Tent Camping Madison, WI

Recent Tent Reviews near Madison, Wisconsin

830 Reviews of 14 Madison Campgrounds

• 

  Josh F.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 25, 2020

  Snug Harbor Inn Campground on Turtle Lake

  RV campground with lake access

  I did not stay here, but I spend some time walking through to get a feel for the place.

  This is primarily an RV/mobile home campground, but there are some nicely tucked away tent camp sites that I'll recommend later in this review. Gravel roads connect the three loops and the landscaping is well kept and maintained. The campground sells ice, firewood and rents boats.

  There is a very clean bathroom and bathhouse, freshwater for campers, and some electric tent campsites. The property is basically terraced along a slope down to the lake, with the RV and mobile home sites closer to the lake. The tent sites are above it all with decent views of the lake below (and the RVs). 

  The Galapagos tent campsite is elevated and a short distance from the loop road, and has a nice view of the lake. The Box Turtle site is also a bit elevated above the main driveway as is Snapper 7, though I am not sure where you are supposed to put your tent in that site.

  Now, Snapper 4, 5,6 and 7 would be nice for group camping because they are all very close to one another and a bit more private, set away from the rest of the campsites. There are lots of electrical sites for campers and RVs, most of which look like they are quite permanently in place.

• 

  Josh F.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 25, 2020

  Milton-Madison SE KOA

  RV/Mobile Home Campground with lots to do

  I did not stay at this campground, but drove through it to see the place. I was looking for tent campsites and if there are any, they were under the tires of an RV. There are lots of things to do here, but tent camping is not one of them. I have nothing bad or good to say about the place, just letting tent campers know that this might not be the place for them.

• 

  Josh F.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 3, 2020

  Hebron Campground

  Small, Tidy with Lots of Waterworks

  This is a relatively small, private campground mostly for RVs though there are some very nice sites that would be lovely for tents. There are a dozen tent sites that back up to a very charming river, each one has a picnic table and fire pit. The view of the river from these sites is lovely. Adding to the waterworks, there is a cute pond with a charming fountain in the center of the RV sites, and a nice horseshoes pit. There are a number of RV sites with full hookups. 

  I spoke with the owner and they did not have tent camping in 2020. They were worried about people in too close proximity in the restroom. In 2020 they only allowed RVs that had their own restroom facilities. The owner told me that maybe there will be tent camping in 2021.

• 

  Griffin K.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 4, 2020

  Blue Mound State Park Campground

  A+ camping experience

  Tl;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.

• 

  Kevin M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 18, 2016

  Twin Valley Campground — Governor Dodge State Park

  Great camping with hiking oppurtunities

  My friends and I camp here often as it is close to Madison, yet far enough away to be more secluded. The sites are are better than some of the state park sites with tent sites offering more privacy than the electric ones. There is plenty of hiking trails around the park with some great rock formations to explore. There is also swimming areas, concessions and a very helpful staff.

• R

  Ryan

  Scout

  

  Jun. 6, 2021

  Brigham Park

  Nice spot for tent camping

  Was in site 20. Nice spot for tent camping and enough room from each neighbor.

• J

  Jessica A.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 25, 2018

  Baraboo RV Resort by Rjourney

  Family friendly, lots of activities, many camping style options

  Activities every week. Pool. Pond. Playground. Mini golf. Options for tent camping, cabin camping (both basic and deluxe), RV, seasonal sites. Friendly owners. Great gift/supply store.

• 

  Juliya R.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 22, 2020

  Kettle Moraine South Camping — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Secluded and not too busy

  Making reservations at the group site was easy and ensured no other campers were near us. Beach access and a great tree canopy allowed for comfortable tent camping.

• 

  Tracey S.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 1, 2021

  Madison KOA Campground

  Great overnight stop stay

  This KOA, bought by new owners, was a great overnight! Clean bathrooms/showers, nice pool, long-level gravel sites, full hook ups, nice town, nice camp store, super nice owner! Would absolutely stay again! Even have a few tent camping sites

• S

  Sarah S.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 17, 2018

  Smokey Hollow Campground

  Family Friendly

  Love that this campground is less than an hour from Madison! Awesome place to bring the kids for a day, or the whole week! Man - made pond with inflatable structures, a jumpy blob for the kids to jump on & lots of other activities! We go every year!

