Developed campgrounds dot the countryside around Cambridge, Wisconsin, providing a range of camping experiences from tent sites to full RV hookups. Hickory Hills Campground and Milton KOA offer diverse accommodation options including tent camping, RV sites, and cabin rentals. Located within a 30-minute drive of Cambridge, these established campgrounds feature amenities such as electric hookups, water access, and shower facilities. The region includes several mixed-use campgrounds that cater to both tent campers and RV enthusiasts, with many sites nestled among wooded areas that provide natural shade and privacy.
Most campgrounds in the Cambridge area operate seasonally from mid-April through October, with limited year-round options available. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially for summer weekends and holiday periods when sites fill quickly. Several campgrounds like Lake Kegonsa State Park and Badgerland Campground provide electric hookups, drinking water, and sanitary facilities, though amenities vary significantly between locations. Many sites require advance booking through online reservation systems, with seasonal openings that reflect Wisconsin's climate patterns. A visitor noted: "Small campground great little store pool mini golf and on the lake! Kids loved it!"
Campers frequently mention the spring-fed lakes and water recreation opportunities as highlights of camping in the Cambridge region. Hickory Hills Campground features a 172-acre lake with swimming beach and water activities, while other locations offer fishing access and boating opportunities. Reviews indicate that family-friendly amenities are common throughout the area's campgrounds, with swimming pools, playgrounds, and organized weekend activities available at many locations. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, campers appreciate the wooded sites that provide shade and privacy: "Our site was nicely wooded and a decent size, but everyone was pretty close to each other." Road noise can be an issue at some locations, particularly those near Interstate 90/39, while others offer more secluded experiences tucked away from major highways.
"Just a quick 2 hour drive from our home in Chicago, with large wooded sites for privacy. Clean bathrooms."
"We didn’t have much time to explore the campground but we did have a nice walk around the outer loop of sites. This is near the main highway and a nice place to camp."
"No enclosed dog park but plenty of area to walk your dog!"
"Driving around, I really don't think there's a bad spot here. The staff is fantastic, friendly, and accommodating- as are the seasonal campers.
We'll be back again...and again... and again!"
$42 / night
"Our site was nicely wooded and a decent size, but everyone was pretty close to each other. When we were there, the women's shower was freezing and the men's was almost uncomfortably hot."
"Hidden from site, the entire grounds are completely surrounded by a very thick wall of tall trees that barricades this place from most of civilization."
$40 - $60 / night
"We booked in VIP 1, which is right next to the bath house. We wanted to be close to the showers (coin op). We figured since we’re at a sporting event that might be nice. Very quiet at night."
"This is a small campground near Madison. Reasonable rates. Large VIP drive through sites. Small swimming area. Catch and release pond. Small office and bar. Clean bathrooms and showers."
$18 - $28 / night
"With the rain and the proliferation of mosquitoes, we were wandering around southern Wisconsin without a plan when we stumbled across this county park. 50 sites, many with electric and very reasonably"
"No water on sites but spigots located throughout the park. Dump station right at the entrance but there's plenty of room to maneuver around there. Could get congested if busy."
"We were located on the end of the row and had lots of grass to enjoy. Owner was very friendly and helpful"
"Right off i90, and next to fuel and food stops. Family run campground with 40 sites that have water and electric. They are cash or check only, with no online booking. Sites are snug."
"Site was spacious but very close to your neighbors. Lots to do in the area. Bathrooms and showers were clean. The beach was not clean and very hard to walk on, very rocky."
"Red Trail, Paradise Trail,Rice Lake are all great hikes. Great views of Lake Ottawa. The close by town of Oconomowoc has a nice place to eat, Burkes Lakeside."
$18 - $95 / night
ScoutWe stayed here as a large group and had an AWESOME time. It was gorgeous, campsites were spaced out great, and the woods were gorgeous. Nice fire pit, great amount of space, etc. Not super buggy either! It was just awesome. (Fair warning the raccoons are unafraid and WILL steal bags of food lol)
TravelerQuiet, just enough trees for privacy, clean bathrooms, fun amenities, close to everything.
