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Best Tent Camping near Amherst, WI

283 Reviews

The central Wisconsin region surrounding Amherst offers several dedicated tent camping options within a short drive. Camp Wilderness stands out as a highly-rated tent campground with multiple access options including drive-in, hike-in, and walk-in sites. Plover River Retreat provides walk-in tent sites for those seeking a more secluded experience. Oakwood Campsites in nearby Wild Rose also accommodates tent campers year-round. These established campgrounds serve as convenient bases for exploring the rolling hills, forests, and waterways characteristic of this part of Wisconsin.

Most tent campgrounds in the Amherst area provide basic amenities suited for primitive tent camping experiences. Camp Wilderness offers drinking water, picnic tables, toilets, and trash disposal, making it suitable for families and first-time campers. Fire rings are available at both Camp Wilderness and Plover River Retreat, where campfires are permitted. Campers should note that firewood at Plover River Retreat is not free. Sites typically feature natural surfaces with minimal development, preserving the rustic outdoor experience. Weather conditions vary significantly by season, with summer offering the most reliable camping conditions, though some locations like Oakwood Campsites remain open year-round.

Camp Wilderness particularly stands out for family-oriented tent camping experiences. According to one visitor, "If you have kids looking for adventure, this is a great place to be. There's primarily tent sites with trails, a lake, an obstacle course and more right nearby." The same camper noted that Camp Wilderness serves as "a good place to initiate your kids with the outdoors and teach them fun skills." The campground's connection to the Royal Rangers program, similar to Boy Scouts, suggests organized activities may be available during certain periods. Walk-in tent sites at Plover River Retreat offer a more secluded alternative for experienced campers seeking quieter surroundings. The variety of tent-only camping options near Amherst accommodates different experience levels, from backcountry enthusiasts to families introducing children to outdoor recreation.

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Best Tent Sites Near Amherst, Wisconsin (3)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Amherst, WI

4 Photos of 3 Amherst Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Amherst, WI

283 Reviews of 3 Amherst Campgrounds

  • Michael M.
    Oct. 3, 2017

    Dells of the Eau Claire Park Campground

    Nice views fishing not so great

    This campground is right on the Ice Age Trail and a nice place to stop off during an extended hike.

    There are not that many sites available here and most do supply electricity. More people tent camp here rather than RV camping. There are pit toilets but no shower house although there are water spigots for drinking water. The sites are closer together than some campgrounds but it's not like a city block of camps like some KOA's I have camped at. The night time temperatures dipped in the low 30's in the middle of May when I was there. The campground attendants were on site twice a day to sell firewood and collect camping fees. The DNR rangers do patrol the campgrounds on a regular basis. There is places all along the river to fish and I was told the fishing is good, however I did not have very much luck when I was there. The campground firepits with cooking grates were OK and the wooden picnic tables are worn, but there is level ground for pitching tents.

    The scenery and hiking along the river and on the Ice Age Trail is great. If you had better luck fishing than I did this would have been a great camping weekend. Bring warm cloths and a great sleeping bag.

  • P
    Oct. 26, 2019

    Jordan Park

    Beautiful site on the water.

    Quiet little campground, I was in one of the three canoe/ walk in sights and they were right on the water. All three sights were separated from the rest of camp and are tent sites. All have a picnic table, grill, and fire ring and are big enough for 2-3 tents depending on the size of the tents. Set back from a county hwy and state hwy, however not too much traffic and the traffic that does exist was not very disruptive. 2 night minimum, 14 night maximum reservation.

  • Janet B.
    Jun. 3, 2023

    Buckhorn State Park Campground

    Pretty good one for the weekend

    Snagged a spot (#102) right before the Memorial Day weekend. Spacious site, somewhat private because of the surrounding trees. If you want to be surrounded by hammock-able trees, i suggest sites 94-99. Our site was both close to vaulted toilets/water and shower building, which was a plus. Shower head pressure was lovely and hot water was great! One downside was that people were loud and playing music till midnight but oh wells.

    Was worried about bugs but I think it was okay. Maybe we were there before it began. i did find some ticks on my camping chair though so beware.

    Though we didnt explore much of the Buckhorn SP, we chose this site because it was under an hour drive from Mirror Lake SP and Devils Lake SP. Making a day trip to those parks and Wisconsin Dells was a breeze.

