Several Wisconsin campgrounds are expanding this year, offering new overnight and seasonal campsites, Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners (WACO) announced in a recent press release.
“Campsites remain in high demand in Wisconsin,” said Lori Severson, executive director of WACO. “Several park owners are racing to have their new sites available in time for Memorial Day weekend.”
WACO hosts WisconsinCampgrounds.com, a travel planning website with links to more than 200 independently owned and operated campgrounds that are not listed on most government-run websites, the association said.
Some of the campgrounds planning or in the midst of expansions:
- Glacier Valley Campground in Cambria: This 150-site campground is planning to add another 12 to 20 campsites, which will be available next year. “We’re also looking at adding geodesic domes, maybe two to three,” said Michelle Zangara, who owns and operates the park with her husband, Dave. Park amenities include a swimming pond with inflatables, an 18-hole miniature golf course, a 9-hole disc golf course, sports courts, gagaball and horseshoe pits, a dog park and hiking trails.
- Keyes Lake Campground in Florence: Faith Stevens and Roman Blenski are adding 15 more campsites to this 45-site campground, which is located about two hours north of Green Bay. “We’re hoping to have 8 to 10 of the new sites open by Memorial Day weekend,” Stevens said, adding that all of the new sites will be designated for overnight camping. The campground also has an on-site ice cream shop, and Stevens and Blenski plan to expand their menu to include fresh-baked pastries, pizza and other hot food items. They will also have a coffee bar. The campground, which is open year-round, is directly across the street from 202-acre Keyes Lake, which is spring fed. “The lake has a beach and a boat launch,” Stevens said. Anglers will find plenty to catch there, too, including panfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, Northern pike and walleye. The campground also has access to UTV and ATV trails.
- Maple Bear Campground in Tomahawk: This 62-site campgound is adding another 30 campsites this year, which should be completed by late summer, according to park co-owners Tim and Tallie Kloehn. “The new sites will be a mix of seasonal sites and daily sites,” Tallie Kloehn said. This campground is located next to 70 miles of UTV and ATV trails. Campground amenities include a heated swimming pool, a scenic pond and an onsite bar and grill.
- Red Barn Campground in Shell Lake: The Bestul and Walter families plan to add 50 more seasonal sites to this 150-site campground this summer. The two families acquired the 225 acre campground last year and are making other improvements, too, such as remodeling the camp store and office, which are located inside the 100-year-old red barn for which the park is named. The Bestuls and the Walter also plan to more than double the size of their swimming pond and add more inflatables. Other on-site amenities include a playground with a gagaball pit; a giant chess set; sports courts, including pickleball; miniature golf; and hayrides. The barn includes an area for activities, such as crafts, pot lucks, games and movies.
- Rose’s Enchanted Forest Campground in Wild Rose: This 80-site all-seasonal site campground plans to add another 30 campsites in time for Memorial Day weekend. The family run campground is located along Wilson Lake and features large wooded campsites, a swimming beach, a large playground, a Forest Friends kids program, themed weekends, outdoor movies and a camp store.
- Sky High Camping Resort in Portage: This 280-site campground is adding 16 pull-through campsites with winter water capability, which the park hopes to have ready by Memorial Day weekend or between Memorial Day and July 4th, according to park owner Eric Anderson. The park is also adding sewer service to 40 existing campsites. Park amenities include two ponds, each of which are about an acre in size. One pond is for swimming while the other is for pets and fishing. “We have lots of people that bring dogs and cats,” Anderson said. The campground also has a swimming pool and two bars, one of which has food service, as well as pickleball courts, a miniature golf course and several sports courts, including sand volleyball. The campground is open year-round and is located about a mile away from the Cascade Mountain Ski Area.
WACO also announced that several Wisconsin campgrounds are adding new amenities and attractions this year, including more floating waterparks, more inflatables for existing parks and new food offerings, such as ice cream and snack shops.
“Wisconsin campground owners are always making improvements, really anything they can do to heighten their appeal, especially for families with children,” said Severson.
Some of the WACO-member campgrounds that are making improvements for the upcoming camping season:
- Anchor Campgrounds in Spooner: This campground is adding more inflatables to Bass Lake this year, according to park owner Tammy Friday. The Anchor Campgrounds, which include Anchor Bay Campground and Anchor Woods Campground, are across the road from each other. Anchor Bay has views of Bass Lake, a grassy beach and a camp store. The Anchor Woods side is nestled in the woods. It was added in 2020 to provide more campsites and to accommodate more ATV enthusiasts who enjoy the trails in the Spooner area. Friday said the campgrounds will also offer Christmas in the July and pre-Halloween activities this year for the first time.
- Fox Hill RV Resort & Campground in Baraboo: This park is adding a jumping pillow this year, which will complement its many existing amenities, including a newly expanded nature trail, an outdoor heated pool; a swimming pond; an aquatic zone; disc golf; ladder golf; three dog parks; an RC track; a jumping pillow; a Wisco gel blaster game; and a large playground. Activities include themed weekends, live entertainment and adult gambling games.
- Harbour Village Resort and Waterpark in Sturgeon Bay: This campground offers one of the only waterparks in Door County, complete with an activity pool, splash pad, outdoor slides and an adults only pool. New amenities for this year include a new floating obstacle course. The campground is also opening its waterpark for day use for the first time. Other campground improvements include the remodeling of the park’s activity center, a new outdoor food truck as well as an ice cream and snack shop, according to Gil Cedar, the park’s manager. Other park amenities include miniature golf, disc golf, tennis courts, volleyball and an outdoor theater.
- Keyes Lake Campground in Florence: Faith Stevens and Roman Blenski recently acquired this campground and are planning to make improvements this summer, such as expanding the menu of their ice cream shop to include fresh-baked pastries, a coffee bar, pizza and other hot food items. They also plan to equip the park with golf cart and fishing boat rentals, kayaks, paddleboards, as well as side-by-side rentals. The campground, which is open year-round, is directly across the street from 202-acre Keyes Lake, which is spring fed. Anglers will find plenty to catch there, too, including panfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, Northern pike and walleye. The campground also has access to UTV and ATV trails.
- Lake Arrowhead Campground in Montello: This campground is adding more shade structures this year around its unique lounging swimming pool, which it opened last summer, complementing the park’s existing swimming pool and kiddie pool. The lounging pool, the first of its kind in Wisconsin, features lots of unique coves that enable families to sit together while they enjoy the pool. Other park amenities include a playground, fishing pond, gaga ball, sports courts and a jumping pillow as well as golf carts and watercraft rentals for use on Lake Puckaway. The campground also offers organized family activities and themed weekends throughout the entire camping season.
- Red Barn Campground in Shell Lake: The Walter and Bestul families are planning to expand this park’s swimming pond this summer in addition to adding more inflatables. This campground offers access to everything from hiking trails to ATV trails to onsite attractions like a jump pillow, miniature golf, sand volleyball courts, and a swimming pond with inflatable climbing structures.
WisconsinCampgrounds.com is a travel planning website hosted by WACO that features more than 200 mostly family-owned and operated campgrounds that aren’t listed on government-run websites.
