Best Tent Camping near Cross Plains, WI

Recent Tent Reviews near Cross Plains, Wisconsin

743 Reviews of 10 Cross Plains Campgrounds

• 

  Josh F.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 25, 2020

  Milton-Madison SE KOA

  RV/Mobile Home Campground with lots to do

  I did not stay at this campground, but drove through it to see the place. I was looking for tent campsites and if there are any, they were under the tires of an RV. There are lots of things to do here, but tent camping is not one of them. I have nothing bad or good to say about the place, just letting tent campers know that this might not be the place for them.

• 

  John W.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 4, 2020

  Apple River Canyon

  Great first camping experience

  We tent camped at site 37. This site has a nice mix of shade and sun and the back had a water faucet. There is a trail that works it’s way through the back of the sites. The sites are a bit close together and separation is sometimes sparse. Restrooms are pits and well maintained stocked with TP. No showers on site. One loop of the tent sites are able to be reserved and the other loop is first come, first served. There are short trails with some steep climbs, not wide paths so bring bug spray and tick tools! The river that cuts through is small but picturesque. Picnic areas are plentiful near the water. Caught two tiny bass and a trout. No firewood on site, but multiple homes on the drive in had $5 self serve bundles for sale. This site is a dark skies site, so if it’s not overcast or full moon there is some good stargazing. AT&T cell service is mostly nonexistent in camp, but kicks in as you head out, so plan your research ahead of time. Attached are some shots of some sites from the road

• R

  Ryan

  Scout

  

  Jun. 6, 2021

  Brigham Park

  Nice spot for tent camping

  Was in site 20. Nice spot for tent camping and enough room from each neighbor.

• J

  Jessica A.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 25, 2018

  Baraboo RV Resort by Rjourney

  Family friendly, lots of activities, many camping style options

  Activities every week. Pool. Pond. Playground. Mini golf. Options for tent camping, cabin camping (both basic and deluxe), RV, seasonal sites. Friendly owners. Great gift/supply store.

• M

  Marissa F.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 7, 2018

  Apple River Canyon

  Favorite Northern IL getaway

  We absolutely love the quaintness of Apple River. The sites are secluded and provide privacy. Great spot for quiet tent camping. Not a big commercialized campground. Dog friendly too, at no extra charge. Very affordable camping!

• 

  Tracey S.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 1, 2021

  Madison KOA Campground

  Great overnight stop stay

  This KOA, bought by new owners, was a great overnight! Clean bathrooms/showers, nice pool, long-level gravel sites, full hook ups, nice town, nice camp store, super nice owner! Would absolutely stay again! Even have a few tent camping sites

• 

  Jeff G.

  Ranger

  

  May. 22, 2019

  Rocky Arbor State Park Campground

  Nice little park

  A basic state park, mostly for tent camping. Clean bathrooms with showers. Pretty quiet and lots of trees. The first time we stayed they had a terrible gypsy moth infestation that had denuded all the deciduous trees. There was a carpet of caterpillars on the ground as well as caterpillar poop falling from above. Not as bad as it sounds. Ok, it was.... It proximity to The Wisconsin Dells is one of the attractions to this campground as it is about 5 miles north of town. An inexpensive way to stay near an expensive destination.

• 

  Meg S.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 1, 2015

  Twin Valley Campground — Governor Dodge State Park

  Great Campground in Wisconsin

  Great state park for a family camping vacation, tons of stuff to do. Lakes, trails, kayaking, boating, paddle boarding, fishing. Hidden gem of Wisconsin. The campsites are pretty private, nestled in trees. Some shaded, some have sun and shade. They even have horse sites, so you can bring your horse, and stroll through the park horseback riding. Vault toilets, and regular toilets with ok showers. Water faucets scattered around for easy water access. Twin Valley has tent sites and RV/electric sites.

• J

  Juliana

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 14, 2021

  New Glarus State Park Campground

  Quiet!

  Camped here in a camper van. Very quiet (mid week in September). Very well maintained trails. Most sites are spacious, shady. I did not check out the tent sites, but the one I did see was really nice. A bit of highway noise, certainly nothing bad.

• A

  AC H.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 3, 2018

  Northern Lights Campground — Devils Lake State Park

  Favorite spot in WI

  Been going here every year with friends for over a decade. Nice size tent sites, great beaches with some nice amenities, like SUP and boat rentals, snack bar, fishing, etc. Awesome camp store and the hiking is fantastic. Gets busy because of its location to UW, and because it's awesome. ;)

• 

  Brannon M.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 21, 2020

  Apple River Canyon

  Great small spot!

