Looking for the best options for camping with dogs in Wisconsin? Find the best sites in Wisconsin where you bring your dog and enjoy a scenic view. Each pet-friendly campsite offers quick access to one or more of Wisconsin's most popular destinations.
Located on a high bluff overlooking the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers, a land of sculpted limestone and prehistoric Native American mounds can be found amid a swath of preserved hardwood forest. Translated “home of the warrior” in the language of the local Munsee–Delaware Indians, Wyalusing Hardwood Forest and the Wyalusing Mounds have received recognition as national natural landmarks and historic places. Adjacent to the forest, Wyalusing State Park is the perfect camping destination for a little outdoors R&R, while discovering more about the natural and cultural history at the junction of Wisconsin’s and America’s greatest waterways.
Visitors to Wyalusing State Park have two campgrounds to choose from. Wisconsin Ridge is set on a high bluff over the Wisconsin River, and Homestead is located in shady hardwood forest. Combined, they offer 109 campsites for tent and RV campers; there is also a large group campground. Both campgrounds provide flush and vault restrooms, shower facilities and drinking water. A portion of sites in each campground have electrical hookups for RVs, and there is a dump station near the Homestead site. The park also has several picnic areas, sports courts, and five reservable group picnic shelters. Firewood, camping supplies, ice and boat rentals are available at the concession stand. Seasonal campsite rates range from $15–$35/night; entrance to the park requires an additional fee.
With nearly 24 miles of land and water trails in Wyalusing State Park, you’ll find ample opportunities for exploring riverside bluffs. Whether you like to walk, hike, ride, or paddle, there’s a trail just for you. Take an easy interpretive walk to learn about the park’s flora, fauna and geology; hike to see limestone caves, waterfalls, and a great view of the river; hop on your bike for a ride around the edge of a wooded grassland; or board a canoe or kayak and paddle through the Mississippi backwaters. Many of these trails are also open during the winter for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Other park activities include fishing, bird watching, and seasonal hunting.
$15 - $35 / night
An accessible cabin for people with disabilities is available at High Cliff State Park and makes for great camping near Neenah. The cabin can accommodate up to six people and can be rented for a maximum of four nights per year. The cabin is available May through mid-October. The family campground has 112 campsites (32 with electric and two accessible) and eight group sites. Campground hosts stay on site 58 from April through October. Pets are permitted in the family and group campgrounds. A flush toilet/shower building is in the family campground for overnight guests. There are also several vault toilets throughout the campground. The shower building is open seasonally, usually May to mid-October. A sanitary dump station and recycling/garbage station are available and free to use by all registered campers. There is a $10 fee for others to use the dump station.
Quartzite campground in Devil’s Lake State Park offers camping options for visitors, with both electric and non-electric sites available. This campground, which was once a 9-hole golf course, has mostly open and grassy areas, with a mix of trees scattered throughout. Although many campsites have limited shade or are located on the perimeter near surrounding woods, Quartzite Campground is a great choice for those with large RVs due to the open and spacious nature of many of its sites. The campground is equipped with a playground, a modern shower building, and a dump station. Located on County Road DL, Quartzite Campground can be accessed directly, making it easy to avoid heavy summer traffic when entering or exiting the campground. There is also an access road leading up to the park’s Nature Center, as well as the main day-use picnic area and beach. While the distance to the beach is walkable at about a quarter mile, visitors should note that there is a steep hill between the campground and the day-use area.
It’s important to keep in mind that sites 1-10 are now available only by reservation, and no longer on a first-come-first-served basis.
When you’re relaxing on the warm, sandy beaches at Kohler–Andrae State Park, gazing across the watery expanse of Lake Michigan, you’re not likely contemplating the area’s nearly two-million-year history. This is when Ice Age glaciers carved out the lake basin and rising and falling water levels dramatically changed the landscape. Soon after, the first Paleo-Indians began inhabiting the area, who hunted mammoths and giant musk ox around the northeastern regions. Moving into the Christian Era, the Hopewell, Chippewa, Potowatomi, and Sauk took turns residing here. Then came European settlers in the 19th century, who had no interest in beachfront property, as it couldn’t be farmed. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that Americans started to value outdoor recreation as a form of relaxation and entertainment. Today, you can enjoy this 1000 acres of sandy beaches, rolling dunes and mixed woods, where you’re more likely to be contemplating the cool breeze what to barbecue for dinner.
