Best Tent Camping near Waupun, WI

Recent Tent Reviews in Waupun

494 Reviews of 11 Waupun Campgrounds

• P

  Phillip J.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 29, 2025

  Astico County Park

  Great Count Park!

  My family and I enjoy the rural setting but its close proximity to several communities. With smaller children having resources available was nice. Astico provides us the camping experience with access to amenities for a young family. It is one of our favorites for a quick get a way.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Jan. 18, 2025

  Sleepy Hollow Farms

  Convenient to the highway

  General: There is both a north and a south part to this campground with a total of 178 sites. The sites in the south part are all on a grassy field and there is a small man-made lake with an inflatable play area. The sites in the north part are a mix of full hook-up and tent sites. There are also small cabins (only one of which has a bathroom) and three “condos”. These all had air-conditioners, but I did not see the inside of them. The north unit features a pond, which I was disappointed to discover was algae-filled and completely green. 

  Site Quality: Some are pull-through and some back-in. Some sites have electric and water hookups, some have picnic tables, and some have fire rings (but not all sites have all of these amenities). Only a handful have concrete pads; the rest are all on grass. 

  Our impression of Sleepy Hollow was influenced in part by the fact that it poured rain for much of our overnight stay. The roads were all dirt and with the rain, became very muddy along with the campsites as well. When leaving the next day, we had some challenges backing out of our site with the amount of mud. There is no clear delineation between the sites other than where the electric and water hookups are placed. 

  Bathhouse: Was very clean (in both the north and south units of the campground). Showers are available for a fee (five minutes for$1.00) but we did not use them so cannot comment on how well they worked. 

  Activities/Amenities: In the south unit, there is a small manmade lake with an inflatable play structure and plenty of life jackets. The color is a beautiful Caribbean blue, but it did not look natural, and I was not sure of the source of the color. We were there on a weekday in September, and no one was using the lake. There is a small bar and grill (in the north section) and a concession (south unit) on-site, but both were closed when we were there. Firewood was available (15 pieces for $10); we asked and were granted permission to use the golf cart to bring the wood to our site. Other than the lake, there really is nothing offered for recreation. 

  We chose this campground for its location; it is very close to Highway 41 in Oshkosh (you will hear road noise) and we were meeting family there. We checked in online the day before and arrived at 3:30 pm. No one was in the office when we arrived but the family members we were meeting had arranged for us to camp in the site next to them (not the original one we had selected). This campground is VERY close to EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association), and I imagine it would be completely full during the annual EAA convention. For us, it was a convenient location but aside from spending time with our family, the reason we chose this campground.

• 

  Nancy D.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 31, 2024

  Kettle Moraine State Forest Long Lake Campground

  Great place to camp!

  Whether you're in a tent, popup, tow-behind, or 5th wheel, this campground has a site for you! 2 beautiful sand beaches with large grassy picnic areas, hiking, a boat launch, and a reservable pavilion.

• 

  Monica F.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 30, 2024

  Bear Lake Campground and Resort

  Love this campground!

  Great campground!  Shaded or Sunny sites. Level sites. Friendly staff. Sandy Beach. Swimming. Playground. Kids Activities. Themed weekends. Bar. Restaurant. Great Food! Tiki Bar on Beach. Great Fishing. Laundry.

• 

  Angie V.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 29, 2024

  Long Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit-Iansr

  Visited for the day but plan to return to camp

  We were staying at Mauthe but it was packed so we came here instead and we're glad we did. The trails, fishing pier and beach are nice. We got caught in a thunderstorm that we waited out in a little tavern in nearby Dundee, which is pretty much the cutest little town around. We plan to return next year to camp.

• 

  Angie V.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 29, 2024

  Mauthe Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit-Iansr

  So-so

  It was hot and crowded but we had a decent campsite with plenty of shade so we were happy enough. Showers were nice. We spent most of our time fishing at Long Lake, which we liked much better. If you go, make sure to get fresh cinnamon rolls delivered to your site!