  • Stephen T.
    Jun. 28, 2016

    Buckhorn State Park Campground

    Amazing camping on Castle Rock Lake

    I have camped here several times. I have hiked in, backed in, and camped lakefront. All are gorgeous. The trails are beautiful with some wooded areas and some prairie. The hike in is just shy of a mile. The lakefront is a simple walk in, but you can launch your kayak or canoe from your site, which I did. The fishing is fantastic with Striped, Largemouth, and Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Musky, and all kinds of panfish. Many natural sites are within driving distance. Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, as well as the International Crane Foundation, many other fishing opportunities. Very minimal noise. Modern showers, fishing pier. Great for the family.

  • Liz M.
    Sep. 2, 2018

    Buckhorn State Park Campground

    First Camping Adventure for the nieces

    My husband and I picked this park because of it's friendliness towards kids. We took our 2 9 year old nieces on their first tent camping adventure. We chose site 28 because it was a walk in site and on the water. When we arrived and checked in we grabbed one of their pre-loaded GPS units for Geocaching; It's something the park offers for free. They give you a bag, GPS and information book on all the Geocaching sites. We drove to the site and started loading up the cart to walk in. We walked past a very open campsite that was right next to ours, could be bad if you have loud neighbors but ours were great. There are 2 other sites in this location but far enough away and they don't walk past your site to get to them. The site was spacious and has a great fire pit for cooking. There is a small trail leading to the water with an extremely small beach front but it was enough to keep the girls entertained. Set up camp and started our geocaching fun. We hiked to the kids fishing pond & the tower. Trails are easy and well groomed. Following hiking we made our way to the beach; unfortunately, the algae was in bloom so the water was caked green! However, it doesn't do any harm so we made our way out into the more clear portion of the water and had a blast! The beach area has showers and a great area to have a picnic. The evening presented itself with an amazing sunset from our beach and lots of crickets chirping. It made for a peaceful night. In the morning we took the girls fishing off the dock and then over to the kids pond; the park also offers free poles and tackle. We ventured into the campground area for fresh water. From what we saw the sites were spacious and fairly private. The shower area was well maintained and is also accessible for anyone with disabilities. We will be coming back to this park; it was great! We didn't run into any issues with mosquitoes or other bugs while there.

  • C
    Jun. 8, 2023

    Buckhorn State Park Campground

    Beautiful site, heavy mosquito activity

    We camped on site 22. It was an easy walk from the parking lot to the site with the help of the provided carts. It was peaceful and lovely! It seemed like a good spot for kayaks and canoes given the lake access; it appeared shallow and sandy at this site. The porta-potty was clean and located in the parking lot. There was a basic fire ring with grill grate and a picnic table. Fish were jumping frequently. We were able to set up our screen house and tent with plenty of room to spare. The only reason I gave this 4/5 stars is because the mosquitoes!!! I know, it's nature in all it's glory but we couldn't leave our tents until sun went down so it was a bummer. We will revisit earlier in the spring in hopes of avoiding the bugs.

