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Best Campgrounds near Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, WI

745 Reviews

Fontana-on-Geneva Lake in Wisconsin features several established campgrounds within short driving distance, providing accommodations for various camping styles. Big Foot Beach State Park Campground offers tent, RV, and glamping options just minutes from Lake Geneva, with approximately 100 sites including 30 with electrical hookups. Other nearby options include Elkhorn Campgrounds and Snug Harbor Inn Campground on Turtle Lake, which cater to both tent and RV campers. The Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit's Ottawa Lake Campground, located northwest of Fontana, provides year-round camping opportunities with both tent and cabin options.

Reservations are essential at most campgrounds in the area, particularly during summer months when Lake Geneva becomes a popular destination. Many campgrounds in the region operate seasonally from April through October, though some like Rock Cut State Park remain open year-round. Electric hookups are limited and often book quickly, with several campgrounds offering both 30-amp and 50-amp service for RVs. The region experiences typical Midwest seasonal variations with humid summers and cold winters, making spring and fall ideal for comfortable camping conditions. Most established sites include standard amenities like picnic tables, fire rings, and access to drinking water. A camper noted, "We live near Chicagoland so staying at Big Foot Beach State Park is an easy option for a short weekend get away. Minutes from downtown Lake Geneva, this spot is super quaint and easy to get to."

Campers frequently mention the convenience of staying near Lake Geneva without paying premium hotel prices. Big Foot Beach State Park receives mixed reviews, with some appreciating its proximity to town amenities while others note the limited beach access and lack of privacy between sites. Several visitors highlight the clean facilities, particularly mentioning the newer shower houses and bathrooms. The campgrounds serve as practical bases for exploring Lake Geneva's attractions, including the lake's perimeter trail and downtown shopping. Sites vary considerably in size, shade coverage, and privacy, with one reviewer recommending specific sites: "For anyone who is interested in camping here, the following sites, in my opinion, are the best campsites in terms of shade, not being flooded during a rain and privacy: 27, 32 and 74."

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Detours Nearby

Harnischfeger County Park

Harnischfeger County Park

1 hr 6 min away

Lena KOA

Lena KOA

1 hr 25 min away

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Best Camping Sites Near Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, Wisconsin (90)

    1. Big Foot Beach State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    Lake Geneva, WI
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (262) 248-2528

    "We stayed at site 98- just barely big enough to fit our travel trailer in and right next to the showers and bathrooms. Not a great location, but fine."

    "This is one of the most popular State Parks in Wisconsin because it's on Lake Geneva. In fact, it's the only state park within town's limits."

    2. Rock Cut State Park - Staghorn Campground

    81 Reviews
    Machesney Park, IL
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (815) 885-3311

    $12 - $50 / night

    "The hiking/biking trails are many miles long.  The fishing near t he dam is great and you can always find a spot near the edge of the lake.  Bring bug spray."

    "Rock cut is only about a 50 minute drive from the far burbs of Chicago. It’s situated a few miles outside of Rockford so if you’re into exploring old industrial river towns, this is a nice one."

    3. Thomas Woods Campground

    17 Reviews
    Marengo, IL
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (815) 338-6223

    $20 - $35 / night

    "Love this spot for proximity to my home so I can get out more frequently than a longer drive into Wisconsin and other more popular camping locales."

    "While the highway riding was occasionally a bit harrowing, it was absolutely worth it for the beautiful views and camping here."

    4. Elkhorn Campgrounds

    4 Reviews
    Elkhorn, WI
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (262) 723-3228

    "Easy access to electric and/or water. If unsure, contact office. Site, restrooms, and showers were clean. There are a lot of sites but still felt like there was ample space."

    "Not many frills but quiet and within walking distance to downtown Elkhorn."

    5. Snug Harbor Inn Campground on Turtle Lake

    6 Reviews
    Delavan, WI
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (608) 883-6999

    $15 - $45 / night

    "I did not stay here, but I spend some time walking through to get a feel for the place."

    "Wanted someplace close to home. Familiar with the Delavan area so was excited to find Snug Harbor. Set up went well, didn’t blow anything up! Yea! Staff was great, helped me back in."

    6. Ottawa Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

    38 Reviews
    North Prairie, WI
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (262) 594-6200

    "Site was spacious but very close to your neighbors. Lots to do in the area. Bathrooms and showers were clean. The beach was not clean and very hard to walk on, very rocky."

    "Made my first visit to Ottawa Lake on a mid-March weekend. The facilities were still under their winter setup (only vault toilet, no shower available, pay in an envelope)."

