Best Tent Camping near Menasha, WI

Tent Camping Reviews near Menasha, WI

352 Reviews of 5 Menasha Campgrounds

• 

  Sara S.

  Legend

  May. 27, 2019

  Mauthe Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit-Iansr

  GREAT beach!

  The campground and campsites are pretty standard.  Nice amount of space and privacy. 101 Walk in site was quite nice. Level ground, nice tree cover so it didnt feel too open. 

  Loved being close to the beach and playground area! The kids really appreciated it :) The beach was very clean and even though it was a warm, busy day we didnt feel like it was too crowded.  The earlier you arrive the better chances you have of getting a picnic table in the shade ;)  

  Enjoyed the walk around the lake, some parts are still a bit muddy, but overall it was a nice walk and the kids actually made it without too many complaints ;)  Nice variety of scenery!  Even caught a couple frogs.

  Definitely a place to visit again! 

  *checked out some of the trails near by which were really great as well!

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• 

  Art S.

  Legend

  Aug. 23, 2022

  Mauthe Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit-Iansr

  Kettle moraine trail access here

  Mauthe lake is in the Kettle Moraine Northern Unit. It feels remote but we drove through a bunch of rural houses on the way in. The rustic roads made for good cycling. We passed quite a few pedaling up and down the hills.

  The campground itself sprawls along one side of the lake. With the loops for each group peeling off, it is easy to lose your way. The signs mark the direction well so go slow. It helps to know your site number.

  There was nobody at the entrance office. I’m not sure if it’s just today but make online reservations. It seems to be the 2022 way.

  There is a shower house but we made use of the more convenient vault toilets. Water is available in different ways - even a drinking fountain. There seems to be only one garbage collection site on the way out. This was less convenient since we have dog droppings to deal with.

  There is a nature trail that goes around the lake. By the beach and picnic area it’s paved. The rest is gravel or dirt. With recent rains we found a few puddles to walk through and mud to avoid. Our dog loved having the trail so close. Most of the trail is in the sun so bring water on hot days.

  Swimming isn’t allowed due to a blue algae bloom. This left plenty of empty space for us to sit with our dog under the trees. Folks did make good use of the fishing pier and playground. We also saw kayaks and stand up paddle boards on the lake.

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• S

  Sherry J.

  Scout

  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.

  Traveler

  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.

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• L

  Layla R.

  Scout

  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.

• 

  Jimmy P.

  Legend

  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.

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• 

  Stacey N.

  Ranger

  Jun. 26, 2021

  Waupun Park Campground

  Very nice

  Enjoying our time here, in spite of the rain. Some sites are nicely spaced apart. Camp hosts are friendly and helpful. Bathrooms and showers are modern and clean. We would camp here again. Site 21 is very nice… a little private elevated back yard area with a fire ring and picnic table. Only drawback is that it’s a little narrow, but not a deal breaker at all.

• K

  Kate B.

  Guide

  Jun. 23, 2019

  Mauthe Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit-Iansr

  North Unit

  Our campsite was up the hill and away from the lake as those sites are quite ‘busy’ and we usually look for sites with more privacy. This campground is huge and offers many different kinds of sites depending such as open sites in a pine forest, down by the lake, or tucked away in the trees and bushes. We found several decent choices on a busy fall weekend without a reservation. We enjoyed the spacious campsite that had a couple of it’s own mini-trails and plenty of opportunities to hike in and around the area. I don’t fish, but it seemed like the popular thing to do for many other visitors. The vault toilets were okay but there is a nicer bathroom down the lake.

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• 

  Annabelle G.

