Best Tent Camping near Richland Center, WI
Several tent camping options surround Richland Center, Wisconsin, with popular destinations like Governor Dodge State Park backpack campsites and Devils Lake State Park Group Campground offering dedicated tent areas. These established tent campgrounds range from walk-in sites to more developed areas, with most requiring reservations through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Nearby Yellow River State Forest in neighboring Iowa provides additional primitive tent camping opportunities approximately 60 miles west of Richland Center.
Most tent campsites in the region include basic amenities such as fire rings and picnic tables, with drinking water available at main campground areas but not at individual sites. Backpack campsites at Governor Dodge State Park require a half-mile to one-mile hike from parking areas, while walk-in tent sites at Sparta Campground along the Elroy-Sparta State Trail involve carrying gear 600 yards or more from parking. Several primitive backcountry tent sites have no running water, making water collection and filtration necessary. According to a review, the backpack sites at Governor Dodge State Park offer "great views, plenty of privacy and an easy hike."
Tent campers enjoy varying degrees of seclusion and natural settings throughout the region. The backpacking sites at Yellow River State Forest provide excellent star viewing opportunities and well-spaced primitive campsites surrounded by dense forest. Highway noise affects some tent sites, particularly at Sparta Campground along the Elroy-Sparta State Trail where Interstate 90 proximity creates consistent traffic noise. A camper noted that "traffic noise is great, particularly during the week" with truck traffic being "loud all night" on weekdays. Many tent-only areas feature shaded sites under forest canopy, though the group sites at Devils Lake State Park are described as "heavily wooded which protects from rain but also means they are dirt with a ton of leaves."