For grilling up your tasty burgers, be they beef, beet, or anything in between, Kohler–Andrae State Park offers a large campground with fire rings and picnic tables in each site. There are more than 130 tent and RV sites to choose from, some with electrical hookups. There is also two group tent sites. The campground provides flush restrooms with showers, picnic areas and shelters, a playground, amphitheater, and laundry facilities; a dump station is located nearby. The campground is open year-round, but some amenities may not be available in winter months. Dogs are permitted in the campground and on some trails, but must remain leashed. Campers can access the beach through the picnic area or via a short nature trail. There is also an ADA accessible cabin available to rent. Campsite reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance; seasonal rates are $15–$40/night.
While soaking up the sun and splashing in the lake are the main draw to Kohler–Andrae State Park, there’s much to do. Visit the Sanderling Nature Center at the north end of the park where you can explore interactive exhibits about the area’s natural history, and native flora and fauna. Kids can become Wisconsin Explorers and earn a patch for completing activities. For some paddling fun, you can launch your kayak or paddleboard right from the beach, or for fishing, head over to the fishing pond on the Ancient Shores Trail. And speaking of trails, the park has 8.5 miles of nature paths and hiking trails to explore, many of which are barrier-free. A walk on the aforementioned Ancient Shores Trail reveals where the lakeshore existed more than 5,000 year ago; the Marsh Trail along the Black River is a good place for bird and wildlife watching; and the Dunes Cordwalk explores the park’s dunes, wetlands and white pine forest.
From website: Camping at Devil’s Lake State Park is extremely popular. Plan ahead, explore your options and make your camping or other lodging reservations well before you arrive. Devil’s Lake State Park has three campgrounds with a total of 423 sites that each accommodate a family (One to six individuals). There are no longer any first-come-first-serve campsites offered at the park. There are also nine group campsites that can accommodate a total of 240 campers. Group campsites are on the south side. Each campground has different qualities that have made each of them popular with annual campers. There are no campgrounds near or on the shoreline of Devil’s Lake itself. Only the Quartzite campground is open for winter camping.
Mauthe Lake campground has 135 sites, including 51 electrical sites, one shower building with flush toilets in the 300 loop and several vault toilets throughout the campground. The campground is located within the Mauthe Lake Recreation Area. The beach area has playground equipment. Food/drink concessions and kayak/canoe rentals are available seasonally. Campsites accessible to people with disabilities are also available. A sanitary dump station and recycling/garbage station are provided for registered campers. Mauthe Lake campground is open for camping year-round.
$18 - $28 / night
Ottawa Lake’s campground is located in the southern unit of Kettle Moraine State Forest, situated within half an hour’s drive from Milwaukee. Wisconsin campers of all ages love these grounds thanks to lakefront sites, modern facilities, and access to trails for hikers of every experience level. South Kettle Moraine is also home to over 160 miles of trails, including 87 miles open to horse use. Connect to the Ice Age Scenic Trail and various others within the John Muir and Emma Carlin trail systems.
Don’t forget to bring your rods when camping at Ottawa Lake! You’ll want to take full advantage of the boat dock and fishing pier where you can catch panfish, walleye, muskie, trout, bass, and northern pike – then you can grill them up at your campsite. Keep in mind, motorboats are not permitted on this small lake, which allows for peaceful wading and quieter camping all around.
Though Ottawa Lake is open year-round, it is recommended to check the weather in Dousman and Whitewater before planning trips in the colder months, as freezing temperatures and snow are common. Cold-weather campers who are willing to brave the Wisconsin winter will enjoy snowmobile trails, ice fishing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. No matter when you visit, Ottawa Lake will leave you satisfied.
Sitting pretty right where the Mississippi and Trempealeau rivers meet, Perrot State Park is a true geographic wonder. This 1,270-acre park was once inhabited by the native tribes in the area, who conducted important meetings (amongst other things) atop Trempealeau Mountain. The “mountain” is truthfully considered more of a bluff, as it is cone-shaped and surrounded by water. Trempealeau Mountain, as well as Brady's Bluff Prairie are the two main natural areas that the state park protects.
Another interesting factoid about this park is that it's located in Wisconsin's Driftless region. The Driftless region is characterized by the lack of glaciation that took place there during the last Ice Age. This makes it one of the few places in the world you can actually see that was left unaffected and uncarved by ancient glaciers. Luckily, the park's main attractions provide stunning views of the surrounding geography.
