Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Rib Lake, WI has a lot to offer. Rib Lake is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Find the best campgrounds near Rib Lake, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
$75 / night
"Tent only, reservable group site at Mondeaux recreation area. Boat landing, Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Part of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest."
"Very nice lake, nice and private."
"I grew up on this lake from the early 90s to about 2012. The campground was always very peaceful and all the campsites on the lake had plenty of space for multiple tents or campers."
"The sites are a decent size and it's right on the Ice Age Trail with lots of hiking to be enjoyed right from your camp site."
"The park includes the scenic Wisconsin River Segment of the Ice Age Trail. There is only pit toilets here, no showers. There is only 7 sites."
"Campground Review:
Lake Eleven campsite is a back country site located within the Chequamegon National Forest in Taylor County, Wisconsin."
"The campgrounds here have a fire ring and table, and plenty of room to set up in. The lake is gorgeous and swimmable. The only amenities are a vault toilet and water."
"There are only walk-in tent sites here. We missed that before we headed here so we needed to look elsewhere. There are other campgrounds just a few miles away."
"If you want a quiet, secluded campground where you can just sit back and enjoy being out in the woods(we had deer walk through the back of our campsite at night), then you will enjoy this campground."
RangerThis campground is right on the Ice Age Trail and a nice place to stop off during an extended hike.
There are not that many sites available here and most do supply electricity. More people tent camp here rather than RV camping. There are pit toilets but no shower house although there are water spigots for drinking water. The sites are closer together than some campgrounds but it's not like a city block of camps like some KOA's I have camped at. The night time temperatures dipped in the low 30's in the middle of May when I was there. The campground attendants were on site twice a day to sell firewood and collect camping fees. The DNR rangers do patrol the campgrounds on a regular basis. There is places all along the river to fish and I was told the fishing is good, however I did not have very much luck when I was there. The campground firepits with cooking grates were OK and the wooden picnic tables are worn, but there is level ground for pitching tents.
The scenery and hiking along the river and on the Ice Age Trail is great. If you had better luck fishing than I did this would have been a great camping weekend. Bring warm cloths and a great sleeping bag.
LegendThe State Forest is very beautiful. There is a lake as well as the Flambeau River to explore. There are two campgrounds, Lake of the Pines which has 30 non-electric sites and Connor Lake which has 3 electric sites and 26 non-electric. All sites have a picnic table and a fire ring. There are no play grounds. There are only vault toilets at the campground. There is one shower at the ranger station which is about 4 miles away. There is no cell service at Connors Lake Campground. I could not even make an emergency call which was a concern for me. There are many signs that say to go to the ranger station, about 4 miles to make an emergency call. There is no weather safe shelter at the campground. There are 14 canoe camp areas and the park is beautiful. If you like to canoe this is a great park. We did a hike and cut our stay short since we like a bit more services and safety.
ScoutThe campgrounds here have a fire ring and table, and plenty of room to set up in. The lake is gorgeous and swimmable. The only amenities are a vault toilet and water.
LegendNestled within Wisconsin forest you find Sailor Lake. This national forest campground has water access as well as sites away from the lake. We stayed at site 12 - a pull through site away from the water.
Many, although not all, of the waterside sites are for tents. You park and carry your gear down a few steps for a close to the water feel. There is an open area for everyone to enjoy the lake - it’s filled with purple flowers today. With plenty of woods around, all sites offer privacy but they have different vibes. Plenty of choice here so look around or reserve one. Plenty of sites available for walk-ins too. A couple of vault toilets, garage receptacle and water source round out a nice camp.
ATV trails as well as non-motorized trails are plentiful. We hiked on them and it was nice. Minimal cell signal encourages disconnecting for your stay.
ScoutNestled on Lake Tomahawk, this small campground is comprised of drive-in and walk-in sites. Walk-in sites being tent camp only, which is the option we took. There is a small beach on site, and a number of lake front sites to choose from. Oh, can't forget.. The sun sets over the lake! Paved roads made it easy for my children to navigate the grounds on their scooters. There are electric and non electric sites, a water pump, but no showers. Your park pass will give you access to Clear Lake campground (couple miles down the road), which does has showers, another beach, and also firewood sales. We meant to take the boat on multiple lakes, but the fishing on Lake Tomahawk was spectacular! Hiking the trails near our site, you really get a sense of being in the northwoods. We could hear the birds, frogs, found salamanders, seen an otter, musk rat, loons, and more.
