Best Tent Camping near Onalaska, WI
Looking for the best Onalaska tent camping? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Onalaska with tent camping. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Best Tent Sites Near Onalaska, WI (21)
1. Houston Nature Center
Houston, Minnesota4 Reviews•12 Photos•7 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Group
2. Shady Rest Acres
Hokah, Minnesota2 Reviews•17 Photos•22 SavesCamp along a Mississippi tributary beside the Minnesota-Wisconsin line in this whimsical farm paradise. Run around the pasture, take a walk in the forest or dip your toes in the flowing creek at Shady Rest Acres. You are welcome to sit back, relax, and observe the farm animals. No guest are allowed inside the fenced off area of pasture without a host with them. We do have 4 well behaved dog's an 8 indoor outdoor cats, cows, goats, sheep, mini donkeys, ducks, chickens, turkeys and honey bee's. Tent Sites Pitch a tent in the field beside a fire pit and get a great view of the night sky or pitch a tent beneath the walnut trees beside the creek and relax in a hammock. Bee Relaxed Studio If you would rather stay indoors, kick back in the fully furnished studio with a wood burning stove and vinyl record player. Please no pets in the studio. No matter where you decide to stay at Shady Rest Acres you will be in close proximity to the Mississippi River, Beaver Creek Valley State Park, and Great River Bluffs State Park. This area is great for hiking, fishing, kayaking, and swimming. When making reservations please include in your total any person over the age of two.
- Fires
- Reservable
- Tents
- Cabins
- Trash
- Firewood Available
$40 - $120 / night
3. Sparta Campground — Elroy-Sparta State Trail
Sparta, Wisconsin4 Reviews•7 Photos•14 Saves- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Group
- Trash
$15 - $21 / night
4. Justin Trails Resort
Sparta, Wisconsin1 Review•1 Photo•2 SavesIf your dream vacation is full of details like soft forest light, colorful leaves, and winding trails—that is, if you are thinking of disconnecting and disappearing into the countryside for a few days—then resort camping at Justin Trails Resort eight miles from town is just the ticket. Rejuvenate your spirit and refresh your body with a hike around our 200-acre property or try your hand at disc golf. We have the #1 Disc Golf Course in all of Wisconsin!
Songbirds chirp in the morning, wild turkey and deer cross the property, and an owl hoots as the sun sets over the ridge. Ready to make a booking at Justin Trails Resort? Review your options and make a booking with us online.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
6. South Bear Creek
Decorah, Iowa4 Reviews•11 Photos•77 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- RVs
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Dispersed
7. Oak Ridge / Wet Bark Recreation Area — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest
Houston, Minnesota1 Review•3 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Equestrian
8. Northend Campground
Rushford, Minnesota1 Review•1 Save- Pets
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Trash
9. Aefintyr
Elba, Minnesota4 Reviews•43 Photos•54 SavesAefintyr campground is located in the scenic woods of the Whitewater River Valley in the Driftless Area of Southeastern Minnesota. We offer beautiful blufftop hike-in camping and glamping and cozy treehouse inspired camper cabins. The hike-in camp/glamp sites offer a backpacking like experience (1460 ft hike with a 230 ft elevation gain) and are great for people who like to get some exercise and want to immerse themselves in a woodland setting. Perfect relaxation destination or home base for your Whitewater Valley adventures. Aefintyr is a small operation that values peace, quiet and quality over quantity. Get away from crowds and get into the woods! Onsite, enjoy a campfire, stargazing, hiking and observing the amazing animals, plants and fungi.
Nearby recreation opportunities include:
Within 2 miles of Whitewater State Park, the Elba Fire Tower, Whitewater State Wildlife Management Area (hunting, trout fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing) and the Whitewater River State Water Trail (canoe/kayak/tube). There is a gas station (bait and fishing supplies, convenience store items), 2 bars and a restaurant within a mile in the town of Elba. Whitewater Wines Winery is also just a few miles up the road!
Shared amenities:
Bathhouse with individual rooms, with a hot shower, vanity and composting toilet
Outhouse with composting toilet on top of the bluff within 400 feet of each campsite
Community area (requires short hike) with tent shelters (2, each 10' x 20'), outdoor furniture, tables, chairs, propane grill w/ side burner, firepit w/ cooking grate/skillet.
Propane Gas Grill (at base of the hill by the bathhouse)
Stargazing area with reclining chairs
Cell service: AT&T typically works well, Verizon works intermittently, and T-mobile doesn't have a good signal.
Wi-fi: Available at the bathhouse and parking area, data speeds up to 25 Mbps.
