8 favourite Wisconsin state park campgrounds close to Milwaukee
There are many locations to pitch a tent or park an RV in Wisconsin, from kid-friendly campgrounds with inflatable impediment programs to distant campsites removed from indicators of civilization.
Selecting the perfect campgrounds is an not possible activity, and subjective, in fact — everybody has their favorites for various causes.
For me, substances for a great campground embrace first rate tree cowl for some privateness between websites and a park that provides loads of issues to do once you’re not in your tent.
I’ve camped at my share of websites in Wisconsin and have my very own listing of favorites primarily based on these and different qualities. I’m primarily a tent camper, and I choose public campgrounds over personal campgrounds for his or her stability of rustic expertise (not too many RVs) and fashionable facilities (if I’m not backpacking, I need an actual toilet) — so my favorites are most likely completely different from those that camp in RVs and journey trailers and wish or need various things out of a campground.
Beneath are a few of my favourite Wisconsin state park campgrounds inside three hours of Milwaukee and why I like them, in alphabetical order.
There are loads of nice native, nationwide and personal campgrounds inside a three-hour radius (Bagley Rapids in Mountain and Dells of the Eau Claire east of Wausau come to thoughts), however for simplicity’s sake, I’m sticking with state properties. I picked a three-hour radius as a result of that’s the farthest I often need to drive for a weekend journey (particularly on a Friday after work if I need to arrange camp earlier than darkish).
I didn’t embrace a couple of of the state’s hottest parks (Satan’s Lake, Peninsula and Excessive Cliff) that are inside that radius, as a result of most individuals already know they’re nice, they usually’re among the many hardest to get a website at until you e book far prematurely.
These campgrounds under are what I e book for my household and advocate to associates after they ask. Whereas many refill prematurely, there are a pair right here you possibly can reserve on shorter discover. You can also arrange a notification on the Wisconsin reservation web site in case a website turns into obtainable attributable to a cancellation. Or begin reserving now for subsequent yr — reservations open 11 months prematurely.
My household does one huge household tenting journey each summer season, and that is the campground I e book for us. The park is large (over 5,000 acres), with two household campgrounds (plus a brand new equestrian campground and backpacking websites), two lakes (every with a swimming space), and greater than 40 miles of mountain climbing trails — together with one which results in a small waterfall.
Each household campgrounds have a mixture of wooded and open websites, and playgrounds — a bonus for a household like mine with three younger children. Cox Hole has largely nonelectric websites, with a pair electrical accessible websites and a handful of bluff-top websites on its southern finish that supply peek-a-boo views of the artifical lake under. Twin Valley has largely electrical websites with much less privateness than these in Cox Hole.
The park is in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area (that space of the state the glaciers didn’t flatten), which implies there are some rolling hills and sandstone formations that make for nice hikes. Amongst these is the 3-mile Misplaced Canyon Path, which passes by a small sandstone canyon and results in Stephens Falls, a 20-foot cascade that trickles over a mossy rockface. A .2-mile paved path from an accessible parking zone additionally results in an overlook of the falls.
Each Cox Hole and Twin Valley lakes have swimming seashores and bathhouses. Solely electrical motors are permitted on each lakes, and rowboats and canoes may be rented from the concession stand on the Cox Hole seaside.
Mirror Lake is a gem within the state park system that’s usually missed for its extra fashionable sibling to the south, Satan’s Lake.
Whereas the park doesn’t have the dramatic bluffs and rock formations of Satan’s Lake, it has its personal model of magnificence in a lake with a glass-like floor surrounded by the pine-topped sandstone cliffs that made the Dells space well-known.
These Dells and all their vacationer points of interest are lower than 10 miles away in case you need a waterpark day or Geese outing whereas tenting or need to eat a meal out.
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Though you don’t have to depart the park for that. Ishnala, with among the finest supper membership views within the state, is perched on a bluff above the lake on the northern fringe of the park. Reservations are usually not accepted for the favored restaurant, so get there early (the bar opens at 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and a couple of:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday) and revel in an quaint on the deck whilst you wait to your desk.
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Ishnala is accessible by way of a paved path from the Cliffwood Campground — considered one of three within the park. A lot of the websites are wooded and supply some privateness; some in Cliffwood supply views of the lake. The Bluewater Bay campground has solely nonelectric websites and a handful of group tent-only websites the place automobiles are usually not permitted (carts are supplied to assist shuttle your gear). The park additionally has an accessible cabin.
Trails from the Bluewater Bay and Sandstone Ridge campgrounds result in the seaside. Pets are usually not permitted there, however there’s a pet space simply to the north.
Trails from the Sandstone Ridge and Cliffwood campgrounds result in the park’s predominant boat touchdown, the place there’s additionally an accessible fishing pier and boat leases (pontoons, canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards). The park additionally has a specifically tailored kayak obtainable to be used by individuals with disabilities.
Paddling is among the greatest methods to expertise the park and see the sandstone cliffs that line it, however you may also discover the gorges by way of 19 miles of mountain climbing trails and 9 miles of off-road bike trails.