• 

  Maxwell L.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 3, 2016

  Ice Age Campground — Devils Lake State Park

  Devil's Lake Bike Trip

  I did a 65 mile round trip by bike from Madison up to camp overnight at Devil's Lake. I stayed at the top of a large hill near the camp store. The campground host was very approachable and I enjoyed my time here. Neighbors were a bit loud and the grounds were packed, but I'd return in a heartbeat.

• 

  Jeff G.

  Ranger

  

  May. 22, 2019

  Rocky Arbor State Park Campground

  Nice little park

  A basic state park, mostly for tent camping. Clean bathrooms with showers. Pretty quiet and lots of trees. The first time we stayed they had a terrible gypsy moth infestation that had denuded all the deciduous trees. There was a carpet of caterpillars on the ground as well as caterpillar poop falling from above. Not as bad as it sounds. Ok, it was.... It proximity to The Wisconsin Dells is one of the attractions to this campground as it is about 5 miles north of town. An inexpensive way to stay near an expensive destination.

• 

  Meg S.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 1, 2015

  Twin Valley Campground — Governor Dodge State Park

  Great Campground in Wisconsin

  Great 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.

• J

  Juliana

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 14, 2021

  New Glarus State Park Campground

  Quiet!

  Camped here in a camper van. Very quiet (mid week in September). Very well maintained trails. Most sites are spacious, shady. I did not check out the tent sites, but the one I did see was really nice. A bit of highway noise, certainly nothing bad.

• A

  AC H.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 3, 2018

  Northern Lights Campground — Devils Lake State Park

  Favorite spot in WI

  Been going here every year with friends for over a decade. Nice size tent sites, great beaches with some nice amenities, like SUP and boat rentals, snack bar, fishing, etc. Awesome camp store and the hiking is fantastic. Gets busy because of its location to UW, and because it's awesome. ;)

• L

  Lula L.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 31, 2019

  Ice Age Campground — Devils Lake State Park

  Great hiking on lake

  Open pad sites for tent camping under tree canopy, great hiking over looking swimming and boating lake.  Requires WI St Park pass to get in plus camping fees.   Has both vault and flush toilets w showers.  Close to town for other activities, near Wi Dells Water park 21 ,miles not a bad drive. 

  Part of the ice age trail system maintained hiking trails are great.

• 

  Terra F.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 18, 2018

  Quartzite Campground — Devils Lake State Park

  Phenomenal park, some campsites are full sun and NOT tent friendly

  The trails and the views at this park are phenomenal. Find pictures of the campsites if possible, because some of the sites get a LOT of sun, and as we tent camp, it can be unbearable for our children. (We’ve camped with them yearly here since our littlest was 2, and that was the year we got a not so shaded site. Lesson learned.)

• 

  Brady J.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 24, 2023

  Quartzite Campground — Devils Lake State Park

  Busy but enjoyable

  We tent camped in the quartzite campground. Overall a pretty much wide open campground with virtually zero privacy so if you’re looking for that, look elsewhere. With that said, we enjoyed our stay as the sites along the perimeter are a little more private being along the tree line and decent space between each site. The park itself is beautiful and look forward to coming back

• 

  Kevin C.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 7, 2021

  Snug Harbor Inn Campground on Turtle Lake

  Nice quite lake

  I can not tell you how many times I’ve been here. My son lives within seconds of here so it is very convenient. They gave on site bathrooms and showers. Electric, water and sewer hookups. They also have tent sites. This season there will be née owners so I hope they keep some of the annual activities.

• 

  Christian A.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 8, 2021

  Holiday Shores Campground

  Building Family Traditions

  My gf family has been camping at this resort for years as a summer tradition and it has now become part of our summers. Pros:

  • Big Campground with lots of tent sites
  • Watersports store with boat rentals
  • Great Pool
  • Campground Activites on weekends
  • Awesome Donuts and Ice Cream

  Cons:

  • Rentals are a bit pricey
  • Bathrooms by the pool arent cleaned as often
• 

  Michael L.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 19, 2021

  Astico County Park

  First time this year

  This a dodge county campground we have been to 3 out of the 4. So fare Astico is are more favorable. There are 3 areas. River witch are electric. Point tent camping only upper, Danville are electric. There are pit toilets also a main shower bathrooms. Camp hostess are great. They help with camp wood with they ask if you want bundles or lose choose loose. They also have canoes and kayaks to rent. We will be going back.

