Allen B.
Guide
GuideGreat River Bluffs State Park Campground
Nice place
Nice campground sites are smaller & you will need to level. Nice clean flush toilets & showers. Can hear the highway below. Road in is gravel & narrow not for big rigs.
Camping near Onalaska, WI
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Campgrounds near Onalaska, Wisconsin range from state parks to county-managed recreation areas along the Mississippi River and its backwaters. The region includes sites like Veterans Memorial Park & Campground in West Salem and Goose Island in Stoddard, both within 15 miles of Onalaska. Most campgrounds near Onalaska accommodate both tent and RV camping, with several offering electric hookups, water access, and basic amenities. Perrot State Park Campground in nearby Trempealeau provides camping with scenic bluff views, while Pettibone Resort in La Crosse offers riverside sites with full hookups for RVs.
Access to campgrounds varies seasonally, with many sites operating from mid-April through October. Winter camping options are limited but available at select locations like Perrot State Park. Reservations are recommended during summer weekends and holidays when waterfront sites fill quickly. "This camp South of Lacrosse Wisconsin is a great family or road tripping camp," noted one visitor about Goose Island, which features sites directly on Mississippi River backwaters. Road conditions are generally good with paved access to most developed campgrounds, though some primitive sites may require short walks from parking areas. Cell service is reliable throughout most of the region, with stronger signals near La Crosse and Onalaska proper.
The Mississippi River and its backwaters define the camping in this area, with many sites offering direct water access for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. Campers frequently mention the scenic bluffs and river views as highlights. "Great hiking trails and overlooks. A favorite pastime is early in the morning and listening to the Cranes calling from their rookery nearby," shared one visitor about Perrot State Park. Train noise affects some riverside campgrounds, particularly Merrick State Park, where several reviews mention passing trains. For more seclusion, the cart-in sites at Great River Bluffs State Park across the Minnesota border provide more privacy while still offering river valley views. Most developed campgrounds in the area feature fire rings, picnic tables, and access to drinking water, with many also providing shower facilities during the main camping season.
Best Campgrounds near Onalaska (157)
1. Great River Bluffs State Park Campground
"I enjoy camping away from the hub bub of the family campground and opting for the backpack or cart in sites. Luckily, Great River Bluffs has some of the nicest cart ins I have encountered."
"The cart in sites all have a fire pit with a grill, picnic table, and are a short walk from the primitive toilets. There is a water spigot in the parking area."
from $24 / night
Check Availability2. Perrot State Park Campground
"Located among driftless Wisconsin, Perrot SP is a great place to camp. The highlight of this park are the hiking trails created by the CCC."
"There is a rail line that runs along between the Mississippi and the park edge, campsites are away from this but still can be heard as well as motor boats on the River."
from $18 - $110 / night
Check Availability3. Pettibone Resort
"About a 10 minute walk over the Cass St. bridge and you are in the heart of downtown La Crosse. This campground offers everything."
"Utilities were located in the rear. 20A/30A electric and water. Site was a little unlevel. Neighbors are close. AT&T had 2-3 bars of LTE and Verizon 1 bars of LTE service."
from $28 - $30 / night
Check Availability4. Goose Island
"This camp South of Lacrosse Wisconsin is a great family or road tripping camp."
"The sites are close together near the entrance. The spread out as you get deeper into the park. Beautiful grounds. Good communication from the camp rangers when we had to switch sites."
from $22 - $34 / night
Check Availability5. Veterans Memorial Park & Campground
"Vet's Park has direct access to the La Crosse Great River Trail where you can connect onto Elroy/Sparta Trail to the east and it directly to La Crosse Great River Trail to the northwest."
"Great location!"
6. Neshonoc Lakeside
"It was spacious and very well kept, with a great view of the lake. Wry easy to back in and get set up, almost level and took very little adjustment to get our spot in order."
"We had people offer basketballs for our kids to use while they were away from their site."
7. Blueberry Fields Forever
"I’ve never had an issue driving up the hill. Great views of the stars. Plenty of deer this last time! It seems very secluded, but I did hear music from nearby one of the nights on my last trip."
from $15 - $20 / night
Check Availability8. River's Edge Campground - Black River
"This place is priced around the same as other places you might camp around Wisconsin and I believe is privately owned."
