Yellowstone Lake State Park Campground

I wanted so badly to love this campground experience, but just didn't. Site 19 was an easy walk-in that theoretically had nearby vault toilets, parking, and water.

Each site only had space for one car to park before walking in. Not a huge deal, but annoying as there were 2 of us who drove separate and we had to problem solve. When we got to the site I was shocked to see that what was labeled as a tent site had literally NO flat space to actually set up a tent. Spacious site, but fully sloped.

Also, what I would have loved to know, is that the vault toilets are closed because they are doing construction to build something new in that space. Construction that starts loudly each day at 7am. Honestly every site from about #35 down was affected by the noise because the construction is happening in the middle of the loop (and actually blocking some of the one-way road as well).

The park in general was okay. Per the usual, the pet areas were lacking. No beach at all, just grass covered in goose poop and one cut out on the raised shore between tall grasses and foliage where a dog could potentially jump in. Certainly nowhere for a human to enjoy the water with their pups unfortunately.

 This is a very large state park located halfway between Mineral Point and New Glarus, both nice visiting destinations in their own right.
It has a large lake with three boat launches, a main one with a motor ramp, a canoe launch near the marshy end, and a fishing pier. There's also a boat rental place run by the nearby Cork Down Saloon. There are no boat-in or lake accessible campsites however.
 The campground is up a long 30 degree hill across from the main launch and Beach/ main picnic area. The sites are more secluded from each other than you'll find at most parks , which is very nice. Beware that some sites are so secluded that they are bi-level. That is, parking pad and then step(s) down to the site. Be sure to check the photos provided when reserving.  There are very nice walk-in sites, but no carts are provided.
the facilities are clean, but there's only one building with running water and showers. Water throughout has a mild iron taste.
There's no playground in the camp area, it's located in a picnic area near the canoe launch that you pass as you com in. Not walking distance, remember the big hill.
 There's an Ice Cream/concession at the east end of the lake with limited hours. Beyond that is the Cork Down Saloon, just outside the secondary entrance to the park. It's your closest option to eat out. Also there is the private Chalet campground (see others for a review) Neither has a view of the lake as they are below the Dam.
A fun place to visit in the area is the Toy Train Barn Museum in Argyle, indoors if you have a rainy day.

This campground offers sites with electricity for RVs but some of the sites seem pretty narrow to use RV awnings. We booked an RV site but decided to camp. The site had a picnic table and fire ring but since it was an RV spot not a lot of good tent placement options. There are numerous pit toilets to use. The park has hiking trails that are accessible from the campground. The lake has a walking trail, kayak ramps and boat ramps.

Very nice park. Well marked and maintained trails. A large lake with boat launch and beach area. Separate pet area.

We spent the weekend at site 101, which is a tent site. I wouldn't recommend this site. based on a quick walkaround, it seemed a bit smaller than other sites. That's not really a deal-breaker, but it didn't really have any flat spots to pitch the tent. We ended up pitching it up on the parking area, but it was still a bit slanted and we could feel the tire divot a little through the air mattresses. Aside from that, it was great. The site had a picnic table and fire ring that we used a lot. It was secluded from the surrounding sites.

We hiked the Windy Ridge trail and the Prairie Loop trail. both were well maintained and enjoyable trails. We also spent some time on the beach.

Great beach, lots of space with picnic tables. Awesome concession stand- great ice cream. We enjoy this park. Lots of bat houses so the mosquitoes weren't a problem.

Loved this quiet park! Camped at site 62 which is tent only. The site was huge and could easily fit 4 tents. Most sites had good privacy. Bathrooms could use a little work along with signage. However, I will absolutely be going back.

Great camping here. Water readily available. Clean bathrooms. Welcome center when you arrive. People friendly. Lot of different types of sites. Lot of sites. Did about 10mi of hiking. Buggy, but it's June in WI.

This Campground was spacious and quiet. We camped in April so it wasn't as crowded but I can imagine in summer this is a popular destination with the large lake. Lots of nice hiking trails. The water was still turned off since it was the off season so we didn't look at any of the facilities but everything seemed well maintained.

