Best Tent Camping near Waukesha, WI

I did not stay here, but I spend some time walking through to get a feel for the place.

This is primarily an RV/mobile home campground, but there are some nicely tucked away tent camp sites that I'll recommend later in this review. Gravel roads connect the three loops and the landscaping is well kept and maintained. The campground sells ice, firewood and rents boats.

There is a very clean bathroom and bathhouse, freshwater for campers, and some electric tent campsites. The property is basically terraced along a slope down to the lake, with the RV and mobile home sites closer to the lake. The tent sites are above it all with decent views of the lake below (and the RVs). 

The Galapagos tent campsite is elevated and a short distance from the loop road, and has a nice view of the lake. The Box Turtle site is also a bit elevated above the main driveway as is Snapper 7, though I am not sure where you are supposed to put your tent in that site.

Now, Snapper 4, 5,6 and 7 would be nice for group camping because they are all very close to one another and a bit more private, set away from the rest of the campsites. There are lots of electrical sites for campers and RVs, most of which look like they are quite permanently in place.

I have camped here many times as a kid and always loved it. We recently came here with a large group and tent camped at one of the large tent sites. I believe there are only 2 non-electric tent sites but the large huge and grassy with excellent privacy. The managers/owners of the camp are really nice and laid back. There is a small fishing pond off the back side of the non-electric sites and there is a nice outdoor pool and indoor jacuzzi next to a large rec room/bar. I haven't seen it personally but I know they have live music and summer events. We love that this place is so close, we get to get away without the long drive!

I did not stay at this campground, but drove through it to see the place. I was looking for tent campsites and if there are any, they were under the tires of an RV. There are lots of things to do here, but tent camping is not one of them. I have nothing bad or good to say about the place, just letting tent campers know that this might not be the place for them.

This is a relatively small, private campground mostly for RVs though there are some very nice sites that would be lovely for tents. There are a dozen tent sites that back up to a very charming river, each one has a picnic table and fire pit. The view of the river from these sites is lovely. Adding to the waterworks, there is a cute pond with a charming fountain in the center of the RV sites, and a nice horseshoes pit. There are a number of RV sites with full hookups. 

I spoke with the owner and they did not have tent camping in 2020. They were worried about people in too close proximity in the restroom. In 2020 they only allowed RVs that had their own restroom facilities. The owner told me that maybe there will be tent camping in 2021.

We stayed here on a nice warm weekend. There is a huge building you can rent a room in or over 200 campsites with water and electricity. We camped in a tent and enjoyed the swimming and fishing from Lake Michigan. Very nice and clean. Employees were helpful and told us of a great fishing spot!!!

Open tent sites and well designed riggings and beyond excellent, well-maintained trails, accommodations and hospitality. This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up, so if you’re looking for this kind of experience, don’t pass it up. In one of the most lush forests in the SE corner of Wisconsin near Milwaukee.

Making reservations at the group site was easy and ensured no other campers were near us. Beach access and a great tree canopy allowed for comfortable tent camping.

The state park is larger than expected with decent amenities (boat rentals, concessions, relatively clean pit toilets) and areas designated for trailer camping and tent camping.

We stayed in the Turner South Loop, one of the older tent camping loops, and the age definitely showed. Most of the sites on this loop are pretty worn, with not much privacy. We stayed in T10, but would consider T9 if we returned to this loop for a different reserved site. The prairie loop looked a bit newer with bigger, less worn sites. Both loops had grill pits that were well-maintained for fires and campfire cooking.

Trails were geared more towards horses and bikes, but there are plenty of walking paths, and we were able to find some hidden trails along the lake (read: unofficial). Overall, a place for relaxing and leisurely strolls and not hiking.

We were camping here right in the middle of fall. The leaves were changing and our site was near the lake. Awesome family friendly spot. Adult beverages must be in a solo cup. Good for RV and tent camping. The bathroom isn’t too far of a walk from any site.

Tried out tent camping for the first time with a 5 year old and a 2 year old. Clearly were not sure how’d it go but pure success! The camp site (216) was perfect with privacy for the tent and was incredibly quiet. Not a long walk to the vault toilets and everyone was super friendly. Already planning our next stay!

We had a great stay. Level well maintained shady tent site. Bathrooms were fine. The camp hosts were nice. Can’t beat the views of Lake Michigan! Nice trails through the park. Beaches were too cold and rough waters for swimming, but we had an awesome time!

Took my 2 year old fir first time tent camping, we were at site 231, which was huge and very nice. We had some friends at other sites that weren’t as nice. There is a YouTube video posted of all the sites. There is so much to do we couldn’t do everything we wanted in the one night we stayed.

I did not stay at this park, but did drive and walk through it to get a feel for it. There are a number of sites I'd love to tent camp in.

This park is bounded by a lake with a nice beach. There are nicely-groomed volleyball courts, picnic shelters and abundant picnic tables. There are pit toilets throughout the campground and one flush toilet station in the public picnicking area.

The campsites are up the hill from the public areas I just described. Sites 1 through 8 are in an oak savannah, semi-shaded but mostly in a grassland area. Sites are grassy with no gravel pads for parking.

