Northern Highland State Forest offers several unique glamping options with amenities that elevate the traditional camping experience. Crystal Lake Campground provides glamping accommodations situated on pristine waterfront sites, with direct beach access and panoramic lake views. These sites feature comfortable setups while maintaining a connection to nature, with picnic tables, fire rings, and nearby modern facilities including clean showers and flush toilets. "This is a great campground. The best sites are lake sites, but there are some better than others. Look along the east side of the lake for a sandy beach off of your site," noted one visitor. Big Lake Campground also offers glamping opportunities in a more secluded setting, with sites nestled among tall pines and offering various levels of lake access.
The resort-style camping experience in this region includes numerous recreational activities centered around water. The crystal-clear lakes provide swimming, fishing, and paddling opportunities directly from many glamping sites. According to a camper, "The campground is on a large chain of lakes. The lake is one of the cleanest I've ever been on." A network of paved bicycle paths connects many glamping locations to nearby amenities and attractions, allowing guests to explore without using vehicles. Winter visitors can access nearby cross-country ski routes. Most glamping sites in the area operate seasonally from late spring through mid-autumn, with some locations like Big Lake Campground available year-round. Reservations for premium glamping sites, especially those with direct water access, should be secured well in advance as one reviewer mentioned they "will need to reserve your site 11 months in advance because it fills up fast."
"There is a paved bike path through the woods all the way to the registraion area. We arrived at our campsite, unloaded the bikes, then proceeded to ride to check in."
"Friendly staff. Highly recommended."
"Campground is a hidden gem - these sites are huge and if you can get one of the sites right on the lake, do it!"
"Me and the kids took a road trip from North Carolina to Wisconsin over the summer during Covid to get away."
"The best sites are lake sites (obviously), but there are some better than others. Look along the east side of the lake for a sandy beach off of your site."
"I have been camping at Crystal Lake every year for 20+ years. It is by far our favorite in the area. The showers and toilets are clean."
"We had the perfect set up.. right on the water and tucked into the woods. Our neighbors were to far to hear us and the bathrooms were near by!"
"Some provide camper access, walk in private access and water access. Cunard Lake allows non motorized watercrafts and has a great swimming area."
"Big Lake Campground is a great spot if you’re looking for a simple and peaceful camping experience. The facilities are very basic—vault toilets and no showers—but they are clean and well-maintained."
"This is a nice campground located in a nice place that isn’t too rustic. Lots of sites in this large campground too. The road in is paved and yet nicely wooded."
$28 - $41 / night
"Clean bathrooms and shower areas. Easy hook up for water, electric and sewer. RV sites nice but would prefer more trees. Nice fire pits. Wood available for purchase."
"Weather we stay in Wisconsin or not I’ll be back!"
"Buffalo Lake Campground in the Norther Highlands-American Legion State Forest is spectacular - the sites are large and beautiful - we had campsite 2020 which overlooked the lake, a perfect spot to hang"
"Great state campground, near Minocqua WI. Was clean and was a busy weekend of people but great space, little to know bugs."
"Had a great site right on the lake, fire pit was 10 feet from the water, most sites are large with trees but not many are very level."
"We loved staying at Lake Gogebic! There’s a beach a short walk through the campground and the site hosts are super friendly."
"Good sites, fire pit. Could hear a lot of of wildlife sites were on the lake but a lot of tree coverage between the site and the lake. Mosquitos were thick at dusk. Boat land is very near the sites."
"It’s a bit of a drive on some gravel roads to get to, but it’s a beautiful drive and well worth it."
RangerThis campground is wide and very open. We arrived on a Sunday and the weekend crowd had cleared out, so nice and quiet. One thing is— do not plan on doing laundry on a Monday. The personnel use all the machines to wash linens and towels from the cabins after folks check out. One dryer did not heat very well. The entry to the laundry is a step up and I stubbed my toe because the threshold was not secured.
GuideWelcoming, clean and charming old fashioned camping & RV’ing. Nice paved road coming in. Friendly owner on site. Convenient dump station. Water and Electric. Swam in lake. Very family and pet friendly. Would go back!! Recycling avail.
GuideOverall a decent Campground. Lots are spacious. Layout of fire pit on sites are poor. For example lot 76, fire is offset to the left of the electrical post. This is a problem since majority of RVs have awnings on the right side and electrical hook up on the back left side. Our fire pit ended up behind the camper. Poor layout by campsite personnel. “DNR Officer” that oversees the grounds is a zealot on dog leashes! “Your dog must be on a six foot leash even while swimming,” he yelled at me. Being an owner of a finely trained Labrador Retriever that I was exercising in the water, I doubt I will be back!!!!!!!!
