Best Campgrounds near Franklin, WI

This is our favorite place to camp.  It feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, but it is close to everything.  It has the electrical hookups that we need and has a bath house that is close to where you camp (hundreds of feet versus getting into a car and driving to it).  It has lots of groomed and ungroomed walking trails.  It has a boat ramp and a small store and restaurant.  It allows dogs and the rangers keep the site relatively quiet, especially at night.  And within 5 miles of the campground, you have the amenities that you need in case you forgot something along the way.  We love going there.

You can camp year around in this campground. Most recent 2 times were winter camping. No host so buying wood is an issue, but pick a site on the edge and there is more than enough free. Bring a saw. Nice place for solitude. No rowdies in winter. Close to hiking. 10 minutes from a town if needed.

Whether you're in a tent, popup, tow-behind, or 5th wheel, this campground has a site for you! 2 beautiful sand beaches with large grassy picnic areas, hiking, a boat launch, and a reservable pavilion.

Recently camped here while visiting some family in the Racine area. Was nice and close to them and was a nice place to stay!

Lost of campsites between the two campgrounds. Sunset offered electric or non-electric sites. Shower building, flush toilets, vault toilets, dump station, playground. Firewood sold at the visitor center via a vending machine, card only.

These campsites are as low as $12/night!! One of my favorite spots to test new gear. Family friendly. There’s some small trails around as well that are beginner. There was electricity, however those sites are $25/night. Bathrooms could’ve been cleaner but we were grateful for the facility which doubled as a storm shelter. There’s indoor showers and bathrooms. There are also cabins at this campsite, not sure on pricing tho

We stayed in the Turner lake south loop, which has nice and private sites. This is in contrast to Honeysuckle hollow which is open and row after row of RV sites. Fox den and Prairie view loops are nice as well with mostly primitive sites. Be aware that the map on www.ExloreMoreIL,com(where you make your reservations) doesn't show where the restrooms are. 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. Facilities are clean and well lit. Fire pits are slightly raised steel troughs with a heavy adjustable grill. This is a BIG park, the campgrounds are two miles from the front gate, and it's a drive to the main boat launch at Maple Grove, where you have access to the Fox River and Grass lake. This location has a huge parking lot for boat trailers, a very well stocked general store with fishing supplies, a cafe, boat rentals and good firewood. To get away from the crowd if you're a canoeist or kayaker it's nicer to leave the park and go back in at Oak Point picnic area and boat launch at the northern border. This will put you on the Fox river with developments to the north(including a bar& grill) or to the south which is all nature. I think the distance by boat between the two launches is 4-5 miles, but I'm not sure, Halfway there you'll meet up with the Goldfinch trail which is the shortest loop and the most diverse in term of flora. There are horse/ snowmobile trails, but no equestrian campground. Chain o' Lakes is one of the busiest waterways in Illinois, with motorboats everywhere in the height of the summer season. We canoe, and both times we stayed there it was October, so I can't tell you how crowded, but the vast number of picnic areas must be there for a reason. An odd thing is that you can hear a Steam Train whistle quite often, this is from Richardson's Adventure Farm in Spring Grove. We don't have kids so we went to Stade's Farm& Orchard(which is also large and kid friendly) because they have an orchard and vegetable market. One last thing, the gates close at 10:PM and there are tire shredders, you can leave but you can't get back in… unless you want to walk 2+ miles in the dark:)

So this place is much less dog friendly than is advertised. Dogs aren’t allowed in large swaths of the park nor on the (tiny tiny, bordered by loud highway) beach. Lake Geneva is very pretty, but the area is obviously very wealthy and obviously geared toward retirees without dogs or with tiny dogs they leave at the RV (to bark, constantly, at their next site neighbors. Until the owners get back.)

Sites are large and well spaced out. The campground is clean and well kept. The rangers drive through regularly and will deliver wood to your site if requested. There are pit toilets in the camp area, but there are flush toilets, running water, and showers in the picnic area near the entrance. There are a couple of hiking trails as well. Great landscape and wildlife. We were lucky enough to have a couple of Sandhill Cranes walk through our camp early one morning.

The campground was clean and quiet. We were in the East Loop. The on-site host was super friendly and helpful with firewood and ice. Pit toilets, no showers. Easy access to Ice Age Trail from the campground. Nice hike to Rice Lake.

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. Electricity on site and water near by. Great trails close by.

The campsites are kinda small but not on top of each other. Had some raccoons at night even after we locked up everything in the car. The lake was very nice. We were able to kayak but be careful getting the kayaks in. Stairs down to the pier and the bottom of the lake is very mushy. The water was very clear and you could see the fish swim by. This loop is best for tent camping. The other loops are basically all rvs. The boat launch to the fox river was nice too but it does get busy.

Stayed one night (Friday) and really enjoyed the location. We were in the quiet loop, Loop 1, which actually was very quiet. Everyone was respectful of the rules. We did walk over to the other loops where there was more of a party atmosphere at some sites with larger groups, music, and kids. 