    7. Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area

    23 Reviews
    Burlington, WI
    24 miles
    Website

    "I would recommend this for anyone for starting to step out of the comfort zone for the outdoors. very simple, many paths to walk, jog, or ride a bike. a small lake is near the further parking lot. dogs"

    "Had some cool amenities like the off road park and multiple fishing spots. Has a winery and cool dive bars all within 10 min. Only downside is all the noise from the road and the drag strip near by."

    8. Honeysuckle Hollow — Chain O' Lakes State Park

    14 Reviews
    Spring Grove, IL
    20 miles
    +1 (847) 587-5512

    "*** reviewing as a baby/toddler camp family on the go :-) we chose the loop 11 was on because it was close to the path to the playgrounds and lakes plus bathrooms… avoid the first 2 sites from either end"

    "Campsite is nice, we're pretty close to our neighbors but not as bad as other places I've been. Walking distance to a fishing dock!"

    9. Sunrise Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area

    21 Reviews
    Burlington, WI
    24 miles
    Website

    "Rocket launch (bring your own,) atv (no rentals-bring your own), water fowl hunting (during season), fishing, wildlife watching, swimming at the beach, playground for kids, and my favorite- nice trails"

    "the property is HUGE and most things are about a 10 to 15 min walk from the campsites. lots of hiking, boating, swimming fishing and more! a great place for anyone!"

    10. Turner Lake South — Chain O' Lakes State Park

    13 Reviews
    Spring Grove, IL
    20 miles
    +1 (847) 587-5512

    "In the Turner loop, the pit toilets are next to the path to the fishing pier, while the showers and full restrooms are between Turner and Fox den, there is a short path between sites 60& 61."

    "You can hear whatever highway is nearby pretty clearly and constantly.

    But if you’re not looking for something super remote then it’s fine!"

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Recent Camping Photos near Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, WI

262 Photos of 90 Fontana-on-Geneva Lake Campgrounds

Recent Reviews near Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, WI

745 Reviews of 90 Fontana-on-Geneva Lake Campgrounds

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 3, 2025

    Ottawa Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

    Close to "home" beautiful sites

    We've been full time RVers for 4 years and this is a beautiful campground close to "home". We stay here a couple of times each year for doctor and dentist appointments, visiting family and friends, and general relaxation.

  • K
    Aug. 28, 2025

    Fish Lake Beach Camping Resort

    Not communicable, fraud administration

    I reserved 5 nights, paid in full. After just one night, management cancelled my stay because my service dogs(Maltese) supposedly barked. I was fully cooperative, kept them quiet, and even documented this in emails. There was a stray cat near my RV that caused the issue, but instead of solving it, they forced me to leave. No refund for 4 nights. This is unfair, discriminatory, and against ADA law.

  • J
    Aug. 28, 2025

    Circle K Campground

    Horrid management, bad experience

    Management (owners Ed and Coleen) are two of the rudest people I have ever met, with Ed fabricating outrageous, completely inaccurate stories highlighting either his "heroics" (like when his personal fire truck he has was working people would call him before 911) but more often how he has been slighted because of other's inadequacies (local grocery store doesn't like him because "his campers buy all their food leaving none for the locals), and also falsities behind his rules (the U.S. Postmaster does not allow anyone else's packages/mail to be delivered to the campground).  They are completely intolerant of kids/teenagers (and, heresay from conversations with seasonal residents, special needs kids) - rules for use of the pool is that it is open after a certain time and if the air temp is above a certain level - we personally witnessed 3 young teens ask to get into the pool an hour after the pool should've been open and it was 5 degrees over Ed's stated temp, but no one else was using the pool and Ed turned them away - told them to swim in the cesspool... I mean, pond.

    Ed constantly creates new rules on a whim and is exceedingly selective (read: biased) for whom those rules are enforced. If you have a problem with the campsite (water, electricity, dead trees, ground hornets, you name it) - it is because YOU did something wrong, and if you disagree he will harass you to no end and may even kick you out. Some of the seasonal campers are nice, others (those "in" with the owners) are not. I would not recommend this campground to anyone unless/until it is under new ownership.

  • Kathy L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 26, 2025

    Lake Kegonsa State Park Campground

    Pros, cons, and Caution!

    PROS: large private sites with good space between them in a lovely wooded setting. Very nice hiking trails right from campground. Lake & pet swim area.

