Best Tent Camping near Knapp, WI

This was a great spot for our first time camping with our kids! We camped in a tent so booked a site on the river side (no hookups) but it was very spacious and was perfect for our group! Bathrooms seemed fairly decent. They weren’t too far away. I would definitely stay here again!

We experienced wonderful customer service, tent camping, nature center and waterfalls.

Some nice hiking and beautiful landscapes of wildflowers, grasses, and the river Typical state campground set up, not a ton of privacy but enough. Stayed 3 nights, tent camping. Biy certified firewood outside the park if you plan on using a lot. A nice weekend getaway close to the metro!

Be sure to check out Franconia sculpture garden if you're staying here and have the time! It's such a fun and quirky place. Some of us stayed at an RV site and some of us stayed at a tent site this trip 😁

Three campgrounds, first come first serve. $10/day entry $40/daily for electric hook up (non-resident); no full hook-ups, no water, only 1 vault toilet open per campground. Year round availability, however- tough to find! Very hard to get a cellular connection (T-mobile). Beautiful views of the river, right along the edge if you tent camp. Multiple playgrounds, hiking trails and loads of nature, large beach and waterfalls.

I camped here in April and got a camping spot on the edge of the River Campground facing the woods. I loved this spot and it was plenty big for parking two cars, tent, hammock, chairs, you name it! It appears that most tent camping is on the outer edges and RV camping is in the middle. No one was noisy, wasn't a "party" campground which was great for peace and quiet. It was great being so close to the river trail. Great views and fresh air!

This is one of my favorite campgrounds in Southern Minnesota! It is only 1 1/2 hours away from the TwinCities which makes it an ideal getaway. The campsites are wooded and have enough distance between them that noise is minimal. I especially love the view of Lake Pepin and the nice little swimming beach. On our last stay, we were able to watch eagles from our campsite, which was amazing. They have recently added 3 small cabins to rent which would be a nice alternative to tent camping. If you do plan a camping trip to Hok-Si-La and you're driving in from the Twin Cities, be sure to take Wisconsin Highway 35 through Maiden Rock, Stockholm, Pepin, and other small towns. You can loop back into Minnesota through Wabasha. This adds about an extra half hour to your drive but it is definitely worth it!

Tent sites line the exterior of this campground while electric, RV sites are close by. While I was at a riverside spot, the amount of RVs across the road can really detract from the experience. People in RVs (this is a generalization made after many'a'night in campgrounds) tend to not recognize their voices penetrate tent walls with incredible ease -- many lack the personal experience that their voices are disruptive at midnight and should speak in hushed voices while their neighbors try to sleep. Not to mention, what's with the bright lights they shine on their exterior? Camp Hosts (who slept in an RV as well) were useless to manage quiet hour expectations. Bathrooms have a shower and while I did not use, seemed in good condition.

We had a last minute idea to go camping on Labor Day weekend, hopefully omewhere near St Croix Falls so we could visit Interstate State Park and explore the surrounding area.  As luck would have it, there were no campsites avaialble at any of the local state parks on the Wisconsin side or Minnesota side of the river. So, we checked for other area campgrounds and discovered this gem of a private campground right on the shores of the Apple River. This is mostly a campground that rents seasonal sites to RV owners, and these are tucked away in the woods near the river with a real sense of privacy. But, for the casual camper,  they also have a swath of sites located right ON  the river, including sites with hookups if desired, or a separate lane of very large and very secluded tent sites also right on the river that I dare say are nicer than any of the tent sites at area state parks. The Apple River is really beautiful, and if we had brought our kayaks we could have plopped them right in the river from our campsites and had an amazing paddlle on this pristine tributary of the St Croix.  (See attached photo for map of the Apple River upstream towards its various headwaters lakes. Further down the Apple River is a canyon and whitewater section for tubing or paddling: 

https://www.stcroix360.com/2013/06/floating-the-apple-river-canyon/)

We were in site T3, which had an electric hookup used by friends who joined us in their van; there was also a water hookup which was handy even if we didnt hook up to it. There was a fair amount of  space at our site, but If we were to come back again we would want a bit more space and privacy so we would absolutely go for one of the tent sites, any one of them would be great! The campground over all is clean and well maintained, a lot of retired folks as seasonal campers but also a lot of families with kids, and a nice family atmosphere. Given that is was Labor Day weekend and every site ended up being taken, you might expect it to be busy and loud, but it was pleasant and quiet, and the neighbors friendly, The bathrooms and showers were clean and well kept, and bleach water disinfectant was avaialble to wipe down surfaces if anyone had concenrs. There is a small pub with a patio attached to the campground office, but it was surprisingly quiet and low key. There is volleyball and more outdoor games adjacent, and this is all a bit set apart from the campground anyway. Along the river is a small beach, boat dock for canoes and kayaks and fishing, and a nice playground for kids.  It is a good 20-minutes to half hour drive to Interstate State Park and the Falls towns, which has pluses and minuses. We also took the opportunity to try some hiking a little closer to the campground, and enjoyed the Stower Seven Lakes Trail on the old Soo Line : https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/stower

