Cabin camping near Richland Center, Wisconsin provides access to the Driftless Area's unique landscape characterized by steep forested ridges, sandstone bluffs, and river valleys untouched by glaciation. Winter temperatures can drop below zero degrees Fahrenheit with summer highs reaching the mid-80s. Most cabin rentals operate from April through October, though Wisconsin Dells KOA offers heated cabin options year-round.
What to do
Kayaking on Mirror Lake: Rent kayaks and explore the calm waters surrounded by sandstone cliffs at Mirror Lake State Park. "The lake is great for kayaking. Lots of sandstone cliffs," notes a visitor to Sandstone Ridge Campground — Mirror Lake State Park.
Explore public caves: Eagle Cave Resort offers cave exploration opportunities with varying difficulty levels. "We only spent a night at the resort (actually slept in the cave). One thing to know for sure, bring a tarp or tent to cover yourself. The exploring was fantastic and physically challenging for everyone," shares a scout leader at Eagle Cave Resort LLC.
Cable wakeboarding: Try wakeboarding using the cable launch system at Chapparal Campground. "Our kids enjoyed the spring feed ponds and sand beach that also offered an inflateable course and Cable Launch to perfect their wake boarding," mentions a camper at Chapparal Campground And Resort.
Hiking observation points: Blue Mound State Park features observation towers providing views of the surrounding landscape. "Climb up into the firetower if you get a chance too!" recommends a visitor to Blue Mound State Park Campground.
What campers like
Clean facilities: Many campgrounds in the area maintain well-kept bathrooms and shower facilities. "The bathrooms were nice for what I saw of them. I just wish the bathrooms were warmer as they were not much warmer than outside," notes a camper at Bluewater Bay Campground.
Level sites for easy setup: Fireside Campground receives praise for its site conditions. "Level sites. Full hook ups available. Friendly owners. Clean bathrooms and showers. Dog friendly. Recommend if you are in the area and need a place to camp," states a visitor to Fireside Campground.
River access: Wisconsin Riverside Resort provides river access for tubing and fishing. "Free shuttle takes you up river for a 3 hour float trip. We reserved one campsite for 2 couples. There was a picnic table, fire pit and electric hookup onsite," explains a visitor to Wisconsin Riverside Resort.
Spacious campsites: Many cabins and campsites offer ample room. "We stayed in a pull thru site. The camp fire was located under a tree. They have more spacious campsites near the lagoon for bigger rigs," notes a camper at Wisconsin Riverside Resort.
What you should know
Highway noise affects some parks: Mirror Lake State Park campsites can be noisy due to nearby interstate traffic. "The campground is really nice. The facilities are excellent. However it's really close to the interstate and the road noise is awful," warns a visitor at Cliffwood Campground.
Limited privacy between sites: Some campgrounds have minimal screening between campsites. "The loop has no trees, so you can definitely see your neighbors across, we parked our car across the driveway for privacy," explains a visitor to Cliffwood Campground.
Wildlife challenges: Prepare for wildlife encounters at most parks. "It was a little pricey ($27 for camping + $11 for park entry + $6 for wood) but you get what you pay for and it was worth it. Also, buy wood outside the park cheaper if you need to save a dollar," advises a camper at Cliffwood Campground — Mirror Lake State Park.
Winter access limitations: Most cabins are available only during warmer months. "The raccoons were brutal. They broke into our crates twice. Smart enough to figure out the clip mechanism," reports a camper at Sandstone Ridge Campground.
Tips for camping with families
Pool amenities: Wisconsin Dells KOA features family-friendly water features. "They have an kids playground, and a heated pool with some little attractions attached for the kids. Bathrooms showers were CLEAN!! they also provided movie night on a project underneath a pavilion," shares a visitor to Wisconsin Dells KOA.
Beach activities: Chapparal Campground offers beach access with inflatable play equipment. "They had a parade of first reponders, firefighters, emt's and etc come through the campground on Saturday, golf cart parade sunday, fun things for the children and they have an amazing pond. We didn't use it but they have a LOT of inflatables all surrounded by a sandy beach," explains a visitor.
Hiking trails for kids: Blue Mound State Park provides family-friendly hiking options. "It is a beautiful park with tons of trees. Beautiful hiking trails everywhere for different levels of hiker. The pool is awesome, and the splash pad is absolutely incredible. This is a great place to camp with little kids," recommends a family camper.
Reserve early for group sites: Some campgrounds offer connected sites for multiple families. "A fair amount of them were directly off of the main park road and looked nice, you just have to be willing to deal with more car traffic. We stayed in the Sandstone Ridge loop, and some of the sites had more elevation gain than others," notes a visitor at Sandstone Ridge Campground.
Tips from RVers
Site selection for large rigs: Check site dimensions when booking. "We stayed here 4 th of July. We stayed in a pull thru site. I think the pull Thru are more fit for travel trailers not more 31 feet. We had 5th wheel 40 feet it felt tight to get into to. They have more spacious campsites near the lagoon for bigger rigs," advises an RVer at Wisconsin Riverside Resort.
Electrical hookups availability: Some campgrounds have limited electrical options. "The 30 Amp outlet didn't work on our site but thankfully we had out 20 Amp adapter with us. Our site was also kind of small for our trailer," shares a visitor at Fireside Campground.
Water fill locations: At Mirror Lake State Park, water fill stations require planning. "There is a dump and potable water fill for rvs between the entrance and this campground. There are 2 other campgrounds past this one," explains an RVer at Bluewater Bay Campground.
Level site considerations: RV campers should prepare for leveling at some parks. "The campground was higher up on the hill, it took a 5 minutes to hike down to the lake with lots of steep steps. Nice beach area. I spent two nights here with an RV. I had electric hookup," notes a visitor at Blackhawk Lake Recreational Area.
