The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Camp Douglas. Camp Douglas is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Wisconsin camping adventure.
$15 - $21 / night
"This is a walk-in campground intended for very light camping, particularly for those biking the Elroy-Sparta or Lacrosse Trails, as it is right on the Elroy-Sparta trail and only a 10 minute bike ride"
"After biking 47 miles was a welcome respite on our first day of biking the Elroy-Sparta State Bike Trail. We spent a second night on our out and back along the trail."
"Beautiful place, tent camping is available. Great breakfast and romantic setting for our anniversary. They sell wine and food in the store. Host is amazing and friendly."
"Adequate size site with a tent pad, shade and privacy. Trees for a hammock. Clean shower house. Lovely hiking. Decent cell reception."
"This is a review for the group camp sites:
The group sites are well spaced out from each other and offer pit toilets and full bathroom facilities with sinks, toilets and showers within walking distance"
GuideThe 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!
TravelerThis is our favorite campground for when we want to take trips to Devil’s Lake State Park! The campgrounds all vary in size, and many have a good amount of tree cover so you have some privacy from your neighbors. Every campsite has at least one picnic table and fire-pit. You can pull your car right up to the campsite. There is a store where you check in and you can buy fire wood and little odds and ends like bug spray or tent stakes. There is a pool that is really clean along with bathrooms and showers.
TravelerWe were at site #9, great spot for tent. There were only trees behind us and our neighbors were far enough way we had privacy. There was no electricity, but we charged our phones and my son’s iPad at the ranger station. There was no running water so bring sanitizer. The swimming pond was great and not rocky. The hikes were good but lots of mosquitoes which made it hard to enjoy. Wish there was more to do in the area. No showers and no electricity in the bathroom near our site.
GuideSnagged 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.
TravelerThis is a walk-in campground intended for very light camping, particularly for those biking the Elroy-Sparta or Lacrosse Trails, as it is right on the Elroy-Sparta trail and only a 10 minute bike ride into the town of Sparta. We are a family of 4 that camped from Friday through Sunday while we attended a swim meet in Sparta. We had site 3 (103 on the DNR campground map), which was about a 600 yard hike in from the parking lot, down a trail that can get quite muddy, especially during rain (which it did while we were breaking camp). Some of the sites are even further down the trail. The site was small, but we did manage to fit a 4-person tent, two 2-person tents, a screen-house, and 5 bikes. I was advised by our camp neighbor that their site was equally small. Water, trash, and bathroom access was great and clean. No noise from other campers, and there was even a boy scout troop on site while we were there. The most disappointing factor for me was the highway noise. I had read about that from another reviewer, and it was indeed bad, all weekend long. I had to wear noise-cancelling headphones to drown out the noise in order to sleep. So, it is a great site for someone biking in and/or carrying a very light load into the campsite and, I would say (only because of the highway noise), if there are no other camping options. I should mention that although there are no showers here, I saw that the Sparta Aquatic Center (10 minute bike ride) allows shower access for $3 (at time of this review). Also, the Sparta Family Restaurant is a great place to eat, having good food, service, and prices.
GuideCamp sites were good. Plenty of room for multiple tents & some hammocks. Came with picnic table and fire pit. Fire wood was only $5 on site for a decent sized bundle. Campground was quiet and well kept. Vault toilets in most of the campground (smelly and not the cleanest but this is expected with vault toilets) there was a main shower/restroom area at the entrance to the campground which was very clean. Drinking water available by the showers. Added bonus - the hiking trail was within the campground and was very scenic. Cool rock formations and a decently easy hike.
ScoutThis state park is very nice, decent trails clearly marked and the walking paths around the sites are pretty clear. Overall the noise from other sites was minimal and I liked the layout of the campground.
The bad- the sites labeled for highway noise should be closed. It was an absolutely awful experience. I was walking through all of the campground when we first got in and as we approached our site the noise was so distracting and completely ruined the peaceful experience that most state parks offer. It was a serious bummer when night construction started on the highway on Sunday night as well. Our neighbors stayed well beyond the checkout time and the camp host did nothing to get them to leave, why even be present if you’re not gunna do anything? It wouldn’t have been a big deal if they weren’t randomly shooting a bow and arrow into the trees behind their site and then proceeded to record TikTok’s with endless repetition of those songs. Not the parks fault other than the host should at least clear the sites with the new checkout times.
If you’re going to this park avoid the highway spots at all costs!
LegendThis campground would be best for RVing IMO. The entire place is lifted from a swamp which means that it’s low, damp ground. They also must have used sand, as it drains very quickly. I describe the site as such because we spent the weekend in a tent and it literally rained the entire weekend. The site we were at turned into a lake four times, submerging our fire pit and picnic table. This made making a fire near impossible, let alone accessible, it was in the middle of a small lake! As we scrambled most of the fear to the car, we watched the water creep to the front door of the tent, from the highest ground. It’s a good thing we had a tarp under the tent, otherwise we would have been swimming in our tent. Anyway, busy place, near the road and a honky tonk. Not our preferred experience. Vault toilets, firewood, nice beach if the weather was nice.
LegendOnly two sites, one is much nicer than the other. Canoe/ kayak in only with a steep bank up to the sites. No water, no facilities. Just two fire rings and two picnic tables about 100 ft apart. But the grass is mowed and well kept
Tent camping near Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, offers a variety of scenic spots and outdoor activities for nature enthusiasts. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are several campgrounds to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Camp Douglas, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Camp Douglas, WI is Sparta Campground — Elroy-Sparta State Trail with a 3.8-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Camp Douglas, WI?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Camp Douglas, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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