The group camping area is slightly shaded, but would be warm and sunny midday. Group site 19 is probably one of the shadiest areas.

Now, sites 22 and 23, 24, 25 and 26 are very cool. The campsites are in the midst of a pine forest. It would be sweet to tent camp there and listen to the wind in those trees. Note, there is no camping IN among the pine forest, and these sites are going to be quite sunny and warm midday without much shade.

I can not tell you how many times I’ve been here. My son lives within seconds of here so it is very convenient. They gave on site bathrooms and showers. Electric, water and sewer hookups. They also have tent sites. This season there will be née owners so I hope they keep some of the annual activities.

A little hard to find at first. GPS will take you to a service road as the entrance, actual entrance is on the other side of the lake just before The Boat House Bar.

Came in really late without a reservation but they have a self check in. Small cards next to check in booth. I recommend snagging an RV site. The price is the same and it’s way better. Tent camping area was really muddy. I only brought a hammock but could easily fit six tents on my site alone. Roads and facilities are in great shape. Constant hot water.

To start: I’m an RV camper who stayed in one of the electric sites this go-around, but I’ve tent camped here in the past as well.

I’ll start with what I loved; the sites here are VERY private. You only get glimpses of your neighbors through the thick foliage. Doesn’t get much more private than this in a campground with hookups!

The bathrooms are pretty dirty (dead bugs everywhere).

Be careful about your site selection; do NOT camp along the road if you plan to be outside or you’re tent camping. I know from prior experience that it’s EXTREMELY loud at almost all times of day.

There’s a good playground and beach, but they’re a bit far from the campsites. On an extremely hot day you might want to drive rather than walk, especially with little ones.

If you’re camping with your dog you won’t find great trail access from the campground; the closest trail doesn’t permit dogs. I’d also avoid the dog beach like the plague. I didn’t see much in the way of posted rules, and people apparently had no problem bringing their untrained, unsocialized dogs. My dog was attacked by two dogs who wanted to get at her toy and the owners did nothing to stop it. My husband received a lovely bite from one of the dogs when he tried to fight them off.

This campground could be stellar with just a few tweaks. Overall I’d say it’s a decent enough place to stay when visiting Kettle and I’ll likely be back.

The campsites are kinda small but not on top of each other. Had some raccoons at night even after we locked up everything in the car. The lake was very nice. We were able to kayak but be careful getting the kayaks in. Stairs down to the pier and the bottom of the lake is very mushy. The water was very clear and you could see the fish swim by. This loop is best for tent camping. The other loops are basically all rvs. The boat launch to the fox river was nice too but it does get busy.

Fox den at Chain-o-Lakes state park provides a more secluded camping experience than Honeysuckle or the 2 tent camping areas. Pads are pretty level, and each site has some semblance of privacy from other campers (our site was protected on 3 sides by some fairly dens foliage and trees). Electric is easily accessible, and water / sanitary is easy to get in and out of.

The concessions/ camp store is located near the boat docks and is easily walked or driven to with decent selection of foods, gear, and fishing items.

Bathhouse could use to be cleaned a bit more regularly but overall a pleasant experience for the price. Recommend staying.

I didn't stay here but I did walk through the place to get to know it. This is an RV campground, I did not see any places for tent camping. 

There is a nice playground and four sand volleyball courts. Staying in the campground allows for easy lake access. Be warned, do not park a car/boat trailer and take off in the lake, they're serious about towing non-campers. 

This campground caters to RVs, mobile homes, permanent dwellings and semi-permanent RVs parked to stay. RV hookups with electrical and water/ sewer.

The large sandy beach has lots of space, easy access to both the water and a bar and grill with outdoor seating and lots of umbrellas. The beach features a few beach games and a small amount of seating on the sand. Not many trees for shade, RVs are parked out in the open and would be hot in the summer.

I love everything about this park except the beach, so it didn’t get a 5 star. We stayed at site 98- just barely big enough to fit our travel trailer in and right next to the showers and bathrooms. Not a great location, but fine. Took a walk around and found plenty of other large, private shaded electric sites. If we came here again I would go for a site away from the bathroom. The tent sites looks fantastic- large and private. Plenty of hiking trails here, a decent playground, and tons of large fields to picnic in. Park has a Facebook page where they post activities. Friday night we saw a presentation on the cranes of Wisconsin, and Saturday morning we did a parkwide scavenger hunt. All fun for the family. We would definitely camp here again. The beach is across the very busy road, and has about 10 ft of sand before the road. Fine for a dip, but not relaxing. Very crowded. Other beaches are nearby but not free. Town of Lake Geneva is very cute in an upscale tourist way. Our kid found the museum a lot of fun.

This is a small RV and tent campground. A charming little creek runs through it, giving the place its name. There are water and electric hookups for RVs. Some sites have picnic tables, but not all of them. RV sites have ample gravel pads for parking. There is a central sewer dump for RVs, and a small building with bathroom facilities - I didn't get a look inside -- I don't know if it is flush toilets or a pit.

The campground 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.  See (and listen) to my video to experience just how close the highway is.

On the plus side, golfers can walk next door to a three-par course.