The sites in Loop 1 are varied as far as tree coverage, seclusion, and terrain.  Our site (22) was relatively flat, felt secluded, had good tree coverage with some filtered sunlight. The pit toilets are about 3 sites away, a short walk. There is room for two tents.

There was a posting about black bear sightings in the area. We did not experience that, just chipmunks and birds.

Stayed in campsite directly connected to Green Trail of the Scuppernong Trailhead. Campsite was clean and quite private for being near people.

Campsites are kept up and quite clean. Some have a beautiful view of lake. Some water fountains did not work, however sinks were always working. So many little trails all throughout the campsite. Family friendly (parks, beach, pet friendly)

We stayed in Honeysuckle Hollow for a night. Not many people were there that night, as it thunder stormed. However site was well kept and concession stand available by the boat dock with everything you might need.

It’s a family friendly and decent campground. Sites are not too secluded, but they’re clean and well taken care of, the facilities weren’t clean, they have volunteer hosts on site for any needs, the lake is beautiful during the sunset, sandy area and playground for kids, car noise is noticeable but not too loud (in the inner camp sites). Few trails around for hiking. They charge an extra $11 for each car’s entry at the gate but you can use the car pass for visiting all the state park’s trails around the area (you need permit for parking at the trailheads). It’s good for family with kids or beginner campers, but not if you’re looking for a relaxing or adventurous time.

Clean, family friendly and basic ammenities available

With almost 500 sites with which to choose from, Blackhawk RV Campground is not only one of the larger RV communities you will come across here in the great Badger State, but since my initial review back in 2021, this camping outpost has made a number of enhancements and modifications. Starting with the name change from Blackhawk RV Campground to simply Blackhawk Camping Resort along with a management change are two big changes, and from what I have gathered, for the better. 

Additional remodeling projects that have been completed are the brand new, in-ground heated pool, along with small kiddy pool and adjoining pool house complete with restroom and showers. A new basketball court has been refurbished with new netted hoops as well as new kid’s playgrounds that have been installed on sand lots, which the kiddos are sure to love. Top-of-the-line pioneer cottages have been constructed that feel more like modular homes, but come with all of the amenities you would expect like a complete kitchen with full-sized refrigerator, microwave and stovetop range as well as living room. 

The biggest attraction here though hasn’t changed, which is the quick and EZ access to Clear Lake, which is actually a combination of 3 different lakes: Mud Lake, Clear Lake and Duck Lake, which basically surrounds the entirety of Blackhawk Camping Resort and offers up endless fishing, kayaking and boating opportunities. That said, there’s still plenty of ‘no swimming’ signs out for some reason that nobody was able to explain to me, so if a refreshing splash in the water is important to you, I would suggest calling ahead of time and asking management about this impediment. 

As far as amenities go, beyond what I have already described above, you’ll also find standard back-in and pull-through site options that offer up waterfront views along with the typical hook-ups being 30 / 50 electric, fire pit and water. You will absolutely want to note that not every site offers up sewage, which is a bummer, and further, some sites offer more premium amenities like concrete patios and picnic tables. Sites also come in either grass or gravel, so be sure to ask when booking. Additional amenities include: horseshoe pits, boat slips, laundr-O-mat, activity center, boat ramp, designated dumpsters, on-site store, fishing dock, dance pavilion and volleyball court. 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Once you grow weary of digging through your roto-molded Cordova cooler or on-board mini-fridge, then head on into the nearby hamlet of Milton for some good Midwestern comfort food, where you can find made-from-scratch biscuits & gravy over at Mary’s Café, fresh, hot homemade pies at Paul Revere’s Pizza or for something a bit more upscale, the proper, white tablecloth Frederick’s Supper Club of which I recommend the bacon-wrapped Prime Rib bites followed by the Diablo pasta;(2) If you are looking for a nice, different distraction that you wouldn’t expect in these parts, let alone Wisconsin writ large, head on over to Timber Hill Winery, which is a family-run local vineyard featuring a fairly amazing tasting room offering up some not-so-typical varietals like Red, White & Berry, Cherry Bomb and my favorite, PB&J Back to School; (3) Should you need to stock up on anything while staying at Blackhawk Camping Resort, you’ll also find just about everything you need in nearby Milton where you’ll have Beverage Mart, Dollar General, The Meat Market, Piggly Wiggly as well as Ace Hardware to help keep you supplied up while enjoying the outdoors; and (4) If you’re one of those families that like to track down the oversized and obscure while traversing across this great country, then head just a bit down south of where you are at to Janesville where you can meet Bessie the Cow, which stands 16 feet tall and 20 feet wide – you can easily park at the nearby Arby’s at no cost and just walk over to meet her. 

Happy Camping!

We love private campsites, far enough away from other campers, yet close enough to amenities. We chose a walk in site #16 which was nice but I wish we chose one a bit further in. Bathrooms where very clean. Trails are great. Pet friendly - we brought our small, quiet dogs. Dog friendly restaurant right next to the camp site.