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Best Tent Camping near Maribel, WI

243 Reviews

Kettle Moraine State Forest's Northern Unit offers dedicated tent camping options within driving distance of Maribel, Wisconsin. The forest features two notable tent-friendly group campgrounds: Greenbush Group Campground and Northern Unit Greenbush Group Camp. These established campgrounds provide spacious sites specifically designed for tent camping groups, with the Northern Unit operating seasonally from April through November. Both locations offer basic amenities while maintaining a natural setting within the glacial landscape of eastern Wisconsin.

Campers at these tent campgrounds will find grassy sites surrounded by trees, making them suitable for both ground tents and hammocks. Drinking water is available, though access points may be limited to central locations rather than at individual sites. Pit toilets are positioned throughout the camping areas, typically a short walk from most sites. The campgrounds feature fire rings where fires are permitted, and each site includes picnic tables. All sites are reservable, which is recommended especially for weekend visits during peak season. The sites accommodate multiple tents, with some capable of hosting over 20 backpacking tents simultaneously.

According to reviews, the nine sites at Northern Unit Greenbush Group Camp are visually separated but remain within earshot of each other, which can mean occasional noise from neighboring campers. One visitor reported that sites 2 and 9 are particularly spacious, each able to fit more than 20 backpacking tents at once. Campers noted that while the sites offer visual privacy, sound carries between them, with one mentioning they "could hear loud music from site 4 late into the night." The tent-only focus of these campgrounds creates a more traditional camping atmosphere without RV generators or large vehicles. The surrounding forest provides ample opportunities for hammock hanging, with plenty of suitable trees framing the tent sites. Walk-in access to facilities requires a short trek, with drinking water sometimes located near parking areas rather than directly at campsites.

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Best Tent Sites Near Maribel, Wisconsin (2)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Maribel, WI

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Tent Camping Reviews near Maribel, WI

243 Reviews of 2 Maribel Campgrounds

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 14, 2025

    North Bay Shore Park

    Peaceful stay on the bay of Green Bay

    General/Site Quality: Small (35-site) campground on the west shore of the Bay of Green Bay; some have water and electricity, and some just have electricity. Sites 14-23 are on grass while the others have paved camper pads. All are level and very generous in size. While they don’t necessarily have a physical separation between them, sites are spaced a good distance apart from each other. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. In the center of the loop, there are some nice mature trees. 

    Bath/Shower: At one end of the loop, there is a two-stall, one-sink restroom for each gender plus two showers; at the other end of the loop there are two vault toilets. All were clean. 

    Activities/Amenities: There is quite a bit to do here. Fishing, boating (separate fee for the boat launch), swimming, kayaking (but you need to bring your own – although the literature says there are boat rentals, I did not see this). There is a nice playground and a smaller swing set; both are in different locations behind campsites, making it a bit awkward to access. In the day-use area, there is a fish cleaning station, a basketball hoop, and a somewhat dated playground. There used to be a volleyball area, but the net was no longer there. Self-serve firewood is available. There is a dump station.

    The fee of $20 per night was very reasonable and our stay was very quiet and peaceful for a campground that was about 2/3 full on a Monday after Father’s Day.

  • S
    Dec. 26, 2017

    Calumet County Park

    The park is on the shores of Lake Winnebago and the sunsets are fabulous!

    The park:

    • is well kept
    • showers & bathrooms are very clean
    • has a marina
    • has hiking and cross country ski trails
    • sites are spacious
    • many sites available on the edge of the water
    • electric hookups on most sites
    • some very private sites
    • a few close restaurants
    • Camp staff is always helpful and friendly.
    • Picnic table, & fire pit at every site
    • They take reservations, sell firewood, have a camp store, allow pets on leash, allow alcohol
  • Denise N.
    Jun. 28, 2018

    Kettle Moraine State Forest Long Lake Campground

    Long Lake Fun

    We've camped at Long Lake twice - both times with kids, and thoroughly enjoyed. The sites are spacious and clean. Each site comes with a fire pit, grate and picnic table. We have camped in the 800s but hope to get back for more variety in the future.

    Long Lake has two separate beaches and we much prefer the South Shore beach. North Shore is a little less populated, but the hike/stairs down into the beach area can be annoying with kids, toys, camp chairs, and a cooler full of food and beer. South Shore has a boat launch, clean restrooms and a picnic cabana that can be reserved. Both beaches are large and ample. We spread out with a pop-up canopy and did not feel crowded in or like we were imposing on others.