• J

  Jeremy B.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  Pearl Lake RV Campground

  80% Seasonal Campsites. Nice hosts.

  This campground is nestled in a stand of tall red pine trees so shade is found everywhere. The check in process was easy and quick. The roads connecting the sites are adequately wide. Just know that all of the sites are 90 degree back ins which can be tight with longer rigs- especially if your neighbor across the road has their vehicle or toys parked right up to the paved surface. The only thing I would be critical of is the bathroom/shower house. The showers are a bit odd where one door (that locks) opens to the only 2 shower stalls for your gender in the entire building. So if you’re cool showering with a buddy or your kids that’s no bid deal. This campground is mostly all seasonal campsites and some are impeccably maintained and elaborate and some are REALLY run down. I doubt you could tow some of those campers out. We stayed here for EAA Airventure in Oshkosh and it was only 40 minutes away.

• 

  Diane G.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 24, 2024

  Evergreen Campsites and Resort

  Not good

  Reported ground bees on our sight 3 times no one came walk way to beach was broken and someone could of gotten hurt the swimming pool was dirty should of been cleaned at night for the price you pay to stay there thing should be fixed the internet horrible been going there for 29 plus years and the internet never worked this year things were not kept up

• 

  Erin Z.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 21, 2024

  Ottawa Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Great Family Campground!

  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. Electricity on site and water near by. Great trails close by.

• 

  Abbe W.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 16, 2024

  Pinewoods Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Lovely Pine Forest, Quiet, Clean Campground

  Stayed one night (Friday) and really enjoyed the location. We were in the quiet loop, Loop 1, which actually was very quiet. Everyone was respectful of the rules. We did walk over to the other loops where there was more of a party atmosphere at some sites with larger groups, music, and kids. 

  The sites in Loop 1 are varied as far as tree coverage, seclusion, and terrain.  Our site (22) was relatively flat, felt secluded, had good tree coverage with some filtered sunlight. The pit toilets are about 3 sites away, a short walk. There is room for two tents.

  There was a posting about black bear sightings in the area. We did not experience that, just chipmunks and birds.

• J

  Julia H.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 2, 2024

  Madison Campground

  Cute campground - near Madison

  We were in Site# B1. We had Full hook- up with a gravel pull-thru. We travel towing a 14 foot trailer and were able to fit both in our pull through site. My jeep though did not fit. The site was easy to level.

  Our site was shaded with lots of trees. This was a larger sized lot with our neighbors not too close (but we did choose a premium site with a patio and paid extra to be on the end).

  This specific lot comes with a concrete patio The lot comes with a picnic table and fire hole in the ground.

  They have a community Outdoor kitchen-y area with picnic tables.
  They do not provide garbage service at your site so you must walk to garbage dumpster.

  You are allowed to ride personal golf carts. There is really not a need to have a Golf cart because it is a smaller campground.

  They do have a Swimming pool.
  There is a Playground. They also offer horseshoes and a volleyball court.

  They have a great general store.

  The streets are gravel so not great for riding bikes but there are great places to ride bikes outside of campground, especially around Middleton and Madison.

  They have cabins for rent and tent areas.

  They have one shower house. The shower house has the typical stalls. These are kept mostly clean.

  There is a laundry facility. It is a cash only facility, but they have a change machine.

  They have a fenced in dog park and many grassy areas to walk dogs.

  There were no trails to hike in the campground.

  Some fun things to do outside of the campground are the Saturday Farmer’s Market in Madison and multitude of bike trails.

• t

  tony K.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 23, 2024

  Madison Campground

  Basic

  While the location is great for fast travels into Madison, or getting to great hiking areas. My only complaint is that not every pull through is provided with a fire ring to burn wood (they almost seem random) and that the check in building is a bit bare. Otherwise, great location, great (partial) amenities, and good customer service.