  Tent camped here in late April. The solo camp ground can be a little hair-raising as it’s perched about 20 feet from the edge of the canyon wall. Beautiful setting, great fishing (stocked trout in April, Smallmouth all year).

  Quick Tip: Bring sandals for wet wading in the creek. Head upstream for a 1/4 mile for really awesome views.

• L

  Lula L.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 31, 2019

  Ice Age Campground — Devils Lake State Park

  Great hiking on lake

  Open pad sites for tent camping under tree canopy, great hiking over looking swimming and boating lake.  Requires WI St Park pass to get in plus camping fees.   Has both vault and flush toilets w showers.  Close to town for other activities, near Wi Dells Water park 21 ,miles not a bad drive. 

  Part of the ice age trail system maintained hiking trails are great.

• 

  Terra F.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 18, 2018

  Quartzite Campground — Devils Lake State Park

  Phenomenal park, some campsites are full sun and NOT tent friendly

  The trails and the views at this park are phenomenal. Find pictures of the campsites if possible, because some of the sites get a LOT of sun, and as we tent camp, it can be unbearable for our children. (We’ve camped with them yearly here since our littlest was 2, and that was the year we got a not so shaded site. Lesson learned.)

• 

  Brady J.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 24, 2023

  Quartzite Campground — Devils Lake State Park

  Busy but enjoyable

  We tent camped in the quartzite campground. Overall a pretty much wide open campground with virtually zero privacy so if you’re looking for that, look elsewhere. With that said, we enjoyed our stay as the sites along the perimeter are a little more private being along the tree line and decent space between each site. The park itself is beautiful and look forward to coming back

• 

  Christian A.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 8, 2021

  Holiday Shores Campground

  Building Family Traditions

  My gf family has been camping at this resort for years as a summer tradition and it has now become part of our summers. Pros:

  • Big Campground with lots of tent sites
  • Watersports store with boat rentals
  • Great Pool
  • Campground Activites on weekends
  • Awesome Donuts and Ice Cream

  Cons:

  • Rentals are a bit pricey
  • Bathrooms by the pool arent cleaned as often
• 

  Michael L.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 19, 2021

  Astico County Park

  First time this year

  This a dodge county campground we have been to 3 out of the 4. So fare Astico is are more favorable. There are 3 areas. River witch are electric. Point tent camping only upper, Danville are electric. There are pit toilets also a main shower bathrooms. Camp hostess are great. They help with camp wood with they ask if you want bundles or lose choose loose. They also have canoes and kayaks to rent. We will be going back.

• J

  James W.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 15, 2024

  Alana Springs Lodge and Campground

  Very quiet rural campground

  We stayed here in our tent. This is a rural campground, somewhat dated, but very pleasant. It is true that the bathrooms were an older style but they were clean and functional and we found no fault with them. Most of the residents are seasonal and we had nice shady and grassy areas for tent camping, This campground is not near a busy highway, lake, or either area where there is a lot of noise. It is nice and quiet. The hostess was very nice and welcoming. We would certainly stay here again.

• 

  Kevin M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 18, 2016

  Twin Valley Campground — Governor Dodge State Park

  Great camping with hiking oppurtunities

  My friends and I camp here often as it is close to Madison, yet far enough away to be more secluded. The sites are are better than some of the state park sites with tent sites offering more privacy than the electric ones. There is plenty of hiking trails around the park with some great rock formations to explore. There is also swimming areas, concessions and a very helpful staff.

• 

  Kenneth H.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 30, 2021

  Wisconsin Dells KOA

  Cramped, but friendly

  I was just there for a night, but as I drove to my spot, I had to dodge and weave around cars parked on the road, as the tent sites looked like Burning Man had a baby with a homeless shanty town in Hawaii. Tons of tents, packed in side-by-side, so only space for cars was on the one-way roads. Outside of the feeling that at any moment a kid was going to come flying out of nowhere, they had good facilities, friendly staff, and decent Internet connection.

• M

  Matthew V.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 18, 2022

  Wisconsin Dells KOA

  Quiet, peaceful, and clean.

  The campground is well-kept, and the restrooms are clean. Some bath houses have full baths with toilets, sinks, and showers. Other bathhouses has restrooms separated from showers. The campground is kid friendly, with a playground and a pool. I am tenting. The sites are a reasonable size that you can park on. They are mostly flat, but not all of them. All the tent sites are shaded, have electricity, and access to shared water. There are dishwashing stations around the campground as well. If you have an RV, the sites look relatively easy to get into, with many pull throughs

• 

  Alma L.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 12, 2021

  Sandstone Ridge Campground — Mirror Lake State Park

  Lush Oasis

  We stopped here while driving to Michigan. It’s super lush. The water and dump station was super clean. Firewood is available. The lake was not very clear and had a lot of plants growing, but it was still nice to take a dip. Extremely large spaces made the rv parking easy EXCEPT that the electrical receptacle was very far in the back of the camping spot. We had to back all the way in to make the chord reach. I don’t think the RV spots would make very nice places to tent camp.

