Best Campgrounds near Portage, WI

Devil's Lake is one of my all time favorite state parks, and holds many fond memories for me. I have led youth camping trips here, gone on group trips with friends, and my now husband proposed to me here. I love love love Devil's Lake!

As far as tent camping, I don't love the campsites. There is very little privacy between sites, it is always packed, and there is lots of noise. The first night I stayed here, the group across from us kept us up until 2 am!

However, Devil's Lake is truly a fantastic place - we stayed for several days and had a blast in spite of the poor sleep.

I went on a group trip to Devils Lake. Having camped at Devils Lake before, we decided to camp somewhere quieter in the area. My expectations were low going in, but Mirror Lake really wowed me. The park was beautiful and quiet. The campsites were very large. We came in a group with multiple cars and tents, but the sites easily accommodated us. The pine trees were gorgeous! The park was quiet at night, and there was great hiking and paddle boarding in the park itself. It was an incredible Basecamp for our devil's lake trip!

Yukon Trails Campground offers a charming woodland escape with cozy sites nestled among tall pines. The family-friendly atmosphere includes activities like mini golf, a playground, and seasonal events, making it ideal for campers with kids. The sites are well-maintained, though some may find them a bit tight for larger rigs. With friendly staff and proximity to the Wisconsin Dells, it’s a convenient spot for both relaxation and adventure.

Check out the local state parks while you’re here and consider doing a cruise down the Wisconsin River.

General: Small county park campground (28 sites) located on Lake Mendota 

Site Quality: All sites were level and generous in size. Camper pads were somewhat gravel but not well-defined. Long enough to accommodate the largest RV or additional cars (friends visited us when we were there and could easily park two cars in addition to our van at the site). The power box is located at the very end of the camper pad, but extension cords are available from the camp host. Thank goodness that there were ample shade trees in most sites as it was humid and in the high 90s when we were there. 

Bath/Shower house: Located a short walk from the campground to accommodate the day-use people as well. Reasonably clean. The bathroom had three stalls and two sinks but could have used a couple of hooks for toiletries in addition to the one small shelf. Two shower stalls, including one ADA-accessible one. There is also a vault toilet closer to the sites.

Activities: Fishing, swimming, boating, kayaking, etc. There were kayaks that looked like they could be rented but did not find information on how to do so. Basketball, Volleyball and a playground. The maintenance employee mentioned that people were catching fish with hot dogs! 

Note that this park will be closed in spring 2025 for improvements. Note also that this park is located in a residential area, and I imagine it would be packed on weekends, but it was relatively quiet when we were there on a Monday at the end of August. Shortly after we arrived, a loud plane flew overhead, and we were worried this would be a problem, but we didn’t hear any more. The bugs (gnats and mosquitoes) were relentless, especially in the grassy areas so bring bug spray!

We had a wonderful time on our visit. The facilities were clean, well maintained, and fully stocked! Super nice and helpful staff. Beautiful fall foliage. Some of the walk in campsites are a far walk from the parking. So, if you simply want car camping, make sure you pick an appropriate site!

Great campground!  Shaded or Sunny sites. Level sites. Friendly staff. Sandy Beach. Swimming. Playground. Kids Activities. Themed weekends. Bar. Restaurant. Great Food! Tiki Bar on Beach. Great Fishing. Laundry.

Site 29 is lovely - it's situated directly on the shoreline with a tiny slice of beach. The weather was excellent and with enough wind to quell the bugs. There was an eagle fishing in the bay with us. Plenty of hiking, canoeing, and kayaking opportunities inside the park, too.

There is a bar and grill across the river with a live cover band on Friday night that could be heard loud and clear. Their setlist was pretty much identical to the 'Songs that Excite the White Folks' playlist on Spotify. We didn't mind it - it was amusing. They respectfully ended their set at 10pm sharp, so no big deal.