As far as recreation, this park offers plenty. There are over 12 miles of hiking trails that are great for mountain biking as well. Many of the trails provide great viewpoints from which hikers can enjoy the beautiful view of the Mississippi River with. Right over on the Trempealeau River is a boat landing where visitors can take their own private canoe or rented kayak out for some time on the water. Fishing equipment is available at the park office, and anglers can enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the shore.
During the winter, over nine miles of trails are groomed for cross country skiing, as well as snowshoeing and winter hiking. Visitors are urged to take caution as the rivers can be unpredictable and exposed to various ice conditions.
There are 2 campgrounds available for use at Perrot State Park. One is a family campground that features 102 campsites, 38 of them have electrical hookups. The other one features 4 walk-in campsites with water access. Both campgrounds offer easy access to trails and other attractions of the park.
Legend
shower and restroom facility in the campground. Site had electricity. Campground has a boat launch for kayaks and canoes. Big rig friendly with a gravel pad. Dump station with potable water fill up station as well.
Legend
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.
Guide
We were happy to find a view site for our 25' RV on the lower loop. Our site had good separation from others. Nice and quiet except for the guy who had to run his toy car up and down the campground road. We were able to walk to town easily and enjoyed exploring Bayfield and the Apostle Island Lakeshore. Electric at the site, water accessible at 2 points within the campground.
Legend
NE of Chippewa Falls, offers secluded campsites, hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, picnic and playground areas and a swimming beach on a man-made lake. Boating, canoeing, kayaking and water skiing are popular summer activities on the lake. Showers and flush toilets in the campground. Firewood for sale at the park office. Picnic table and fire ring at each site. Sites are wooded and fairly secluded.
Guide
Did some fall camping with friends, and there were 4 family’s. 3 of them stayed in these three sites which were fairly wide open and kind of looked over the lake. They would be great sites to book as a group, but I wouldn’t recommend them to book individually as you wouldn’t have much privacy, more so in the middle site. These three sites are E, F, and G. Bit if a corner site and you are next to some private homes.
GuideI have came here a couple times with friends for fall camping. The campground doesn’t have a lot of extra amenities, but still a nice simple campground to be in. There are a mix of sites that have a little more privacy, and others that are wide open which would be better for group setups.
Scout
Nice clean and quiet site. No facilities or cell service. Easy access to mountain bike trails. Keep it clean if you use it 🙏
Legend
General: Small county park campground (28 sites) located on Lake Mendota
Site Quality: All sites were level and generous in size. Camper pads were somewhat gravel but not well-defined. Long enough to accommodate the largest RV or additional cars (friends visited us when we were there and could easily park two cars in addition to our van at the site). The power box is located at the very end of the camper pad, but extension cords are available from the camp host. Thank goodness that there were ample shade trees in most sites as it was humid and in the high 90s when we were there.
Bath/Shower house: Located a short walk from the campground to accommodate the day-use people as well. Reasonably clean. The bathroom had three stalls and two sinks but could have used a couple of hooks for toiletries in addition to the one small shelf. Two shower stalls, including one ADA-accessible one. There is also a vault toilet closer to the sites.
Activities: Fishing, swimming, boating, kayaking, etc. There were kayaks that looked like they could be rented but did not find information on how to do so. Basketball, Volleyball and a playground. The maintenance employee mentioned that people were catching fish with hot dogs!
Note that this park will be closed in spring 2025 for improvements. Note also that this park is located in a residential area, and I imagine it would be packed on weekends, but it was relatively quiet when we were there on a Monday at the end of August. Shortly after we arrived, a loud plane flew overhead, and we were worried this would be a problem, but we didn’t hear any more. The bugs (gnats and mosquitoes) were relentless, especially in the grassy areas so bring bug spray!
GuideI just stayed here one night because I was passing through the area. It worked out really well. I entered the campground late in the day. It was almost dark. They had a QR code that I used to make a reservation on the spot. I had a great night there. There's a hiking trail that completely goes around the campground. So I was able to walk my dog on that. I'm not sure how it would have been to stay as a vacation Target spot. Probably pretty fine. But it certainly was great on the shoulder season for a stopover.
Guide
The good Small campground clean nice walking trails,dog friendly main park across hwy free and clean showers. The bad is a lot of road noise some sites are very close together.