    Long Lake is big, so motorcraft are allowed. It's fun to sunbathe and watch waterskiiers and tubers fly by off in the distance.

  • Jimmy P.
    Jun. 29, 2019

    High Cliff State Park Campground

    Ranger Review: Wenzel Ivanhoe 6 at High Cliff State Park

    Campground Review

    High Cliff is a generally wooded and shaded campground on a cliff overlooking Lake Winnebago. The sites are average to above average size, with a good mix of electric and non-electric sites. We are tent campers and the ground was pretty flat and there was a good spot for our tents in our site. Our site was nice and spacious with a good fire-ring that had a grate that rotated. Typically I use an adjustable tripod grill, but since was a rainy weekend, it was nice to be able to not have to get that out. The one thing about our site(and the campground in general) in the rain was the mud. Since it is heavily shaded there isn't really any grass, so the ring forest floor soil turns mucky and muddy.

    There is one main flush toilet/shower building in the campground, and a bunch of pit toilet buildings. The pit toilet buildings had some issues with the lights in some of them, but the shower/flush building was mostly clean and not too far away. There is also a really nice playground nearby.

    Within the park are plenty of hiking/biking trails, a lookout tower, and there is beach access. The beach/water is definitely swimmable, but this isn't the most beautiful beach for swimming. When we were here, it was cool and rainy, so the most we did was put our feet in the water. There isn't much sand, but there are large grassy areas.

    The weekend we were there a local theater group happened to be performing a minimal version of Romeo and Juliet. It was awesome.

    Product Review

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time, this time I got to test the Wenzel Ivanhoe 6 tent.

    I've owned a bunch of tents throughout the years, but mostly they were small backpacking size tents. We have use a large 8-person Cabella's tent for the past 9 years for car camping, but it is time-consuming to set-up, so we thought the Wenzel Ivanhoe 6 would be a nice complement tent for us.

    The Ivanhoe is part of Wenzel's "Tribute" collection, with a retro-inspired design. The Ivanhoe reminds me of my parents' old canvas tent. The Ivanhoe is a single-walled house-shaped tent made of weather-treated polyester and taped seams. It held up really well in the rainy weather we had camping and there was just one small area that the seam tape failed: a"troubleshooting" tag that hangs down inside the tent.

    What I like:

    • The single pole design is simple and quick to setup

    • There is good airflow with the large screens on the doors and the two side windows; The rear vent is a nice touch

    • It has a great look and it well made

    • It actually fits in the bag it came in

    What I don't like

    • The top peak vents don't really work

    • There was a slight leak by the tag (I'll use some seam-sealer to fix this for the future)

    • Since it isn't freestanding, there are a lot of guy lines that are easy to trip over in the dark

    For a sub-$200 tent, this tent is awesome. It's easy to set up and looks great. It is a simple design that is spacious and comfortable for 3-4 people. It did great in rainy weather. I definitely recommend this tent for for those looking for a car camping tent around this size and want to spend less than $200.

  • L
    Jul. 5, 2022

    High Cliff State Park Campground

    Beautiful Park but Lots of Raccoons

    The park itself is beautiful, and the trails are nice. The tent sites were on the smaller side and kind of close together. The park ranger was good-natured and patient when we accidentally set up on the wrong site.

    Make sure to store your food correctly! The two sites beside us were ransacked by raccoons all night long because they left their supplies out. Three raccoons came to smell around our picnic table as soon as we zipped up inside the tents but left quickly after not finding food.

  • Justin F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 21, 2025

    Kohler-Andrae State Park

    Great state park , close to the lake & Sheboygan

    Really nice state park with pretty good space in between sites. Some easy, limited elevation hikes around the campground, and a nice mix of pine trees/marsh/open space. Just a few minutes walk to Lake Michigan and a nice beach. Only flaw is the inconsistency with fire pits, some on the opposite side that doesn't give you much privacy for a campfire. The sites on the road aren't great, but at least the picnic table and fire pits are secluded with those.

  • Scott M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 25, 2022

    Big Lake Campground

    Good rustic site

    Pretty simple campground. Vault toilets were clean. No showers or water but lake access helped with that. Had a good large site that was level. The draw here is the fishing and it was perfect. Not too many crazy boaters so kayaking was perfect to do.

