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Blackhawk Camping Resort's full-hookup sites accommodate pets in tent, RV, and cabin settings along the southern edge of Clear Lake. Several campgrounds near Janesville permit dogs, including Milton-Madison SE KOA, Lakeland Camping Resort, and Hickory Hills Campground. Most properties maintain standard leash policies requiring dogs to be under control at all times, though none advertise dedicated dog parks or off-leash areas. Milton KOA features spacious sites where camping with pets is straightforward, with well-maintained grounds and ample space for walking dogs around the property. Many sites offer full hookups with 50-amp service, making extended stays with pets comfortable. The bathrooms at these campgrounds are generally clean and recently upgraded, an important consideration when camping with pets in variable weather conditions.
Clear Lake provides excellent fishing and boating opportunities where dogs can join their owners, though swimming restrictions exist at some properties including Blackhawk. Seasonal operation varies among pet-friendly campgrounds, with most open from April/May through October, allowing for spring through fall camping with dogs. Milton KOA remains particularly popular for families camping with pets, offering playgrounds, pools, and recreational fields where leashed dogs can accompany their owners. Nearby towns like Milton provide convenient access to pet supplies, with veterinary services available in the greater Janesville area. The golf cart parade and organized activities at Blackhawk Camping Resort create a festive atmosphere where pets and their owners can socialize within the camping community.
"It pays to drive through the camp ground and note a couple sites that you are interested in and then book your site at the entrance during walk in days. "
"For us it's close to home, shopping and an RV dealership so it's pefect to "shake out" the camper and we can easily get anything we forgot or get stuff to repair anything that's not working."
from $12 - $50 / night
Check Availability"No enclosed dog park but plenty of area to walk your dog!"
"I'm going to try to make it a couple times. so much fun, just me and my dog. And one last the thing, my fellow campers were more than hospitable and very nice and I appreciate that very much."
"The sites close to the store are so nice! wooded and somewhat private. Love that they have a sparkling clean (but cold!) pool and a lake with a beach!"
"Our site was nicely wooded and a decent size, but everyone was pretty close to each other. When we were there, the women's shower was freezing and the men's was almost uncomfortably hot."
from $42 / night
Check Availability"Set along Lake Koshkonong this place was bursting with energy and feels more like a summer resort than a traditional campground with over 270 full-hookup sites and cozy cabins for families who don’t have"
"We came to this area to do some genealogical work and needed to be situated between Madison and Beloit. Good location for that."
"Has a pool, petting zoo, kayaks, rocky beach, dog park, and a land pillow!"
"Being right in front of the jumping pillow people didn’t walk around. They would cut thru our site."
"Good hiking around the lake and mostly dog friendly. Nice play ground with horse she pits."
"Just a quick 2 hour drive from our home in Chicago, with large wooded sites for privacy. Clean bathrooms."
"There are very tall trees around the entire campground giving you some respite from the sun and the heat. The bath house is easily within walking distance from anywhere in the campground. "
"Last time we camped in site 65, next to the path to the playground & walk-in site parking which was busy."
"Right off i90, and next to fuel and food stops. Family run campground with 40 sites that have water and electric. They are cash or check only, with no online booking. Sites are snug."
GuideFriendly staff and a nicely stocked store. Has a pool, petting zoo, kayaks, rocky beach, dog park, and a land pillow! The sites are spaced out well and there are more secluded sites so you have the feeling of privacy or big group sites for a big party.
GuideWe 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.
TravelerJust became KOA met local campers that love this park! Good sites, trash pickup at side! They even have a snack bar and deliver to your campsite! No enclosed dog park but plenty of area to walk your dog!
