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Best Tent Camping near Wauzeka, WI

473 Reviews

Tent campers near Wauzeka, Wisconsin can find several primitive camping options within driving distance, including Yellow River State Forest in Iowa which offers backcountry tent sites. Camp Glen Wendel and Camp John Schultz provide hike-in tent camping experiences approximately 45 miles northeast of Wauzeka. Governor Dodge State Park, located about 25 miles east, offers walk-in tent sites with more developed amenities.

Most primitive tent sites at Yellow River State Forest feature basic amenities like fire rings and benches. Campers need to be self-sufficient as drinking water is only available at headquarters near the registration kiosk. Camp John Schultz includes five primitive sites with fire rings and benches set in dense forest, but requires hikers to carry in their own water. At Governor Dodge State Park, backpack campsites provide more amenities including drinking water, reservable sites, picnic tables, and access to toilets and showers. A review mentioned that backpack sites at Governor Dodge are "1/2-1 mile hike from parking lot" with "great hike throughout the state park."

The terrain varies significantly across these tent camping locations. Yellow River State Forest features lush forests with significant elevation changes. "The park has several backcountry camping spots and has a great feeling of isolation and wilderness that can be absent from other places," noted one camper. Sites at Camp Glen Wendel include areas with stands of coniferous trees, with one site featuring a small pond. Tent campers often use these areas as training grounds for longer backpacking trips, with multiple trails connecting different primitive campgrounds. Echo Valley State Park, though farther away in Iowa, offers quiet tent camping with sites positioned along a trout stream. Most locations provide good separation between sites, creating privacy and a true wilderness experience despite their relative proximity to small towns.

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Best Tent Sites Near Wauzeka, Wisconsin (14)

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15 Photos of 14 Wauzeka Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Wauzeka, WI

473 Reviews of 14 Wauzeka Campgrounds

  • James M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 26, 2022

    Camp John Schultz — Yellow River State Forest

    Nice back country state forest site

    Hiked into this Camp that includes 5 primitive sites: fire rings and benches. Lush dense forest with intermediate hiking including typical summer insects. Leave No Trace ethics include: minimizes fire impacts by gathering only dead, down, wood. Sounded by nature atop of hill hike near Fire tower ( only fire tower in Iowa), cell reception is found up here.

  • Jen L.
    Aug. 23, 2018

    Wyalusing State Park Campground

    Fantastic get away

    Located on the far western edge of Wisconsin this state park offers a little of everything - hiking trails connected to the camp grounds, boat access to the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers, overlook of where the Wisconsin River meets the Mississippi River, showers and flush toilets, playground/basketball/tennis courts, etc. Depending on what part of the park you are in (and the season) you can be away from it all or have almost all the comforts of home. There are 2 campgrounds within the park - Homestead (back in the woods and a little more rustic with vault toilets and no showers) and Ridge (on the bluff). Also both an indoor group site and outdoor group site. Campsites are mix of RV (+/- electric) and tent. Ridge Campground sites- located on the bluff they stay dry even when the rivers are at flood level. Some sites have views of the river right from the tent/RV. During peak season you will definitely need a reservation (likely months in advance), but there are a few same day spots held in reserve. Also during peak season there is a concession stand near the campground and boat rental (canoe/kayak) near the boat launch (neither were open when I camped there but were on a separate day trip)

    A short drive from the state park is Effigy Mounds National Monument with additional trails and a reverse of the scenic view (looking south and east instead of west/northwest). Definitely worth a look since its FREE and so close by. Also in the area is Villa Louis (historical homestead) which can be toured for a modest fee (good rainy day activity). If coming from Madison area be sure to check out some of the small wineries along the drive either to or from the park.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 30, 2025

    New Wine Park Dubuque County Park

    Nice small county park campground

    General: This is a small (29-site) county park campground situated along the North Fork Maquoketa River. Nine of the sites are reservable, and the rest are first-come, first-served. Some sites are primitive, and some have water and 30-amp electricity hookups. There is one ADA-accessible site with a paved camper pad. 

    Site Quality: Most sites are level. The camper pads are gravel/grass, but not all are clearly defined. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. 

    Bath/Shower: The bath/shower house was closed when we were there in November but there are vault toilets about a quarter mile from the campground (in the day-use area) that were very clean and well-stocked when we were there. 

    Activities/Amenities: Many activities including disc golf, three hiking trails, volleyball, two playgrounds (one in the day-use area and one by the campsites). There are two reservable picnic shelters. There is also a dump station. 

    We were tent camping in November on a backpacking trip so we didn’t take advantage of any of the activities but would return in our van on a future camping trip. We were the ONLY ones in the campground at this time of year!

