E
Elisa M.
Guide
GuideGoose 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.
Camping near Ontario, WI
177 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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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 (177)
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 $24 - $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 $20 - $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 $20 - $37 / night
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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
347 Photos of 177 Ontario Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground
Kickapoo Valley Reserve
La Farge City Park
Tunnel Trail Campground
Westfork Sports Club & Campground
Sparta Walk-In Campground — Elroy-Sparta State Trail
Wonewoc Legion ParkM
Oakdale KOA
Whiskey Creek Family RV ParkT
Esofea/Rentz Memorial Park
Bryes Bad Axe Glamping
Boat Landing Campground — Bad Axe Watershed
Recent Reviews near Ontario, WI
809 Reviews of 177 Ontario Campgrounds
- BBriana K.
ScoutNeshonoc 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!
- DDesiree Z.Scout
Emrick Lake Campground & Resort
Owner is unbelievably rude and unprofessional
If you want one of their employees to scream at you in front of everyone during bingo saying I’m going to“beat your ass” then this is the place for you! Complained to owner; did nothing at all said I was in the wrong then proceeds to scream at a different employee in front of everyone saying“you’re out of here I don’t care if you don’t have a ride home” completely embarrassing& unprofessional. A yogi bear would never. Edit: owner comes up to me later in the night, says she was in the military and would have no problem‘kicking my ass.’ Then shushes me and asks if I’m always so difficult to talk to. Like seriously? This is who runs this place? Unprofessional
- TTim F.
TravelerWhite Mound County Campground
Off the beaten path
Very nice grounds with gorgeous tree covered sites, electric hookup on most of them. They have toilet facilities on each end of the grounds. They have shower facilities with potable water fill station next to the showers and water fountains in several locations. For those with kids they have a very nice playground area.
- JJes A.Traveler
The Rock Camping Resort
Nice and quiet campground
When we visited mid-week in August for one night, we had the whole campground area to ourselves. The place is basically split in 2 sections - more permanent RVs and some cabins on one side of a dirt road and the campground on the other. The permanent side is pretty filled. There is a bar where you check in, a boat launch and I believe they have water sports equipment to rent but we didn’t use any of that.
On the campground side, there is one portapotty which seemed brand new - and the showers/bathroom facility is near the cabins, a pretty far walk from our site. Some of the first sites aren’t very level, we ended up switching sites to a more level site - sites before 106 don’t seem very level. There are a few paved pads for larger rigs and a lot of sites have electric and water. Clean campground, though I felt a bit expensive for the sites ($50/night).
Carrie P.ScoutYogi Bear TM Camp-Resort & Waterplayground
Jellystone
It's really nice here. We happen to be the only campers in our section. So no neighbors yeah!
- KKristy H.Guide
Cliffwood Campground — Mirror Lake State Park
Beware of extra fees
The RV campsite for out of state guests was listed for $58. However when entering the park we were charged an additional $16.
Potable water is at the front of the campground. Ice is not sold on site.
Dan M.ScoutHoliday Shores Campground
Money-grab if ever I saw one
Any property that charges $3.00 per pet PER NIGHT should be put out of business. I can understand (maybe) a one-time charge or fines if you're caught not cleaning up after your pet. But a nightly pet fee for each pet?? Never!!
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 177 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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