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Neshonoc Lakeside Camping Resort is one of the premier Wisconsin camping destinations! Stay with us for your family vacation, or maybe for just one or two nights to escape the stresses of everyday life. Neshonoc Lakeside offers activities for everyone, whether it's a relaxing day at the beach, fun in the sun by the pool, a spirited game of horseshoes, volleyball, boating or a relaxing day of fishing on the lake. So Stay a day, week, month or the entire season. Book your RV site, tent site or cabin today! Whether you're planning a retreat for the whole family, a group of friends or a getaway for two, there's no shortage of unique activities to explore at Neshonoc Lakeside Camping Resort. Plan activities upon arrival or visit this page before your departure to plan ahead. Looking for more? Our friendly staff can fill you in on all of the great ways to make your stay a memorable experience.
What We Have To Offer
Over half the rv and camping sites are waterfront
Large pull-thru sites
Beautiful sunsets around a campfire
Fishing
Security entrance
Rustic tent camping
Playground with sand pit
Basketball court, horseshoes, and canoes
Camp store and bar
Canoe rentals
Clean and free bathroom/shower facilities
Coin laundry facilities
Dump station
Easy to find
$28 - $30 / night
Located on a high bluff overlooking the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers, a land of sculpted limestone and prehistoric Native American mounds can be found amid a swath of preserved hardwood forest. Translated “home of the warrior” in the language of the local Munsee–Delaware Indians, Wyalusing Hardwood Forest and the Wyalusing Mounds have received recognition as national natural landmarks and historic places. Adjacent to the forest, Wyalusing State Park is the perfect camping destination for a little outdoors R&R, while discovering more about the natural and cultural history at the junction of Wisconsin’s and America’s greatest waterways.
Visitors to Wyalusing State Park have two campgrounds to choose from. Wisconsin Ridge is set on a high bluff over the Wisconsin River, and Homestead is located in shady hardwood forest. Combined, they offer 109 campsites for tent and RV campers; there is also a large group campground. Both campgrounds provide flush and vault restrooms, shower facilities and drinking water. A portion of sites in each campground have electrical hookups for RVs, and there is a dump station near the Homestead site. The park also has several picnic areas, sports courts, and five reservable group picnic shelters. Firewood, camping supplies, ice and boat rentals are available at the concession stand. Seasonal campsite rates range from $15–$35/night; entrance to the park requires an additional fee.
With nearly 24 miles of land and water trails in Wyalusing State Park, you’ll find ample opportunities for exploring riverside bluffs. Whether you like to walk, hike, ride, or paddle, there’s a trail just for you. Take an easy interpretive walk to learn about the park’s flora, fauna and geology; hike to see limestone caves, waterfalls, and a great view of the river; hop on your bike for a ride around the edge of a wooded grassland; or board a canoe or kayak and paddle through the Mississippi backwaters. Many of these trails are also open during the winter for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Other park activities include fishing, bird watching, and seasonal hunting.
$15 - $35 / night
Located about an hour’s drive north of Cedar Rapids, Backbone State Park is Iowa’s oldest state park. Established in 1920, it was named for a narrow limestone ridge—the Devil’s Backbone—along the Maquoketa River. At its founding, it was one of the largest state parks in the U.S. to offer camping, picnicking and hiking opportunities. Since that time, the park has expanded to 2,100 acres—almost double its original size—and offers even more opportunities for locals and visitors to get outdoors and enjoy some time in nature. Whether it’s wandering the woods, fishing on a quiet creek, lounging by the lake, or just napping in shade under a swinging hammock, there’s something for everyone here.
The two campgrounds at Backbone State Park offers 125 campsites for tent and RV campers. The large South Lake Campground has nearly 100 sites, about half with electrical hookups, with flush toilets and showers. The smaller Six Pines Campground has 27 primitive tent sites with vault toilets. Most sites are open and grassy, but there are plenty of shade trees around. Both locations have drinking water faucets and trash receptacles; a dump station is located at the South Lake Campground. The park also offers a few 1- and 2-bedroom cabins for those visiting sans tent or RV; bedding not provided. Many sites and facilities are ADA accessible. A small store in the park sells bait, firewood and some concessions. Reservations are accepted, but some sites are held open for first-come, first-served campers. Seasonal campsite rates range from $6–$16/night; cabins range from $50–$100/night.