Other outdoor activities and special places to visit in Polk County near the campground: 

https://www.co.polk.wi.us/landinfowisdnrmaps

Really a lovely spot, and a nice surprise.

We spent two nights at Lake Wissota State Park tent camping in site 30. The site was very deep, and very private with lots of tree coverage on all sides to block out any noise and most of the light from your camping neighbors. The water source was a little far away (about 200 yards) but we were located near the bathroom and showers. The shower facilities were mediocre, but about what you'd expect at a state park.
Park has a swimming beach and several miles of trails.

Worth taking a trip into town and walking up and down the main street. Visit the local shops, and make sure to visit Leinenkugel's brewery for a tour and a pint, but don't over look the Brewster Bros. Brewing Company and the Chippewa River Distillery, also located right in Chippewa Falls.

We went on a day trip to the eagle point section of the Lake Elmo park district. This is set in a lush rolling prairie with lots of hiking trails in addition to other attractions like an archery range and swimming pond. 

The modern campground is built for non-tent campers, which is kind of a bummer because it is so much nicer than the “rustic” tent campground. Could you set up a tent there? Sure, but most of the site is devoted to a gravel parking pad. 

The rustic campground is an offshoot of the horse trailer parking lot. The sites for the most part are not spacious or private. Only portapotties. I think the best camping opportunity I saw was the group campgrounds, which had more modern outhouses. This will continue to be a great day trip location for us.

This is a small county campground with 15  simple campsites geared towards tent camping, though 5 of the sites are equipped with electricity so folks with vans or small trailers might be comfortable here. The park is nicely wooded and there are basic facilities such as water and vault toilets. They are adjacent day use areas including a group picnic shelter and playground. This is a good spot for fishing, and canoeing or kayaking https://amerywi.gov/432/Canoeing-Kayaking and there are other activities in and around the nearby town of Amery. 

I might not camp here as a destination vacation spot, but it might be a good stopover if on a weekend paddling trip. You could start at the DN Campground of vicinity further north https://thedyrt.com/camping/undefined/d-n-campground, then paddle a nice easy day trip to this campground, and then the next day paddle into the town of Amery and pull out there.

The camping is currently closed for the season, and will be have repairs and needed upgrades. It would be worth checking in spring 2021 to review the improvements!

For whatever reason I always thought of William O’brien as more of a day trip park, but it actually has really nice campgrounds! There is the Riverway campground, which is more shaded and conveniently located next to the river trail(not paved, but flat and lots of people with strollers). I would avoid booking at this site if it has been a wet season, on a previous day visit the river trail was completely underwater so I’m assuming that several sites were as well.

If you book at the savanna campground you don’t have to worry so much about an overflowing river! This is also where the small rentable cabins are, and staying in one of them is definitely something I am interested in doing. This is also the campground that seemed to have an overwhelming amount of jumbo RVs since the pull-ins are pretty straight- especially the 79-96 loop. So be aware of that if you are a tent camper looking for peace and quiet and not generators. The last two loops are definitely the nicest as far as tent site quality- they are also non-electric so you don’t need to worry about RV noise.

I can’t speak on the bathrooms since the campground has portapotties set up. 

Great sites at Riverway: 1, 5, 9, 13, 47, 49, 50, 53, 59 

Great sites at Savanna: 82, 108, 114, 117, 118, 123, 125,

First thing you need to know: It's completely in the woods, and sites are FULLY shaded. Sites 28-38 are on a loop with a picnic pavilion in the middle with some openings for sun on the road and in the picnic area. Other than that, the rest of the campground is rather dark all the time; there aren't as many sunlight openings on the road to the other sites. This is not a good place for solar panels, but almost all sites are electric.

Nice price: Cost is $20/$16 for electric/non-electric. This is an Army Corps of Engineers park which means you pay $10/$8 if you have an NPS Lifetime Senior Pass.

Services: There are full services at this campground - flush toilets, sinks, showers, trash receptacles, and drinking water/dump station near the entrance. There is an interpretive center for Saturday evening ranger programs and a playground next to it.