The nearest town is Lake Tomahawk, where you can fuel up, get bait, or grab a bite to eat(maybe an ice cream cone for the kids).
As I said in the description, the grounds are simple. However, we booked three nights but felt the need at the end of our trip to book another. We'll be coming back. Safe travels.
GuideWe arrived at Lake of the Pines knowing sites were reservable. We didn't know they had to be reserved. There were no less than eleven signs at the entrance. You could purchase a vehicle pass required for entry but could not pay for camping. The instructions said to call a telephone number. With no cell service we were about to drive until we could call. Luckily a very pleasant maintenance women told us there was a dedicated phone for reservations at the forest headquarters a few miles away. We apparently missed that sign.
We took a chance and paid for an out-of-state annual vehicle pass for $38 as opposed to buying an $8 pass every day. We checked out the park and there were only two sites occupied. We chose one next to some campers on motorcycles because it had a partial view of the lake and drove to the headquarters. We called and asked for a specific site number. The person said she had no Lake of the Pines in her system. We figured out it was Flambeau/Lake of the Pines and confirmed that the adjacent site was occupied. We reserved the site and paid by card over the dedicated reservation phone. They said we would receive a confirmation email but...no cell service. Returning to the campground we found that the site we reserved was the one occupied. Apparently the motorcycle guys blew off the whole camping reservation and fee. We set up on another site and hoped no one reserved that one. All the site number signs said first come-first served? We corrected the site number at the phone at the forest headquarters the next day. First we tried the office which had hours posted but was closed, so we used the dedicated phone line.
After all this, we had a nice time paddling the milder sections of the Flambeau River. Shuttle prices for private canoes at local tavern/outfitters were reasonable. No one we saw other than DNR wore masks. Wisconsin DNR needs to get their act together. There is no reason to have a payment drop box for vehicle permits but not camping. Consolidate your check-in signs.
GuideThis is one of our favorite Wisconsin state parks. It is quiet and shady, next to the Chippewa River. You can kayak on the river and in-between the islands where the water is very calm and full of lily pads and wildlife. There is a paved bike trail, Old Abe, that connects to the park and is 20 miles long to Chippewa Falls. It's an easy bike ride, a few miles, into Cornell for ice cream at one of 2 shops that have it! One camground loop has electric and bathroom with showers and flush toilets. The other loop has no electric and pit toilets and has many sites next to the water. Campsites are roomy and shaded.
GuideThis was our first camping trip into the beautiful Flambeau River State Forest. It was stunning. Plenty to do and see at this campground. It’s the true north woods experience. Large, wooded sites. Secluded from neighbors. Only 7 electric sites right now. There were no showers on site, so we had to drive to the ranger station in order to shower, just a quick 5 min drive. The hiking in the area is amazing, and I would highly recommend taking in the beauty at the falls.
ScoutWe stayed 3 nights at site number 9 in the midst of the pandemic. Overall fairly quiet and private. One side of site 9 is a parking area. Our site had a wooded trail down to the flowage and onto the Mondeaux Esker Trail segment of the Ice Age Trail (“East” segment - most people use the dam as their definition). I had a hard time confirming before hand but yes the trail runs right through this campground. The Mondeaux Esker segment was challenging (muddy) but fun.
Our site was large though not real flat. We fit a car, suv and 17 ft boat.
One drawback was the water at the campground is shut off due to bad water tests (not due to covid). Plan ahead - there is a glacial spring within driving distance and other federal campgrounds that you might be able to get water from. Pit toilets were very clean and didn’t stink. No showers. stayed late August 2020
Explore the beauty of tent camping near Rib Lake, Wisconsin, where nature enthusiasts can find serene spots to pitch their tents and enjoy the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Rib Lake, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Rib Lake, WI is Picnic Point Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
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