  Guide

  Jul. 30, 2019

  S’Mores Campground

  Wonderful family weekend

  I took my daughter and her friend here for the weekend, 10 years old. We rented a cabin for the weekend. Amazing cabins, amazing setup, they all have picnic tables and benches on porch. Cabin had three beds, fridge, air conditioner, two windows, plenty of plugs in. Bring your own sleeping bags/towels and etc as these are not provided. Fire ring provided down the stairs from us, even further down was the huge extremely clean pool, bathrooms, showers. Both of which were amazing! And free of use. Pool is very well maintained and kept, plenty of chairs to use and tables. Right next to the pool was a huge and brand new kids play area. They also have rock mining for kids located by the pool which the kids loved. They also liked the store; a lot of neat things in there for adults, kids, camp, and even animal friends. Commons area which is open at the front, made for a nice sitting to relax. Also located on the beach which was nice to see and the dock area was nice, kids liked it. The set up is great, a little confusing the first time but easy to learn. All of the Cabins were close except for the first two which were at the entrance of the park and bigger. They were two rooms compared to our one room. Permanent residence were extremely nice, the campsite is privately owned and operated which we loved and met the owners. We will certainly be back again! Additional information that may be helpful since I researched this campsite extensively May 15 th to October 6th is the campsites open/ closed dates. Check in for campsites and yurts are different. Campsites is at 2, cabin and hurts 3pm but we checked in early about a half hour. No additional charge. Animals welcome, must be leased and friendly. If you have visitors must be gone by 9pm- they actually let my husband stay with no additional charge or fee and accommodated our two vehicles. Otherwise one vehicle per cabin. Location was extremely easy with the signs directly off of highway. Not far from town, if you need something or go to store there; they probably have what you need. Basic sites, some with piers overlooking the beach and huge! Beautiful absolutely will camp there with our tent. Pull through and deluxe sites, seasonal sites, decks, and dogi pots(hint hint). All campsites babe electric and water, the yurt is amazing! It comes with couch, beds, tables, and so much more! It is located on the water scenery and a little more private by being set back. Yurt also has heat and ac; wouldn’t mind staying there in early May or late September. Outdoor picnic area, plenty of room for about 15 people and includes setting in a circular setting located directly by the playground/ pool and playroom. They have events as well, the kids and I not only used the mining system by the office but we watched a movie by the playground area- it was amazing and free! Camping lakeside or not lakeside. There was a secluded campsite and raised above, number 155- I’d suggest this one for anyone who want to get a way and be alone. It was a nice site and I didn’t notice it until we left. The cabin we rented was$80 a night, non refundable since it was last minute. This included two adults and up to four kids. I could see how four kids would easily fit because of the bunk beds and queen bed in our cabin. Oh forgot to mention there was also a microwave in the room and a broom, garbage bins. The door was rustic and still has a lock on it but it was the pulley door which the kids loved. To my understanding there are no pets allowed in the yurt. Also the only, one and only thing I didn’t like was that wood couldn’t be purchased else where. The wood purchased there burnt fast and didn’t last long, we only used it to cook food on our tripod due to how fast the wood burnt. Although there was also a park grill on the cabin premises too which we didn’t use; very used and had nothing to clean it with. There are seasonal sites, I don’t know how much they are but it’s a very quiet campground and everyone folllowed rules for the quiet time. Another thing I noticed is the seasonal all keep their yards very well maintained. They had beautiful landscape, yards were mowed, and nice fences- porches- decor- and sheds. Camp owner/ host lives directly across from the check in office/ store so that was comforting knowing someone was at the gate at all times. We walked down to the beach, lake area. At the tome it was being worked on but it was still beautiful and very quiet. No bugs in this area either. You can make reservations on line, see pictures on line, rates on line, and see the camp map. If i has to recommend any sites it’d be 151 for tenting and wanting to be alone, away from everyone. Campsite number 17 for camping with a tent/ pop up because it over looks the beach and has a huge deck to sit on, have dinner on or drink coffee while watching the beach another three sites I’d recommend, tents only is number 61 63 or 65. They are down further than the rest of the campsites, they are also a little more secluded and with a beach view. This would be perfect for a set of three friends camping together to rent. This is also main entrance to beach are. I also wouldn’t mind renting the first cabin when you enter campground as it’s bigger. There is one cabin I wouldn’t suggest and that’s 106. It’s in the middle of a triangle area for traffic. It was exactly across from our cabin and a lot of traffic going by it from many different ways. Finally thanks S’mores for the amazing stay; they truly accommodated us and we appreciate it.

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