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Tent campsites near Lake Delton, Wisconsin include several established options within state parks. Devils Lake State Park Group Campground offers wooded tent sites with varying levels of privacy and amenities. Governor Dodge State Park, located within driving distance, provides backpack campsites that require a half-mile to one-mile hike from parking areas, creating a more secluded tent camping experience.
Most tent camping areas feature basic amenities with variations between locations. Devils Lake provides pit toilets near group sites with full bathroom facilities including showers within walking distance. Water access typically requires collection from designated pumps and transportation back to campsites. The terrain at Devils Lake consists primarily of dirt surfaces with abundant leaf cover due to the heavily wooded environment. Governor Dodge State Park's backpacking sites offer more primitive conditions with rougher, sometimes uneven ground that may present challenges for tent setup. Both parks maintain reservable sites with fire rings and picnic tables.
The tent camping experience in these areas provides access to significant natural features and recreational opportunities. "Great backpack base camp! Great views, plenty of privacy and an easy hike," noted one camper about Governor Dodge State Park. The backpacking sites serve as excellent starting points for exploring extensive trail networks, including the Lost Canyon Trail with its bluffs and small waterfall. Devils Lake offers swimming beaches where tent campers can rent watercraft during summer months. Weekdays typically see fewer visitors than weekends, when the more popular tent campgrounds fill quickly. Both parks provide opportunities for wildlife observation, with Devils Lake campers reporting visits from local raccoons and distinctive bird activity near the group camping areas. Winter camping is available for experienced tent campers willing to brave colder temperatures, with one reviewer noting comfortable camping in 30-degree November weather.
"Great location! I was in the upper ice age campground at site 416 and really enjoyed it. The sites are fairly close together, but in May the foliage is dense enough to block out most of the noise."
"Adequate size site with a tent pad, shade and privacy. Trees for a hammock. Clean shower house. Lovely hiking. Decent cell reception."
"Great backpack base camp! Great views, plenty of privacy and an easy hike. We stayed at 806."
"Back packing sites are 1/2- 1 mile hike from parking lot. Great hike threw out the state park. 2 main lakes with great fishing is a plus. Lots to do for the whole family"
from $32 - $79 / night
from $65 / night
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GuideCampsites, trails and facilities were immaculate. Staff was friendly. drive in and hike in sites available. great for families; trails have info markers to educate hikers on geology and flora of area. Drive in campsites had fire rings and picnic tables, vault toilets available.
LegendI spent two nights in the campground at Blue Mound State Park. Overall, the park has well-maintained hiking and MTB biking trails, extraordinarily clean and well-kept vault toilets, and ample access to drinking water. Both tent and RV/camper sites are on a typical one-way road pattern with a couple of loops there are plenty of sites with and without electricity. At the time I was there, the camp host sold high-quality hard wood for $5/bundle from a trailer on the honor system, so if you run out in the middle of the night, wood was easy to replenish. One of the park's highlights are lookout towers with views above the treetops, Unfortunately in 2020 both were closed, presumably because it would be difficult to keep a safe distance from others when on the stairs or while at the top. Pity, it'll be a reason to return. Still, there are several observation areas that are maintained well enough to keep the undergrowth from blocking the view of the Wisconsin River Valley nearly 15 miles to the north. This is where the "Blue Mound" name must come from, the hills at that distance did have a bluish cast to them.
If you've read any of my other reviews you know what's next, my list of the best campsites. While I've visited several parks now that have "walk in" sites, with cars parked a minute or two from the campsite, about a dozen sites in Blue Mound State Park take "walk in" to a new level. Cars can drive to a barrier across the road, and the sites are a 10-15 minute walk downhill, The park provides ONE medium-sized cart (250 lb weight limit, 20-minute use limit) that I guess would be in high demand during load in and load out. (NOTE TO SELF, camp Thursday through Monday if going here, or arrive EARLY to get a cart). Most of these sites are quite sunny; 105 is nice and shady and private, 106 slightly shaded 109 and 110 are shaded, very close to one another and would be good for a group camp setup 111 is quite shady. There's water and toilets in the walk-in camp ground. You'd want to sip wood for campfires and cooking, the nearest source is a 15-minute walk uphill and back, and then if using the cart, you have to return it for another round trip.
Back in the family campground where mortals and RVs park, I think the following are the nicest in terms of shade, level, size and privacy.
42, 45, 47, 51, 64, 66, 69, 71, 73
GuideThe cart in sites are fantastic at Wildcat Mountain! Each site is spacious with most heavily treed for shade. Each site has a nice large flat pad for a tent or two, fire ring, bench and picnic table. Proximity to potable water, vault or modern toilets and designated parking are all within 400 yards of all sites.