Guide
Stayed here in September for a few days, and occupied site 1 and 2. Sites are good sized and clean. Our two sites were great, but if I didn't care about being near the lake, I would look at the new sites they put in the wooded area. They were a little more "remote", The clientele mostly consisted of fisherman and bird hunters when I was here, so it seems to attract the more long term stays and not overnighters. The bathroom / shower combination is adequate and is reminiscent of my younger days at summer camp. They have some playground equipment both at the main loop and the wooded loop, this proved to be a lifesaver for my 4 year old. I also found, since this is further from town, it is very dark here and great for star gazing.
Guide
As of this writing, 2024, they have recently installed new showers and flush bathrooms. I live near this campground, so I have stayed at almost every site in the park. If you cant have or don't want a lake site, site #4 is the largest. It is almost 35 yards across the front. Trees are growing back, but not many mature trees on the East of the park. There is a really nice beach area adjacent to, but not in the campground. It is a nice short walk. Each site has electric hookup, and some sites have more than one box. Not much ambient light in this park, so it is great for viewing stars and Northern Lights. This park also is situated near the ATV trail, and has access to the 160 mile Blue Ox trail system.
Guide
I live near this park, so I frequent it. They have recently made improvements to the park area, which make it very kid friendly. The park also has a nice pavilion with picnic tables. Sites are spacious and spread out compared to other parks, and the area is pretty quiet. Sites have water and electric hookup.
Traveler
I ended up here because I was going to a music festival in the area, and they turned me away because I have a service animal. I wasn't going to do all that work for nothing and just go home, so I decided to look up my nearest campground and it was KOA in Milton. they made me feel welcome. they understood my dilemma. it was a wonderful weekend. lots of amenities and I just absolutely can't wait to go back next year. I'm going to try to make it a couple times. so much fun, just me and my dog. And one last the thing, my fellow campers were more than hospitable and very nice and I appreciate that very much.
Traveler
I originally went to this campground a couple years ago for a music festival, but I discovered how much fun it was. the people were incredible. the staff was really awesome so I continue to make it back at least once a year
Scout
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Traveler
Peaceful, quiet, easy to book and well kept! Bathroom was ice cold and only cold water in bathroom. Very nice hot water in shower house. They made us pay for 2 nights when we only stayed for one on a Monday(not a weekend) but I’d absolutely recommend this campground! Very peaceful!!
Traveler
Very nice and and quite! Bathroom only has cold water but shower house has nice hot water. We are here on a Monday and it made us pay for 2 nights so that’s my biggest complaint but this is a very secluded and clean park so I’d stay here again!
Legend
Great place to stay! Big rig friendly! Gravel pads and each site comes with a picnic table and fire pit. Bathrooms in the campground were clean and I believe there were showers.
TravelerThis is a smaller Corps of Engineers park, lots of primitive sites and lots electric sites too. A smaller lake but no gas motors. Cell service with Verizon was ok.
Guide
Stayed here on a Labor Day weekend. Well kept good bathroom with a waterfall in the park.
Guide
We camped here in May not much for skeeters, good sites on the lake with a fire pit on a dead end road with a boat landing.
Guide
Bike trail access. River runs through it. Tons of oak trees. Lots of playgrounds. Clean rest rooms with showers. Decent cell coverage.
Guide
We were to only ones here camping. This area has 3 sites 2 next to each other west side of lake and 1 on the north side of the lake. All have lake frontage. We choose the single, north of the lake site. The only drawback to this site it is right on the road with mostly ATV, UTV traffic. I would stay here again.
Scout
So this place is much less dog friendly than is advertised. Dogs aren’t allowed in large swaths of the park nor on the (tiny tiny, bordered by loud highway) beach. Lake Geneva is very pretty, but the area is obviously very wealthy and obviously geared toward retirees without dogs or with tiny dogs they leave at the RV (to bark, constantly, at their next site neighbors. Until the owners get back.)
Guide
Sites are large and well spaced out. The campground is clean and well kept. The rangers drive through regularly and will deliver wood to your site if requested. There are pit toilets in the camp area, but there are flush toilets, running water, and showers in the picnic area near the entrance. There are a couple of hiking trails as well. Great landscape and wildlife. We were lucky enough to have a couple of Sandhill Cranes walk through our camp early one morning.
Guide
The campground was clean and quiet. We were in the East Loop. The on-site host was super friendly and helpful with firewood and ice. Pit toilets, no showers. Easy access to Ice Age Trail from the campground. Nice hike to Rice Lake.