GuideAbsolutely beautiful, reasonable prices, electric available. Tons of restrooms, showers, laundry, and wonderful camp hosts. Huge beach area, dog park, fishing as well. Shop to buy items you may need and absolutely wonderful place. Open all year round
GuideThis is a popular place in the area, the human beaches are full and the small pet beach area was well used by my husband, myself and our two dogs; Odinn & Frigga over Memorial Day. The hiking is amazing , particularly the Oakgrove trail, plenty to see with beautiful views. There is boating, canoeing, etc. Bring the strongest mosquito repellent you can get, Wisconsin in summer can be rough. We tried our Black Diamond poles and Thule day bags and we got to try cooling vests for the dogs from Ruffwear. It was so much fun. Note that there are sites to camp, cabins nearby and plenty of Hipcamp sites near. Strongly recommend Riverview Bottoms, which sits in a 500 acre property and is 10 min away.
LegendWe enjoyed this park so much we have already been here twice and have a third trip planned for this coming September. There are very wide bike/hiking paths that are paved or stone.
The huge lake has boating opportunities and you can rent a boat in McFarland that is a short drive or bike ride. We rented a boat to fish and then drove across the lake to eat at a restaurant with boat parking.
The nature center is across the street from the campground and has a small snack bar/restaurant. There are cranes walking all around and the park is so big it has different types of plants to explore. There is an observation tower and in the picnic area a playground. The best part is the boardwalk that extents over the lake and you are walking/riding on water.
About a half a mile away is a very nice dog park that you receive admission to if you have a campsite.
Dane County has many parks in their system and we have stayed at several and all are great.
GuideWe stayed in our 42 ft motor home with jeep tow. We drove to the park in our jeep at nine am on a Sunday to check availability. If you haven’t reserved a site, there are several sites for walk-ins but you have to be present to sign/obtain them. Check out time is three pm but weekend people often leave earlier in the day and that is what occurred for us. Several sites have 50 amp plus there are thirty amp And non electric/tent sites available. The campground has showers and bathrooms but this is a county park so understand these are not hotel facilities. They are adequate for campIng. There are biking and hiking trails in and through the park and trail users also share the restrooms. The park is close to Madison. There is WiFi but the signal is variable. The ranger and campground hosts were friendly and helpful. Four legged campers on leash can walk with you on the trails and there is s nearby dog park.
ScoutMy first time at a campsite and new to the rv life. This campground is nice and so are the employees grass gets cut every week, the pool is clean, so is the dog park, my husband likes going to the camp bathroom for a hot shower because our rv only has 10 gallons of hot water. We did 3 months at the camp!
LegendMy first impression when I first arrived here was the overwhelming scent of a newly minted campground, what with the freshly laid gravel, the mint condition security gates, finely manicured and recently raked greenery (as it was October when we visited, it might be better described as brownery) surrounded by a fairly decent gated enclosure lined with perfectly pruned tall towering oaks. Upon arrival, you’ll find what looks to be a brand-spanking new log cabin office on the right after passing a seemingly freshly-minted activities center / community lodge complete with in-ground heated swimming pool and jacuzzi on the left.
Amenities? As you could guess, this pet-friendly 60-acre RV resort has all the attractions in spades from pickleball, playgrounds, volleyball, log pergola patio, full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water & sewage), picnic tables, fire pits, BBQ grills, wagon rides, river access, picnic areas, bathhouses w/ showers & restrooms, cable TV WiFi (pretty poor connection though), gaga ball, game room, community room, billiards table, playground, wet bar, tabletop shuffleboard, community living room with large screen TV, DVD player w/ DVD library, clubhouse, dog park, horseshoes, hot tub, covered pavilions with picnic tables, catch & release ponds, inflatable water toys, jumping pillow, laundr-O-mat, propane refueling station and dump station.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a handful: (1) This place isn’t EZ to find – for some reason, if you plug the campground into your GPS, you’ll literally be on the wrong side of the tracks, where you will arrive at a dead end with a sign that says you are in the wrong place and that you’ll need to double-back, cross the train tracks heading north and turn right just before arriving to High Road School of Belvidere (so if you see a school, you’ve gone too far); (2) You will want to take note that yes, you actually cross train tracks to get to this campground, so if you’re sharp, you’re going to want to ensure you haven’t booked a site right next to where trains will shoot through every few hours, this specifically means avoiding sites #E1-#E5 and #FS23-#FS36 as well as #FE1-#FE20; (3) If you’re a tent camper, you can certainly stay here, but you will want to note that this is very much an RV outpost; (4) The best sites IMHO are those on the northernmost perimeter, as far away from the train tracks as you can get and that also border the Kishwaukee River with sites #S9-#S20 being excellent, as well as #S25-#S81, which are equally amazing; (5) If you are planning on using that amazing pool that you saw as you came in, make sure you call management a good day or two before you come in to ensure that they turn on the heater – when we were there for 2 days, by the time we left, the pool was still too cold to go for a dip; and (6) When you grow weary of trying to conjure up a meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler and want to venture out to try some local fare, just a short walk into the nearby town is Garden Prairie Café, which has a very simple menu offering no shortage of fried everything (fish, shrimp, chicken, etc.) and then there’s Pleasant Street Tavern, but that’s mostly cheap national beers and frozen pizza fare, so if you want something a bit more substantive, head west of here to Miles Bar N’ Grill that serves up typical Midwestern fare like cheese curds, pork tenderloin, Italian beef and a variety of fried fish like blue gill, cod and catfish.
