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ScoutCedar Springs RV Park and Campground
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Beautiful ponds nice play area Catch and release
Camping near Ontario, WI
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SUMMARY PRESENTED BY
Ontario, Wisconsin serves as a gateway to numerous camping options in Wisconsin's scenic Driftless Region, particularly centered around the Kickapoo River Valley. Wildcat Mountain State Park provides both drive-in and walk-in campsites with electric hookups available at select locations. The area features a mix of state park campgrounds, municipal parks, and private facilities like Tunnel Trail Campground and Oakdale KOA that accommodate tent campers, RV users, and those seeking cabin rentals.
The camping season in this region typically runs from April through October, with limited winter availability at some locations. Most campgrounds maintain clean shower facilities and restrooms, though amenities vary by location. "The cart in sites are fantastic at Wildcat Mountain! Each site is spacious with most heavily treed for shade," noted one visitor describing the park's well-maintained walk-in camping area. Road access to campgrounds may include steep terrain, particularly at Wildcat Mountain where the campground sits atop a ridge with significant elevation changes from the river valley below. Advance reservations are recommended, especially during summer weekends when river recreation brings higher visitation.
Campers consistently highlight the Kickapoo River as a central attraction for recreation, with multiple campgrounds providing convenient access for paddling trips. The river's winding course through limestone bluffs creates opportunities for kayaking and canoeing excursions between Ontario and La Farge. Several visitors note the excellent stargazing opportunities due to minimal light pollution in this rural area. While electric sites at Wildcat Mountain offer fewer trees and less privacy, the walk-in tent sites provide more seclusion amid forested settings. Municipal campgrounds in Wilton and La Farge offer convenient access to the Elroy-Sparta State Trail for cyclists, with Wilton's facilities including access to the community swimming pool during summer months.
Best Campgrounds near Ontario (176)
1. Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground
"Traveling along the road from Ontario to Wildcat gave a little Appalachia feel. The park is situated above the Kickapoo River valley and is a great base for trout fishing."
"Walk-In Sites If you are looking for privacy, cart-in site 119 is quite a ways off the trail and far from the parking lot, but it's a bit small."
from $18 - $110 / night
Check Availability2. Kickapoo Valley Reserve
"It was maybe around a half mile walk from the closest parking. The trails I saw were more like small roads, but still had beautiful views."
"Campsites spacious, wooded and a-lot of hiking trails. No ambient polluty, stars magnificent."
from $10 - $15 / night
Check Availability3. Tunnel Trail Campground
"Campground is right on the Elroy Sparta bike trail which has three old tunnels to go though."
"The Elroy Sparta Bike Trail, North America's first rails-to-trails project, runs through the Tunnel Trail Campground."
4. La Farge City Park
5. Oakdale KOA
"The campground is super easy to get to as it is adjacent to I-90 which means you’ll also deal with highway noise."
"We stayed one night on our way through Wisconsin. The campground was very neat and tidy. The folks that ran it were very nice and friendly."
from $27 - $129 / night
Check Availability6. Westfork Sports Club & Campground
"A beautiful location in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin. Near hiking, biking, fishing attractions. The campground is well groomed with lots of camping spots available."
"Lots of bugs at night to be expected being that close to the driftless. We awoke to such views - hard to beat!"
from $20 - $30 / night
Check Availability7. Wilton City Park
from $20 - $35 / night
Check Availability8. Sparta Walk-In Campground — Elroy-Sparta State Trail
"This is a walk-in campground intended for very light camping, particularly for those biking the Elroy-Sparta or Lacrosse Trails, as it is right on the Elroy-Sparta trail and only a 10 minute bike ride"
"After biking 47 miles was a welcome respite on our first day of biking the Elroy-Sparta State Bike Trail. We spent a second night on our out and back along the trail."
from $18 - $50 / night
Check Availability9. Pine View Campground - Fort McCoy
"Situated within short distance of the Mississippi surrounded by trails and kayak friendly rivers."