GuideGreat location!
I was in the upper ice age campground at site 416 and really enjoyed it. The sites are fairly close together, but in May the foliage is dense enough to block out most of the noise. Water stations were never too far away, along with restrooms and dumpsters. The site also had a well kept picnic table and a fire ring.
Outside of the site, this area is beautiful! A friend and I went biking through the park and just outside. Didn’t get a chance to hike, but there were plenty of trails and you can even rent a kayak or canoe. To top it all off, they have ice cream by the lake 🤩
Will definitely be back to check out the rest of the park!
TravelerMy wife and I tent camped here. We had never been here before.
We stayed at site 77 as the majority of the sites were booked.
77 is sloped, as well as gravel with hard packed earth. Some patches of grass, but for the most part it’s gravel. My wife and I sleep on mattresses, so it was not an issue for us.
If you’re tent camping, I highly recommend looking for a site with a leveled tent pad. We did not inspect any of them, but from a distance the pads look like packed sand or something of that nature.
The pit toilets are very well taken care of. The shower facilities were not open during our visit.
Here is where our problems lied (and this has little to do with the park itself)
there was no end-of-night patrol of any kind. The biggest issue we faced was the amount of noise. All of the sites surrounding us knew each other and partied together. People that partied until 1am, yelling and being loud as hell. Screaming at cars that drove by. quiet hours are listed online starting at 10pm.
We left our campsite to ask the Onsite host for help or to do something about it, but they chose not to come out of their camper. We called every line we could to get someone to come and shut them up, but alas, no park employees or hotlines were available. The wife and I certainly did not want to call the cops since we were surrounded by a group of drunk loud people and that can get out of hand fast.
Park staff came to our site the very next morning and talked to us. They warned all groups around us of the noise level. While this did calm down the partying our next night, it did not stop them from yelling things towards our campsite to try and scare us. Making animal noises and non-sense scare tactics to try and intimidate us.
Trashy and disrespectful, we walk away from our experience with an extremely negative stain.
This has nothing to do with the park itself, just the unfortunate circumstance that we were surrounded by terrible people that do not respect the rules of camping.
GuideNot a level site in sight. Holes and washout channels throughout the campground. The pit toilets available offseason are run down and shabby at best. At least there’s TP. I’ve been coming here for 50 years and while some improvements have been made, and the concession area is nice, the campground makes me sad.
ScoutI love Smokey Hollow Campground! The scenery is stunning, and the friendly staff really make a difference. For anyone planning a visit, I recommend checking out the driving directions—they’re super helpful to avoid any hiccups on your way there. Happy camping!
ScoutFantastic! I called the day before and she got me right in an excellent spot. Very nice and helpful and so grateful they were open in Winter ❄️🥶
ScoutThis is a nice getaway for camping, picnics, hiking, fishing and in the summer swimming! They only offer swimming with lifeguards in the summer months. They have great open spaces for group camping.
ScoutBrand new campground with a large Sandy beach swimming pond, fishing pond and a large lodge building with farm shop and excellent restrooms and showers. Planned activities on the weekends and a short drive to Devils Lake State Park and city of Baraboo.
Camping spots near Cambridge, Wisconsin offer diverse overnight options within a 30-mile radius of this small Dane County community. The region features multiple spring-fed lakes and glacial terrain, with elevations ranging from 850-900 feet above sea level. Summer temperatures typically reach 75-85°F, while spring and fall nights can dip into the 40s, making proper gear essential for comfortable tent camping.
Fishing access: 172-acre spring-fed lake at Hickory Hills Campground provides abundant fishing opportunities. "You'll catch no shortage of blue gills, small and large mouthed bass, bullheads and crappie" at the accessible fishing spots throughout the grounds.