Great spot to camp. Right by a lake. There is a dock out onto the water for easy access if you want to bring your kayaks, paddleboards, etc. Easy to get to and a beautiful drive through the country to get there in the fall. There are a lot of bugs due to the proximity to the lake

We went to Yellowstone Lake with the primary intention of kayaking. The lake is man made and not very clear (it’s very shallow, only 14ft max depth), but the water quality is fine. The kayak launch was nice and had overflow parking. The lake was a very nice and easy paddle.

The beach itself looked nice, but it’s mainly grass on a tiered hill. It was very busy when we were here, so we only stopped here to have lunch. 

We stayed at site 60 which we really liked. It was pushed back and had a private feel, even though it was right next to the water (which is also a plus) and a double site. Firepit wasn’t the best, the grate was  getting pretty deformed. Bathrooms were pretty nice with several shower rooms available. 

Overall it’s a nice park, especially since it has a lake and is close to Madison. It just doesn’t stand out among some of our other parks (hence the 3 star rating).

This is a rather large state park. Some of the sites have nice buffers around them others do not. AT&T cell service 4 bars. There are a lot of bigger rigs but some of the sites would be to small for them. Not all sites have electricity.

We stayed here last summer and had the biggest site we’ve ever had in all our camping trips. Had an owl friend spend two days with us in a tree! Beautiful sites and the paved roads are great for biking!

Yellowstone Lake is great for hiking and fishing. They even have a swimming area. But a must is the small ice cream shop that has even lunch menu. The wife and I just loved the small town that was a drive away as well

I came here at the beginning of October for 2 nights tent camping, site 20, with some friends. Our fire pits grill grate was mostly smashed and didn't hold a skillet while other sites had nice grates on a swivel. Plenty of space apart from other sites and fun, hilly hiking trails nearby. The lake is beautiful and we fished a bit from the dock, didn't catch anything. Nice views of the leaves changing. Very limited cell service which was welcomed. Bathrooms were kinda rough and the showers were on a different side of the park.

We reserved our campsite online and paid for a parking sticker at the park office but since no one was there we left the money in the pay box with our receipt. Same with firewood.

This campground in is a WI State Park.  The campground is up a hill with a trail to walk to the lake.  We were here in September 2020 and COVID cancelled programs, but still lots  to do for 4 days.  Some sites are all the same. They vary in size and how level they are.  Not all site are electric and that contributes to the price variance. There is also a change in price depending on WI residency.   This is one of our favorite parks - plenty of trails, beach, lake, fishing spots and a dam.  We brought our bikes, but did not ride because of slopes of roads.  If you mountain bike you will love this park.

Stayed here 4th of July weekend. It was hot, humid and crazy busy. Portable water at dump station was not working. Had a sign that office had water hose for filling the trailer. Good hiking, really nice lake but it was just to busy to use.

Deep and narrow drive-in sites for tents or campers are surrounded by thick woods and brush. Bring mosquito repellent! Stop by the park office if you have kids so they can receive a junior ranger activity kit, or just view photos of lunkers and trophy pike caught in the lake, which does offer boat rentals.

This campground is beautiful! The hiking trails and the lake were very nice. Showers and bathrooms were extremely clean and well maintained. Our campsite, #92, was a little bit of like/dislike experience.

What we didn’t like was how slanted the site was. We struggled to find a flat-ish part to put our tent and ended up having to sleep on a slant. We also moved the picnic table like 20 times just to try and find a spot that it would sit flat.

What we loved about our site was how private it felt. We had to walk downhill into the lower part of our site which was nice because it was far from the road. Our site was also next to an opening in the woods which was filled with deer throughout the day. At night it was beautiful to walk into to look up at the stars.

We camped in a “walk in” spot about 200 feet from where you can park the car. It is very secluded and tree cover allows you to be hidden from all others.

We spend quite a bit of time here. We hunt here and camp here year round. Tons of forest with cross country, equestrian, and hiking trails. One of the best lakes in Wisconsin for fishing along with a nice beach, and pet area. There is a free gun range. Hunt anything from pheasent to deer. There is also a nice bar and grill just down the street. Along with dairy bar as part of the park. Showers and bathrooms are always clean.

Yellowstone Lake State Park was a last-minute weekend destination for a few friends and I. We live in nearby Madison, WI and were looking for something within an hour of the city for single night stay. Yellowstone Lake is the perfect spot as it's clean, quiet, and has a number of outdoor activities to do within the grounds. 