  • Annabelle G.
    Jul. 30, 2019

    S’Mores Campground

    Wonderful family weekend

    I took my daughter and her friend here for the weekend, 10 years old. We rented a cabin for the weekend. Amazing cabins, amazing setup, they all have picnic tables and benches on porch. Cabin had three beds, fridge, air conditioner, two windows, plenty of plugs in. Bring your own sleeping bags/towels and etc as these are not provided. Fire ring provided down the stairs from us, even further down was the huge extremely clean pool, bathrooms, showers. Both of which were amazing! And free of use. Pool is very well maintained and kept, plenty of chairs to use and tables. Right next to the pool was a huge and brand new kids play area. They also have rock mining for kids located by the pool which the kids loved. They also liked the store; a lot of neat things in there for adults, kids, camp, and even animal friends. Commons area which is open at the front, made for a nice sitting to relax. Also located on the beach which was nice to see and the dock area was nice, kids liked it. The set up is great, a little confusing the first time but easy to learn. All of the Cabins were close except for the first two which were at the entrance of the park and bigger. They were two rooms compared to our one room. Permanent residence were extremely nice, the campsite is privately owned and operated which we loved and met the owners. We will certainly be back again! Additional information that may be helpful since I researched this campsite extensively May 15 th to October 6th is the campsites open/ closed dates. Check in for campsites and yurts are different. Campsites is at 2, cabin and hurts 3pm but we checked in early about a half hour. No additional charge. Animals welcome, must be leased and friendly. If you have visitors must be gone by 9pm- they actually let my husband stay with no additional charge or fee and accommodated our two vehicles. Otherwise one vehicle per cabin. Location was extremely easy with the signs directly off of highway. Not far from town, if you need something or go to store there; they probably have what you need. Basic sites, some with piers overlooking the beach and huge! Beautiful absolutely will camp there with our tent. Pull through and deluxe sites, seasonal sites, decks, and dogi pots(hint hint). All campsites babe electric and water, the yurt is amazing! It comes with couch, beds, tables, and so much more! It is located on the water scenery and a little more private by being set back. Yurt also has heat and ac; wouldn’t mind staying there in early May or late September. Outdoor picnic area, plenty of room for about 15 people and includes setting in a circular setting located directly by the playground/ pool and playroom. They have events as well, the kids and I not only used the mining system by the office but we watched a movie by the playground area- it was amazing and free! Camping lakeside or not lakeside. There was a secluded campsite and raised above, number 155- I’d suggest this one for anyone who want to get a way and be alone. It was a nice site and I didn’t notice it until we left. The cabin we rented was$80 a night, non refundable since it was last minute. This included two adults and up to four kids. I could see how four kids would easily fit because of the bunk beds and queen bed in our cabin. Oh forgot to mention there was also a microwave in the room and a broom, garbage bins. The door was rustic and still has a lock on it but it was the pulley door which the kids loved. To my understanding there are no pets allowed in the yurt. Also the only, one and only thing I didn’t like was that wood couldn’t be purchased else where. The wood purchased there burnt fast and didn’t last long, we only used it to cook food on our tripod due to how fast the wood burnt. Although there was also a park grill on the cabin premises too which we didn’t use; very used and had nothing to clean it with. There are seasonal sites, I don’t know how much they are but it’s a very quiet campground and everyone folllowed rules for the quiet time. Another thing I noticed is the seasonal all keep their yards very well maintained. They had beautiful landscape, yards were mowed, and nice fences- porches- decor- and sheds. Camp owner/ host lives directly across from the check in office/ store so that was comforting knowing someone was at the gate at all times. We walked down to the beach, lake area. At the tome it was being worked on but it was still beautiful and very quiet. No bugs in this area either. You can make reservations on line, see pictures on line, rates on line, and see the camp map. If i has to recommend any sites it’d be 151 for tenting and wanting to be alone, away from everyone. Campsite number 17 for camping with a tent/ pop up because it over looks the beach and has a huge deck to sit on, have dinner on or drink coffee while watching the beach another three sites I’d recommend, tents only is number 61 63 or 65. They are down further than the rest of the campsites, they are also a little more secluded and with a beach view. This would be perfect for a set of three friends camping together to rent. This is also main entrance to beach are. I also wouldn’t mind renting the first cabin when you enter campground as it’s bigger. There is one cabin I wouldn’t suggest and that’s 106. It’s in the middle of a triangle area for traffic. It was exactly across from our cabin and a lot of traffic going by it from many different ways. Finally thanks S’mores for the amazing stay; they truly accommodated us and we appreciate it.

  • Amber G.
    Jul. 17, 2022

    Marathon Park Campround

    Convenient - But not truly Outdoorsy

    The campground is part of a larger park. There are multiple playgrounds, tennis courts, splash pads and even an amphitheater and ice rinks within the park.

    There is a lot of traffic during the day from park visitors. The evening is mostly quiet, but with traffic noise from the outside of the park streets and occasional loud vehicles that can be disruptive. Morning was largely quiet as well.

    The campsites themselves are small — if you have a camper there’s not much room outside. Even the tent spaces are small.

    There are no open fires allowed - which didn’t bother us given it was just an overnight stop. You can use grills etc though.

    Being a city park it is quite well lit - which has its pros and cons. The back left corner where the nonelectric tent sites are seems to be one of the less bright areas. We slept fine with the rain cover off.

    There is a 2 day minimum for online reservations. That’s not required for walk up self registration so you can do one day as a walk up. Self registration has a 3 day maximum.

