Kettle Moraine South Camping — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

A local favorite to hike during the weekend, relax and get back in touch with nature. All seasons have their own beauty and especially here. If you enjoy ooing and ahhing over fall color leaves, mushrooms, native plants and the wonders of nature, hiking here won’t disappoint.

Camp areas are pretty clear. Nicd hiking and beach close by. Great for young kids.

To start: I’m an RV camper who stayed in one of the electric sites this go-around, but I’ve tent camped here in the past as well.

I’ll start with what I loved; the sites here are VERY private. You only get glimpses of your neighbors through the thick foliage. Doesn’t get much more private than this in a campground with hookups!

The bathrooms are pretty dirty (dead bugs everywhere).

Be careful about your site selection; do NOT camp along the road if you plan to be outside or you’re tent camping. I know from prior experience that it’s EXTREMELY loud at almost all times of day.

There’s a good playground and beach, but they’re a bit far from the campsites. On an extremely hot day you might want to drive rather than walk, especially with little ones.

If you’re camping with your dog you won’t find great trail access from the campground; the closest trail doesn’t permit dogs. I’d also avoid the dog beach like the plague. I didn’t see much in the way of posted rules, and people apparently had no problem bringing their untrained, unsocialized dogs. My dog was attacked by two dogs who wanted to get at her toy and the owners did nothing to stop it. My husband received a lovely bite from one of the dogs when he tried to fight them off.

This campground could be stellar with just a few tweaks. Overall I’d say it’s a decent enough place to stay when visiting Kettle and I’ll likely be back.

The family enjoyed a long holiday weekend in Loop 1 of the Pinewood camp ground. The sites were very nice with some decent foliage between sites. The space was generous so we didn’t feel crowded. The camp store was handy for ice and firewood. Our hike to the scenic overlook was pleasant - bring your binoculars!

Very nice campground. I have camped at Richard Bong State Park numerous times and this campground is very similar. The campsites are roomy and (at least the one I was using) was wooded and private. I was camping with another party and we had adjoining sites. There was a small trail between the two sites that made it very convenient for walking back and forth.

The lake is nice and there is a very nice beach as well as a fishing pier. I didn't take advantage of any of the hiking trails so cannot speak to those.

One thing that I didn't like as well as Bong State Park was that there was very little grassy area in the site. When it rained the first night, most of the site was mud.

Making reservations at the group site was easy and ensured no other campers were near us. Beach access and a great tree canopy allowed for comfortable tent camping.

Pick Up the activity book for kids it is a great adventure lots to do at the lake!!!

There are plenty of camp sites here! All different types. Electric, non-electric, primitive, walk-in, etc. The shower houses are clean and so are the camp sites. Also, there's a small beach on a lake within the park near camping areas. A couple nearby towns allow for last minute shopping and restaurant libations.

Nice campground not far from Milwaukee.

We go there every year. The campsites are large with lots of foliage for privacy. It's so pretty in the fall. Red Trail, Paradise Trail,Rice Lake are all great hikes. Great views of Lake Ottawa.

The close by town of Oconomowoc has a nice place to eat, Burkes Lakeside.

About 20 minutes northeast of the campground is Lapham Peek Park with a walk up tower offering great views of the area.

Stsyed on South side of the lake. Great for all campers whether privative or big honking buses. Within an hour of major suburbs of Milwaukee but out of the way. Clean a peaceful with great beaches, fishing, and hiking. Please reserve especially on weekends.

The southern unit of this park is the perfect place to go for a weekend getaway, or an extended trip! Whether you're in a tent or in a camper you can find just as much comfort as you're looking for. there's a lake with a swimming area if that's what you're looking for, not to mention a dock with great fishing. We saw a guy with a catfish the size of my forearm. There's swimming, access to almost all of the hiking trails available in kettle Moraine, and all within walking distance of where you park your tent or vehicle. There are showers, although we did not use them. And bathrooms available if that's a dealbreaker for you. We hiked and swim and sat on the dock. It's the perfect place to bring friends for a weekend or week away, or for a romantic trip, just the two of you, looking to spend some quality time in nature.