Kettle Moraine State Forest Long Lake Campground

Had a good time until we heard someone enter our campsite with us there at the campfire.. our campsite was invaded by very aggressive raccoons.

We had been to this area three years earlier, and stayed at Mauthe lake. That suited us better because it is motorboat free, and we have a canoe. Long lake is more suited for powerboats. the sites are also large and would handle big rigs. There are six different campground loops, none near the lake (though the 700 loop has a trail to the boat launch). We stayed in the lower 900 loop, the smallest. Our site, 906, was about 30 feet from site 730. all the sites in this loop are large and deep with the exceptions of 908,910, 912 which are right up against the road and have no privacy. sites 713 & 705 run into each other and are the best for a large group and a pull-through if you get them together.
Pit toilets only. Fire rings are decent. Wood is available 24/7 through a huge "vending machine" that costs $6 (a five and a one, no change) Wood from the shed costs a dollar less, but only when the ranger is at the front gate.
There's a beach with a concession stand and a separate boat ramp with parking.
We went canoeing at the very small nearby Silver lake and had it all to ourselves.
Sad news is that the Parkside general store, with it's ice cream and home-made maple candies is out of business. Zahn's trading post is temporarily closed, and the Woodland Creek Supper club (both in New Prospect) was undergoing renovation when we were there, a shame as we loved it last time.

Right in the kettle moraine. About an hour or so away from Milwaukee. Great hiking!

Campground Review

I've been going to Long Lake for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately we haven't camped here in a couple years, but it was really nice to be back.

We visited in September this year, so the campground was much more empty that it is in the summer. It was also cool, so we didn't make it to the beach this year.

One big change was that a lot of the larger trees were knocked down in a storm earlier this year, so many of the campsites have less shade than in the past. The one we were on this time we've camped on before, but the spot we usually pitch our tent was where they put the downed trees, so the site was smaller and sunnier.

I still really love this campground. It has a good amount of non-electric sites, which we prefer. The access to many hiking options in the Kettle Moraine state forest is great, and when it is hot out the lake is nice for swimming.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time, this time I got to test the Red Ledge Free Rein rain jacket.

I've gone through many cheap ponchos, but haven't had a real raincoat since I was a kid. The one I had as a kid was rubbery, stiff, and not breathable. The Red Ledge jacket is nothing like this. It is light, comfortable, and breathes well. It even has zippered arm pits, in case you need to air them out 😊

I've only used it a couple times in the rain, but I can say it worked. If you are spending serious time in the rain I'd suggest rain pants, since this goes only a little past your waist, and your pants are likely to get wet. Red Ledge does have a "Free Rein" pant as well, but I haven't tried them.

I'm not sure whether I would pay for a coat like this, but I don't think it is overpriced. It is a well-made coat with high quality materials. Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this rain coat. It is well made, works well, and looks good too.

Wonderful and clean beaches and accessible areas for dogs. The sites are nicely sized and the firewood sales are decent and dry! The paved roads in the campground are nice for bike and rollerblading. We loved exploring the the paths to the lake from our site. We will definitely be back soon!

I have always loved this campground since I was a teen. We went this past labor day weekend and loved the nice big sites, the paved roads for bikes and rollerblading and the beaches were really clean. We loved just walking around the paths to and from the lake to our site. People were very respectful the firewood was kept in a dry spot (always a pet peeve of mine, some campgrounds dont have the best storage system). Overall great place and we will be back very soon.

My dad took me here when I was in junior high. And now I’ve been taking my daughter here for years. Two beaches and a fishing pier make our top list of daytime activities. The Ice Age trail comes through the forest and makes for some nice hiking. Flush toilets and showers are also a great perk!

Kettle moraine is great, especially for hiking. We stayed at campsite 907. The lower 900 loop in general had quite a few sites that could be used as group sites. Two sites that were completely adjoining or had very little separating them. Our site specifically was pretty small and did not have very much coverage from the drive. I personally like a more secluded feeling site. We did walk around a few of the other loops and it seemed the others were not set up this way, the upper 900’s and 800’s both had a bit more seclusion. In short a great stay, great restroom facilities, showers, etc... a nice little beach on a huge lake, family friendly, with tons of the Hiking trails near by. My suggestions would be if you are with a larger group or like to be social try something on the lower 900’s loop and if you like a little more seclusion perhaps the upper 900’s or 800’s.

Even after a major storm that uprooted trees, the park was still in great conditions don’t the service team/rangers did an excellent job getting it back in good order. Great little lake, nice sites.

We've camped at Long Lake twice - both times with kids, and thoroughly enjoyed. The sites are spacious and clean. Each site comes with a fire pit, grate and picnic table. We have camped in the 800s but hope to get back for more variety in the future.

Long Lake has two separate beaches and we much prefer the South Shore beach. North Shore is a little less populated, but the hike/stairs down into the beach area can be annoying with kids, toys, camp chairs, and a cooler full of food and beer. South Shore has a boat launch, clean restrooms and a picnic cabana that can be reserved. Both beaches are large and ample. We spread out with a pop-up canopy and did not feel crowded in or like we were imposing on others.

Long Lake is big, so motorcraft are allowed. It's fun to sunbathe and watch waterskiiers and tubers fly by off in the distance.

This campground has nice large sites, some in the sun, some in the shade and some have a mixture. Swim areas are large. We like to fish and this lake is great. We caught some large blue gill, a few crappie, perch and bass. It is a “weedy” lake but when your fishing for certain fish, that’s a good thing. On weekends this lake can get very busy with recreational boats and such.

Big sites, plenty of trees for hammocks. Free showers! A short bikeride to the beach.

The park is pretty big, and not super popular compared to other state parks like Devil's Lake, or even the nearby Mauthe Lake. This means reservations can be much shorter notice. The lake is good for swimming, but has a bit of "seaweed". The sites are nice size, and there are many with shade, a few with mostly sun, and a lot with a mix. There are a ton of hiking trails nearby (Kettle Moraine North) or even a couple in the park, as well as a nice biking trail.

Nice sites, plenty of hiking opportunities and fun on the water. Beach is ok. Only drawback is parking near boat landing is only for vehicles with boat trailers. Paddlers have to carry their boat or drop off and hike back from far away parking lots. Need parking spots near the water for paddlers.