Only one of the showers had warm water in the nearby bathhouse, but we were grateful for it. There is nice, dry wood for fires and ice situated at the entrance to the park. There is also a cute little general store just outside of the park that is well-stocked with necessities. It's next to a food truck with a chef who proudly shared that he's from Chicago and serves up homemade gyros off the spit. 100% I'm getting one next time I'm in the area.

Our last day was kind of rough, though. A pontoon full of belligerent, drunken strangers blasting modern armpit country music pulled up to our site, parked their boat, got out, and made themselves at home in our campsite and proceeded to have a party. They blocked our entire beach access with their big fat pontoon so we couldn't use it at all. They got especially shrill when I suggested they park on an equally nice and secluded beach a mere 100 ft to the north that wasn't someone's campsite. They said too bad, they do it every weekend and that they're on public property. I'm pretty sure that's not how campsites work and what they were doing is trespassing, but I digress. Anyhow, one of the men started shouting some weird, irrelevant, cultish political nonsense that was probably intended to be offensive (while his unfortunate teenage son looked like he was about to keel over from cringe wishing his dad would keep his embarrassing opinions to himself). The irony of their 'don't tread on me' slogan was lost on them - they should just have a Jolly Roger mounted on their pontoon.

It's obnoxious that these folks make a habit of colonizing occupied sites instead of reserving them like everyone else, but for us, this was an isolated incident. Everyone else we encountered on the trip was delightful and gracious.

Anyhow, we decided to pack up a few hours early and head to Wisconsin Dells instead and we had a blast there, too.

Lots of playgrounds for kids age 2-10. Pit toilets smell- I’d avoid sites around them. Hot Showers by lot 30 and at pool. Pool is not heated as stated- definitely not 80 degrees. West tower is the best for sunsets. Site 75 was nice as it was a bit back from the road and you can’t see your neighbors.

Great backpack base camp! Great views, plenty of privacy and an easy hike. We stayed at 806.

Quiet, all drive-thrus, reasonable rates, very close to the dells, clean bathhouse.

We enjoyed our stay close to everything.  Walmart and major shopping within a half  a mile. pet friendly. I would recommend this campground

I have stayed at this campground three times in the last decade or so.

Pros:

- Excellent location if you're looking to recreate on the Wisconsin River or visit the American Players Theater across the way.  

- Interesting history about the Shot Tower on site.

- Nice little hiking trails.

Cons:

- Every time I've visited we've dealt with lots of mosquitos, but nothing comes close to our most recent visit!  It was a mosquito massacre.  So terrible that after coating ourselves in DEET and eating dinner there the first night, we actually booked another campsite about a half hour away (Brigham County Park - a gem!) and abandoned this site altogether.  

- Vault toilets were fragrant.

Definitely recommend for a seasonal home away from home

Great Place;  Central to many key places with very low rates.  Clean and Friendly Next to a huge restaurant and bar that have the lowest prices for above average food.  Definitely recommend.  Overnight sites easy to get into and large sites.

This campground is nestled in a stand of tall red pine trees so shade is found everywhere. The check in process was easy and quick. The roads connecting the sites are adequately wide. Just know that all of the sites are 90 degree back ins which can be tight with longer rigs- especially if your neighbor across the road has their vehicle or toys parked right up to the paved surface. The only thing I would be critical of is the bathroom/shower house. The showers are a bit odd where one door (that locks) opens to the only 2 shower stalls for your gender in the entire building. So if you’re cool showering with a buddy or your kids that’s no bid deal. This campground is mostly all seasonal campsites and some are impeccably maintained and elaborate and some are REALLY run down. I doubt you could tow some of those campers out. We stayed here for EAA Airventure in Oshkosh and it was only 40 minutes away.

We loved the amenities, sites, and staff. Everything was great. Even seasonal sites were well kept. We will definitely be back

Just a handful of pretty decent sized sites. There's a shelter area and some nice little hiking trails. Just outside of New Lisbon if you need anything.

Cedar Hills Campground has its own Fireworks show on 3 day weekends!

Beautiful facility but the traffic noise was atrocious.