Jeff Crider
Jellystone Park Camp-Resort in Caledonia
If you're looking for campgrounds in Wisconsin, don't limit yourself to only searching state or national park websites. WisconsinCampgrounds.com, a travel planning website maintained by the Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners (WACO), can help you find a wider range of options. Many of Wisconsin's scenic and crystal-clear lakes are surrounded by campgrounds, but not all of them are listed on government-run websites. To discover family-owned and operated campgrounds with lakeside locations, turn to WisconsinCampgrounds.com.
“There’s two types of campgrounds: Government-run campgrounds, which you see in state, county or national parks, and privately owned and operated campgrounds, which are typically run by families. WisconsinCampgrounds.com is the website that can help you find independently owned and operated campgrounds that are not listed on government websites,” said Lori Severson, WACO’s executive director.
Lake Lenwood Beach and Campground, 35 minutes north of Milwaukee, is one such park. Mike Dricken’s parents purchased Lenwood Lake in 1947 from the Wisconsin Ice & Coal Company, which used the 20-acre lake as a source of fresh ice for Chicago.
The Dricken family has spent the past 30 years buying up acreage around Lake Lenwood to not only protect the lake, but to ensure quiet camping experiences for guests at their family’s campground, Lake Lenwood Beach and Campground, which is one of nearly 200 campgrounds featured on WisconsinCampgrounds.com.
Other independently owned and operated campgrounds, such as Peshtigo River Campground in Crivitz and Hitts Wildwood Resort in Chetek, are great locations for river tubing, canoeing and kayaking, while others, such as Wolf River Campground in New London, serve as base camps for families wanting to go whitewater rafting down the Wolf River.
Jeff Crider
Jellystone Park Camp-Resort in Caledonia
Still others, such as Champions Riverside Resort in Galesville, Kinney Lake Campground in Marion,
Holiday Shores Campground and Resort in the Wisconsin Dells, and Wilderness Campground in Montello, have swimming ponds with floating inflatable climbing structures.
Many independently owned campgrounds are located near ATV trails, too, such as Anchor Woods Campground in Spooner and Winding River Campground in New Lisbon.
Several Wisconsin campgrounds are also located near the Ice Age Trail, which offers opportunities for hiking and exploring natural geological formations. To cite one example, Timber Trail Campground in West Bend has trails that are included as part of the Kettle Moraine Ice Age Trail.
Scores of Wisconsin campgrounds also offer organized family activities and themed weekends, from pet costume contests and 100-foot chocolate slip n’ slides at Lake Arrowhead Campground in Montello to organized activities with Yogi Bear at the Jellystone Park Camp-Resort in Caledonia. Many Wisconsin campgrounds even organize special events with members of the Green Bay Packers.
“To find the best campgrounds in Wisconsin with organized family activities, entertainment and some of the best onsite amenities, we really encourage people to visit WisconsinCampgrounds.com," Severson said.