ScoutClean bathrooms and shower areas. Easy hook up for water, electric and sewer. RV sites nice but would prefer more trees. Nice fire pits. Wood available for purchase. Driving a short distance to fun towns. Pretty quite.
GuideThe first four days were five stars. The campground was mostly full of tents, pop ups, small trailers, and a few 5ers and Class As. The site was clean and groomed. Spacing is nice and provides some privacy. The location is secluded with an easy walk to a quiet stretch of Lake Superior shoreline. The waterfalls in the area are a don't miss attraction. For a longer day trip the State Park to the east was magnificent as was Copper Peak.
The last three nights were 1 star. A large open frame generator ran 24/7 the entire time. The "camper" said quiet hours were only for TVs and radios. The generator ran even while they left the campsite. The owner ignored all requests to honor the quiet hours and insulted anyone that asked. We were three campsites away and it interfered with our sleep.
There are no camp hosts, no cellar coverage, and the Rangers do not answer knocks on the door at their offices about 20 miles away. You are on your own.
TravelerStayed here for 3 nights over the July 4th weekend 2020. Had a great site right on the lake, fire pit was 10 feet from the water, most sites are large with trees but not many are very level. Bugs were not a problem during the day but the second that sun goes down have the bug spray ready. The park was clean and very well maintained, bathrooms were very clean. It was still early in the season so the camp store wasn’t well stocked yet but they were working on it. The beach area was nice with a nice big sandy beach for the kids. The Porcupine Mtns were a 30 minute drive north and we had a great time there. I plan to go back here again as soon as I can.
GuideLocated down a quiet paved road just 2 miles outside of town. You are close to the action but dont have to listen to it.
Some sites are tight/close and others you could turn around in. Most are fairly level or it doesnt take much to make your camper level. Very little grass at site but you get a picnik table and a fire pit. Wood must be bought at the store but pay attention to the hours as they close early. Plenty of mosquitoes but you are in the woods. Daytime they arent too bad.
Bathrooms were very clean.
Full hookups, no wifi or at least we couldnt find it. Dogs are welcomed , no barking allowed. Cell phone service was good so you can work if you have too. AT&T and Verizon.
Passport America discount honored for 7 days and Coast to Coast.
Plenty of rules but we will have this on our return list.
Guide8/26-9/1/22- Free camping! There are vault toilets and hand-pump well drinking water in several places, and picnic tables and fire pits at each camp site. The sites are well maintained, clean, and reasonably flat. I tried self registering, but there was nowhere to sign-in. About 11Am the next morning, someone came by to register us. 2-bars Verizon 5G, and 2-bars AT&T 4G.
We rolled in about 10pm and drove through the western loop sites 1-22, pulled into the first pull-through site(W5) that we could easily get our 34’ fifth wheel into and went to sleep. In the morning, I walked the loop and found several others that we could fit(now that it was light out), and we moved over one site to W6. Site W21 has a lake view and a large loop in front of this back-in site that would be super easy to navigate for a big rig. Sites 11 and 12 were really close together but had a good views of the lake as well. Later, we drove over to the east camp site that all seemed to have lake views, and sites E12 and E13 are surrounded on 3 sides by water, a turn-around loop, and more sunlight for solar powered rigs. I didn’t think to check cell signal while there.
The towns of Watersmeet and Conover had the cheapest diesel fuel. The Wild Turkey Bar& Grill in Conover, WI had fabulous smoked meats, and there is a great little hardware store in Conover as well.
TravelerWe loved staying at Lake Gogebic!
There’s a beach a short walk through the campground and the site hosts are super friendly. There are sites that back up to US-64 so I’d recommend the middle or lakeside sites. The sites are also really big!! Park policy says you can either have 1 RV/trailer per site (with an added tent) or as many tents that can fit on the site, which is a great policy IMO. There is also ice for sale at the front of the campground; $2 per bag. There are electricity hookups but they’re spaced out weird so, depending on site, you’ll need a long extension cord to get power to your site.
I will say there was A LOT of kids around, riding their bikes/scoters/rollerblades and yelling at each other. It was a little annoying but we looked past it; if that’s a dealbreaker, maybe look for a different campground!
The weather was cool for 2/3 nights we were there so would recommend some warmer clothes and blankets. Not terribly bugging when it’s cooler, but the 1 day it was warmer there were a lot.
Overall, it was a great stay and if we ever find ourselves up in that area again we would stay again!
Northern Highland State Forest camping areas sit within Wisconsin's Northwoods region, characterized by dense pine forests and over 900 glacial lakes. The forest spans more than 232,000 acres across Vilas, Oneida, and Iron counties, with elevations ranging from 1,500 to 1,800 feet above sea level. Most campgrounds in the area operate from May through mid-October, with rustic options available year-round at specific locations.