• 

  Kim J.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 21, 2024

  Calumet County Park

  Beautiful Camp

  We enjoyed our stay it was beautiful and clean and quiet we enjoyed the sunsets and the little store was nice very friendly staff

• 

  Kim J.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 21, 2024

  Waupun Park Campground

  Nice campgrounds

  We stayed there for a while very pretty and the people very friendly bring wood to your camp they have trails you can walk and county pool and golf course sites are good size we will return it's close to town as well

• 

  Kim J.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 21, 2024

  Grand Valley Campground

  Great campgrounds

  We stayed there in July alot of activities for everyone pool was so nice bathrooms very clean everyone so nice Amish came sat morning selling there goodies we will return definitely

• 

  Kim J.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 21, 2024

  Hattie Sherwood Park

  Beautiful Camp

  We enjoyed our stay it was so beautiful and clean and very quiet for the most part we loved it will definitely be going back

• T

  Taylor B.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 9, 2024

  Ledge County Park

  Great Park!!

  It was our first time visiting Ledge Park & we would absolutely go back! The sites are natural feeling and the park is very, very clean (including the bathrooms)… the views from “The Ledge” are hard to beat.

• 

  Addison G.

  Guide

  

  May. 30, 2024

  Pinewoods Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Great access to Scuppernong Hikes

  Stayed in campsite directly connected to Green Trail of the Scuppernong Trailhead. Campsite was clean and quite private for being near people.

• 

  Aaron B.

  Traveler

  

  May. 29, 2024

  Long Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit-Iansr

  Good getaway for a short drive

  Great quiet spot, huge biking trail that's about 7 miles long one way, good beaches and great lake.

• 

  Addison G.

  Guide

  

  May. 29, 2024

  Ottawa Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Great spot for hiking Kettle Moraine

  Campsites are kept up and quite clean. Some have a beautiful view of lake. Some water fountains did not work, however sinks were always working. So many little trails all throughout the campsite. Family friendly (parks, beach, pet friendly)

• H

  Hannah K.

  Scout

  

  May. 26, 2024

  The Playful Goose Campground

  Insert Terrible Adjective

  The Good: Campsites along the river looked really nice. The Bad: We had a 3 day holiday weekend booked for tent camping.Unfortunately the weather did not hold up and our site was completely soaking wet- we could not even steak out our tent. The owner of the campground denied a refund due to policy. The amount of rules and regulations this camp ground has is absolutely absurd. The Ugly: When checking into our site, the woman working the desk was efficient but things took a bad turn really quick. 1. If you book on the Playful Goose website you will get charged a% service fee, which The Playful Goose Staff does not stand behind. 2. If you book on the Playful Goose website you must specify how many nights, adults and tents per site. Without too many logistics, we ended up paying over$220 for a weekend JUST TO CAMP IN HORICON. While trying to set up camp in the rain, a male(we were told he was the assistant manager) in a golf cart drove near our site yelling vulgar language, accusing our group of doing things to the grass(when the grass was a swamp to begin with due to weather) and lastly, as the man was driving away he continued to make harassing comments. The lack of professionalism, courtesy and respect from staff was unacceptable as a paying guest. Playful Goose Takeaway: I will never spend my hard earned money here. Again. And be sure to tell everyone I know to not spend their hard earned money here either. There are so many other beautiful camp grounds within a 100 mile radius and this one will be my last choice. Such a shame this wonderful campground I used to visit has gone down hill.

• B

  Brad

  Scout

  

  May. 24, 2024

  Madison Campground

  Okay if other campgrounds are full or for just 1 night

  Easy to get to from I-90 but also a bit too close so there is road noise. The price may be a little high at $66.00 per night but the sites are all drive through and can handle large rigs. Not bad for a quick one-night stay. Many available sites even on memorial weekend 2024

• 

  Mehran S.

