Looking for tent camping near Lancaster? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Yellow River State Forest is a perfect place to explore some of Iowa's best hiking trails. Located in northeast Iowa in Allamakee County, the forest is part of the "driftless area" that escaped the glaciers during the most recent ice age. The forest consists of 8,900 acres of hardwood and coniferous forest and is comprised of 6 units.
The Paint Creek Unit is of primary interest to the recreationist, with well-kept camping areas, equestrian accommodations, fishing, hunting, and over 45 miles of trails for hiking, equestrian riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.
$12 / night
There are six backpack campsites near Hickory Ridge. All sites are about 0.5 miles from the parking lot. Water and pit toilets are near the parking lot. Please note that coordinates listed on The Dyrt are for the entry to the State Park. Please call to gather detailed instructions on how to access these walk-in sites.
There are 8 campsites that can accommodate groups of 15 to 40 persons per site in the Hickory Ridge Group Camp. Only tents are allowed. Each group site has a tent area, picnic tables, a large fire ring and a set of pit toilets. Drinking water is available at the shower building located near group site B and across from the backpack sites parking lot near group sites E, F, G and H.
You may hear a cow moo at the hike-in sites in Camp John Shultz but you’ll not likely hear people. If you do have to share the camp, there are five segregated campsites that are well spaced and feel private. Sites range from partial shade to full shade and all but two have fire rings.
Yellow River State Forest is a perfect place to explore some of Iowa's best hiking trails. Located in northeast Iowa in Allamakee County, the forest is part of the "driftless area" that escaped the glaciers during the most recent ice age. The forest consists of 8,900 acres of hardwood and coniferous forest and is comprised of 6 units.
The Paint Creek Unit is of primary interest to the recreationist, with well-kept camping areas, equestrian accommodations, fishing, hunting, and over 45 miles of trails for hiking, equestrian riding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.
Frontier equestrian campgrounds are non-modern and have non-electric sites with hitching rails and vault toilets
$16 / night
The Worthington Sportsmen's Club Inc. is located approximately 3.5 miles south of Highway 20 on X47 (310th Ave) or 6.5 miles north of Highway 38 in Delaware County, Iowa open to members only. Membership is open to everyone and an application is available via the website: https://sites.google.com/site/worthingtonsc2/membership?authuser=0
For the camper there are six 30-amp Electric camp sites (see Fees for cost information) at the front of the club, with primitive sites located around the pond. If you prefer just spending time with family and friends in a beautiful setting we also have two picnic pavilions with playground equipment and a number of picnic tables and fire rings surrounding the pond.
Camping - membership required, no non-member guests. Electric sites are $10 per night. Non-Electric site donations are appreciated. Fees for camping can be sealed in an envelope and placed in the Yellow camping box in the camp ground. Contact Tom Dunkel (563-590-2704) with any questions.
Camping is limited to 7 days unless approved by a Director.
$20 / night
Guide
Was very thankful to find a place to overnight in mid-November. Not a lot of free parking options in this part of Iowa. No water, electric, or dump station, so very much like a parking lot overnight from that perspective. However, the park is situated on the valley bottom of the Yellow River Forest with beautiful tall trees, and there are fire rings. Fee was $12. First come first served basis from November through March.
Guide
I’ll begin by saying this is by far the cleanest campground I have stayed at. The facilities were well kept including the vault toilet houses. We stayed in a walk to site and the views were incredible. Our tent pad was quite rocky so I would recommend sleeping pads or you will be very uncomfortable. Our site was also extremely dusty which wasn’t a problem at all just be prepared to be a little dirty. The campground was quiet except for the occasional train that rolled through those are quite loud due to how close they are to the campground. I would definitely come back to Nelson Dewey and stay again. There was not a ton to do in the area so a short weekend stay was perfect. A highlight is that the park provided cart to use to haul all your stuff to the walk to sites. There is 1 designated parking spot per walk to site as well. The walk to sites are small and only accommodated our one (6 person) tent which was not a problem for us as we knew this ahead of time.
Guide
I had good Verizon signal here (70 down, 20 up) but zero T-mobile signal.
The campground is close to down, there are two museums within walking distance (just steps from the campground entrance). Across the street is a walking & biking trail that will take you straight to downtown, where you'll find a coffee shop, a few restaurants, and other shopping. It's less than a 5 minute bike ride to get there, and very scenic as it follows the river.
The facilities are newer and pretty nice. The showers are the single-button kind with no temperature adjustment. If you wait a while, the water does get barely warm enough for a comfortable shower.
This is not a quiet campground, it has a well traveled highway on one side, and a city main street on the other side that semi trucks use during the day. Sometimes there are highschool football games at the stadium next to the campground. Late at night it does get quiet.
The sites are grass or gravel. There are electrical hookups at most sites, with water faucets spread throughout the campground. The sites are mostly shaded.
I enjoyed the George Maier Rural Heritage Center and Museum ($5 admission) and the Elkader Depot Museum (free) which are located right next to the campground.
The downside to this campground is the dump station. It is just a hole in a manhole cover. It's in a dirt/weedy area and smells terrible. It's located across the street from the campground.