"Near-by La Crosse has baseball and softball teams from the Northwoods collegiate summer league."
10. Mill Bluff State Park Campground
"We had our two dogs who normally bark when people walk past but the site was secluded with good tree coverage that we didn’t have any issues! We drove across the highway and got some good hiking in."
"The highway is there and the night train schedule was 22:45 03:10 and 03:15. There are plenty of washrooms. Fire wood is sold at the camp ground entrance. $5 a bundle, cash or check."
from $18 - $34 / night
Check Availability
Drive Time
- 48 min from La Crosse, WI
- 1 hr 33 min from Eau Claire, WI
- 1 hr 53 min from Madison, WI
- 2 hrs 1 min from Dubuque, IA
Recent Camping Photos near Ontario, WI
346 Photos of 176 Ontario Campgrounds
Emily H.
Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground
Sean M.
Kickapoo Valley Reserve
Bob M.
La Farge City Park
Cindy B.
Tunnel Trail Campground
Westfork S.
Westfork Sports Club & Campground
Theresa D.
Sparta Walk-In Campground — Elroy-Sparta State Trail
Maria Y.
Wonewoc Legion Park
Kim L.
Oakdale KOA
Tim M.
Whiskey Creek Family RV Park
Sara M.
Esofea/Rentz Memorial Park
Lynn R.
Bryes Bad Axe Glamping
Ruthie L.
Boat Landing Campground — Bad Axe Watershed
Recent Reviews near Ontario, WI
798 Reviews of 176 Ontario Campgrounds
Katie D.
GuideGoose Island
Huge sites, lots of open areas, nice trails
We are in 301 near the back and the sites are large, lots of grass, and beautiful. Trails around the park are wonderful for exercise and bird watching.
- PPad F.Guide
Jackson County Wazee Lake Recreation Area
Park is beautiful
Beach area and lake is amazing. Campground is rustic- only water from hand pump, most sites do not have gravel pads or set areas to park, no grates in fire rings, had vault toilets. Plenty of space between most sites. Few sites are shaded -1,2 and 7 have most shade. Can get water and dump at Cenex station 6 miles from campground in Black River Falls. Beach area has flush toilets. Swimming area is white sand!
Dawn S.ScoutMcMullen County Park
Skip the tourist trap and stay here
The camp hosts are kind and friendly. The whole vibe of this llace is peace and quiet. The sites are huge with enough space and trees to be private. Deer came into our site both days. We liked it so nice, we stayed twice. Treat yourself.
Andrew R.ScoutFireside Campground
Family, Pet, Motorcycle Friendly!
This is a fantastic Campground, especially for RVs and families. Large playground and outdoor games, small indoor rec area. During busy weekends with lots of kids and holidays, they have foam parties for the kids where they fill the basketball court with foam 3 ft High. Most sites are permanent sites, but have probably around 20 other 30 amp sites that can accommodate large RVs. There are only a few tent sites, but if tent is your only option and you still want to stay they will rent you an RV site for the tent. New owners are very friendly, and have adopted the same overwhelmingly hospitable nature as the previous owners. Fantastic people and very helpful. It will accommodate special needs or requests as long as it doesn't bother anybody or go against any insurance policies. I've had a permanent site here in the past, and recently started camping again and came to visit old friends. The new owners were still happy to accommodate semi truck parking for my job. I haul milk locally so I work more than I'm off, but the family can still camp and I can come when I'm done work. It is near the Wisconsin River, so it's fairly sand base although the Grass Grows plenty so you're not tracking sand everywhere. The benefits of this is when it rains heavily the sand absorbs the water rapidly. The only negative is the mosquitoes. Be prepared for mosquitoes with lots of bug spray. This is no fault of the campground, all low wetlands in Wisconsin are the same. The bathrooms are some of the best in any Campground I've seen. They are always clean, modernized, and Air condition. There are showers and bathroom stalls near the park. They try to keep families close to the park if possible for the bathrooms and the park access itself. They are really extremely accommodating for requests if it's in their power at all. The owners live at the campground and are always accessible by a simple phone call if after hours. There's a community vibe, with a community fire pit up front and often people are just hanging out outside of the main office. It embodies our Wisconsin way of life and you will find strangers waving at you every time you pass by. It's just our nature, don't be weirded out by the friendliness. The regular permanent campers are all so friendly and always willing to help a newbie or even someone struggling to figure out a problem or even carry things.