    Hiked a few trails and and saw loads of bikes so maybe next time.

    Easy access to loads of other activities and areas to paddle was the reason I chose this campground. Didn’t hurt that there were not too any people here.

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 29, 2025

    North Bay Shore Park

    Beautiful

    Right on the shores of Lake Michigan Most sites have asphalt pads and there is water and electric at the site There is also a dump station on the way in, which was clean and easy to access The sites are fairly close with not much privacy This side of the lake is very Mari so there is no beachfront at all, for people with a boat and wanting to launch it’s perfect but for rock hounds and beach walkers like me not so great. Not much hiking around either.

  • Nina T.
    Aug. 22, 2016

    High Cliff State Park Campground

    quick decisions

    This is always a nice campsite for us on our way up to family that lives in Appleton we always choose to Camp instead of stay in a hotel. This particular time we chose site 93 due to all reservable Sites were taken and all we have left to choose from at 9:45 at night where walk-ins. Although the site was rocky wide open I could see my neighbors and full of spiders it was actually a decent place to easily set up in the dark and grab a quick night's sleep.

Guide to Maribel

Kettle Moraine State Forest extends across eastern Wisconsin, covering over 30,000 acres of glacial terrain that includes distinctive kettles and moraines formed during the last ice age. For the best tent camping near Maribel, Wisconsin, visitors often travel to the Northern Unit of the forest where group camping opportunities provide spacious accommodations for multiple tents. The area experiences cold winters with heavy snowfall and moderate summers with temperatures typically ranging between 60-80°F during the main camping season.

What to do

Hiking opportunities: The Ice Age National Scenic Trail runs through Greenbush Group Campground, offering direct access to miles of hiking paths. The trail system showcases the region's unique glacial topography with several loop options ranging from 1-5 miles in length.

Mountain biking: Several dedicated biking trails are accessible within a short drive from camp. The trails vary in difficulty level, with both beginner-friendly paths and technical sections for experienced riders.

Stargazing: The relative distance from major urban centers creates opportunities for night sky viewing. The grassy open areas within the campgrounds provide clear viewing platforms during summer months when skies are typically clearest.

What campers like

Spacious sites: The camping areas accommodate large groups comfortably. "Large sites great for groups. Sites 2 and 9 are the largest. Those can each fit over 20 backpacking tents at the same time," notes Amber R. about Northern Unit Greenbush Group Camp.

Accessibility: The proximity to Milwaukee makes these sites convenient for weekend trips. "We booked this for a coronavirus-safe camping trip, and it did not disappoint," reports Hilary S., highlighting the reasonable travel time from urban centers.

Natural setting: The combination of grassy sites and surrounding forests creates an appealing tent camping environment. The abundance of trees provides natural shade during summer months and supports hammock camping as an alternative to ground tents.

What you should know

Water access: Water sources may be centralized rather than at individual sites. According to Hilary S., "Water is usually available, but more limited during the pandemic (spigot turned off by our campsite, but available near the parking lot at the entrance - a longer walk)."

Noise considerations: Sound travels between sites despite visual separation. One camper noted they "could hear loud music from the site 4 late into the night" despite the sites appearing separate.

Reservation requirements: All group sites require advance booking, particularly important during summer weekends and holiday periods when sites fill quickly. The reservation window typically opens 11 months in advance.

Tips for camping with families

Site selection: When camping with children, choose sites closer to restroom facilities to minimize nighttime walks. Sites near the center of the loop typically offer the most convenient access to toilet facilities.

Activity planning: Bring field guides for local plant and animal identification. The glacial landscape contains numerous educational opportunities about Wisconsin's geological history.

Weather preparation: Pack additional layers even in summer, as the area can experience significant temperature drops at night, with variations of 20-30°F between daytime and nighttime readings common in the region.

Tips from RVers

Limited accommodation: Most camping areas in the Northern Unit are designated specifically for tent camping without RV hookups or suitable parking. RVs should look to other sections of Kettle Moraine State Forest with appropriate facilities.

Alternative options: For those requiring RV access, several private campgrounds within 20 miles of Maribel offer full hookups and pull-through sites, though these lack the forest immersion of the tent-only areas.

Day-use option: RVers staying elsewhere can purchase day passes to access the recreation areas, trails, and picnic facilities without needing to camp in the tent-only sections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Maribel, WI?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Maribel, WI is Greenbush Group Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit-Iansr with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

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