Ottawa Lake Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

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.

Excelent

I've stayed at Ottawa Lake campground a few times now. Every time I've been here, I've been pleasantly surprised by how well the grounds are maintained despite having relatively high traffic. In addition to having restrooms and showers, they also have laundry facilities. And, they do sell ice cream and marshmallows at the park office.

During warm summer days, you'll find the beach packed with people. At sunset, however, you just might have that beach all to yourself. While there are few trails in the park, you can walk across ZZ to Scuppernong Nature Trail. Or, hop in the car and drive over to Scuppernong Trails, Brady's Rocks, or Paradise Springs.

As for my campsite, I recently stayed in site 377. This site offers a peek-a-boo view of the lake. I was also delighted to find a trail running from the back of the campsite and along the lake. While I was there, I experienced heavy rain for much of the night. I'm happy to report that this site is on high ground with decent drainage. So, no flooding to speak of.

You'll notice I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 for this campground. This is primarily due to noise. On the upside, you'll hear a symphony of crickets at night. On the downside, you'll also hear road noise, slamming car doors, and those few folks who are just a little too loud after dark.

Nice quiet place to get away to. Sights are large. Good size lake for fishing or Kayaking. Large beach area for kids. Graded shallow so they can go a good distance into the water. Scuppernong trail is less than 5 minutes down hwyZZ.

We've camped here before and like it. The sites are spacious and most seem to have shade for at least part of the day. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. Ours had a grill the folded in and out, not sure if all have it. The beach is great, open and lots of room to set up for the day either on the grass or sand. There are flush toilets at the beach. There are rentable pavilions. We didn't see any garbage bins nearby so bring a trash bag to carry out. The showers are hot but that's the best thing about them. They're not very big and don't have a curtain to separate changing area and shower. With 2 kids, things tend to get a little wet. However, they get the job done. We love the location. Close to hiking: Scuppernong Trail on the Ice Age Trail and Scuppernong Spring Nature Trail and a few others. Close to shopping and restaurants, if needed. Only downside to our site was the highway (CR-ZZ) was on the other side of the trees and busy. All said, we'll most likely be back again.

This large campground was filled up with an upcoming triathlon. Even with all these campers there is still plenty of greenery between sites to give us privacy. We didn’t feel as if we were part of such a large place - such a great experience to have a small vibe amongst many campers.

The campground is a series of loops with a mix of electric and non electric spots. There is also a variety of shade versus sun. We saw a few people on bikes but enjoyed the lack of visual stimulation for our dog.

The road out into the forest area of the campground was closed off to cars for the triathlon. Not to worry, a couple miles away is a great hiking trail system. It’s for skiing during the winter. They keep it one way for the skiers but summer hiking gave us freedom to do an out and back hike. We loved the solitude on the trail. It’s wide enough for our dog to walk next to us and has plenty of rolling climbs.

This is a nice place that would be a great weekend getaway from Chicago.

This park is a bit smaller in scale but has flat roads for biking and hiking.   Our site bordered the road and was noisy, suggest you look for a  site in the  middle of the campground where it was much quieter.   Saw some interesting birds and enjoyed the picnic area at the lake

It was nice and I really liked how large the campsites were. Kids had a place to run around and I didn't feel like they were encroaching on other people's sites. We were up against the forest and they could play in there too.

Beyond the little forest was a busy road which kept my husband up. He didn't feel it was very safe and that anyone could walk into our site from the road. No one did but that thought kept him up.

We bought wood from their store and had to use a lot to get a good fire going. It was protected wood and didnt feel damp but it was not catching very well.

We enjoyed the hiking in this park but had to drive to it. Keep that in mind if you've got little kids.

Spent the weekend and was impressed. Most sites are well spaced for a state park. Clean bathrooms with flush toilets and showers. Wood and ice available to purchase. Walked down by the beach but it was too cold to go in. Sandy beach but looked like a rock bottom. Great hiking right across the street with views of little springs. Kids lived it.

Nicely nestled in the kettle moraine but busy in the summer. Bring bug spray

Great for RV camping but not quiet a bit ! Like being in a noisy city! 👎🏼

I drove through this state park to find some great campsites for future camping; I haven't actually stayed here yet. overall I wasn't particularly impressed with the campground or sites. Nothing really stuck out as a super duper winner, until I arrived at five sites that overlook the lake. If you can get them, this is probably the cheapest lakefront property you could rent for a weekend :-)

The purpose of sharing the following is that is difficult to figure out what are nice sites from the online reservation site. For anyone who is interested in camping here, the following sites, in my opinion, are the best campsites in terms of shade, not being flooded during a rain and privacy. 332, big level and shady

380 overlooks lake

382 overlooks lake

388 over looks like, not private

377 overlooks lake, nice view

Great for families, nice beach. We stayed in site 324- too close to freeway, constant traffic and lights. Avoid this side of campground- the campsite basically backs into freeway. Very buggy in Jujy.