The park is located in the Kickapoo valley area where the driftless area is amazing to hike. You can kayak or tube down the river that is flanked by high limestone bluffs. The hiking trails are well maintained. There is also extensive horse trails, a beautiful outdoor ampitheater for viewing sunsets and access to the river right in the park.
The campers were respectful and quiet. Our campsite was fairly clean when we arrived. Contactless registration due to covid 19. That made getting set up quick and easy! The cart provided was fairly big for less trips. I would happily camp here again!
TravelerThis is our favorite campground for when we want to take trips to Devil’s Lake State Park! The campgrounds all vary in size, and many have a good amount of tree cover so you have some privacy from your neighbors. Every campsite has at least one picnic table and fire-pit. You can pull your car right up to the campsite. There is a store where you check in and you can buy fire wood and little odds and ends like bug spray or tent stakes. There is a pool that is really clean along with bathrooms and showers.
TravelerWe were at site #9, great spot for tent. There were only trees behind us and our neighbors were far enough way we had privacy. There was no electricity, but we charged our phones and my son’s iPad at the ranger station. There was no running water so bring sanitizer. The swimming pond was great and not rocky. The hikes were good but lots of mosquitoes which made it hard to enjoy. Wish there was more to do in the area. No showers and no electricity in the bathroom near our site.
RangerGreat state park for a family camping vacation, tons of stuff to do. Lakes, trails, kayaking, boating, paddle boarding, fishing. Hidden gem of Wisconsin. The campsites are pretty private, nestled in trees. Some shaded, some have sun and shade. They even have horse sites, so you can bring your horse, and stroll through the park horseback riding. Vault toilets, and regular toilets with ok showers. Water faucets scattered around for easy water access. Twin Valley has tent sites and RV/electric sites.
RangerI randomly picked this campground, after trying to book Devil's Lake with no luck. WE LOVED IT! Sites are very private, some in the woods, and some have sun/shade. Few double sites to fit a family, or two. I believe all sites have no electricity, water faucets are scattered around for easy water access. Vault toilets and regular bathrooms with decent showers. Campground is walking distance to the Cox Hallow Lake (no wake), where you can rent a kayak, canoe, row boat, or float on tubes all day long. There is also a dog beach, where we hang out majority of the time. Tons of trees with shade for the four legged family members. State Park offers tons of great trails, and decent views. Some trails are even more than 5 miles long, perfect for a morning stroll. We will be going back next year for a family vacation.
ScoutTl;dr: shower house is great. Nice campers, rangers and camping vibes. Go to Blue Mounds Grocery on the way in. easy access to hiking, mountain biking, and running trails - including Military Ridge Trail.
Camped here with 2 friends during a cross country road trip. We had site 5 and were tent camping. When we showed up it was raining and it was unseasonably cold, but other campers in adjacent sites looked like they were having a great time - lots of family groups. This kept our spirits high as we set up camp, made a fire, and made dinner. The site was standard with a big picnic table, tent platform, fire pit, and room for our car. The bathroom and shower house was a really great amenity and there were spots for cars to drive over there if their spots were far. A very nice camp ranger came by to say hi and let us know that campers are expected to quiet down at 9ish and not be cognizant of that. Campers were being respectful of socially distancing and wearing masks for the most part. Seems like there is a great bike/hiking trail network all around. A couple of us are runners also a friend from Madison met us and we ran on the military ridge trail in the morning. There is very easy access to that. Also, insider note, on the way in, go to blue mounds grocery for anything you need (esp firewood). The cash register gave us some great camping advice.
TravelerMy wife and I tent camped here. We had never been here before.
We stayed at site 77 as the majority of the sites were booked.
77 is sloped, as well as gravel with hard packed earth. Some patches of grass, but for the most part it’s gravel. My wife and I sleep on mattresses, so it was not an issue for us.
If you’re tent camping, I highly recommend looking for a site with a leveled tent pad. We did not inspect any of them, but from a distance the pads look like packed sand or something of that nature.
The pit toilets are very well taken care of. The shower facilities were not open during our visit.
Here is where our problems lied (and this has little to do with the park itself)
there was no end-of-night patrol of any kind. The biggest issue we faced was the amount of noise. All of the sites surrounding us knew each other and partied together. People that partied until 1am, yelling and being loud as hell. Screaming at cars that drove by. quiet hours are listed online starting at 10pm.
We left our campsite to ask the Onsite host for help or to do something about it, but they chose not to come out of their camper. We called every line we could to get someone to come and shut them up, but alas, no park employees or hotlines were available. The wife and I certainly did not want to call the cops since we were surrounded by a group of drunk loud people and that can get out of hand fast.