  • Mary S.
    Aug. 19, 2018

    Big Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest

    Small campground has nearby hiking and fishing

    This review is for Yellow River State Forest's Big Paint Campground which consists of sites 35 through 61. Big Paint is a couple miles from Little Paint, a larger campground with 70+ sites. There are two equestrian campgrounds (Creekside and Little Frontier with sites numbered 1 through 34) as well as hike in campgrounds for backpackers. A photo of an area map is included.

    Why did we choose Big Paint instead of Little Paint?

    It's smaller and that's just our personal preference. There were only 4 sites occupied early Friday afternoon and a few more were reserved. We liked site 35, the first site on the left as you enter. This site is like being in a garden with trees and flowers surrounding the site. It had rained and more rain was coming, so the gravel parking pad on #35 was appealing. Most of the sites are completely on the grass.

    Activities

    Stocked trout streams are an attraction for fishermen; see photo of stocking calendar. We enjoyed hiking despite the mosquitoes and humidity in August and were able to make a 5+ mile loop leaving from the campground. You can also hike from Little Paint, and there are equestrian trails. This would also be a good area for X-country skiing and snowmobiling. A photo of the trail map is included. Caution: hunting is allowed in the non-campground area of the state forest.

    Amenities

    Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Other than that, you can dispose of your trash and use a vault toilet. There's water at the information center (and a camp host site) outside the campground about 100 yards to the left.

    Cost

    You're not getting much (and that's not a bad thing) so the $9 fee seems fair. Pay up front at the entrance station, or make a reservation online at last 2 days ahead of time (and pay a reservation fee). There are 7 non-reservable sites at Big Paint. I doubt that Big Paint fills up; just check the reservation site to see if they get crowded.

    https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/yellow-river-state-forest/r/campsiteSearch.do?search=site&page=siteresult&contractCode=IA&parkId=610130

  • Kim The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 3, 2020

    Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground

    Wonderful cart in sites

    The cart in sites are fantastic at Wildcat Mountain! Each site is spacious with most heavily treed for shade. Each site has a nice large flat pad for a tent or two, fire ring, bench and picnic table. Proximity to potable water, vault or modern toilets and designated parking are all within 400 yards of all sites. 

    The park is located in the Kickapoo valley area where the driftless area is amazing to hike. You can kayak or tube down the river that is flanked by high limestone bluffs. The hiking trails are well maintained. There is also extensive horse trails, a beautiful outdoor ampitheater for viewing sunsets and access to the river right in the park. 

    The campers were respectful and quiet. Our campsite was fairly clean when we arrived. Contactless registration due to covid 19. That made getting set up quick and easy!  The cart provided was fairly big for less trips. I would happily camp here again!

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 31, 2019

    Fountain Springs County Park

    Solitude and not much else

    This campground also goes by the name of Holbert. Small campground but free with a handful of picnic tables and campfires. The vault toilets were cleanish, thou older. This campground is next to a pretty little creek that you can play and fish in. The campground is really just a series of campsites strung out along the creek and road. It was pretty quiet while I was there, not many campers at all. There are no hookups for RV’s/campers so it is primarily tent camping or dry camping. There is an interesting story about how this camping area has come to be: the land was donated by Ella Ellis in memory of her husband William Ellis. They apparently loved the land and wanted to make sure it was never developed and could be enjoyed by all. A lovely story.

  • D
    Jun. 11, 2022

    Mud Lake County Park

    Beautiful park on Miss River. Great value

    Mud Lake is a wonderful county park near Dubuque. Beautiful views of the Mississippi River. We stayed one night on our way to Minnesota. The sites are mostly sunny. The park streets are gravel with gravel sites. The park is quiet except for the occasional train from the nearby tracks. Great value for $21. Electric and water hookups. Marina and boathouse next door.

    Stayed in campsite #35 which has no shade. It was a gravel site which shares a pull-through with site 36. There was more than enough parking for my TT and truck and grass on either side. The site included: picnic table and fire ring. Utilities were located in the rear. 20A/50A electric and water. Site was level. Neighbors were nearby.

    AT&T had 2 bars of LTE and Verizon 2 bars of LTE service. AT&T Speedtest: 47 Mbps down, 1.3 Mbps up. Verizon data VERY SLOW. No WiFi.

    Would stay here again. We camped at Mud Lake Park in a Travel Trailer.

  • James M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 5, 2021

    Swiss Valley County Park

    Great County park, preserve, campground

    Campground is well maintained, restrooms, showers, recycling station, fire wood available, campground host onsite, resident park ranger, standard RV sites, some electric tent sites otherwise primitive with fire rings and tables. Trout stream (Catfish Creek) runs through campground and park and is stocked by Iowa DNR, has Swiss Valley Nature center with trails.