What a great place to go camping! Sites are private with lots of trees, so there is plenty of shade. We were on site 317 and it was very level which made setting up our travel trailer a piece of cake. Water spigot was right next to our site, and bathrooms with flush toilets were just a short walk away. The lake can be accessed by driving or walking via trails connected to the campground. Water was warm and clean, and just perfect for the 90+ degree days we were there. We could hear the road from our campsite, but it was pretty quiet most of the time. I was really surprised to see that the roads through the campground were not 1-way only. We thought maybe someone just didn’t know the first time we saw someone driving the wrong way, but throughout the weekend there were are least 6 other vehicles that drove the “wrong way.” That would be the only negative of our time there .

This was my first time camping with a couple friends. We loved everything thing about Ottawa Lake. Didn’t have any problems. Other campers were friendly and the campgrounds were well kept. We had site 353. Close to showers and bathrooms. Campsites were secluded in the trees away from others. I would highly recommend this campground.

No showers in winter but awesome

The campground is well kept with several bathrooms and showers. We have a 30ft travel trailer, and it was easy to maneuver around the campground. We did have to wait in line to fill the water tank, but the water pressure was good and it didn’t take too long. We stayed at site 327e, which was very easy to back in to and was mostly level. Easy access to electrical and plenty of space for slide outs. A nice big fire pit with large flat grate for cooking, one of the best set ups I’ve seen. Would be perfect, but there’s a loud highway WI-67 traffic about 20 ft from the campsite. Tons of loud motorcycles and trucks with constant traffic. If you want solitude I would avoid sites 305e-328e, all of the odd number sites back up to the road. Evens, except for 328e, are inside and are better. Video shows traffic and noise. I would come back, but pick a site inside the campground and away from highway.

Absolutely beautiful, reasonable prices, electric available. Tons of restrooms, showers, laundry, and wonderful camp hosts. Huge beach area, dog park, fishing as well. Shop to buy items you may need and absolutely wonderful place. Open all year round

Had a great time here in April.  Plenty of trails in the area for a day hike.  Loved it so much that i already booked another trip! 

Feel free to check out my youtube video of the trip, and please like and subscribe if you want to see more adventures!

https://youtu.be/hIqISZLiZJ8

Nice size camp sites. More privacy as trees and bushes fill out throughout the spring. Shower house no hot water, made for a quick shower.

We stayed in site 334; absolutely gorgeous space. Very nearby and convenient pit toilet, well maintained fire ring, nice sandy spots for tents and a beautiful view of the marsh. It was a bit if a bike from the parking area, so keep your packing to a minimum or bring a heavy duty cart to pack it all in and out. We had to bug out a day early because of some weather, but will definitely try to book this site again

We've stayed here twice. Nice, clean, well-run campground with some electric sites and several bathroom/shower buildings if needed. Nice little lake to swim or paddle on. 20 minute drive to the awesome Kettle Moraine biking trails. Yee haw!

Campground Review

I've been to Ottawa Lake many times before, and really appreciate the spaciousness of the sites. There are a great mix of options for campsite ranging from almost full sun on the natural Wisconsin prairie or nicely shaded woodsy campsites.

There are many options for hiking since this campground is part of Kettle Moraine State Park.

The beach is pretty large and swimming is excellent. They've been restoring part of the beach in the last few years and it is looking great. The population of sandhill cranes in this area seems to be growing, as we saw a few pairs of them while camping here as well.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time, this time I got to test the Primus Essential Stove (1.3L).

I've got plenty of experience with camping and backpacking stoves, ranging from DIY beer can alcohol stoves up to Coleman Duel Fuel Powerhouse classic camp stove. 

What's great

• The Essential Stove is suitable for backpacking or regular camping, and it includes the essentials: 2 pot, a pan, a pot holder, and the burner. Everything nests together in a nice little package.
• The stove is plenty powerful and was able to get our coffee percolator boiling in only a couple minutes.
• The details are nice: they put rubber/silicone feet on the bottom and on the pot holder, just adding a bit of finish to a functional set

What's not great

• The way the hose folds into the stove when stored is a little awkward at first. After using it a few times, it's more natural and not a big deal, but this could be improved.
• "With great power comes great responsibility…" It doesn't have a great "Low". In order to prevent our coffee from boiling out of the percolator, I tried to turn it down, but accidentally turned it off. There isn't a great simmer option…the low is not very low. 