"There is a bar and restaurant within walking distance. A lot of people camp there, the sites are small we still managed to have a good time. We had four campsites next to each other for our group."
from $30 - $40 / night
Check Availability9. Bluebird Family Camp
10. Frickson Family Farms LLC
"Great Harvest Host location super nice family."
"We pulled in from a long driving day .we were greeted by our host . She was very friendly and explained where the site was . Had a great night sleep . This is a good over night stop ."
from $30 / night
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Drive Time
- 7 min from La Crosse, WI
- 58 min from Rochester, MN
- 1 hr 24 min from Eau Claire, WI
- 2 hrs 27 min from Dubuque, IA
Recent Camping Photos near Onalaska, WI
191 Photos of 157 Onalaska Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Veterans Memorial Park & Campgroundj
Pettibone Resort
Neshonoc Lakeside
Great River Bluffs State Park CampgroundD
Goose Island
Scenic Acres Campground
River's Edge Campground - Black River
Lake Road Campground
Shady Rest Acres
Whiskey Creek Family RV ParkT
Perrot State Park CampgroundA
Reno Horse Campground — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest
Recent Reviews near Onalaska, WI
575 Reviews of 157 Onalaska Campgrounds
sara B.
ScoutGreat River Harbor Campgrounds and Marina
Disgusting and owner is a jerk
We selected "best available" site and showed up two hours later to a disgusting mess. There was a pile of garbage in our site. There was a busy railroad track right next the the site not shown in the campground map. They offered other sites but they were not any better.
- ttraveller 1.
Legendriver access with camping and park
Great gem of a spot
Has river access. Two parking lots Picnic area And make sure you go to the back of the field and take the suspension bridge trail
- Charlie Y.Guide
Woods Edge Campground
Cross country travelers
Last minute phone call reservation...early evening...We told the lady on the phone we would be arriving late...She stated she would email me specifics on the camp site etc. For one reason or another I never received the email. We arrived about 11pm. No information left for us in regards to site etc.,so we found what looked like an easy site to back into for the night. I made contact again via telephone with the same lady to get bath house code and mentioned to her that I never received the email....She was very nice and polite. Perhaps an envelope with information left out in addition to an email may have helped. However it was a nice campground, clean, safe, and secure ,Decent level lot with elec and water...Dump station on site.....I would use this campground again if I'm ever in the area. Even when you hit a snag such as not getting the check in email it sure is nice to hear a pleasant voice at the other end of the line.
- EElisa M.Guide
Goose Island
Beautiful Spot on the River
Quiet, beautiful and good facilities. Showers .25 for 5 minutes. We are here midweek in September so even the occupied sites only have people staying there in the weekends.
- FFue X.
TravelerFree camping by Rushford
Free camping
I go there every year for hunting. Everyone is friendly and everyone is responsible for cleaning up the place. First come first serve. No reservations.
- BBriana K.Scout
Neshonoc Lakeside
Beautiful, clean, fun
I was a little skeptical after a negative review about the regular residents, so I watched for that dynamic. We were camping with another family so we had 8 kids between the two of us and I was worried all those kiddos would upset people. Quite the opposite experience from that review and it motivated me to leave this one to help provide a good picture. I have nothing bad to say about our camping experience. We did go a little out of season (September 12) so a lot of the campsites were empty. Most their sites are flat, and clean. The grass was well mowed and maintained. They had activities for the kids (Halloween). People that drove by were friendly and smiling, and waiving. We had people drop off candy for the kids asking parents first. We had people offer basketballs for our kids to use while they were away from their site. Me and my friend were about to haul ice bags and wood up a huge hill on foot and someone stopped their golf cart and emptied it of what they were carrying to give us a ride to our campsite. The kids tootled about on their bikes being kids with no negative experiences. There were a couple of kids on motor scooters whose engines were kind of obnoxious but that’s going to happen more and more at campgrounds, and it wasn’t during quiet hours. We had sites atop the “full Lakeview” and it was honestly surprising how beautiful it was up there. I think it can be difficult to get a view when you’re camping but those sites had it. We knew the full lake view sites were open so we took the cheaper ones across from them, but still saw the same view. There was a great amount of space between the sites we used. The only possible critique I might offer is in that specific row there weren’t many trees for shade, but the weather was cooler so it didn’t affect us, but if we went in the summer it might have been more uncomfortable without that natural shade. The bath houses and showers were great!!! I feel like a good bath house can make or break a campsite and we’ve been to some smaller ones that were quite lacking but this one was great. Very clean, not many bugs, spacious, real doors on the shower stalls. We did not arrive in season to utilize the pool area but it looked great from the other side of the gate ;) - the parks were well maintained and the kids loved them. there was a set of stairs that went from up the hill down to the office that looked a little sketchy but they were closed off for use. If you didn’t have a golf cart or couldn’t ride a bike, the trek from where we stayed to the office might be a challenge. Overall we loved it and would definitely consider going again. The sites were a little pricey but had on site sewer hookup which is fantastic.
