Best Cabin Camping near Ontario, WI

In the middle of the country, in a tiny town called Brownsville, you'll find a little slice of awesome in the form of a hobby farm with campsites, a cabin, and oh ya...the remnants of an old brewery! Patty and Michelle are nothing less than hospitable, knowledgable and gracious.

Shady Rest Acres is owned and run by two women who are nothing less than the the perfect example of what property owners/business owners should be. Beyond being kind, their property is clean, tidy, beautiful yet rustic and home to so many animals that are all exceptionally well cared for. They have donkeys, Scottish Highland cows (a family of them), sheep, goats, chickens (and they'll even pick the bugs off your car), bees, horses, ducks, cats and dogs (I hope I didn't miss anything!). You have to be "pet friendly" if you stay here, because the the chickens roam, the dogs make friends and the cats meander, just as cats tend to do. If you want to meet the barnyard critters, please only look at them from the outside of the fence unless guided and escorted by the owners.  They are happy to let you meet them with their presence. 

There are 2 campsites, if you wish.  One is in the middle of the pasture (that's right...near the goats) They will pen up the larger animals if you stay at that site, but it's perfect for stargazing!  The other is nestled in the woods.  Both have fire pits and access to wood. There is an outdoor shower, if you wish, and also a composting toilet.  But there is also access to an indoor bathroom and shower inside the main house.  The cabin is delightfully lovely with beautiful decor, two full sized beds, space for a few kids to crash, small kitchen items (microwave, mini fridge, coffeemaker) as well as a wood stove for cool nights and some A/C for warm days.  The cabin is attached to the main house by way of a small deck (although the cabin is free standing, but sitting above the garage). And some local beverages in the fridge! You will have access to the deck chairs and gas grill, if you want to cook some dinner. For potty stops, you'll have to use the bathroom inside their home, but it's very close and private, as they have another one that they use when guests are staying the night. 

At no time did we feel like we were invading Patty and Michelle's space, nor did they invade ours.  It was extremely comfortable, and I thought that we could have asked any question without silly looks and even participated in chores, and we would have been welcome to do so. Even though it rained while we were there, it seemed to be just perfect. Beyond the obvious, they are earth conscious, eco friendly in many ways and fully aware of their food sources, which is one reason why they raise their own food.  So they know where it comes from and how it was treated.  I love it. 

This is rustic slice of hospitality is not only peaceful, but friendly, warm and comforting as well as therapeutic.  Just what the soul ordered.

We have a big private site #138 it’s in the Cliffwood loop at the end where the circle is. We had electric, picnic table, (you have to fill your camper with water after you enter there’s many hoses) we had a fire pit and a private trail behind the campsite that leads to a view of the lake. It has been so quiet in this loop it’s hard to believe it’s opening week due to COVID.

The lake is nice and cold lots of kayaking and canoeing. You can launch at the boat ramp.

There is a swim beach, nice pet area and trails in the park to hike.

There are 3 loops for camping we like the one we’re in. Cliffwood loop Big sites near us ours 138, 137 big but soggy when it rains hard, 136 is nice it has a view of the lake. 139 is ok the back drops down a hill where you park for day use.

Sandstone ridge loop some nice big sites are 74, 75, 77.

Bluewater bay loop has no electric smaller sites we saw all tents in this loop.

Some sites are not level so come prepared.

We ate at Ishnala supper club it’s very pricy yet excellent food. The building is cool with some original parts from the old log cabin it once was. The service is great beautiful view of the lake from a window seat. Several bars and a little gift shop.

Good food in Baraboo at the little village cafe. The chocolate torte is so good. The owners are so nice.

We would stay here again.

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.

We camped on site 22. It was an easy walk from the parking lot to the site with the help of the provided carts. It was peaceful and lovely! It seemed like a good spot for kayaks and canoes given the lake access; it appeared shallow and sandy at this site. The porta-potty was clean and located in the parking lot. There was a basic fire ring with grill grate and a picnic table. Fish were jumping frequently. We were able to set up our screen house and tent with plenty of room to spare. The only reason I gave this 4/5 stars is because the mosquitoes!!! I know, it's nature in all it's glory but we couldn't leave our tents until sun went down so it was a bummer. We will revisit earlier in the spring in hopes of avoiding the bugs.

This was my first time camping next to a lake and we loved listening to the water falling asleep and waking up in the morning. The sunrise was absolutely gorgeous. The main swimming area of the beach had a nice sandy bottom and clear water. We stayed at backpack site 21. I was a little apprehensive doing a backpack site pregnant and with a toddler but there was a wagon shared between 3 campsites available at the parking area to carry your gear to your site. There was a nice picnic table and a couple benches as well as a fire pit with a moveable grill top. There was also a porta potty shared for sites #20-22. Our campsite was fairly secluded. It was also quite a hike from the heart of state park so we ended up driving to trailheads and to the playground and beach. The first night we were there the flies were horrific and biting at dusk and it was miserable being outside. Just going into our tent quickly caused at least 30-50 flies to sneak in. The second night was windy and we had no flies. After reading some reviews the flies can occasionally be a nuisance in mid to late summer. We were there end of July. We would absolutely camp here again, the sunrises were breathtaking. I think next time we will try for the other side of the lake.