    CONS: no water, mosquitos. And… major CAUTION for RVs: there is an oak tree near entry with low branches and it took the AC off our friend’s fifth wheel. There is also a low hanging overpass and it took the roofs off TWO fifth wheels while we were staying there. Major damage on roof and internally - the RV had to be totaled and replaced. Terrible signage in park does not indicate height of bridge or warn about the oak tree. Our friends reported that the camp host said the park knows about these hazards but hasn’t taken care of them so she will “remind them” for their task list in November.

  • Tim L.
    Aug. 17, 2025

    Chicago Northwest KOA

    Chill Vibes, quick get away from the city

    Far enough from the city lights, close enough to civilization. Cozy, small park with friendly staff and plenty of amenities. You can walk from one side to other no problem. Plenty of large and small RV's and Trailers with tent camping. Our home away from home, so relaxing!

  • Ron D.
    Aug. 17, 2025

    Pearl Lake

    Low Class Trailer Trashy Park

    Horrible customer service from the start. We registered online with a 35" 5th wheel for 2 nights. On checking in, we wouldn't fit in the site so the girl at the desk put us in a different site saying she couldn't escort us to our site. This was our first time being there and her excuse was they were short staffed. The street signage was very small and hard to read. Site numbers were said to be on every pedestal but they were not visible from any drive. After only a few minutes of driving around, we were astonished by all the trash and junky trailers on site. Note that if your camper is more than 10 years old, they want to first see a picture of it so as to keep their place classy. Not the case here once you have paid and are here. We call back to the office for assistance finding our site and the girl said she would have to lock the office and was hesitant about doing so but she would come out to hep us find our place. We simply asked for a refund saying we were very disappointed with the situation so far. When she told us they don't give refunds, we asked for a manager to call us back. At this point we left to find another place which we did and were at in about 30 minutes. The manager called us back offering us drinks at the bar, a premium site, tickets for kids in the bounce house, and free water craft but I and the wife were only there for 2 nights. We were not going back to that dump. She said she would have to speak with the owners about a refund but never called us back. Five days later I called several times to speak with the manager again but no call back. She did however text us saying they will not issue a refund saying the girl in the office could not leave the desk because her coworker was using the restroom. Then why did she say she couldn't leave because they were short handed? Long story short, think long and hard before you visit this trashy place. Showers were dark and dingy and smelled. The beach looked more like gravel and not pleasing. Just walking around, I couldn't get away from the awful smell of people smoking and vaping and a strong smell of pot smokers everywhere. Not at all the place we would take our grand kids ever.

  • Tim H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 15, 2025

    Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area

    Private sites, lots of wildlife ... and mosquitoes

    It's a wetland, mosquitoes are happening, but the trade off is just about worth it. If you enjoy bird watching or rabbit spotting, this is a great place to go. 

    We're from the south, so we are used to mosquitoes, but I have seldom been around so many all at once. Thankfully we had a pop-up screened gazebo that made sitting outside our tent much more enjoyable. I will say this though, even with there being more mosquitoes constantly attacking, I did not have the reactions to them like I do the mosquitoes back in Alabama and Mississippi. I wasn't itching much at all.

    But back to the fun part. It was pretty hot a couple days while we were there and to take a break from the heat, we enjoyed the ac in the car and drove around the recreation area and the campgrounds. I have seldom seen as many rabbits as we saw. There were relatively few campers during the week and just about every other campsite had at least a bunny or two. 

    What drew me to this campground was how private the individual sites were. Each campsite is cut back into the trees so that most are at least semi-private. This was a nice feature given that many other campgrounds you are stacked in like cord wood.

    Our first night there, we left the rain fly off of the tent and just enjoyed the stars and the satellites streaking across the sky.

    Overall, it was a rather enjoyable week. The shower/bathrooms were nice and clean, though I will admit the shower got too hot even for my wife. It is an easy drive from the recreation area to Kenosha or other points of interest and Lake Michigan is worth a visit if you aren't from the area.

  • D
    Aug. 3, 2025

    Paul Wolff Campground

    No showers

    We would gladly stay here again!

    Great campsite with the best staff ever! The sites are clean and very well maintained. We loved the staff patrolling the grounds. The trail system is great for walking the dogs. And I even grew to like the no alcohol in the preserve rule.

    The vault toilets are clean but smell like vault toilets at 95 degrees. There is one very clean flush toilet building but no showers. They don't advertise showers, but this is the newest and nicest campsite I have seen without showers. There is some shade, but you have to search for it.