Pinewoods, Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit
For a quiet campsite on brief discover, Pinewoods is an effective choice. The campground has a loop (websites 1-36) that could be a 24-hour quiet zone the place pets, audio system and different mechanical system noises are prohibited. These issues are permitted within the campground’s two different loops, however there aren’t any electrical websites aside from a couple of accessible websites, so even the opposite loops supply a quieter expertise.
Pinewoods isn’t flashy — no lake or rock formations right here. Nevertheless it delivers a basic Wisconsin tenting expertise with giant websites nestled amongst towering pines lower than 40 minutes west of the town. Plus the shortage of flashy options means it’s simpler to get a website on brief discover, even within the busy summer season months.
And there’s lots to do within the surrounding Kettle Moraine State Forest, together with mountain climbing the Ice Age Path and the Scuppernong Trails (a few of my favorites in southeastern Wisconsin), each of which cross by the campground, and swimming and paddling on close by Ottawa Lake (lower than 4 miles away).
The campground can be solely about 4 miles south of the Glacial Drumlin State Path, making it reachable by bike from Milwaukee nearly totally by way of off-road trails (Hank Aaron, New Berlin and Glacial Drumlin). The 34-mile experience from downtown is comparatively simple and a great way to check out bikepacking.
Extra:Rail-trails are an ideal path for a bike-camping journey in southeastern Wisconsin
I like Level Seashore as a result of it provides just a little style of the Northwoods just a little nearer to house, with a mixture of evergreens and hardwoods, plus 6 miles of sandy seaside alongside Lake Michigan.
Whereas that seaside has been small lately attributable to excessive lake ranges, it’s coming again as the degrees go down. The water is chilly even in late summer season, however lake breezes imply you don’t have to fret about it being too sizzling. Pets are permitted on a piece of the seaside south of the Rawley Level Lighthouse. The working lighthouse just isn’t open to guests, however you possibly can admire it and snap photographs from the seaside.
The campground is north of the lighthouse, nearer to the character heart. Dunes alongside the shore block views of the lake, however all websites are wooded. They’re tucked amongst a collection of ridges (these dunes) and swales (low factors) that had been created by the altering Lake Michigan shoreline over hundreds of years. In case you’re tent tenting, go for the interior loop (websites 31-62); RVs are usually not permitted on the slim, hilly highway and nearly all the websites are nonelectric with good privateness.
The dunes at Level Seashore aren’t as spectacular as these at Kohler-Andrae State Park about 50 miles to the south, however I choose Level Seashore for tenting due to its greater dimension and breadth of actions.
Amongst these are mountain climbing on greater than 17 miles of trails, together with an 8-mile stretch of the Ice Age Path (3 miles of which is on the seaside); biking on the 5.2-mile crushed limestone Rawley Level Path, which connects with the 5.5-mile paved Mariners Path that follows the Lake Michigan shoreline to Manitowoc.
The forest can be alongside the Lake Michigan Water Path, a route that follows the lake’s shoreline and consists of entry factors and paddle-in campsites just like the one on the south finish of the forest.
A enjoyable bonus at Level Seashore: Barbecue is served on the concession stand (within the lodge) in the summertime from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, and breakfast is served from 8 am. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Wyalusing not solely provides campsites with a few of the greatest views in Wisconsin, however the park can be one of many state’s greatest with terrific mountain climbing trails and entry to sloughs alongside the Mississippi River for paddling.
The park’s Wisconsin Ridge campground is perched on a bluff above the Wisconsin River simply east of its confluence with the Mississippi. Websites alongside the outer loop supply views of the river from above; excessive sufficient that one tenting journey I awoke above the clouds. The websites don’t have a lot tree cowl or privateness, however the trade-off is price it.
Websites within the park’s different campground have extra tree cowl and privateness. And whereas these don’t include the ridge-top views, there are vistas all through the park from 14 miles of mountain climbing trails and a number of overlooks. Level Lookout close to the Ridge campground is among the greatest, particularly within the afternoon because the solar units over the confluence.
Trails within the park wind alongside the sandstone bluffs and thru the woods that line the rivers, passing a handful of caves like Pictured Rock Cave, which includes a small waterfall. The park additionally has 5 miles of off-road biking trails.
Wyalusing doesn’t have a seaside, however there’s a boat ramp on the backwaters of the Mississippi River that marks the start of a 6-mile marked canoe path by the river’s sloughs.
The park’s historical past is price exploring, too. Proof of human exercise on the land dates again 11,000 years, and about 1,400 years in the past the effigy mound builders moved by. Greater than 130 mounds have been documented within the park at completely different occasions, however many had been destroyed by farming and quarrying earlier than the land grew to become a park. Right this moment about half of these stay, together with a bunch of 28 alongside the Sentinel Ridge Path. Additionally alongside that path is a monument to the passenger pigeon, which as soon as blanketed the sky in Wisconsin however went extinct in 1914 attributable to overhunting and habitat destruction.
