I have camped here several times. I have hiked in, backed in, and camped lakefront. All are gorgeous. The trails are beautiful with some wooded areas and some prairie. The hike in is just shy of a mile. The lakefront is a simple walk in, but you can launch your kayak or canoe from your site, which I did. The fishing is fantastic with Striped, Largemouth, and Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Musky, and all kinds of panfish. Many natural sites are within driving distance. Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, as well as the International Crane Foundation, many other fishing opportunities. Very minimal noise. Modern showers, fishing pier. Great for the family.

This park is absolutely beautiful. Out has great trails, a viewing tower that will leave you breathless, prehistoric petroglyphs on a natural monolith, plenty of wildlife viewing. My only gripe is one that can't be helped. Adams County is rather flat and sound carries. You will hear cars on the highway at night in the distance. The sky is amazing with no light pollution. For the trout fisherman, Carter Creek comes right through the park so it's easy to camp and head into the creek when the trout are active. There are plenty of other fishing holes a short drive away. Most sites have shaded pads. Modern shower houses. I loved everything about it….but the late night road noise.

Ottawa Lake is in the middle of Kettle Moraine State Forest's Southern Unit. It's mostly car camping with a few hike in locations. The state forest is expansive and wildlife is everywhere. Trails for hiking are in every direction. There are some pretty challenging climbs and some of those trails are pretty technical. The campsites have well-groomed pads and are mostly shaded. There are modern facilities as well as drop toilets for those summer months when a shower is in order. This area is absolutely gorgeous with many lakes in the area, various types of terrain and plenty of natural solitude. It is a short drive from either the Milwaukee area or Madison. You might need awhile to explore the Kettle Moraine area in depth. There's a lot of it to see.

I have stayed at Devil's Lake many times. I always try to get into the Ice Age Campground whenever possible. It is up and away from the rest of the park a bit and typically almost every site has full shade. This is important in the summer months. When it's 85° in Wisconsin it can be brutal with the humidity, but it is always cooler under the canopy. The sites are well groomed and it usually doesn't get too loud up there. Some of the sites have impressive views as you are up in a bluff. The Ice Age National Scenic Trail runs through the campground and there are too many hiking trails till list. The views from the bluffs will take your breath away. There is a reason that Devil's Lake is the most popular Wisconsin state park. The trails around the lake will give you vistas like nowhere else in the midwest. A note of caution: It can get crowded around the lake in the summer months. The trails further out aren't bad though. Devil's Lake is the biggest of the state parks, including beautiful Parfrey's Glen, but the congestion is the lake. If you plan on the lake, try for during the week if you wish to see more wildlife. Also this park fills very fast with reservations so reserve early. However, if you don't mind a game of chance, there are about 50 non-reservable sites that are first-come first-served and I have scored this way. If you choose this, get there when the office opens at 8am, because these don't typically last an hour. If you fish, be prepared for some of the best fishing you've ever experienced. If you're not sure of the how or where, plenty of people in the lodge will give you pointers. I have caught more fish I. a day there than anywhere else ever. Bee ready for enormous Brown Trout, nice Large and Small Mouth Bass, Northern Pike, some of the biggest Yellow Perch I've ever seen, as well as the occasional Walleye and Rainbow Trout. Devil's Lake Ice Age Campground, in my opinion, it's about as good as it gets.

I am an ultra marathoner. I always camp close by before my big races to get my head into the mindset of what I'll be running through. I love Pinewoods because it is up and away from the racket of the usual radios and noisy children. This is because it is a 24 hour quiet area. You will hear and see birds, as well as deer and various other wildlife. I took a hike-in spot that is a little more secluded, but it is mostly back-in style car camping. There is a well kept shower house, and a play area up and away by the showers that doesn't carry much noise. I've stayed here several times and plan to several more. You are smack in the middle of the Kettle Moraine State Forest's Southern Unit, so there are nearly unlimited trails very close by for nature hikes. Or, if you're like me and a trail runner, there is plenty of challenging single track with a lot of vertical gain. Recommended.