• 

  Katie G.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 25, 2020

  Quartzite Campground — Devils Lake State Park

  Beautiful State Park with Ample Amenities

  We love Devil's Lake! It has incredible views and is absolutely breathtaking in the fall. It is also wonderful in the summer to go swimming and hike around. 

  We've never camped overnight here, but have taken many trips to hike around. With it only being 45 minutes from Madison, it's a great day get away! 

  Only drawbacks to Devils Lake are the crowds. It's popular (and for good reason!) so I would suggest hiking earlier in the day to avoid the larger crowds of people. I would also avoid going there when the mayflies have hatched because it can be unbearable.

• 

  Kenneth H.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 30, 2021

  Wisconsin Dells KOA

  Cramped, but friendly

  I was just there for a night, but as I drove to my spot, I had to dodge and weave around cars parked on the road, as the tent sites looked like Burning Man had a baby with a homeless shanty town in Hawaii. Tons of tents, packed in side-by-side, so only space for cars was on the one-way roads. Outside of the feeling that at any moment a kid was going to come flying out of nowhere, they had good facilities, friendly staff, and decent Internet connection.

• 

  Ashley Y.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 4, 2017

  Yellowstone Lake State Park Campground

  Fun state park in southern wisconsin

  My parents brought me here while visiting a few years back. They enjoy going to the nearby ever popular brewery. I also did some quick research and happened to discover that the Leopold center (as in Aldo Leopold) is also nearby so that was amazing to check out..anyway onward to the site review. The sites were all large and private mostly wooded which was nice. The beach wasn't very maintained upon our visit it was hard to say if it's like that all the time. Overall good location from Madison or Chicago. Private sites. Good for families we enjoyed ourselves!

• M

  Margo S.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 4, 2019

  Hickory Hills Campground

  Family Friendly Camping

  Hickory Hills is a quiet but activity filled campground 30 minutes from Madison. There are many permanent campers but they are all friendly and welcoming. The lake has a nice beach. The pool is not too large but works on a hot day. Most people have golf carts as there is no place to park by the pool or the club house. The bathrooms are clean and well maintained. Every weekend there are activities planned from wine tasting to Halloween trick or treating. The sites are large and you can choose from shady or sunny sites. Great place to spend a few days or the whole summer.

• 

  Sarah N.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 5, 2021

  Kettle Moraine South Camping — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Privacy is the Best Part!

  To start: I’m an RV camper who stayed in one of the electric sites this go-around, but I’ve tent camped here in the past as well.

  I’ll start with what I loved; the sites here are VERY private. You only get glimpses of your neighbors through the thick foliage. Doesn’t get much more private than this in a campground with hookups!

  The bathrooms are pretty dirty (dead bugs everywhere).

  Be careful about your site selection; do NOT camp along the road if you plan to be outside or you’re tent camping. I know from prior experience that it’s EXTREMELY loud at almost all times of day.

  There’s a good playground and beach, but they’re a bit far from the campsites. On an extremely hot day you might want to drive rather than walk, especially with little ones.

  If you’re camping with your dog you won’t find great trail access from the campground; the closest trail doesn’t permit dogs. I’d also avoid the dog beach like the plague. I didn’t see much in the way of posted rules, and people apparently had no problem bringing their untrained, unsocialized dogs. My dog was attacked by two dogs who wanted to get at her toy and the owners did nothing to stop it. My husband received a lovely bite from one of the dogs when he tried to fight them off.

  This campground could be stellar with just a few tweaks. Overall I’d say it’s a decent enough place to stay when visiting Kettle and I’ll likely be back.

• M

  Matthew V.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 18, 2022

  Wisconsin Dells KOA

  Quiet, peaceful, and clean.

  The campground is well-kept, and the restrooms are clean. Some bath houses have full baths with toilets, sinks, and showers. Other bathhouses has restrooms separated from showers. The campground is kid friendly, with a playground and a pool. I am tenting. The sites are a reasonable size that you can park on. They are mostly flat, but not all of them. All the tent sites are shaded, have electricity, and access to shared water. There are dishwashing stations around the campground as well. If you have an RV, the sites look relatively easy to get into, with many pull throughs