ScoutNice campground with many sites on the Mississippi backwaters and decent fishing stayed two days and opted on a third. However, after we paid for the third night we noticed a campsite on the other side. Of course the first amendment is everyone’s freedom but really ,do campers need to put out “2024 No More Bulls***” AND how about 2024 Fu** your Feelings” that was in front of their welcome sign. These phrases were on massive flags nailed to trees. Of course we all have freedoms but because these vulgar, in your face phrases were seen every time we left the campground we did not feel comfortable. Good thing I did not have my grandkids along. We all have our beliefs, but is offensive language regarding politics have a place in campgrounds have a place? I say “No!” those folks were out of line and it is wrong. We will never return to this campground again.
Guide
The park is on the beautiful might Mississippi river. It’s 2 miles from Potosi, WI with a large brewery with good food as well. Army Corps so half price with America The Beautiful senior discount card. If you like trains you will see many, close and going fast.
Traveler
Nice sites, trails and facilities. Stayed during the week in mid September. Beautiful sites overlooking the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. Great hiking with clean bathrooms and toilets. Private with plenty of room from neighbors for our teardrop.
Scout
Nice trails around. Camp was clean. Cool creek and bridge. Priced appropriately at $23 a night.
Scout
We stayed at this campground over Labor Day. The owner intentionally doesn't fill all of the sites in order to give people more space- a great luxury over a holiday like this. The sites are pretty small and only one 'sleeping structure' is allowed on each site but we found that Jeff was very willing to let us put up two tents (one for my wife & I
+ one for the kids) because we were in the same family.
The bathrooms and showers were very neat and well maintained. We didn't use the showers because they were paid but our friends did and had good things to say about them.
The campground has a very nice playground (the favorite of the trip for one of my kids) and a lounge where anyone staying at the campground can rest with A/C, wifi, a phone charging area, and some board games.
The primary drawback is that there isn't a lot of outdoor activities to do in the area. All the land is private so there's not great hiking (a little in the state park about 20 min drive away), IL law allows waterways to be privately owned so you can't kayak the river, etc. Galena is nearby if you want to go shopping and we really enjoyed going to Terrapin Apple Orchard and picking some apples (if you're there in the Fall). But all in all I would say this is a great campground to rest and relax at- probably not ideal for outdoor adventures.
Scout
My wife and I went there for the weekend and it was great. Clean and spacious sites. The bathrooms were even clean. They also provided free showers. The wood was a reasonable price and easily available at any time of the day. It was also pet friendly. I do wish that they hadn't cleared away so many trees. A little more shade would have been nice since we were in a tent. But other than that was was perfect.
Traveler
Two hour float trips on the North Fork Maquoketa River are available directly from the campground. There is a mix of permanent and temporary campers. The tent sites, nearest the river, are well spaced with flush toilets. Apparently there are also good trails, as many of the campers have ATV’s parked at their sites. The shower house, under the office, was spacious and clean.
TravelerI was hitchhiking thru, was dropped off by a ride that said he was buying a $14 tent site for me, come to find out he never did, I just was honest with sandy and the gentleman worker and offered the only 8$ I had, no sir, they said please stay for free and just enjoy. WONDERFUL PPL THAT CARE ABOUT OTHERS!! THANKS YALL
Scout
Lots of playgrounds for kids age 2-10. Pit toilets smell- I’d avoid sites around them. Hot Showers by lot 30 and at pool. Pool is not heated as stated- definitely not 80 degrees. West tower is the best for sunsets. Site 75 was nice as it was a bit back from the road and you can’t see your neighbors.
Traveler
Great backpack base camp! Great views, plenty of privacy and an easy hike. We stayed at 806.
Guide
I've visited this campground twice and it's been a hit both times.
Pros:
- Scenic overlook is gorgeous.
- The dense tree cover and near-constant slight breeze help to both keep this campground cool and the mosquitos at bay.
- Well-kept vault toilets.
- Close to a many points of interest.
Cons:
- Some of the sites are strangely graded and situated. One site near ours had the fire pit at the very edge, making sitting around it virtually impossible. 14 was a pretty site but had a large tree in the middle of it.
- Using the County website to reserve the site was clunky and time consuming.
GuideI have stayed at this campground three times in the last decade or so.
Pros:
- Excellent location if you're looking to recreate on the Wisconsin River or visit the American Players Theater across the way.
- Interesting history about the Shot Tower on site.
- Nice little hiking trails.
Cons:
- Every time I've visited we've dealt with lots of mosquitos, but nothing comes close to our most recent visit! It was a mosquito massacre. So terrible that after coating ourselves in DEET and eating dinner there the first night, we actually booked another campsite about a half hour away (Brigham County Park - a gem!) and abandoned this site altogether.
- Vault toilets were fragrant.
Traveler
Quiet , off the grid! Very pleasant !
ScoutWe needed a place after visiting the House on the Rock and couldn't find anything with hookups nearby. We stumbled upon Tom's Campground hoping to find a site. We pulled in and Tom met us at our camper as soon as we got to the top of the hill and before we even got out. He was very friendly and informative. Showers were good enough but we aren't picky, 7 minutes for $0.25. The area was beautiful.