  Also want to add that there was plenty of privacy between the spaces.

• 

  Paul N.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 26, 2020

  Ice Age Campground — Devils Lake State Park

  Nature’s gym

  May family tent camped here for the first time this year, 2020. The site (514) was spacious enough for a 10 person, and a 6 person tent. There were enough trees to mostly block out your neighbors, and it’s up on a slight hill so if it does rain the water would drain away from your tent(s).

  The state park itself has several trails with varying degrees of difficulty. My son and I opted to take the 4 mile loop around the lake that included the 900 foot assent, and crown back down the face of the ‘mountain’?? The landscape surrounding Devils Lake is gorgeous, and the lake is large, and offers plenty of things to do.

  Unfortunately during these COVID-19 times the boat rental was not open, but there was plenty of beach to hang out on.

  We will definitely be heading back next year.

• 

  Alexis R.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 22, 2022

  Skillet Creek Campground

  Not for the primitive camper

  If you’re looking for a casual family friendly campground with lots of amenities and activities for kids, this place is for you. Unfortunately, as a tent camper, secluded primitive sites won’t be found here. You’ll be hearing the rustling of other campers, screams from playing children, and loud music playing up to 10pm.

  I imagine it would be fun as a family camping trip, but as a couple looking to getaway from the busy life, solitude was not found here.

  As far as the primitive sites go, the sites are too close together and hardly anything covering between so you can see/hear everything your tent camping neighbors are doing.

  The ground was unkept on our site, making tent placement difficult and unable to lay the tent flat.

  This reservation was a last minute decision since devils lake campground was completely booked. It did the job. A bit pricey for the experience though.

• 

  Olivia M.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 31, 2019

  Arrowhead RV Campground

  Family Fun

  • Great campground for families with kids and teens. Tons of activities all around the campground. There were outdoor movies, put-put, corn hole, two pools, huge trampoline, volleyball nets, disc golf, and a Christmas in July festival all happening when we were there.
  • Just up the road from Wisconsin Dells, which is fun for the whole family, even though there is plenty to do at the campground, this option is nearby also.
  • We stayed in the primitive tent sites for this trip and this was the farthest I have ever had to walk to get to the bath house at any campground, but it was still manageable.
  • We found this site through Bring Fido, because we were bringing our pup with us. However, there is a dirt track with racing just adjacent to the campground, so our poor guy was pretty nervous the whole time. The race ended at 11 and we had no problem sleeping, but it is something to keep in mind.
• M

  Michelle R.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 24, 2022

  Red Oak Campgrounds

  Next to hwy

  The dry tent campgrounds were very large with picnic table fire pit and 2 large trash bins. There is a swimming pool, volleyball available and other amenities plus laundry for a fee. The bathrooms had many stalls with 88 options Mini sinks . Overall the sites were dirty, wet, and very close to the highway so there was lots of noise. The bathrooms were the dirtiest I have seen since I have driven from Oregon! So many amenities, that everything is old dirty and uncared for.

• 

  Annie C.

  Legend

  

  May. 1, 2020

  Sky High Camping Resort

  Resort camping in the clouds

  Took a tour of Sky Haven on a whim. Talk about full service camping! They have everything here- tent sites, RV sites, cabins, nightly, weekly, and long term rates. Frisbee golf, mini golf, a "mining" site, go carts, game room, showers, laundry. It was pretty overwhelming as I don't camp this way. But for a family gathering or reunion, or a big trip, this could be just right for you. Rates were reasonable for all the services you get. I liked the views since the place is up on top of a "mountain".  The staff was really friendly and welcoming and answered every silly question of mine with a smile. Not my camping jam, but definitely nice.

• 

  Jess O.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 2, 2021

  Fox Hill RV Park & Campground

  Good Resort Style Campground

  Fox Hill is a good place for RV and cabin camping - they have a pool and pond, shop with ice cream and alcoholic beverages, movie nights, dog runs, and a nature trail that runs along the park perimeter. The bathrooms are cleaned regularly and mostly in working order.

  Their tent sites, however, are small and crammed together, with most of them on a downhill slope that allows the water from the water faucet to run across the campsite. We had a hard time finding a level, dry area to put a two person backpacking tent on our site. The park also hosts events in the pavilion that were very loud the weekend we were there.

  Overall, I'd recommend it for someone looking for more entertainment and amenities and staying in an RV or cabin, but I wouldn't stay here again in a tent.