- KKelly M.Guide
East Fork Campground
Camp on the Black River
The East Fork part of the campground is a beautiful area along the river. The sites are nicely spaced and there are pit toilets located throughout. The animals came alive at night and we could hear coyote packs howling to each other, owls hunting, and the crickets and frogs are still going. September makes for hot days and pretty cold nights, but there was good tree cover, that still allowed to see the ALL the stars. There was plenty of room for the 2 allowed cars. Site 124 is located at the end of a loop with dumpsters nearby, that were empty and clean. A very nice place to spend a couple nights!
- GGreg I.Traveler
Stoney Creek RV Resort
Can’t tell how close to I-94 you are
Needed last minute RV space near I-94, and this was more than perfect - it is right off I-94, but placement and trees combined remove the traffic noise. It’s perfect for a family, plenty for kids to do
Guide to Onalaska
Camping in the Onalaska region centers on the Mississippi River floodplain, with elevations ranging from 640 to 1,240 feet in nearby bluff country. Summer temperatures average 75-85°F, ideal for riverside camping from May through September. Campgrounds in this area regularly experience spring flooding, particularly in low-lying areas near the Mississippi River backwaters.
What to do
Paddle backwaters: Goose Island Campground provides excellent access to Mississippi River backwater exploration. "Perfect place to kayak and explore the backwaters of the Mississippi. You can put in or take out at the boat landing," notes one visitor who recommends consulting the canoe trail map available at the campground.
Bike connecting trails: Veterans Memorial Park & Campground connects directly to regional bike infrastructure. "This park has direct access to the La Crosse Great River Trail where you can connect onto Elroy/Sparta Trail to the east and directly to La Crosse Great River Trail to the northwest," explains one reviewer, highlighting its popularity with touring cyclists.
Winter cross-country skiing: Great River Bluffs State Park maintains 9 miles of groomed trails requiring a Minnesota Ski Pass. "Winter would be good. There are 9 miles of groomed X-country ski trails; you need a MN Ski Pass," recommends a visitor who notes the campground operates year-round.
Fish multiple species: River's Edge Campground offers fishing opportunities along the Black River. According to visitors, the area supports "water, fishing, tubing" activities, with multiple access points for anglers seeking river species.
What campers like
Cart-in sites for seclusion: Great River Bluffs State Park offers walk-in camping options with more privacy. "We camped one night here at the cart-in campsites. Sites were nice with fire pits, nearby vault toilets (2 of them and super clean with TP and hand sanitizer), and an easy path to get to and from car," explains one camper who appreciated the setup.
Riverfront camping: Pettibone Resort provides sites directly on the Mississippi. "Here for a soccer tournament this weekend. Have a spot right on the river. Wonderful campground," shares one visitor who enjoyed the proximity to downtown La Crosse.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Perrot State Park Campground offers excellent bird watching. One visitor shared: "We even had a white raven spend a few days with us which was wild!" Another mentioned the "binoculars; the river valley is a great viewing area for waterfowl, eagles, and hawks."
Fall camping for colors: Several campgrounds offer exceptional autumn views. "Stayed here in the fall. Had a site right next to the bathroom big enough for 2 tents and 2 vehicles. Hikes here offer great views of the river and bluffs and the fall colors are gorgeous!!!" reports one camper at Great River Bluffs.
What you should know
Train noise impacts sleep: Several riverside campgrounds experience railroad disruptions. "Highway noise from the highway running along the river and from I-90 (while not really noticeable during the day) is ridiculously loud at night. Added to this were the half dozen trains that ran through the night (horns going off too)," warns a Great River Bluffs camper.