Roomy sites: This campground is small, but almost all sites are large. There are 38 sites plus walk in tent sites A through G and a group site. It looks like sites 28-38 can be rented for a group; the entrance was blocked off when we were there.

Equestrian section may be open to campers without a horse: There is an equestrian campground about a half mile before the main campground entrance. You may camp in the equestrian area (E1-E10) without a horse if the main area is full. We were able to reserve a site in there a couple days ahead of time because the main campground was full. It was just us and one other family on a Saturday night, and neither of us had a horse. We moved to the main area on Sunday morning because lots of sites were open on Sunday.

This is a state park on the Wisconsin side of the St Croix River, which is mirrored by a comparable but smaller state park in Minnesota on the wrst side of the river, both being part of the wild and scenic St Croix National Waterway. Although the campsites themselves are pretty run of the mill, the setting is spectacular in terms of breathtaking scenery, and myriad outdoor activities from rock climbing in the river gorge, paddling the river, hiking miles of trails, and learning geology at the Ice Age geology visitors center. If you are tenting camping, the south loop is great, and if you pick campsite 65 or 67 you will have direct access to the river which is peaceful and good for paddle opportunities. There are picnic areas with swimming along the river which is nice for group gatherings, and one is designated for folks with pets. Some of the rugged hiking trails along the bluffs and cliffs go right along the edge with minimal guard rails or walls, so keep a close eye on kids and pets because going over the edge is a possibility so utmost caution is advised.

We live in Minneapolis and love having this camp close to home, yet far enough to feel like we are up north. We come here a lot during the summer!

The camp is rustic, in a good way. Lots of trees, nice sites with water and electric and a dump station (that’s not stinky!) Bathrooms have been renovated recently too.

Depending on what type of camper you are, there are lots of options. What you won’t find is an RV Park that is open and on top of each other. There are sites big enough for large campers, there are drive-in tent sites (several have been upgraded with electric this year), and a few walk-in sites. There are some seasonal campers too who are friendly and willing to help out if you need something.

A previous review mentioned the roads. They washed out one night when there was really heavy rain and big storms but the owners where fixing them right away the next day. They said that happens now and then because it is a dirt road but they have all the equipment to fix them promptly. You can tell they care a lot about the campground and they are very attentive. They are good about coming around and monitoring what’s going on. They enjoy good conversation too.

It is a kid friendly campground. I often see kids meeting each other from different sites and then hanging out and playing games together. There are nice playgrounds on both the A and B hill.

The campground owners are great and very helpful. They will help you get situated into your site and bring you firewood and even a cooked Heggies pizza! They are also great about explaining the different sites and making sure it will work for the type of camping you are doing. They truly are hosts!

There is a walking path down to the river and the Lions Park is in walking distance. There is a big hill up into the campground, (because of the river) but there is parking at the Lions Park if you want to drive. The Lions Park also has a boat launch for the St. Croix and there is a parking lot at camp where you can store it during your stay.

Taylors Falls is two miles away where you will find cute shops, ice cream and good dining. St. Croix Falls is right over the river where you have more restaurants, a grocery store, Menards and a Walmart.

There are a few ATV’s and mini bikes but they mostly stay over on another hill where there are trails set up for them and no campsites are over there. If you enjoy riding, bring them along!

For the most part, people are respectful of the 10pm quiet hours. If people are loud, the campground owners have asked that you call them no matter how late so they can take care of it. They appreciate k owing if others are not being respectful, day or night.

The camp store has lots of necessities like ice, snacks, s’mores stuff and more. They have games you can check out and little items you may have forgotten at home.

We often stay at State Parks. We liked this camp because it is similar when it comes to rustic and wooded, but they don’t have all the strict rules like the State Parks. We will keep coming to Camp Waub O Jeeg!

There are several campsites on and off the river but this one, campsite 21, has a lovely location that is directly on the river. Easy to access it even has a little beach to launch a kayak or fish from. This site has a raised tent pad but also space for another tent off the pad or your RV. This park is great for families as it has lots of rocks to climb and explore and the potholes are a wonder all ages enjoy.

A good little campground for tents and trailers with trails nearby and some sweet waterfalls not far off.  Good for those who want to explore the twin cities without staying in town.

Not the best place to go pitch a tent but it is a nice little community. Access to North Center lake and the Chain of lakes in the area.

https://www.bluewatersmn.com

As a kid we went here often. The water front sites were awesome. Nice sandy shored lake a short walk from your tent couldn’t be beat. I remember there being decent little trails through out as well.