Biking trails: Connect to Madison from several Cambridge-area campgrounds. At William G. Lunney Lake Farm Campground, "there are trails right through the campground that are on Madison's trail system. There is a daily fee for the trails but I think it was $5 for the day." The Capital City Trail lets you "bike to downtown Madison in about 40 minutes."
Water activities: Jump on inflatable water features available at family-oriented campgrounds. Badgerland Campground offers "a swim pond with a huge bouncy float," while Hickory Hills includes "a 172 acre spring-fed lake with its own beachhead, oversized inflatables" and water-based recreation options for all ages.
Spacious sites: Room to spread out at select campgrounds. Milton-Madison SE KOA features "large sites" with "some smaller than others and some very generous sites." One camper noted, "We had a back in spot right up to a field. Very pretty and peaceful. We were able to rent a golf cart which the kids got a kick out of."
Clean facilities: Well-maintained restrooms mentioned frequently in reviews. At Badgerland Campground, visitors appreciate the "cleanest restroom/showers I can ever recall at a campground." Another review states, "Super clean bathrooms and showers if you need them."
Seasonal activities: Weekend events provide structured recreation throughout camping season. Milton KOA offers "activities every weekend," with one camper noting, "The Halloween weekend are fun." Many campgrounds run themed activities, with Badgerland visitors enjoying "the tractor ride through the campground for Halloween and have a blast at bingo!"
Reservation timing: Book early for summer stays, particularly at popular spots. Most campgrounds operate mid-April through October. Tent sites at several campgrounds may be limited or closed during certain periods.
Highway noise: Traffic sounds affect some campgrounds. Creekview RV Park is "very close to the freeway and there is a constant din of traffic noise that remind you how close you are to the highway."
Potential flooding: Site conditions vary during wet seasons. At Lakeland Camping Resort, "Half of camping sites closed due to flooding" during one visitor's stay. When selecting campgrounds in low-lying areas, check recent weather conditions or call ahead.
Train noise: Railroad crossings create periodic disturbances at some campgrounds. Lake Kegonsa State Park campers report, "The park is somewhat close to the interstate and rural highway roads so there is some traffic noise but relatively quiet by night time. What was NOT quiet on Thursday night was the freight train that came through around midnight and then again at 2 am."
Look for organized activities: Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park offers "many activities for all ages both for a small fee and free. Our kids used the pools quite a lot and were a bit disappointed with the skatepark. They enjoyed all the airfilled bouncy activities."
Consider heated pools: Several campgrounds offer swimming options even on cooler days. Milton KOA features "a nice pool" that's "very well maintained with a waterfall feature" according to reviewers.
Playground access: Multiple play areas are available at family-friendly campgrounds. Lake Kegonsa State Park provides "nice hiking trails right from campground. Lake & pet swim area" along with "nice playground with horse shoe pits."
Check electrical capacity: Ensure your RV power needs match campground capabilities. At Pilgrim's Campground, one RVer noted, "We were using a dogbone to connect to the 30 amp site. It was fine for a bit but then we started to get surges. Our EMS protected the rig but ultimately we couldn't use the power."
Verify site measurements: Some campgrounds have narrow access roads. Lake Kegonsa State Park campers warn, "Major CAUTION for RVs: there is an oak tree near entry with low branches and it took the AC off our friend's fifth wheel. There is also a low hanging overpass and it took the roofs off TWO fifth wheels while we were staying there."
Confirm sewer connections: Not all sites offer full hookups. At Badgerland Campground, "They DO NOT have sewer at any site on the campground, though they do offer a pump-out service to come by and empty your tanks (for a fee…$15, I think). The error is presumably The Dyrt's fault, and the campground does have the usual free dump station."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Cambridge, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, Cambridge, WI offers a wide range of camping options, with 103 campgrounds and RV parks near Cambridge, WI and 1 free dispersed camping spot.
Which is the most popular campground near Cambridge, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Cambridge, WI is Lake Kegonsa State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 22 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Cambridge, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, there is 1 free dispersed camping spot near Cambridge, WI.
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