The verdict

Overall, it is a nice kit and I will be lending it to some friends to an upcoming backpacking trip.

I would give Ottawa 5 stars but unless you jump on the lakeside campsites early, the 5-10 mike drive from your campsite to the lake can be a little annoying; obviously not at all the state park’s fault.

The Ottawa Lake campsites are clean and convenient. Each site comes with a fire pit and grate, a picnic table, and two spaces for parking. We love camping at Ottawa with our kids because it’s so family-friendly.

Ottawa Lake itself is very clean and a great spot for swimming. The lake has a very large space for wading. You can go out about 100 feet from shore and still be in only about 5-6‘ of water. Ottawa Lake is relatively small, so no motorcraft are allowed. It makes for peaceful swimming and fishing.

Perfect for a couple days in the woods. Like most of Wisconsins' parks and forests, Ottawa lake is no different. Offers clean and quiet settings and facilities,. Close enough to metropolitan areas but not too close. All have feeling of being in the north woods with out the travel. Busiest days are after memorial day weekend and to labor day weekend.

Made my first visit to Ottawa Lake on a mid-March weekend. The facilities were still under their winter setup (only vault toilet, no shower available, pay in an envelope). It was a very nice campsite that I stayed at. The grounds were quiet, however there were only a handful of people staying there at the time. The sites look to have enough space between the to make you feel a little more spread out and not sitting on top of each other. It got cold (cloudless late winter nights in Wisconsin can do that), but nothing you can’t prepare for. The proximity to the Ice Age Trail is a bonus, because it made for an easy activity without much fuss. Will visit again when warmer.

Campground Review

Ottawa Lake is a campground that is so close to Milwaukee that I don't really go often enough. The campsite are nicely sized and sufficiently shady. The lake is great for swimming, though they do have e coli warnings frequently in the heat of summer. Hiking in the area is always nice, as it is part of the Kettle Moraine Southern Unit. I really have nothing bad to say about this campground, except that the cost of wood is too high.

 Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time, this time I got to test the Beyond Clothing A9-U - Utility Mission Pant.

I'm not a military person, so I don't maybe have the background many of their target market has, but I do love to be outdoors, go backpacking, and hiking. These pants are made of a tough, heavy, ripstop nylon/cotton material. There are a plethora of pockets of various sizes. The waistband is adjustable with a heavy duty velcro, though I have noticed it doesn’t hold as well after a few washes. 

The knees have gussets for movement, but for me they were too low and only helped a little. There are also a couple different spots with velcro on the legs to tighten the pants if needed. 

These are really tough pants that will be able to take a ton of abuse. They are a bit warm, so they are best suited for cooler weather. 

These were the cheapest pants that Beyond Clothing offered, at $194. Personally, that's way too much for pants. The material quality is high, the design is just good, but the price is much too high. Unless you have money to burn, there are cheaper options out there for the same or better quality. For most people, these are way too expensive to be worth it, even though they are good pants.

If your in Wisconsin this is a must stay! Beautiful campground (Ottawa Lake campsites) Great Lake, hiking to see the natural springs which is the coolest!! Drank fresh spring water!

Sometimes you don't have time to plan a long camping trip, or something special. In that situation, I choose Ottawa Lake for several reasons. First off, it's just about an hour from home so even if it's Friday morning and I decide to leave town, I can get there by sundown that day and still get some work done beforehand. Plus, I've been camping here since I was a kid. I know the amenity list by heart (see below). It's close to Scuppernong nature trail with springs bubbling out of the ground. For longer hikes, the Ice Age Trail is nearby as well. For bird watchers, it's a great place as all the water in the area brings a wide variety of birds. Even without leaving the Ottawa Lake area you might see cranes, wild turkeys and other fowl wandering across the highway and into the campground area.

Kids will find things to do on their own as well as with their parents which is great as well because sometimes you just want to quietly read a book in front of a fire but also want to take the kids with. Since I'm a new parent (my daughter will be three this year), this is a great bonus. A lot of the campers are there every year and so kids have opportunities to make friends that they will see year after year.

For a quick, get-out-of-Milwaukee-fast sort of camping trip, nothing beats Ottawa Lake in my mind and you can find me and my friends there regularly.

Amenities: Flush and vault toilets, showers, lake with swimming beach, kid's playground, water fountain (for drinking), electrical if needed, walk-in sites, sites with a view over the lake, volleyball, horseshoes, site host with firewood sales, and picnic areas. (As of fall 2016)

Love this park. Nice little lake. Within 1/2 hour of Milwaukee. My favorite sites are the 2 walk to sites. I believe #334 and 335