There are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy at Backbone State Park. The park features several playgrounds, picnic areas, an outdoor auditorium, and a museum. More than 21 miles of multiuse trails explore the woods and waterways within the park. Taking a hike or ride is the best way to see some of the park’s natural rock features, including the Stone Arch, Balance Rock, and the Devil’s Backbone. In winter, many of these trails are open for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Swimming, paddling and boating can be enjoyed on Backbone Lake, with kayak and canoe rentals available from the park, and angers can fish for trout on the creek out of Richmond Springs. And rock climbers will find several challenging routes on the park’s many limestone cliffs.
Esofea/Rentz Memorial Park is Vernon County’s oldest and most historic park. Situated on 148 acres in the Town of Jefferson, Esofea Park has 16 rustic sites, 2 electric and water sites, and 10 full hookup RV sites - advance reservations require a two night minimum. Esofea has more than 3 miles of hiking trail, a picnic shelter, a spring trout pond, large open areas for softball or kickball or volleyball, and an incredible section of the North Fork Bad Axe River running through the property. Esofea Park has something for everyone! Just down the road on the adjacent property is the Bad Axe River Country Club, featuring a nine-hole golf course, mini-golf, and disk golf.
$20 - $40 / night
Legend
This is a huge campground. It feels like a true old-school “campground” not an rv resort or even an RV park. The kind of campground you loved as a kid. It is hilly with mature trees, although not every site has shade. It is very family friendly. There are RV sites, cabins, tent sites and park models. A lot of long term people live here. The sites are grassy or gravel and are very roomy and level. Lots of activities for the kids…basketball, horseshoes, volleyball, sizeable pool, and playground. This place is older but very clean. Very friendly staff. The lake is absolutely stunning. Snag a spot with a lake view if you can! (See map pic). 1-2 bars on AT+T.
GuideThis campground came to us through Thousand Trails Collection. At first we only had a W/E site and later was able to move to a full hook up site. All sites has a gravel pad with a grass yard, fire ring, and picnic table. The fire rings are sunk completely into the ground for some reason. The lots were spacious and the property offered a large pool, hot tub, restrooms, showers, laundry room, fishing and canoeing. This is a pet friendly park.
Scout
Level sites. Full hook ups available. Friendly owners. Clean bathrooms and showers. Dog friendly. Recommend if you are in the area and need a place to camp.
Scout
This is an amazing park on the Wisconsin/Iowa border, overlooking where the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers join. I usually try to get in at least 1 trip a year, if lucky enough 2-3. Amazing park with great views, camping, hiking, canoeing/kayaking. Very clean restrooms and showers, tent and trailer camping. If you are lucky enough to get a site on the ridge you won't be disappointed.
GuideCute little campground. Very very nice owners. Full hook ups. Not a lot of privacy.
Legend
This camp South of Lacrosse Wisconsin is a great family or road tripping camp. Goose Island has very friendly staff and a nice little camp supply store at the entrance where you can also purchase firewood in two sizes of tubes. You’ll need a way to haul the wood to your site. We tent camp so we choose nonpowered sites away from the RV’s. The website refers to the camp as being on the backwater of the Misssippi. What ever it is, it is beautiful and right on the water. Bring the bug spray for the evening becasue the mosquitoes do come out in force. The camp facilities are clean and convenient. There is a small children’s playground and a small swimming area also. The camp was relatively busy in the powered RV area but clean and quite thoughout. It looked like there were some long term RV campers by the looks of their set up. You won’t regret staying at Goose Island.
GuideThis is a very well kept campground. The bathrooms are clean and so are the sites. Lots of pull through sites and full hook ups. They have two pools and a hot tub! They recently set up a Bloody Mary bar on the weekends and have bands by the lower pool. The lake is awesome and they have a small beach for campers to swim. Overall an amazing campground and we love it!