**Parking: **On site, 2 vehicle limit, no vehicles larger than a full-size truck, no trailers.
**Host accessibility: **Available 24/7/365 via phone and email/messaging, frequently on site.
**Security: **Campground community areas are under video surveillance.
Setting: Aefintyr campground is located in the hilly, wooded, blufflands of the Whitewater River Valley just north of the tiny town of Elba, MN. Views are primarily of the woods and valleys. The campground is off of a 2 lane county highway so there is some intermittent road noise. It is otherwise very peaceful and filled with the sounds of nature, including lots of birds and other wildlife.
Aefintyr is a peaceful place with chill vibes and we like to keep it that way! It is not a place for parties or rowdy groups. We like to listen to nature, not loud music or rowdy people blabbering into the night. Please see our rules/polices to know what to expect.
20240824
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Cabins
$29 - $139 / night
10. Wazee Lake Rec Area
Black River Falls, Wisconsin2 Reviews•5 SavesThe area offers 12 rustic campsites with pit toilets and water, 9 miles of hiking trail, 3 miles of surfaced bicycle trail, a large beach, picnic areas, handicap fishing pier, boat launch and several scenic vistas of the surrounding forest land. Reservations are accepted on 6 of the 12 campsites. Reservations can be made for camping Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Reservations require a 3 night minimum and are subject to a $7.00 reservation fee for each site reserved. Reservations can be made by credit card, the mail or in person. Checking the availability of desired sites is encouraged when making reservations through the mail No refunds. Reservations are accepted from December 1 - Labor Day for the following year. Exceptions are made for seasonal campers (anyone staying 50 days or more in a row) who can start making reservations the first week in November.
- Pets
- Fires
- Reservable
- Tents
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
Showing results 1-10 of 21 campgrounds
Recent Tent Reviews in Onalaska
465 Reviews of 21 Onalaska Campgrounds
kcki M.
Guide
Col Larson County Park
Easy Overnight Spot
Small city park. Just a field for tent camping. A few RV spots. Easy on-and-off if you are looking for a quick overnight.
Stuart O.GuideBig Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest
Good late season option for the self-contained camper
Was very thankful to find a place to overnight in mid-November. Not a lot of free parking options in this part of Iowa. No water, electric, or dump station, so very much like a parking lot overnight from that perspective. However, the park is situated on the valley bottom of the Yellow River Forest with beautiful tall trees, and there are fire rings. Fee was $12. First come first served basis from November through March.
- EEthan B.
Traveler
South Bear Creek
Pretty location
Remote and nice.
- DDaniel R.Guide
Beaver Creek Valley State Park Campground
Cozy hideaway
A great place for a weekend camping trip. We had an excellent spot (35). One of the only sites with grass. Great hiking and trout fishing.
- AAbbie
Scout
Prairie Island City Campground
Not my type of camping
We went here as a last minute decision. We were placed in the middle of the seasonal crowd who were loud. Music was playing all day loud enough for half the campground to hear. When the music went up so did their conversations. I go for peace and quiet. If I wanted to be at a concert. I would have gone to a concert. Showers seemed ok but some areas to me seemed kinda junky.
- Dave B.Guide
Veterans Memorial Park & Campground
Super Large and Gorgeous Campground
Bike trail access. River runs through it. Tons of oak trees. Lots of playgrounds. Clean rest rooms with showers. Decent cell coverage.
Mike L.Traveler
Sparta Campground — Elroy-Sparta State Trail
Non-resident upcharge ($30 vs. $15 plus fees)
Sites are basic with water, pit toilets, tables and fire rings. I originally planned to stay here but came across the non-resident charges (my state does not do this). I made reservations at the Village of Norwalk and the town of Hillsboro instead. Both have City parks with free tent camping. Norwalk even has showers and RV spots. I've added both to The Dyrt library.
- Jason P.Traveler
McMullen County Park
Nice, peaceful county campground
Great place with plenty to do. Fishing, kayaking, beach, flush toilets, hot CLEAN showers!!
- Jason P.Traveler
Deer Run Campground
Friendly, Quiet Camping
Nice little campground. Friendly owners. The campground is clean and quiet.
- TTom
RangerBeaver Creek Valley State Park Campground
Beautiful & peaceful
Very nice QUIET park! RV Campsites are gravel with fire ring and picnic table. The sites are fairly level. There is also a cabin to rent. Many electric sites.
Very nice hiking trails, make sure to check the map to plan easy hike up and steep hike downhill! Beautiful vistas on the Switchback trail.
