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Established Camping

Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area

Sunset Campground, near Burlington, Wisconsin, is a fantastic spot for those looking to escape into nature without straying too far from home. This campground offers spacious sites that are perfect for both tents and RVs, making it a versatile choice for all kinds of campers.

The campground is known for its peaceful atmosphere, surrounded by beautiful nature and plenty of trails to explore. Visitors have highlighted the well-maintained facilities, including clean toilets and a sanitary dump station, which make for a comfortable stay. As one camper noted, “The campsite itself was nice and peaceful,” making it a great getaway from the hustle and bustle.

If you’re into outdoor activities, you’ll find great hiking trails and a lovely lake for kayaking nearby. Some campers have even mentioned wanting to try out the ATV trails in the area. While the fishing might not be the best, the family-friendly beach and picnic areas are perfect for a day of fun in the sun. Just keep in mind that the beach and fishing pier are a bit of a trek from the campsites, so driving down might be the easiest option if you’re hauling gear.

With its welcoming vibe and beautiful surroundings, Sunset Campground is a solid choice for anyone looking to enjoy a weekend in the great outdoors. Whether you’re camping with family or seeking some solitude, this spot has what you need for a memorable experience.

Description

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

There are two family (modern) campgrounds with a total of 217 campsites, 54 with electric hookups. Six group campsites can accommodate 225 campers. There is also a cabin designed specifically for people with disabilities.

The sunset campground offers electric and non-electric campsites as well as some sites accessible for people with disabilities. Campground amenities include a shower building, flush and vault toilets, dump station and a playground area.

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Location

Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area is located in Wisconsin

Detail location of campground

Coordinates

42.63542925772888 N
88.11601530741267 W

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Site Types

  • Standard (Tent/RV)

Features

For Campers

  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Reservable
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump

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General Info

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Reviews

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22 Reviews

Reviewed Nov. 4, 2024

Close to family

Recently camped here while visiting some family in the Racine area. Was nice and close to them and was a nice place to stay!

Lost of campsites between the two campgrounds. Sunset offered electric or non-electric sites. Shower building, flush toilets, vault toilets, dump station, playground. Firewood sold at the visitor center via a vending machine, card only.

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Tori K., November 4, 2024
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Tori K., November 4, 2024
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Tori K., November 4, 2024
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Aug. 3, 2023

July 22, 2017

Nice little site with enough space for 3 or 4 cars

Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Dante V., August 3, 2023
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Dante V., August 3, 2023
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Dante V., August 3, 2023
  • (12) View All
Reviewed Oct. 12, 2022

Generators not allowed

The campsite itself was nice and peaceful. There is a lot of nature and the recreation area itself is massive. Definitely a nice getaway. The only issue was that generators aren't allowed, so we were kind of suffering in the oppressive heat with no reprieve of the AC in our camper. There aren't many electrical hookups so it's hard to get one of those spots. Apparently no state park in Wisconsin allows generators at any time unless you have a medical need. Kind of a bummer.

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Sep. 15, 2022

Need more maintenance

Camping spots are nice, some of them bigger some are smaller..Bathrooms need better maintenance.

SiteSunset campgrounds
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Alex A., September 15, 2022
Reviewed Jul. 10, 2022

Beautiful and close to home

We’ve camped here once before. The sites are huge and love the trails. We wanted to bring our Basset hound camping for the first time and thought of this place right away. They have beautiful nature and we want to try the atv trails sometime.

Site28
Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Feb. 28, 2022

A Nice Place

We have spent a lot of time camping and hiking at Bong and it is perfectly nice. It may not have the most exciting hikes or scenic views but it is a place to escape the city with decent facilities and campsites. We prefer the quieter sunset campground.

SiteSunset campground
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Nicole K., February 28, 2022
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Nicole K., February 28, 2022
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Nicole K., February 28, 2022
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Jun. 19, 2021

Best site at the campground

Pros: great hiking trails, nice lake to kayak on, family friendly beach and picnic areas

Cons: Not great fishing, no dog friendly swim area, the beach/fishing pier/boat launch are all pretty far from the campsites. There is a hiking trail down to it, but when bringing a bunch of beach gear/kid toys it’s much easier to throw it all in the car and drive down there.

We have been to Bong a few times and this site was by far the best we’ve stayed at. Evenly sunny/shaded. Not overly buggy. Couldn’t see the people in the sites next to us. Had a flat, grassy area for the tent. It also had a couple mature trees to attach the dog’s zip line to.