RangerWe stayed over memorial weekend with a group of friends. With 2 swimming pools, daily activities, movies, and a full ice cream shop you won’t be bored here. The owners were super friendly and helpful. If you’re looking to escape into nature, this is not your park. If you want full hook ups and a summer camp family experience, this is great. Our kiddo had so much fun at the pools, the top one is very large and new with a splash pad area. The lower pool is older and smaller, and where grown ups tend to go for a dip. The sites are split between full timer seasonal sites and daily campers. The site are all level, have a fire pit and picnic table. They are pretty open, so you’re close to you neighbors and little shade or privacy. All RVs here, some tents as overflow for kiddos whose parents are staying in the RV. Kind of pricey, but it’s worth the money for all the extras you get. Super easy back ins, plenty of space for extra cars or shade tents on the site. In the evening there was a Glow Parade where the full timers decked out their golf carts and drove around- candy for kids and lots of dancing. Bingo, tie dye, outdoor movies, and other relay races kept the kids happy and adults amused. Sunday night a jimmy buffet cover band played. A lot of fun and we’ve already booked for next year.
Traveler
Very nice county Rv park, best to call for reservations but not heavily used during the week
Guide
We stopped here to sleep on our way home from a long road trip. The electric sites are like a typical RV park, not much space or privace. We had site 40west and it was larger, but too close to the smelly pit toilets. Showers nice, hot and clean. The tent sites looked spacious, but not very private. The campground is in a beautiful setting and not far off The Great River Road. We enjoyed watching a muskrat family playing in the stream by our site. We would definitely use this campground as a layover again.
Guide
Gravel parking spots, fairly level, most without shade unless you get on the "back loop" where you can find 4 with good shade. All manner of amenities (electric only, water & electric, and a few with full hookups). Bathrooms are clean and well stocked. 4 private showers available...clean. Weekends are typically busier than weekdays.
Ranger
There are about 30 electric site big enough for RVs, and about 35 non electric site. All are very nice sites with fairly level gravel pads. There are lots of trees for shade making the sites really beautiful if not spacious. We had a tight fit with our travel trailer on site 33e, but once we squeezed in it was excellent. Two bathrooms one with showers, and well kept. The best thing about this park are the wonderful hiking trails. Some are ADA accessible near the camp store, but most are a good climb with lots of ups and downs. Town of McGregor has a few cute restaurants and bars, but enjoy the park and the amazing views of the Mississippi and the Wisconsin rivers. Several big rig RVs were there, but call ahead if you’ve got a big RV to make sure you’ll fit.
There are some fantastic cycling routes near the river, with stops in all the little towns along the way. A wonderful place to spend a weekend, with apple orchards nearby.
Traveler
This is a pretty nice RV park with plenty of camping sites. They have built it up to provide a lot of exposure to the water. There’s a boat yard on one side of the tent area. They have a fun little bar where you can play pool and buy beer to take back to your site.
They gave us a cool private camp site at the end of the tent area. It was actually three sites put together and separated from the rest. More privacy than most any other campsite.
Legend
Peaceful area! Esofea campground has a shelter, several ponds and streams, and some nice hiking trails.
The camping options range from full hookups to tent camping. The campground is open for camping between April 15th and October 15th each year. Esofea campground has 27 campsites in total (4 with full hookups, 8 with electricity and 15 primitive sites). Fresh water is available for campers and park users. Reservations are not always necessary but if you a planning on camping on holiday weekends or wanting electric sites book in advanced.
There is good trout fishing at this campground. Recommended spots are one of the 5 ponds or the Bad Axe River.
Product Review:
As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test awesome outdoor products! At Esofea, I tested out my new 3-1 RōM Pack from RōM Outdoors.
Here’s what I like about the 3-1 pack:
Quality. This poncho is heavy duty. It’s not like the plastic ones that rip when your hiking through brushy areas. The thickness of the poncho is perfect for keeping dry but also very warm. It’s perfect for the northwoods!
Packable. Easy to unpack and great for woodland areas. Comes with instructions on how to pack up but you really don’t need them. The pack folds up in a logical way. I found it easiest to store all my small items in the front zip up pack.