Backwater exploration: Lake Cunnard offers non-motorized boating opportunities with protected waterways. "You can come here on the 4th of July without reserving ahead of time and still find plenty of open sites," notes Kayla R. about Cunnard Lake Campground.
Winter activities: Cross-country skiing is popular during snowy months at several forest locations. According to Joel N., "Bring your boat to fish and ski" at Clear Lake Campground, which has trails that transform for winter use.
Hiking to hidden lakes: The region offers numerous interconnected trails. Elliot Q. mentions, "There is a great one that wraps part of the lake, which will take you to 2 hidden lakes as well" at Clear Lake Campground. These secluded lakes provide peaceful areas for wildlife watching.
Photography opportunities: The morning hours offer prime conditions for nature photography. "Mornings were beautiful with the pines mirrored on the lake and the crying Loons," shares Jeanna Marie C. about her experience at Sandy Beach Lake.
Spacious, private sites: Many glamping sites provide ample separation between neighbors. At Sandy Beach Lake Campground, Scott M. notes, "Sites are fairly private because of the lower vegetation so you don't feel as though you are right on top of your neighbors."
Clean facilities: Well-maintained restrooms and shower buildings are consistent across several locations. According to Stacey N., visitors can expect "Clean showers. Friendly staff" at Clear Lake Campground.
Lakefront access: Many premium sites allow direct water access. "If you can get one of the sites right on the lake, do it!" recommends Caroline C. about Sandy Beach Lake Campground, where "Families staying here had kids swimming right off the campsite in the very nice lake."
Affordable firewood: On-site firewood purchases are reasonably priced. Stacey N. mentions "Great firewood… only 5$ per bundle" at Clear Lake Campground, while Caroline C. notes Sandy Beach Lake Campground had "firewood for sale for $5 (cash or check)."
Reservation timing: For peak summer weekends, plan far ahead. According to Braden H. at Crystal Lake Campground, "The lake is one of the cleanest I've ever been on," making it highly desirable.
Quiet zone requirements: Some areas have strict noise policies. As S P. explains about Cunnard Lake, it was "designated a 'Quiet' campground several years ago - one of only two in the 18 different Northern Highlands American Legion state forest campgrounds. That means no 'noise producing devices', including generators, radios, TV's, video games, guitars, etc."
Cell service limitations: Connectivity varies widely across the forest. Mike R. reports that at Crystal Lake Campground, "We have Verizon service and it is spotty in areas... Even when we had 3 bars, it wasn't much better than the 1 bar at our site."
Seasonal insect considerations: Prepare for seasonal bug activity, particularly in early summer. Art S. shares about Big Lake Campground, "Upon arrival the horseflies greeted us with curiosity. They seemed to leave us after we finished setting up but we still put up our screen room."
Best beaches: Sandy swimming areas are ideal for children. Matthew K. recommends Clear Lake as "a popular campground so it can be busy and hectic but is nice for families. A lot of locals come to the swimming beach on the weekends."
Multi-family arrangements: Some campgrounds offer double sites for larger groups. Joel N. advises, "If you have a lot of people there are no group sites but there are some double sites that work great" at Clear Lake Campground.
Bike-friendly locations: Paved paths allow safe cycling for all ages. Braden H. highlights that at Crystal Lake, "There is a paved bike path through the woods all the way to the registration area."
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Morning and evening provide the best animal watching times. Jordan A. enjoyed Cunnard Lake Campground for "getting to paddleboard (brought my own) and listen to the loons day and night."
Site selection strategy: Look for level sites away from the shoreline. Larry L. explains that at Big Lake Campground, "Sites that I stayed in seem to have good amount of vegetation in between for privacy."
Water access considerations: Most sites don't have direct hookups. Art S. notes that at Big Lake, "Vault toilets are spread throughout" and "Firewood is for sale in the wooden building - an honor system for payment."
Cellular connectivity: RVers needing connectivity should check signal strength in advance. Scott M. observed at Buffalo Lake Campground, "Great state campground, near Minocqua WI. Was clean and was a busy weekend of people but great space, little to know bugs."
Storage preparation: Limited on-site storage means bringing appropriate containers. Caroline C. suggests at Sandy Beach Lake, "They also had firewood for sale for $5 (cash or check)" - good to have small bills on hand for such purchases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Lac du Flambeau, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Lac du Flambeau, WI is Clear Lake Campground — Northern Highland - American Legion State Forest with a 4.6-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Lac du Flambeau, WI?
TheDyrt.com has all 30 glamping camping locations near Lac du Flambeau, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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