Guide
I wanted so badly to love this campground experience, but just didn't. Site 19 was an easy walk-in that theoretically had nearby vault toilets, parking, and water.
Each site only had space for one car to park before walking in. Not a huge deal, but annoying as there were 2 of us who drove separate and we had to problem solve. When we got to the site I was shocked to see that what was labeled as a tent site had literally NO flat space to actually set up a tent. Spacious site, but fully sloped.
Also, what I would have loved to know, is that the vault toilets are closed because they are doing construction to build something new in that space. Construction that starts loudly each day at 7am. Honestly every site from about #35 down was affected by the noise because the construction is happening in the middle of the loop (and actually blocking some of the one-way road as well).
The park in general was okay. Per the usual, the pet areas were lacking. No beach at all, just grass covered in goose poop and one cut out on the raised shore between tall grasses and foliage where a dog could potentially jump in. Certainly nowhere for a human to enjoy the water with their pups unfortunately.
Scout
I was looking around for a place and being the weekend after the 4th of July, I knew there wouldn't be many options. This place is literally a hidden gem and should get more focus!!! The owner had a spot for my family and me!!! When he found out that I was only tent camping, he even lowered the price!!! He didn't have to do that at all and it wasn't expected. Grassy locations everywhere. Wonderful water and electric hookups!!! A little piece of heaven here. JJ is an AMAZING host!!!
Scout
I made a reservation back in April 20 q24 June 26th 6 days before vacation I received a refund notice from them not in the full amount I paid less than a half
Traveler
We stayed here in our tent. This is a rural campground, somewhat dated, but very pleasant. It is true that the bathrooms were an older style but they were clean and functional and we found no fault with them. Most of the residents are seasonal and we had nice shady and grassy areas for tent camping, This campground is not near a busy highway, lake, or either area where there is a lot of noise. It is nice and quiet. The hostess was very nice and welcoming. We would certainly stay here again.
Ranger
I took my son and one of his friends campjng to Bellvue State Park, however, we did not visit the actual park itself. The camp sites were close to one another, many had almost no privacy from the other campsites. We were at campsite 40, which had a severe incline. Also, if you prefer to hammock camp you may not be able to do so. I was able to find one tree and hook the other side up to my vehicle.
Guide
What more can I say than this place was stellar. We were tent camping the site we picked was big (there were smaller sites if that’s what you need). Access to the trout stream directly from our site! The facilities were clean even for a vault toilet (regular toilets and showers available at the main building which were extremely clean) the showers had hot water and real on and off handles NOT the push to start ones. Access to the river was available and there was a boat launch site. Staff we encountered were all friendly. Firewood available to purchase on site (only available Friday and Saturday night it was $10 a bundle during our stay). Plenty of things for kids to do volleyball ball court, softball field, and several playgrounds! Many shelters available for larger gatherings. This place even had an outdoor chapel. Baileys Ford exceeded my expectations for a county campground and I will be returning 100% my only complaint was spotty service (Verizon) but then again the point of camping is to disconnect so this was not a big deal. Minimal bugs considering how close we were to the water as well!
ScoutThis is a really nice and clean campground! The sites are very spacious and the food is good!! Really good Friday night fish fries! We will definitely be back!!
ScoutBook this campground last minute over the phone for a weekend of trout fishing in the driftless area. Fishing was great. The upper ridge campground did not have hardly any grass so it got muddy fast when it rained. The pit toilets were kind of dirty though toilet paper was always stocked so that’s a plus. I explored the other 3 campground at sidie hollow while I was there and this is my take. The main campground had nicer facilities and a play ground for kids. The boat landing campground is convenient if you have a boat. The upper ridge campground has the most shade out of all 3 campgrounds (cooler in the summer). The locals sell firewood for $5 a bundle which is awesome. I would stay at this campground again.
ScoutCame to learn more about Tenkara fly fishing. Had a ball. Visited the 3 lookouts including Iowa only Fire tower. Bird life is colorful. Lots of places to hike. Scenery is lush. I had no phone service. Campsites are well mown, have a picnic table and fire ring. Pit toilets. Easy access to water. Drink water and firewood are at the host A frame. There is no dump site. Everyone was very friendly. Helpful. Nights were quiet. Very relaxing.
Guide
Loved this campground but it does have some drawbacks. Set up a lot for rv camping with site layout and connections. Some sites have the fire ring very close to the parking area and some spots have limited shade (compared to the majority of the campground that is in the trees). The bathrooms and showers are in good condition. The Mississippi River overlooks are a short walk away. There were lots of birds and spiders around the campground. There are a good number of hiking trails in the park.
Tent camping near Lancaster, Wisconsin offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying a variety of amenities and activities. With several well-reviewed campgrounds in the area, you'll find the perfect spot to set up your tent and unwind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lancaster, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lancaster, WI is Camp Glen Wendel Primitive Backcountry — Yellow River State Forest with a 4.8-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Lancaster, WI?
TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Lancaster, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
