestone quarry lake. Bring along your birding binoculars, and you’ll likely spot plenty of interesting specimens around the wetland pond, which is also the ideal spot for a picnic.

The park has 69 family campsites, 31 of which have electrical hookups. Each campsite has a campfire ring and a picnic table.

Amenities include showers, flush toilets, laundry facilities, a trailer dump station, and a freshwater fill-up station.

• Type: RV, tent
• Full RV hookups: Yes
• Nearest town: Belgium (1.9 miles away)

13. Rock Island State Park

Rock Island State Park offers a variety of recreational activities, so is the perfect Wisconsin camping getaway for active families. Reachable only by a ferry ride over Lake Wisconsin’s Green Bay from the Door County Peninsula, it’s also one of the most peaceful destinations on our list.

Check out the park’s nature center to learn about its natural history as well as Wisconsin’s oldest historic lighthouse, Pottawatomie Lighthouse. For a more adventurous day trip, hop on the ferry and check out Washington Island, where you’ll find one of the nation’s largest lavender farms and a handful of idyllic, crowd-free parks and beaches.

Campers will love the park’s many RV and tent sites, though cabins are available for those who’d like a little more luxury. There are several different types of camping here including primitive, group, and individual sites. You can also reserve sites with electricity.

• Type: RV, tent, walk-in
• Full RV Hookups: Yes
• Nearest town: Washington (3.9 miles away)

14. Blue Mound State Park 

Blue Mound State Park is one of the most popular parks in Wisconsin, and with good reason. Located at the highest point in southern Wisconsin, it overlooks beautiful rolling hills and farm fields and serves up views all the way to Madison. You’ll also find a multitude of biking and hiking opportunities within the park.

This state park is also home to a large sand dune system, a scenic boardwalk, and a small lake, and is the only state park in Wisconsin with a swimming pool. 

You’ll find a variety of camping options here. In addition to tent and RV sites, there are cabins available to rent for people with disabilities.

• Type: RV, walk-in, bike-in, tent, cabins (for people with disabilities only)
• Full RV hookups: No
• Nearest town: Blue Mounds (0.5 miles away)

15. Stoney Creek RV Resort

Stoney Creek RV Resort is one of the top Wisconsin campgrounds for families looking for a quick, fun getaway within easy driving distance of Minneapolis.

The resort is located just south of Eau Claire in the town of Osseo. It’s noted for being incredibly kid-friendly and even has laser tag and a skate park, while games of horseshoes or volleyball are available for the adults. 

If you have more time on your hands, Stoney Creek is ideally situated for a day or overnight trip to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, one of Wisconsin’s two national parks. Just remember to bring your own camping gear, because there’s no RV or car camping on the islands.

This campground boasts 130 pull-through RV camping sites for the big riggers out there as well as cabins and tent sites for the travel-light crowd. 

• Type: RV, tent, cabins
• Full RV hookups: Yes
• Nearest town: Osseo (2.6 miles away) 

What Should You Know About Camping in Wisconsin?

The following list has our top FAQs about camping in WI.

1. Are there bears in Wisconsin?
2. Can you camp anywhere in Wisconsin?
3. Can you camp anywhere in Kettle Moraine Forest?

1. Are there bears in Wisconsin?

Yes, there are black bears in Wisconsin. Many of the RV campgrounds will account for this with bear-resistant garbage cans and fencing, but if you’re tent camping or backpacking be sure to have a bear canister or bear bag to lift food and “smellies” (toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant) into a tree, out of a bear’s reach. 

Also, be sure to keep grills and your picnic tables clean. If a bear associates you with food, it’s likely to come back for more.

2. Can you camp anywhere in Wisconsin?

Almost! On public land in Wisconsin, you can pitch your tent just about anywhere and indulge in “dispersed camping.” This is permitted as long as you pitch at least 150 feet away from hiking trails or roads and at least 200 feet from any water source.

3. Can You Camp Anywhere In Kettle Moraine Forest?

No. Camping in Kettle Moraine is restricted to designated walk-in campsites. 

Which Camping Spots In Wisconsin Will You Try First?

The often-overlooked Midwestern state has some of the most beautiful campgrounds in the country. From lakeside RV camping sites to tent camping on the mighty Mississippi River to renting a cabin on Lake Superior, the state has something for everyone. 

A few popular destinations didn’t make our list. These include Wyalusing State Park, Peninsula State Park, Big Bay State Park, Copper Falls State Park, Newport State Park, Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest, and Buckhorn State Park, all of which are worth checking out once you’ve ticked off the 15 above!

So, what did you think of our article on camping in Wisconsin? Did we miss any of your favorite Wisconsin campgrounds? If so, drop us a line in the comment box below!