RangerThis is a RV campground, with both seasonal and weekend sites. Coin laundry and shower room with 4 showers. They have nice level site in a grassy and sandy area, with enough tree coverage for shade but not so much you’re freaking out parking your camper. Big rig friendly. Decent wi-fi and plenty of space on your site. Dog friendly. They have a big playground for kids, and activities. For us, this was a great place for us to easily set up our camper and use it as a base camp for hiking at Governor Dodge, visiting House in the Rock, and tubing on the Pine River. The staff here was super helpful and friendly, and the seasonal campers were all nice and chatty. We have camped at another RV campground in Spring Green that has a party vibe, and this was a more relaxed atmosphere. We will definitely come here again!!
Legend
This was a great surprise in a pretty little town. The campground is across the river from Elkader, up on a rise. The campground is next to the city pool and history museum, which has great exhibits and a few historic train cars to explore. The campground has hookups for RVs primarily, with a few tent sites in a grassy area next to the road. However, you can easily just get a site with hookups to be further away from the road (the sites in the middle seem to have better hammock trees, too). None of the sites have any privacy, but all have picnic tables and fire rings. The shower house is like a bunker house- seriously, it is the tornado shelter for the park and campground! It’s super clean and large, with separate toilets, showers, and changing rooms. FREE firewood!! They even provide a couple of wheelbarrows for you to haul firewood to your site. In town there is an access point for kayakers who want to play in the river at the rapids, as well as access for fishing. There is a GREAT bakery on the main corner in town- this is THE place to buy your hamburger buns (one of their biggest sellers). There is a nice cornerstone bridge crossing the river that you can walk across to view the spillway.
RangerWe are staying here specifically to visit the monument. It is crowded with older people like us,in the electric sites, and their older dogs. Level sites. Showers. Concession stand at the picnic area. There are stunning views of the Mississippi River Valley too. Many trails will lead you by ancient Native burial mounds, including an Effigy of a bear (probably a bear.) Heard an owl close by last night. We're not fans of side by side camping sites, but we are at Effigy Mounds or hiking this park most of the time.
Scout
There is a variety of things to do here. You can rent cabins, shelters, tent and RV camp, hike the trails especially the “Backbone”, explore the cave, fish trout streams, visit fish hatchery, swim at the beach, canoe, kayak or just have a picnic. Beautiful park! My sons have even repelled the bluffs.
GuideEasy level sites, and helpful neighbors. Hiking was phenomenal at Pikes Peak! We will never forget those views! Loved this stop over!
GuideThis campground was large. The lake reminded me of a puzzle I did with my grandma as a kid. It was fall, and it was just gorgeous. There was a wedding the weekend we were there, but we were lucky to explore the tower the day prior. The nearby communities offer ameneties, which were needed as I sprained a knee hiking the backbone trail my third go. Absolutely adored the weekend we spent here. Wonderful neighbors, great spacious, level sites. I want to say we had electric only, and service was definitely spotty in most areas of camp. We used Verizon, and could not hulu.
Traveler
Did not stay only rode through and walked around on scouting trip looking for a nice place to camp, just not what I was looking for.
Municipal campground next to a playground with what looked like one long time resident, bathrooms had chains and padlocks on the door due to vandalism (as per the sign).
Around a dozen tent pads with tables and BBQ pits and same amount of RV spots
Nice boat ramp across the street with Pearl River access.
Had pics but phone died, sorry
RangerBackbone State Park is unlike any other place in Iowa, having geological features uncommon in Iowa.
There are two campgrounds. I have camped in both:
Modern Campground: This is a large, modern campground with all of the standard amenities found in a modern campground… electric hookups, flush toilets, water. I have camped here twice, both times in my travel trailer. Overall, it is a nice campground with decent space in between campers, however, I tend to avoid it during the busier summer and fall colors seasons.
Primitive Campground: This is my favorite at Backbone for camping, especially in the autumn after the leaves have fallen off of the trees. As this campground is non-electric, there are not many people camping after it turns colder. I have spent many nights there alone in the primitive campground, watching RVs pull in and then leave after realizing that it has no hookups.