- IIrene M.Guide
Fireside Campground
Cute campground with great hosts.
Found this campground by chance after the campground I had planned to stay at was a complete disaster. Luckily, they were able to get me a campsite for two nights where I could regroup do a little laundry and chill out also took a bike ride on the bike path.
- HHannah P.
TravelerMill Bluff State Park Campground
Expensive but fine for 1-2 nights
Stayed hear on a very hot 90+degree day during a road trip, easy to reach from I90/94. Midweek, we were the only overnight guests. -Occasional loud noise from the road and train tracks. -At first was wary of paying for no showers and pit toilets for the price, but pit toilets were actually clean with no odor. -Spring fed swimming pond was good for a dip once you found a cool spot, but there are spots that felt like a hot tub. Beach is very nice sand, and there’s a playground for the kids. -Definitely check out the short hike up to Mill Bluff if you can tolerate steep rocky stairs, the view is beautiful. -Tried to check out the other trail near Camel Bluff but it was too overgrown to continue. -Electrical box is in the middle of the campsite near the picnic table, so power cables will need to be at least 30 feet long to comfortably reach your rig. -National Parks Pass is accepted for vehicle admission (separate from camping fee in WI) as this is part of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve! -Sites 20/21 are great for proximity to swimming pond and toilets
- CCaroline G.Traveler
Pigeon Creek Campground — Black River State Forest
Great time for the kids
We loved how well spaced out the sites were and traveled on a busy June weekend. Our kids loved taking their scooters on the campground road and to the lake swimming. The kids loved the playground and path, beach. We had one person that was blaring their music and there was no ranger around. Finally someone must have called the police and they shut off their music
- MMhari M.Traveler
Perrot State Park Campground
Surprised in Wisconsin!
I am making a cross country road trip to my next job. I left Vermont and will end in Washington. I was amazed that this is the prettiest place I’ve stopped so far. Wisconsin for the win!
Guide to Ontario
Driftless Region camping near Ontario, Wisconsin centers on steep, varied terrain ranging from 300 to 1,700 feet in elevation. The Kickapoo River watershed creates a unique camping environment with numerous access points for recreation. Campgrounds typically remain open from April through October with seasonal closures during winter months due to snowfall and temperature drops.
What to do
Kayaking the Kickapoo River: Multiple river access points near Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground allow for paddling trips of various lengths. "Great location for kayaking and hiking. The facilities are well maintained and clean. Camping sites are spacious and the stars at night is amazing. Bring or rent kayaks to float the Kickapoo River. Ontario to bridge 5 was 2.5 hours," reports John B.
Biking the Elroy-Sparta Trail: The trail runs directly through Tunnel Trail Campground, offering convenient access for cyclists. "The Elroy Sparta Bike Trail, North America's first rails-to-trails project, runs through the Tunnel Trail Campground. We rode from Norcross to Rockland with a stop in Sparta at the Market Tavern. We enjoyed the hot ham and cheese sandwich, fried mushrooms, and excellent brown ale," notes Cindy B.
Winter recreation: While most campgrounds close seasonally, winter activities continue throughout the region. "We'd love to come back and see the ice cave when it's cold enough for ice," mentions Kristina K. about Wildcat Mountain State Park, which maintains year-round operations with limited winter facilities.