The Mossy Seep trail has interesting plants and unique growth.
Big Spring Trail boarders the campground, easy walk to see the Spring. Tried to dip feet in the water but couldn’t leave them in the COLD water for long! Water is crystal clear and flowing fast.
Bathroom (men’s) if functional, has running water at the sinks and showers work well.
NO PHONE SERVICE which we appreciated.
The Restaurant “Good Times” is 4 miles away and has good food and service. Also a grocery store in town in case you need more supplies.
Leaves are just starting to change in September.
- FFay P.Scout
Great River Bluffs State Park Campground
Lovely Place
The park is very easy to get to right off the highway. We were greeted by a beautiful meadow with a very well maintained gravel road, stopped by the info station and bought wood and a parking pass (pass is required and is 7$ for one day, easy online purchase). The sites are a bit of a ways into the park but with that maintained road it was very easy. The facilities are great. Very clean bathroom with nice showers (cold water then warmed up). The campground was quiet but there were still a good amount of people staying as well. We stayed just one night and were very happy with this area! Really pretty
Tanner D.Scout
Sidie Hollow County Ridge Campground
Great place to get away
My wife and I went there for the weekend and it was great. Clean and spacious sites. The bathrooms were even clean. They also provided free showers. The wood was a reasonable price and easily available at any time of the day. It was also pet friendly. I do wish that they hadn't cleared away so many trees. A little more shade would have been nice since we were in a tent. But other than that was was perfect.
- Jarrett G.Traveler
Great River Bluffs State Park Campground
One of my favorites!
Beautiful area with very nice trails. 20-30 mins to Winona, 20 mins to La Crosse. Not a huge site selection, but very nice sites. My wife and I try to go there as much as we can!
- Jarrett G.Traveler
Veterans Memorial Park & Campground
Very nice campground
Large campground with many amenities. Playground for kids and a very nice dog park. Right off the river. Will definitely be back!
Nanette M.Scout
Sleepy Hollow Campground
Horrible service
My husband made a reservation for our 25th wedding anniversary and he was rushed in the hospital for an emergency surgery. We notified you 3 days in advance and you refused to give us even a partial refund! We only had that money to celebrate. You didn't even offer another date for us! We are now not able to enjoy our 25th! That's terrible that you will do nothing in such an emergency situation. I will be making this public in every venue I can. Disgusting that you will probably get paid by another person to stay there. How disappointing that you would offer us nothing! Very bad business.
- wwayne O.Traveler
Hixton - Alma Center KOA
Nice clean place to stop
We were coming back from a koa in Minnesota and decided to stop for the night, nice clean campground and a beautiful heated pool. Definitely would go back again
- KKristina D.Scout
Perrot State Park Campground
Private Sites Beautiful Park
We spent 2 nights at this park and enjoyed our stay. The sites are well spaced and well separated by trees. The potable water has high nitrate levels so we had to buy drinking water as filters don’t remove nitrates.
Erin Z.Traveler
Mill Bluff State Park Campground
Secluded, but noisy.
We were at site #9, great spot for tent. There were only trees behind us and our neighbors were far enough way we had privacy. There was no electricity, but we charged our phones and my son’s iPad at the ranger station. There was no running water so bring sanitizer. The swimming pond was great and not rocky. The hikes were good but lots of mosquitoes which made it hard to enjoy. Wish there was more to do in the area. No showers and no electricity in the bathroom near our site.
- Jarrett G.Traveler
Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground
Sweet place
Very cool secluded walk in sites, pet friendly, awesome trails.
- TTim M.Traveler
Whiskey Creek Family RV Park
Great family park!
This is a great destination RV park if you are looking for a family getaway or just a quiet trip for two. There is plenty to do at the park including a cool swimming pond with inflatables, live music most weekends, corn hole tournaments, Friday fish fry, and much more. My wife and I have a special needs adult son that they welcomed and fully accommodate. The park is clean and the staff are friendly and helpful. Sparta (Walmart plus other shops) is less than ten minutes away. The park is near an Amish community giving the region a great country feel.
Ken W.Scout
Pine View Campground - Fort McCoy
Beautiful campground
Lots of activities. Near-by La Crosse has baseball and softball teams from the Northwoods collegiate summer league.
Stacey N.RangerPerrot State Park Campground
Lovely!
A newly paved road leads into the park with lots of gorgeous views along the way. Very friendly staff. Bathrooms buggy… to be expected… but clean. Shower has ample hot water. Some sites are close together but nicely wooded for privacy. Some sites have water views.