Site217
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by kassondra T., June 19, 2021
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by kassondra T., June 19, 2021
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by kassondra T., June 19, 2021
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Jun. 7, 2021

A getaway to nature

Bong has a diverse set of activities available from hiking to model airplanes. What they do seem to lack is very spacious camp sites. Facilities are well maintained, and you can certainly have an enjoyable time here. Our family will likely camp here again this season due to Bong’s convenient proximity.

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Bill M., June 7, 2021
Reviewed Jan. 8, 2021

Nice

clean, private, tree-covered sites, often campsites are available on busy camping days! nice folks work here also :)

Reviewed Sep. 25, 2020

Very Peaceful

This used to be our traditional family camping area, but over the years camping has become very strict on noise and headcounts. It is also becoming more modernized. I still enjoy all the wildlife we see but I will stick with hiking over camping here. It sucks having to worry that when you are laughing loudly at great camp stories security may come give you a warning. 🙄🙄🙄

Reviewed Apr. 29, 2020

Fantastic

My go-to campground. Have camped here numerous times. Sometimes with family for fun and recreation. Other times all by myself for peace and solitude. This state campground fits both scenarios. Nice hiking trails, fishing accessible within the park, beautiful, splendid nights by the campfire.

Reviewed Apr. 23, 2020

Beautiful Campground.

Very nice campground and great place to camp for first-time campers like I was. Very nice and clean facilities.

Reviewed Sep. 1, 2019

Laid back

Nice park pretty laid back. Had some cool amenities like the off road park and multiple fishing spots. Has a winery and cool dive bars all within 10 min. Only downside is all the noise from the road and the drag strip near by.

  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Justin Z., September 1, 2019
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Justin Z., September 1, 2019
Reviewed Aug. 23, 2019

It might be the timing

We had a wooded site in the Sunset campground, mid-week.

The sites are rustic but nicely groomed with a tree line between most campsites, although almost none of the spots had occupants. The camp hosts were very nice and very communicative about all the happenings. Picnic table and fire pit included. Long enough drive in for RVs. But enough grass for tenting. Not many trees available for clothes lines.

Unfortunately, we might have had bad timing. The beach was closed due to high levels of bacteria. The pit toilets closest to us were also closed due to a bee hive being found so we ended up driving to the flush toilets if there was any urgency but could walk if you wanted. We also picked a spot by the water fountain. The water was yellow from iron. It had just stormed so the bugs were bad and everything was wet. So mostly a series of unfortunate events but we still enjoyed our time.

Because this is a prairie, there is so much to look at! The hiking trails are great through prairie and woods. The sunrise over the prairie and the sunset colors of the sky were great.

  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Melinda K., August 23, 2019
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Reviewed Aug. 4, 2018

Basic

Basic campground nothing much to offer

Month of VisitApril
Reviewed Jul. 25, 2018

clean and simple

I would recommend this for anyone for starting to step out of the comfort zone for the outdoors. very simple, many paths to walk, jog, or ride a bike. a small lake is near the further parking lot. dogs are welcomed on lesch.

Reviewed Jun. 6, 2018

Large natural area with options in addition to camping

Wisconsin’s first and largest recreation area has a wide variety of opportunities available. A collection of grassland, prairie, savanna and woodland provides volunteer opportunity as well as hiking, camping and even dog training. 

The ranger staff was enthusiastically helpful. The first person at the gate directed me to the inside to register. This ranger collaborated with another to advise me on a site that was less buggy and still let me have sun access for the solar panel. They settled on a site in the sunrise campground. Besides the host, I was the only one in this loop. 

The campsite is very large. However the trailer length would be a deciding factor on your choice of sites. Site 28 gave enough space for my trailer and car before the bumper stopped vehicles. Beyond the bumper grassy area expanded to give me more room than I would need. I quickly set up the screen room since mosquitos were all over me. Once settled in, a peaceful tone took over. My mind blanked out the sound of vehicles and let the chirping birds resound. 

The visitor center has live animals and displays. 16 miles of hiking trails through a variety of ecosystems - one is a self-guided interpretive trail. Watercraft have a place on Vern Wolf Lake. 

Be prepared for the bugs while you stay here.

Site28
Month of VisitJune
  • A view of site 28 and a bit of the driving through the campground
    Play button icon
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Art S., June 6, 2018
  • Review photo of Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area by Art S., June 6, 2018
  • (4) View All
Reviewed May. 1, 2018

Nice park

It’s a big park. The staff could be a friendlier and it’s in better shape. Good for a weekend.

Month of VisitApril

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are fires allowed at Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Sunset Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.