Happy Camping!
Several campgrounds near Janesville, Wisconsin accept dogs with varying policies and amenities. The region sits at approximately 824 feet above sea level in southern Wisconsin's glaciated terrain, with moderate summer temperatures averaging 80-85°F during peak camping season. Winter camping isn't common as most campgrounds close from late October through April due to freezing temperatures.
Kayaking and tubing options: At Crazy Horse Campground, campers can enjoy complimentary kayaking services with a shuttle. "They provide at no charge kayaks and a shuttle to a drop-off point which you can kayak back down to the campground which takes about an hour and a half," notes David H., adding that "if you have a second vehicle you can continue on down river another eight miles."
Fishing opportunities: Sugar River Forest Preserve offers excellent river fishing just a short drive from Janesville. "The river was low this time, so we didn't do any canoeing, but we saw many people tubing from Sugar River Adventures having fun," Brian O. writes. The preserve is known for both fishing and paddling, with the Sugar River being "scenic, and easy to paddle up or down, so you can do round trips without having to arrange drop-offs."
Hiking and exploring: Lake Kegonsa State Park provides extensive trail networks. "Very nice hiking trails right from campground. Lake & pet swim area," notes Kathy L. The park features "multiple trails scattered throughout the park. Everything from a quick half mile trek to loops that allow you to put on a couple of miles."
Clean facilities: Milton-Madison SE KOA receives high marks for cleanliness. "Bathrooms are fantastic and recently upgraded," according to Marc W., who also praised the "nice playground, and pool area with hot tub." Chris H. agrees: "This place was the best on our trip so far. The pool was great (from 3-4 it's adult swim, so the kids had to get out)."
Spacious camping sites: Many campers appreciate the generous site sizing at dog friendly campgrounds near Janesville. At Rock Cut State Park, Justin G. found that "this location was close to the shower house" and had "plenty of scenic photo opportunities." Matt S. notes it "boasts as being the largest State Park in Northern Illinois" with "almost 40 miles of hiking trails, including equestrian trails."
Organized activities: Seasonal events create community at many properties. "Golf cart parade, DJ, band, BINGO," summarizes Karli M. about activities at Blackhawk Camping Resort. Christopher P. appreciated Milton KOA's atmosphere: "Woke up to a beautiful site and extremely nice people," while Erin B. mentions "games and activities for the kids over weekends."
Varied bathroom conditions: Facilities can differ dramatically between campgrounds. At Lake Kegonsa State Park Campground, Melissa K. reports that "facilities were clean enough and toilet paper seemed to always be stocked" though "the shower heads could all use a little TLC." She adds an important tip: "There were NO soap dispensers so make sure you bring your own toiletries."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Janesville, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Janesville, WI is Rock Cut State Park - Staghorn Campground with a 4-star rating from 79 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Janesville, WI?
TheDyrt.com has all 92 dog-friendly camping locations near Janesville, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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