Best Tent Camping near Madison, WI
The southern Wisconsin region surrounding Madison offers several tent-specific camping options in state parks and wildlife areas. New Glarus Woods State Park, located near the Swiss-themed town of New Glarus, provides tent campers with both drive-in and walk-in sites in a wooded setting. Sandhill Station State Campground near Lake Mills offers primitive tent camping in an oak savanna landscape, with all sites requiring gear to be carried in from a nearby parking area. Devils Lake State Park, approximately 40 miles northwest of Madison, features group camping areas popular with tent campers seeking access to hiking trails and water recreation.
Most tent sites in the Madison area feature dirt or leaf-covered surfaces with varying degrees of shade and privacy. Walk-in tent sites at New Glarus Woods require a short hike from the parking area, with sites spaced along a central trail that provides some separation between campers. Sites typically include fire rings and picnic tables, though amenities are generally basic with vault toilets being standard at most locations. According to one visitor, "The sites are all very remote; no onsite rangers or anything like that. Beautiful walk-in sites, no carts to haul gear so pack light!" Seasonal considerations include significant mosquito activity during summer months, particularly at locations near standing water.
Tent camping experiences vary considerably across the region's parks. New Glarus Woods offers wooded sites with moderate privacy, though some campers note proximity to highways creates noticeable road noise. Walk-in tent sites provide more seclusion than drive-up options but may require additional planning for gear transport. In early fall, many sites offer improved conditions with reduced insects and pleasant temperatures. One camper noted that their site at Sandhill Station was "spacious, private, and beautiful" with "two large oak trees on either side of our site, giving us a good amount of mixed shade." Devils Lake's group sites are described as "well spaced out from each other" and "heavily wooded which protects from rain but also means they are dirt with a ton of leaves," creating a natural tent camping environment.