Fishing, ATV trails, Snowmobile trails, dog trails, off-leash dog beach, and a good beach for people round out a really nice weekend. Pair that with summer concerts and a wide array of spot types, everyone can enjoy a weekend trip to Yellowstone Lake. 

We stopped in the administration building and picked up a trail map and did over 3 miles of easy hiking and could have extended it if we pleased. We stopped halfway at the off-leash dog beach with our puppies and continued the journey. 

Campers were all pleasant and kept noise to a minimum.

We stayed at the Walk-In tent sites which had a great view of the lake / sunset only a few feet away (these were not on the water, but higher over looking the water).

I liked it, nice size sites, bathrooms clean. showers are individual not stalls with curtains which was cool. it rained all week before we arrived the site we were on could have used some more gravel as it was little muddy for the first day. nice beach for the kids. overall was a good weekend.

Beautiful wooded campground with easy access to fishing & swimming. Lots of hiking trails and nature programs for all ages.

If camping with a trailer or RV check to make sure you will get a campsite that is level enough for your vehicle. Lots of the campsites are uneven and larger vehicles may have issues getting level.

Lots of areas to explore in the vicinity including local breweries, winery's and museums. We really enjoyed the Toy Train Barn and PecTime tubing! Close to New Glarus, Monroe & Mt Horeb for day trips.

There are lots of wildlife to enjoy and Yellowstone. A beautiful park and tons of hiking and nice lake.

I’m very picky about my camp sites- I want to be in nature and not within eyesight of everyone else’s campers. These sites were a perfect site and I felt like I was getting away!

The lake was easily accessible and the beach was full of families enjoying the well taken care of space.

On another note, the shower house and attached bathroom we were near were probably the most clean and taken care of that I have been to in a while. A nice plus for a longer trip!

Very nice shady private camping spots.

Nice hiking and great beach area.

Only 1 shower house (6 showers) for a large campground which I was worried about since it was a busy time over a holiday but we had no problem or wait for the showers.

wish the dump station had a hose attachment to rinse out with after dumping.

This campground is known for its’ many bats. We sat underneath the bat houses at dusk to watch them fly out. It wasn’t as dramatic as I thought it would be, but still very cool. The lake was nice for swimming as well. I would go again.

This is a popular place in the area, the human beaches are full and the small pet beach area was well used by my husband, myself and our two dogs; Odinn & Frigga over Memorial Day. The hiking is amazing , particularly the Oakgrove trail, plenty to see with beautiful views. There is boating, canoeing, etc. Bring the strongest mosquito repellent you can get, Wisconsin in summer can be rough. We tried our Black Diamond poles and Thule day bags and we got to try cooling vests for the dogs from Ruffwear. It was so much fun. Note that there are sites to camp, cabins nearby and plenty of Hipcamp sites near. Strongly recommend Riverview Bottoms, which sits in a 500 acre property and is 10 min away.

My parents brought me here while visiting a few years back. They enjoy going to the nearby ever popular brewery. I also did some quick research and happened to discover that the Leopold center (as in Aldo Leopold) is also nearby so that was amazing to check out..anyway onward to the site review. The sites were all large and private mostly wooded which was nice. The beach wasn't very maintained upon our visit it was hard to say if it's like that all the time. Overall good location from Madison or Chicago. Private sites. Good for families we enjoyed ourselves!

I did this park as last minute overnight so I had almost no choice of site as it was already mostly booked. I was pleasantly surprised.

I had visited the park before but this was my first time camping here. Much like other WI state run campgrounds, the sites are well maintained.

The campsite I stayed at felt very secluded even in a full campground. Trees and bushes block line of sight to the other campsites. Sound however still carries really well. So you may not see your neighbors, but you will hear them! There was enough space for a few tents or one great big one. The mosquitos either had not come out yet or the bat houses placed around the park really work, as I had no mosquito problems at all.

The park itself has some nice hiking trails, most of which you can get to right from the campgrounds. The namesake lake is also a good feature, although a bit bland for kayaking or canoeing. There were a lot fishermen out when I kayaked it so it may be good for those who fish. A definite highlight is the Wildlife loop hiking trail. It lived up to its name when I visited, seeing deer, frogs, toads and numerous birds.

Overall, it's a nice state park in an area of the state lacking in options. And the man made lake is a nice feature.