Talking of the sky, the park is a superb spot for stargazing and has an observatory to assist with the hassle. The nonprofit Starsplitters of Wyalusing opens the Lawrence L. Huser Astronomy Heart for a public program at the very least as soon as a month Might by October.
Wildcat Mountain State Park, Ontario
This park is within the coronary heart of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, considered one of my favourite (and one of the missed) areas of the state, with sufficient outside actions to maintain you occupied for greater than a weekend.
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The campground is perched atop one of many hills that outline the Driftless, with views of the twisting Kickapoo River under. A lot of the websites are wooded, some perched on the cusp of a hill. The most effective are the cart-in websites, that are giant and personal, some tucked right into a pine plantation.
Timber largely block the views from the campsites, however the park has a handful of overlooks that present beautiful vistas, together with alongside the Remark Level Path close to the Higher Picnic Space. Down by the boat launch, the 1.3-mile Hemlock Path climbs 1,220-foot Mount Pisgah for views of the river valley.
The river is called the world’s most crooked — in its practically 130-mile journey from Wilton to the Wisconsin River, the Kickapoo covers simply 60 miles because the crow flies. However that is a part of what makes it enjoyable to kayak and canoe, together with the stunning sandstone cliffs it passes alongside the best way. The stretch from Ontario (simply north of Wildcat) to La Farge is the preferred, with a handful of liveries on the town that supply leases and shuttles and maintain the river away from particles.
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South of the park the river travels by the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, which has its personal set of mountain climbing and biking trails plus 25 primitive first-come, first-served campsites (about one-third of that are alongside the river).
About 10 miles to the north is the midpoint of the granddaddy of Wisconsin bike trails: the Elroy-Sparta. The 32.5-mile path follows an previous railroad line from Elroy to Sparta by three historic tunnels that had been lower into the Driftless hills.
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Honorable point out: Kohler-Andrae State Park, Sheboygan
For distinctive surroundings, few parks in Wisconsin beat Kohler-Andrae and its rolling sand dunes alongside Lake Michigan. However its two greatest qualities — pure magnificence and proximity to Milwaukee (lower than an hour away) — additionally imply it’s troublesome to get a website right here until you reserve one far prematurely. The campground has many beautiful websites tucked into a mixture of hardwoods and evergreens. The park is busy in the summertime, however tenting right here means you possibly can rise up early and beat the crowds to the seaside or the cordwalk by the dunes.
Honorable point out: Nelson Dewey State Park
Nelson Dewey is house to a few of my favourite campsites in your complete state, however they’re all walk-in websites and perched above energetic railroad tracks which can be unhealthy information for mild sleepers. However if you happen to don’t thoughts hauling your gear just a little and also you sleep soundly, then e book one of many park’s 4 walk-in websites. Web site C is the perfect of the bunch, with beautiful views of the Mississippi River to the southwest. The remainder of the campground is beautiful, too, with good tree cowl and privateness, and is way quieter (and simpler to get a website in) than Wyalusing about 25 miles to the north.
Extra info on tenting in Wisconsin state parks
All websites in Wisconsin state parks are reservable. Reservations may be made as much as 11 months prematurely on-line (wisconsin.goingtocamp.com) or by telephone (1-888-947-2757). The reservation web site has photographs of many websites so you possibly can gauge dimension and tree cowl. Some websites reserved earlier than Might 15 for peak season (Might 15-Oct. 31) require at the very least a two-night keep. Vacation weekends have a three-night minimal.
Tenting charges range by park, website kind, day of the week and season. Car admission stickers are required along with the tenting price. They value $28 for the yr or $8 for the day and can be found on-line (yourpassnow.com/ParkPass/wi), at park places of work after they’re open, and at self-registration stations inside parks.
Most state park campsites are outfitted with a hearth ring and picnic desk. All the campgrounds on this listing have flush bogs and bathe buildings. All even have accessible campsites, that are near accessible loos and embrace a paved pad and accessible picnic desk.
Critters — particularly raccoons — are a nuisance at many state park campgrounds (together with some on this listing), since they’ve discovered they will discover a free meal there. Be sure that your meals is at all times saved securely (ideally in a car) once you’re not consuming it. Raccoons can open coolers, and the little bandits aren’t shy about getting near you to steal meals. Bears, nonetheless, are a uncommon sight in southern Wisconsin, and usually you do not have to fret about them at these campgrounds.
In case you’re tenting at a park alongside Lake Michigan, you may run into lifeless alewives on the seaside. The small, silver, non-native fish washes up on Lake Michigan seashores yearly, inflicting a pungent, unpleasant mess. However they are not dangerous to people in the event that they’re left alone, and their numbers are down from a peak within the ’70s.
For extra nice campgrounds across the state, take a look at the e book “Finest Tent Tenting Wisconsin – 4th Version” by Kevin Revolinski & Johnny Molloy.
For extra on Wisconsin state parks, see wiparks.internet.
Contact Chelsey Lewis at clewis@journalsentinel.com. Observe her on Twitter at @chelseylew and @TravelMJS and Fb at Journal Sentinel Journey.