  • Ashley F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 24, 2024

    Nelson Dewey State Park Campground

    Great place for a short trip

    I’ll begin by saying this is by far the cleanest campground I have stayed at. The facilities were well kept including the vault toilet houses. We stayed in a walk to site and the views were incredible. Our tent pad was quite rocky so I would recommend sleeping pads or you will be very uncomfortable. Our site was also extremely dusty which wasn’t a problem at all just be prepared to be a little dirty. The campground was quiet except for the occasional train that rolled through those are quite loud due to how close they are to the campground. I would definitely come back to Nelson Dewey and stay again. There was not a ton to do in the area so a short weekend stay was perfect. A highlight is that the park provided cart to use to haul all your stuff to the walk to sites. There is 1 designated parking spot per walk to site as well. The walk to sites are small and only accommodated our one (6 person) tent which was not a problem for us as we knew this ahead of time.

Guide to Wauzeka

Primitive tent campsites near Wauzeka, Wisconsin provide backcountry opportunities within 50 miles of town. The area features rugged terrain with elevation changes between 600-1,200 feet. Most backcountry sites require hikers to carry gear between a quarter mile to one mile from parking areas, with terrain often becoming muddy after rainfall.

What to do

Trout fishing access: Echo Valley State Park offers secluded spots along a stocked trout stream. "This campground is non-electric, self-pay, non-reservable, and has only a few sites. There is a nice trout stream, with a few sites right by the stream," notes Kerry M.

Practice backpacking skills: Yellow River State Forest provides training ground for longer trips. "Great park with a few longer trails for backpacking. Have used these trails/this park to prepare for longer trips. Wonderful spots to camp and the creeks are very clean and pretty," shares Brooke M. from Camp Glen Wendel.

Stargazing opportunities: Several campsites at Shady Rest Acres provide exceptional night sky viewing. "One is in the middle of the pasture (that's right...near the goats) They will pen up the larger animals if you stay at that site, but it's perfect for stargazing!" explains Amy G.

What campers like

Low-cost camping options: Several primitive sites in the area are budget-friendly. "This site fills up really fast becaue of the cheap price of only 9 dollars. This is the cheapest but one of the best campsites ive been to," reports kevin T. about Yellow River State Forest.

Solitude and limited crowds: Most backcountry sites provide genuine isolation. "I've backpacked here multiple times and have only run into other people once or twice. Hidden gem," writes Brooke M.

Well-spaced campsites: Campers appreciate the privacy between sites. "Well spaced out camp sites, very primitive. Great spot to view the stars. Awesome for kids," says Macel C. about Camp Glen Wendel.

What you should know

Limited water availability: Many primitive sites require carrying in water. "Awesome campground, if you require electric bring a generator. Water is available but needs to be carried in. We loved the lack of cell phone reception!" says Kimberly W. about Camp John Schultz.

Trail conditions vary seasonally: Trails can become challenging after rainfall. "There are some thin trails down steeper hillsides, so make sure to take it slower if the ground is muddy," advises Kevin C.

Uneven tent pads: Some sites feature rough ground for tent setup. "Great hike to spot, small spot on rough ground not to level for tebts but still feaseable," notes Nick C. about Governor Dodge State Park's backpack sites.

Tips for camping with families

Animal viewing opportunities: Some private campgrounds offer farm animal interactions. "They have donkeys, Scottish Highland cows, sheep, goats, chickens, bees, horses, ducks, cats and dogs. You have to be 'pet friendly' if you stay here, because the chickens roam," explains Amy G. from Shady Rest Acres.

Accessibility for young hikers: Governor Dodge State Park has manageable hike-in distances. "Backpacking sites are 1/2-1 mile hike from parking lot. Great hike threw out the state park. 2 main lakes with great fishing is a plus. Lots to do for the whole family," shares Nick C.

Campsite selection for families: Choose sites with appropriate amenities for children. "Spacious sites, lots of availability to swim and hike. Will definitely come back," reports Matthew O. about Hickory Ridge Group Camp.

Tips from RVers

Road access limitations: Most primitive sites have limited vehicle access. "It is most suitable for tent, truck, or teardrop camping... large RVs would not do well," warns Kerry M. about Echo Valley State Park.

Primitive RV parking: Few locations accommodate larger vehicles. "The driveways are gravel and pretty level. 3 drive through sites and 4 back in spots with a few nice trees," notes Brody about Gateway Park Campground.

Alternative developed options: Some RVers find nearby alternatives. "Nice family campground. Has a lot of amenities including shower," reports Lesley R. about Hickory Ridge Group Camp at Governor Dodge State Park.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Wauzeka, WI is Camp Glen Wendel Primitive Backcountry — Yellow River State Forest with a 4.8-star rating from 12 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 14 tent camping locations near Wauzeka, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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