- NNoah V.Scout
Sidie Hollow County Ridge Campground
Decent Camp Ground
Book this campground last minute over the phone for a weekend of trout fishing in the driftless area. Fishing was great. The upper ridge campground did not have hardly any grass so it got muddy fast when it rained. The pit toilets were kind of dirty though toilet paper was always stocked so that’s a plus. I explored the other 3 campground at sidie hollow while I was there and this is my take. The main campground had nicer facilities and a play ground for kids. The boat landing campground is convenient if you have a boat. The upper ridge campground has the most shade out of all 3 campgrounds (cooler in the summer). The locals sell firewood for $5 a bundle which is awesome. I would stay at this campground again.
- Tori L.Scout
Big Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest
Dream stay.
Came to learn more about Tenkara fly fishing. Had a ball. Visited the 3 lookouts including Iowa only Fire tower. Bird life is colorful. Lots of places to hike. Scenery is lush. I had no phone service. Campsites are well mown, have a picnic table and fire ring. Pit toilets. Easy access to water. Drink water and firewood are at the host A frame. There is no dump site. Everyone was very friendly. Helpful. Nights were quiet. Very relaxing.
Renee H.Ranger
Sylvan City Park
Small city park campground right in town
Walking distance to downtown and easy access to Root River Trail. RV sites were close to each other with little privacy. Many tent sites around the perimeter. Short walk to bathhouse. Showers are not free, 4 quarters for 5 minutes. No laundry available. Campground is first come/first serve and doesn’t take reservations or online payment. Payment is made at adjacent city office.
Sites are gravel, fairly level. Water and electric available at rv sites.
Nice park nearby with stocked fishing pond. There is some noise due to the park being tucked into the city. Garbage and dump station free for campers. They ask for a donation for dumping if not camped there. Tight access at dump station might make it difficult for larger rigs. Strong Verizon signal.
Eugene O.Scout
Eagle Cliff Campground and Lodging
Good campground, rude and unprofessional management
If you want to experience very rude and unfair treatment where you will be mistreated and ripped off by the staff and ow era you must come to Eagle Cliff campground. Was double charged for the room without any options and negotiations and knees delivered to us after we already left the campground. Staff is very rude and unwilling to be reasonable, professional and understanding. Campground looks good but rules are ridiculous and staff and owners are very shady and make non sense decisions. Stay away if you want nice peaceful stay and don’t want to be ripped off.
- EEugene O.Scout
Eagle Cliff Campground and Lodging
Management is beyond horrible. Very unprofessional.
If you want to experience very rude and unfair treatment where you will be mistreated and ripped off by the staff and ow era you must come to Eagle Cliff campground. Was double charged for the room without any options and negotiations and knees delivered to us after we already left the campground. Staff is very rude and unwilling to be reasonable, professional and understanding. Campground looks good but rules are ridiculous and staff and owners are very shady and make non sense decisions. Stay away if you want nice peaceful stay and don’t want to be ripped off.
Guide to Onalaska
Tent camping near Onalaska, Wisconsin offers a variety of scenic spots perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.
Tent campers should check out Houston Nature Center
- The Houston Nature Center features spacious, well-kept tent sites with access to clean showers and drinking water.
- Located at the trailhead for the Root River Bike Trail, this campground is ideal for cyclists seeking a peaceful retreat after a day of biking.
- Enjoy the unique experience of visiting the International Owl Center, which is conveniently nearby.
Local activities for outdoor enthusiasts
- The Sparta Campground — Elroy-Sparta State Trail is perfect for those biking the Elroy-Sparta Trail, offering a comfortable camping experience close to town.
- Explore the beautiful trails and natural playground at the Reno Horse Campground — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest, which is great for hiking and horseback riding.
- For a unique glamping experience, check out Bryes Bad Axe Glamping, where you can enjoy a private setting with a gorgeous stream nearby.
Tips for tent camping near Onalaska
- Make reservations ahead of time at the Shady Rest Acres to secure a spot at this well-reviewed campground known for its friendly hosts and beautiful sites.
- Be prepared for a rustic experience at the Oak Ridge / Wet Bark Recreation Area — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest, which offers a more primitive camping experience with no amenities.
- Bring your own firewood and be ready to enjoy the natural surroundings at the Canoe Campsite Near Hawk Island — Black River State Forest, where you can canoe in and enjoy a secluded camping experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Onalaska, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Onalaska, WI is Houston Nature Center with a 4.8-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Onalaska, WI?
TheDyrt.com has all 21 tent camping locations near Onalaska, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.