  Traveler

  

  May. 5, 2024

  Ottawa Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Decent Family Campground (5/3/2024)

  It’s a family friendly and decent campground. Sites are not too secluded, but they’re clean and well taken care of, the facilities weren’t clean, they have volunteer hosts on site for any needs, the lake is beautiful during the sunset, sandy area and playground for kids, car noise is noticeable but not too loud (in the inner camp sites). Few trails around for hiking. They charge an extra $11 for each car’s entry at the gate but you can use the car pass for visiting all the state park’s trails around the area (you need permit for parking at the trailheads). It’s good for family with kids or beginner campers, but not if you’re looking for a relaxing or adventurous time.

• 

  Eric S.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 21, 2024

  High Cliff State Park Campground

  Early spring Quick trip

  Decided to get back into camping and decided to check out this semi local State Park. Alot of great walking and hiking spots, it was a bit chilly in mid April and especially windy down by the lake. Once up by the campground wind died down and was pretty nice. Site 53 was flat, had a fire pit, and picknick table. Despite being the closest site to the main road and entrance, didn't feel like it was too busy or distracting. Campgrounds were quiet and friendly. Will definitely come back once it warms up a little bit.

• J

  John L.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 1, 2023

  Rome Riverside Campground

  Owned by a scammer

  The owner of this campground is an absolute scammer. I paid for 2 months of full service camping (Sewer, water, electric) 3 weeks prior to my arrival. Aware that I wasn't going to arrive until another 3 weeks, the owner said that my 2 months started from when I paid. The day before I drove down the owner said I needed to go to a temporary spot until a full service site was ready. So he charged me for the site even though one wasn't even available.. I sat over a week at a spot with no sewer even though I paid for it. I was staying at this campground for work, so after working 12 hour days I would have to hook my camper up to the truck, bring it to dump, and re-set it up and level it back into place. The icing on the cake was when he told me my time was up even though I had only been there 5 weeks out of the 2 months I paid for(4 weeks of an actual full service site). When I would call Tom Jurasinski the owner, he would screen my phone call everytime and text me back "I'm in a meeting buddy". He assured me he would call me back. He must be in meetings 24/7 as he never called me back once after I repeatedly tried to call him. The only reason I was able to stay the extra week (making it 6 weeks) to finish the work at my jobsite, was to threaten him with my lawyer (Via text of course because he wouldn't answer the phone). When you arrive onsite he takes a deposit of $300. Don't expect to get that back. I've tried contacting him about it many times but I haven't received it. Tom Jurasinski is a thief. For anyone that camps there, I recommend before you leave to dump your black tank right in the site you left from, that way he can at least earn the $300 he is stealing from you. Tom Jurasinski is an absolute coward of a man, and I feel bad for his parents knowing they raised a little weasel like him.  John L.

• L

  Lauren S.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 18, 2023

  Harnischfeger County Park

  A hidden gem

  We booked a week here in 2022 and ended up staying for two summers as camp hosts. The park is quiet, family orientated, and the park caretaker John is a national treasure. He’s been with the park since before it was county owned and knows every nook and cranny, critter and creature, and appreciates each and every guest who comes to the park. His one rule is to enjoy the park and let the staff know if you have any ideas to help to “keep it fresh”. Sites with letters are tent sites without water or electric, sites with numbers have water and 30 amp service, though there are plans to upgrade the sites to all have water and 50 amp service in the future. The last weekend of September is FallFest and often books a year in advance.

• 

  kelly G.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 16, 2023

  Kilby Lake Campground

  Mismanaged

  The new“management” is horrible! I’m so glad we got out of there. Enjoyed it for many years until the owners gave it over to their daughter and her new husband to run into the ground. The only thing they are concerned about is making money and controlling the seasonal campers through threats. Everything you do“wrong” has a fine attached to it. The bathhouses are now beyond disgusting and they’re terrified that someone is going to sneak in and use their amenities(the only real amenity they have is a pool attached to the office). If you join the Kilby Lake Campground“family”, prepare yourself for the rudest emails you have ever received from someone who supposedly is providing a service you are paying for. The new management really needs to take a customer service course, since they apparently didn’t teach that at bicycle sales shops in California.