What campers like
Stargazing opportunities: The rural setting creates excellent conditions for night sky viewing. "Kickapoo kayaking. Great reserve. From OntarioWI to Lafarge WI the creek is over 22 miles. Campsites spacious, wooded and a-lot of hiking trails. No ambient polluty, stars magnificent," shares Loren S. from Kickapoo Valley Reserve.
Trout fishing access: Streams throughout the region provide fishing opportunities directly from campsites. "One night at a tent spot booked through VRBO. The check-in process was a bit confusing, but that was forgotten with the location. Beautiful trout stream along the sites. Great place for star gazing as well," reports Anthony L. about Blakey Hobbit Campground.
Primitive camping options: For those seeking less developed sites, backcountry options exist. "I hiked in to Site C. It was maybe around a half mile walk from the closest parking. The trails I saw were more like small roads, but still had beautiful views. You have to book the sites online, but this isn't a typical campground, you'll be VERY far away from any other campers," explains Sean M. about Kickapoo Valley Reserve.
What you should know
Campsite terrain variation: Many campgrounds feature significant elevation changes. "We kayaked the Kickapoo river and stayed here for a night. We didn't reserve a site so the only spots left were the walk-in sites. There were carts to use and parking wasn't too far so it wasn't bad at all. Hiking trails were pretty close and we had quite the exercise going up/down the mountain," notes Joyce B. about Wildcat Mountain State Park.
Highway noise concerns: Some campgrounds experience traffic sounds due to proximity to major roads. "The campground is super easy to get to as it is adjacent to I-90 which means you'll also deal with highway noise. The noise becomes just background after a while and the full hookups mean running the RV air conditioner at night somewhat blocks the traffic sounds," explains Bob R. about Oakdale KOA.
Seasonal facility limitations: Municipal campgrounds offer varying levels of access to community amenities. "The swimming pool is also available for a $5 admission. Hours are irregular due to a shortage of available lifeguards," points out Pat L. regarding Wilton City Park.
Tips for camping with families
Community pool access: Several campgrounds provide swimming facilities or nearby recreational options. "This campground is owned and operated by the village of Wilton, Wi. It is primarily marketed toward cyclists riding the Elroy Sparta Rail Trail. It is part of a community recreation center that includes a nice swimming pool and various ball fields," mentions Pat L. about Wilton City Park.
Educational opportunities: Military history and environmental programs available seasonally. "A great campground for a nice getaway, Cabins are affordable and packed with amenities. There is a small camp store and boat rental where firewood is available," reports Erick H. about Pine View Campground at Fort McCoy.
Wildlife viewing: Multiple campgrounds feature wildlife observation opportunities. "We hiked a short distance into our site. We had to pass a grassy area that was always full of bunnies! The site was of good size, dark and quiet. The shower house was close and clean," shares Kay K. about Wildcat Mountain State Park.
Tips from RVers
Site access challenges: Road conditions and site configurations may limit larger vehicles. "We had difficulty getting to our site as tight corners for rigs 38 feet or more," notes Becky M. about Tunnel Trail Campground.
Electric and water hookup logistics: Utilities vary significantly between campgrounds. "I parked my 34' travel trailer with no problem. They have 50amp service and potable water halfway up the hill. They do have showers, bring your quarters," explains Bob M. about La Farge City Park.
Level site availability: Terrain impacts site quality for RVs throughout the region. "Arrived on Saturday so was full of tents and kids. Appears to be many locals. Cost is $20/night for 30amp and one dump use. Shade trees and picnic tables. Sites are slanted on hillside," cautions Lindy T. about La Farge City Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Ontario, WI?
What camping is available near Ontario, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, Ontario, WI offers a wide range of camping options, with 176 campgrounds and RV parks near Ontario, WI and 2 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Ontario, WI?
Which is the most popular campground near Ontario, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Ontario, WI is Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 21 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Ontario, WI?
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Ontario, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 2 free dispersed camping spots near Ontario, WI.
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