Guide to Fontana-on-Geneva Lake

Camping near Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, Wisconsin offers both year-round and seasonal options spread across state recreation areas and county parks. The region sits within the kettle moraine geography, featuring rolling hills and glacier-formed lakes that provide diverse camping terrain. Winter temperatures typically drop below freezing while summer highs often reach the mid-80s with moderate humidity levels.

What to do

Kayaking on Turtle Lake: At Snug Harbor Inn Campground on Turtle Lake, visitors enjoy direct water access from a terraced campground setup. "Beautiful views overlooking Turtle Lake. Friendly and helpful staff," notes Carole X., who appreciated the lakefront setting. The campground rents boats and is arranged on three levels so most sites have water views.

Hiking Ice Age Trail sections: The Ottawa Lake Campground provides direct access to the Ice Age Trail with short connecting paths. "The campground was close to our intended hiking trail — the Scuppernong section of the Ice Age Trail. It's absolutely gorgeous and will be why we come back again," shares Linda N. Hiking difficulty ranges from easy to moderate with multiple trail connections.

Archery and ATV riding: Richard Bong State Recreation Area offers specialized areas for off-road vehicles and target sports. "There is so much to do at this campground. Horseback riding, archery, hiking, boating, fishing," explains Meg K. The recreation area maintains separate zones for different activities to minimize conflicts between user groups.

What campers like

Clean, updated facilities: Big Foot Beach State Park Campground receives positive comments about its renovated amenities. "Nice campsite with newer bathrooms and showers," mentions David W. The shower buildings were updated in recent years, providing reliable hot water and improved cleanliness.

Affordable camping close to attractions: Elkhorn Campgrounds offers budget-friendly rates while maintaining proximity to popular destinations. "Great location to visit Lake Geneva (~8mi.) or see a concert at Alpine Valley (~20 min). There's a shuttle from the campground (outer sites near racetrack)," explains Dan W. Sites start at $25 per night with discounts for longer stays.

Privacy between sites: Thomas Woods Campground maintains natural separation between campsites. "I've been here two other weekends. Generally quiet and many of the tent spots are spaced out enough to provide privacy and quiet," reports Matt K. The campground features both walk-up tent sites and sites with 30-amp electrical service, allowing campers to choose their preferred experience level.

What you should know

Beach limitations: Despite lake proximity, some beaches have restrictions or limited access. "The beach is about 10 feet of sand off a busy road and is not pet friendly," notes Melissa B. about Big Foot Beach State Park. Most swimming areas lack lifeguards and operate seasonally from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Road noise variations: Sunrise Campground at Richard Bong State Recreation Area has noticeable traffic sounds in some loops. "The road noise is absolutely noticeable. It was incredibly loud when we drove through the loop closest to the highway and was significantly better even just one section over," explains Linda N. Sites furthest from main roads provide the quietest camping experience.

Wildlife encounters: Chain O' Lakes State Park campgrounds have active wildlife populations. "We had some raccoons at night even after we locked up everything in the car," reports Julia B. Proper food storage in vehicles or secure containers is essential, particularly at Turner Lake South where raccoons are frequently sighted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an RV park in Fontana on Geneva Lake?

While Fontana-on-Geneva Lake itself doesn't have an RV park within town limits, nearby Pearl Lake offers RV camping with lakeside sites that are perfect for summer getaways. For those wanting to stay closer to Geneva Lake, Elkhorn Campgrounds provides RV-friendly sites with water hookups and is equipped to accommodate big rigs. Both locations are a short drive from Fontana and offer convenient access to the Geneva Lake area while providing necessary RV amenities.

Where can I find camping options near Lake Geneva and Fontana, Wisconsin?

Big Foot Beach State Park Campground is your best option directly on Lake Geneva and the only state park within town limits. It offers spacious sites for trailers and tents, though reservations are essential during summer months. Another excellent choice is Pinewoods Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit, located in a beautiful pine forest setting with access to the Ice Age and Scuppernong trails. This campground accommodates both tents and trailers and is a short drive from Ottawa Lake, providing a more secluded experience while still being accessible to the Fontana area.

What recreational activities are available at Fontana Beach on Geneva Lake?

Fontana Beach on Geneva Lake offers swimming, sunbathing, and picnicking opportunities with beautiful lake views. While not directly at Fontana Beach, nearby Ottawa Lake Campground in the Kettle Moraine State Forest offers similar recreational activities with spacious waterfront access. For those seeking more diverse activities, Hickory Hills Campground in the region provides additional recreational options. The Geneva Lake area generally supports water sports like kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing, while surrounding trails offer hiking and biking opportunities.

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