    There is a bathroom/shower for the campers. As a walk up registrant you will have to contact the phone number on the board to get the code. Not sure if online registrations get it in the email. There are other bathrooms (no showers) that are not locked that are a further walk into the park though.

    Overall it was a nice place to stay over spending $100+ for a hotel room on a quick overnight on our way further north.

  • sThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 15, 2025

    Eureka Dam Campsites

    camping

    No showers 2 restrooms.. Owner is very nice!! Quiet shaded great place to relax maybe do some fishing...

Guide to Amherst

Tent camping near Amherst, Wisconsin offers diverse outdoor experiences in the glacially shaped landscape of central Wisconsin's Portage County. The area features rolling hills with elevations ranging from 850 to 1,100 feet above sea level. Summer temperatures average 75-85°F during day with cooler 50-60°F nights, while spring and fall campers should prepare for temperature fluctuations of 30+ degrees within 24 hours.

What to do

Fishing access: Camp Wilderness provides convenient access to a small lake where younger anglers can practice their skills. According to camper David K., "There's primarily tent sites with trails, a lake, an obstacle course and more right nearby."

Nature photography opportunities: The diverse ecosystems surrounding tent camping areas near Amherst provide habitats for white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and numerous songbird species. Oakwood Campsites in Wild Rose serves as a strategic base for photographers during spring and fall migrations.

Seasonal foraging: Late summer and early fall campers can find wild blackberries, raspberries and edible mushrooms (with proper identification) along trails near Plover River Retreat. Local regulations permit limited foraging for personal consumption in many areas.

What campers like

Obstacle course challenges: Camp Wilderness features physical challenges suitable for various age groups. David K. notes the camp "is primarily used for a program similar to Boy Scouts called Royal Rangers" which maintains these facilities.

Night sky viewing: The relative distance from urban centers makes Amherst-area tent camping ideal for stargazing during clear nights. Several tent sites at Plover River Retreat are situated in small clearings that provide excellent celestial viewing opportunities without light pollution.

Walk-in privacy: Tent campers seeking seclusion appreciate the walk-in sites at Plover River Retreat. These sites require carrying gear a short distance from parking areas but reward campers with greater privacy and reduced noise compared to drive-up alternatives.

What you should know

Limited facilities: Most tent camping options near Amherst provide basic amenities only. Camp Wilderness offers drinking water, toilets and trash disposal, but lacks showers or electrical hookups. Campers should plan accordingly with sufficient water containers and solar charging options if needed.

Weather preparedness: Central Wisconsin experiences rapid weather changes, particularly in spring and fall. Temperatures can fluctuate dramatically within 24 hours. Oakwood Campsites remains open year-round but winter camping requires specialized cold-weather gear and experience.

Firewood restrictions: While fires are permitted at Plover River Retreat, firewood isn't free and outside firewood may be restricted due to invasive species concerns. Campers should budget for purchasing approved wood on-site or verify current regulations before arrival.

Tips for camping with families

Activity planning: Camp Wilderness specifically caters to youth outdoor education. David K. recommends it as "a good place to initiate your kids with the outdoors and teach them fun skills," making it ideal for families new to tent camping near Amherst.

Pack extra clothing layers: Central Wisconsin's variable conditions mean children need multiple clothing options regardless of season. Morning temperatures often run 20-30 degrees cooler than afternoon highs, requiring adaptable clothing systems.

Insect protection: Mosquitoes and ticks are common in the wooded areas surrounding Amherst from May through September. Families should bring appropriate repellents, conduct regular tick checks, and consider permethrin-treated clothing for extended outdoor activities.

Tips from RVers

Tent-only designation: Most camping areas near Amherst, including Camp Wilderness, Plover River Retreat, and Oakwood Campsites, cater exclusively to tent campers. RV travelers should research nearby alternatives in Stevens Point or Waupaca that accommodate larger vehicles.

Consider hybrid camping: RV campers interested in exploring the Amherst area sometimes park at developed campgrounds in neighboring communities while using tent equipment for day trips or overnight excursions to tent-only areas. This provides flexibility while maintaining access to full hookup conveniences.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Amherst, WI?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Amherst, WI is Camp Wilderness with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Amherst, WI?

TheDyrt.com has all 3 tent camping locations near Amherst, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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