Nitrate water advisories: Some campgrounds have drinking water restrictions. At Perrot State Park, "There were signs posted that the drinking water cannot be boiled, nor can it be given to babies or elderly due to high nitrates," reports one camper who recommends bringing your own water.
Flooding concerns: Low-lying campgrounds experience regular closures. Goose Island "would be even better if it wasn't all under water this summer. Our site on the river was under water, so we got moved to another," explains one visitor, noting this is a common occurrence on the floodplain.
Mosquito preparation essential: Bug protection is necessary, especially in riverside locations. "The bugs and mosquitos were almost unbearable. We fogged the site daily, had thermacells, and coated ourselves in bug spray - still came home completely bit up," cautions a camper at Perrot State Park.
Tips for camping with families
Pool amenities: Neshonoc Lakeside offers multiple swimming options for children. "With 2 swimming pools, daily activities, movies, and a full ice cream shop you won't be bored here. The top pool is very large and new with a splash pad area. The lower pool is older and smaller, and where grown ups tend to go for a dip," explains one family.
Playground locations: Veterans Memorial Park provides multiple play areas. One visitor notes: "This park has baseball fields, playgrounds, a couple of group shelters, volleyball courts, and tons of space for activities," making it ideal for active families.
Organized activities: Many campgrounds offer scheduled programming. At Neshonoc Lakeside, "In the evening there was a Glow Parade where the full timers decked out their golf carts and drove around - candy for kids and lots of dancing. Bingo, tie dye, outdoor movies, and other relay races kept the kids happy and adults amused," according to one family visitor.
Beach-playground combinations: Goose Island offers convenient setup for parents. One visitor points out, "one of the things I like best is the playground is on the beach. My kid really loves that!"
Tips from RVers
Site access considerations: Several campgrounds present challenges for larger rigs. At River's Edge, "nightly camping sites are stacked on each other so no privacy" while Blueberry Fields Forever offers more spacious but rustic alternatives with "no water or electric hookups."
Concrete pad availability: Pettibone Resort provides improved RV parking surfaces. "The park streets are asphalt with two concrete strips for your tires in the sites," notes one RVer who found this helpful for stabilizing their travel trailer.
Off-season availability: Frickson Family Farms offers overnight RV parking with basic amenities. "We pulled in from a long driving day. We were greeted by our host. She was very friendly and explained where the site was," reports one RVer who found this farm-based option convenient and peaceful.
Spring flood awareness: Water level monitoring is essential for planning. "This campground is right on a flood plain, and would be even better if it wasn't all under water this summer," warns a Goose Island visitor, suggesting checking ahead during spring melt periods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find campgrounds near Onalaska, WI?
Where can I find campgrounds near Onalaska, WI?
Onalaska offers several excellent camping options within a short drive. Goose Island is located just south of La Crosse with friendly staff, a camp supply store, and firewood available for purchase. For those seeking a waterfront experience, Pettibone Resort offers boat-in and drive-in access with reservable sites. Other nearby options include Neshonoc Lakeside near West Salem and Veterans Memorial Park & Campground with trail access. The area also features several state parks within a reasonable drive, including Merrick State Park and Black River State Forest campgrounds.
What amenities are available at Onalaska campgrounds?
What amenities are available at Onalaska campgrounds?
Campgrounds near Onalaska offer a range of amenities to enhance your camping experience. Oakdale KOA provides full hookups for RVs, which helps mitigate the nearby highway noise, and is conveniently located off I-90. Merrick State Park Campground features electric sites, showers for campers, two boat launches, and abundant wildlife viewing opportunities. Most area campgrounds offer basic amenities like fire rings with grill grates, picnic tables, and access to restrooms. Some have coin-operated showers (typically $1 for 5 minutes), while others provide additional facilities like camp stores, firewood sales, and proximity to hiking trails or water recreation.
What is the best time of year to go camping in Onalaska?
What is the best time of year to go camping in Onalaska?
Late spring through early fall (May to October) offers the best camping experience near Onalaska. Summer provides ideal conditions for water activities, with Reicks Lake Park offering affordable camping ($15/night) with paved pads, fire pits, and electric hookups available. Fall is particularly beautiful at Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park, with gorgeous autumn colors and hiking trails, though water may be shut off in mid-October while bathrooms remain operational. Be aware that some campgrounds become busy on summer weekends, especially those with water access, so reservations are recommended during peak season.
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