Nearby trout fishing: Backbone is home to one of the more popular trout streams in Iowa. The fishing is easy as most of the fish are stocked (April-October). Still, it is an enjoyable fishing trip as the stream itself is mostly rocks and gravel, with several deep holes. The water is cold and clear.
Other activities: Hiking is very popular in Backbone. I have also seen rock climbing and rappelling. There are some nice spots away from the trout stream for wading and a little swimming. Backbone State Park also has a small lake with a swimming area and boat rentals during the summer. Several nice cabins are available for those who do not want to camp.
GuideLoved this campground but it does have some drawbacks. Set up a lot for rv camping with site layout and connections. Some sites have the fire ring very close to the parking area and some spots have limited shade (compared to the majority of the campground that is in the trees). The bathrooms and showers are in good condition. The Mississippi River overlooks are a short walk away. There were lots of birds and spiders around the campground. There are a good number of hiking trails in the park.
TravelerPerfect for campers of all ages.
From RV's to pop ups to tents.
Rustic to water and electric hook ups.
Lots activities to choose from. Mini golf, canoeing, hiking , playgrounds and sandy beach with volleyball, and hayrides.
Weekends also feature live bands and kids activities.
This is our third season and we love it.
Guide
We stayed at the Big Paint Campground and had a nice time. The sites there are pretty spacious and level, but they don't feel very private because this campground is essentially just an open field with line of sight to all other campsites. Still, it was a lovely place with nice trails and great river access. There are also some breathtaking lookout points to see the countryside.
We drove through Little Paint Campground and many of those sites were pretty small and crowded, but again, the river access and the views made it a pleasant stay. Nearby Harper's Ferry is a neat little town, so be sure to visit there!
Traveler
Nice grassy sites next to a cool creek. Electric but no water hook up. There is an RV fill up and a dump. Stayed in site #34 which has shade all afternoon. Also very level. Showers are not great but they work. Nice 2 mile trail around the lake. Close to the cute town of Viroqua and 20 min. Drive to the Mississippi River. Beautiful country.
Guide
We stayed in walk-in site C, which the furthest site from the parking lot. Arrive before dark!! The wheelbarrows provided are a lifesaver, the trail to the site is manageable until the last 50 feet, which is steep and rocky.
It is a smaller site and mostly slanted so we had to use our backpacking tent (90"x70") on the small patch that's sort of level, as our car camping tent (10'x14') was entirely too huge.
The views are stunning. There was a pair of bald eagles in a nest down by the river - bring binoculars!
HUGE caveat - this site sits on a ridge above a county highway and freight train tracks. There are also train tracks on the other side of the river. When trains are blowing their horns miles away, the sound carries. When they go past the site, it's incredibly loud! I was amazed at the racket - we live in Chicago on a busy street, a block from the L and the Metra tracks.
Bring ear plugs, trains rolled through until just after midnight and started up around 5am (that I noticed anyway).
While Site C is incredibly difficult to reserve (best dates I could find were a Mon-Wed in October which I booked in APRIL), it's worth the views and the privacy.
Site D is the first of the four walk-ins, huge, level, has a wide view, and a bend in it's trail so isn't exposed. A great choice if C is booked.
Site A is next, least amount of privacy, medium sized, looked level. Sites B was occupied our entire time there so wasn't able to check it out, but it's a bit more private.
Pit toilet by the walk-in sites was as nice as pit toilet gets, it even has a urinal. Water is conveniently located near the parking.
Shower house with flush toilets was really nice, 2-3 shower stalls and 4 toilets. No pay, just have to push the button over and over since the water only stays on for 10 seconds.
The electric and non-electric sites are well spaced and on the larger side. A nice campground overall.
For supplies and firewood, I recommend the Okey Market. It's convenient and has everything you need, huge beer cave too. If you want some local flavor, stop into the Silver Spigot Saloon, cheap beer, tasty fries, and they have a dog-friendly patio.
Explore the beauty of RV camping near Harpers Ferry, Iowa, where scenic landscapes and outdoor activities await. With a variety of campgrounds offering unique amenities, you're sure to find the perfect spot for your next adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Harpers Ferry, IA is Neshonoc Lakeside with a 4-star rating from 9 reviews.
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