Park staff came to our site the very next morning and talked to us. They warned all groups around us of the noise level. While this did calm down the partying our next night, it did not stop them from yelling things towards our campsite to try and scare us. Making animal noises and non-sense scare tactics to try and intimidate us.
Trashy and disrespectful, we walk away from our experience with an extremely negative stain.
This has nothing to do with the park itself, just the unfortunate circumstance that we were surrounded by terrible people that do not respect the rules of camping.
Tent camping near Lake Delton, Wisconsin presents opportunities for outdoor recreation within the heavily wooded Driftless Area, characterized by unique rock formations and varying elevations between 800-1,000 feet. Average summer temperatures range from 70-85°F during peak camping season, with cooler overnight temperatures often dropping to the 50s even in midsummer. Campsite reservations typically open 11 months in advance, with most popular weekends filling within days of availability.
Hike challenging bluffs: At Governor Dodge State Park Backpack Campsites, visitors can explore the Lost Canyon Trail. "Great hiking. We did the lost canyon trail which is just stunning with bluffs, small water fall," reports one backpacker. The trail system offers varying difficulty levels with elevation changes suitable for beginners and experienced hikers.
Fishing opportunities: Many campsites provide lake access for anglers. "Back packing sites are 1/2- 1 mile hike from parking lot. Great hike threw out the state park. 2 main lakes with great fishing is a plus. Lots to do for the whole family," notes a camper at Governor Dodge State Park. Fishing licenses are required and can be purchased online or at local vendors.
Winter recreation: Cold-weather camping offers unique experiences when crowds thin. "Spent a weekend here in one of the group sites (G3) in mid November 2021. It was in the 30s at night but got up to the high 40s during the day, great camping weather!" writes a visitor to Devils Lake State Park Group Campground. Winter campers should check seasonal facility closures as water systems are typically winterized after October.
Privacy between sites: Backpack campers appreciate the seclusion at Governor Dodge State Park. "Great backpack base camp! Great views, plenty of privacy and an easy hike. We stayed at 806," states one visitor. Backpack sites require hikes of approximately half-mile to one mile from parking areas, which naturally creates buffer zones between camping groups.
Group camping options: Hickory Ridge Group Camp provides accommodations for larger parties. "Spacious sites, lots of availability to swim and hike. Will definitely come back," reports one camper. Group sites typically accommodate 20-40 people depending on location and must be reserved as a single unit.
Midweek availability: Camping during non-peak times offers a quieter experience. "We went during the week and it kept the crowds to a minimum. The south shore beach was best and we took the East Bluff trail to do some rock climbing with the kids," notes a Devils Lake visitor. Monday through Thursday reservations are typically easier to secure, even during summer months.
Uneven terrain: Some sites present challenges for tent setup. "Back packing site 802 - Great hike to spot, small spot on rough ground not to level for tebts but still feaseable," mentions a camper at Governor Dodge State Park. Bringing additional stakes and guy lines can help secure tents on variable surfaces.
Beach conditions: Lake swimming areas may have rocky shorelines. "Weekends are pack with campers. The beaches have hard pebbles and rocks," cautions a Devils Lake visitor. Water shoes are recommended for comfort when entering swimming areas.
Wildlife encounters: Local animals frequently visit campsites. "Campgrounds were clean and had easy access to water, got a visit from some local raccoons at night, overall experience was great!" shares a Devils Lake camper. Food storage in secure containers is essential for preventing unwanted animal interactions.
Budget-friendly options: Some locations offer economical group rates. "Reserved the group camp for three families, cost was $40 a night for a secluded, spacious, clean group site," shares a Devils Lake visitor. Splitting costs between multiple families can make weekend trips more affordable.
Beginner backpacking: Avoca Lake Tent Camping Resort offers walk-in sites that provide a backpacking-like experience without extended hiking. Sites require short walks from parking areas, making them suitable for families transitioning from car camping to backpacking.
Amenity access: Bathroom facilities vary between campgrounds. "Nice family campground. Has a lot of amenities including shower," notes a visitor to Hickory Ridge Group Camp. Checking facility details before booking helps families prepare appropriately for available amenities.
Site limitations: Most tent-focused campgrounds have restricted RV access. "Huge park! This is a beautiful place to go camping, lots of things to do! Lots of access to pit toilets and water fountains from primary camping sites!" reports a camper at Scheidegger Forest, where RV options exist but with limited hookups. RVers should verify site dimensions and amenities when booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lake Delton, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lake Delton, WI is Devils Lake State Park Group Campground — Devils Lake State Park with a 4.4-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Lake Delton, WI?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Lake Delton, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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