Wisconsin's Biggest State Park Offers Scenic Camping Near One Of The State's Most Iconic Lakes

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Located in south-central Wisconsin, 40 miles north of Madison, Devil's Lake State Park is a scenic spot for a lakeside camping trip. It offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of outdoor adventures throughout the year including hiking, mountain biking, fishing, swimming, cross-country skiing, rock climbing, and more. This has made Devil's Lake SP one of Wisconsin's most popular park, with over 2.5 million visitors each year. It's also the largest state park in the state at over 9,400 acres. Those looking to overnight will find a wide variety of camping options. While none of the sites are actually lakeside, most are just a short walk or drive from the lake.

Devil's Lake State Park has three campgrounds: Quartzite, Northern Lights, and Ice Age, offering a total of 423 campsites. Regardless of which campground you choose, you need reservations. The park does not offer first-come, first-serve campsites. Additionally, those reservations will likely need to be made well in advance for weekends and holidays, when demand is particularly high.

Quartzite Campground, built atop a former 9-hole golf course, has 80 sites, some with electric hookups, while others do not. However, whether you have electric or not, this is the best campground for those with larger travel trailers or fifth wheels, as it has plenty of open space for maneuvering into campsites. The Quartzite Campground also has a fill and dump station, restroom facility, showers, and a playground.

Quartzite is also the campground for camping during the winter months, as the other two campgrounds are closed from mid-October through Memorial Day weekend. However, if you are staying in the Quartzite campground during the off-season, you will be dry camping or boondocking, as the water and electric are turned off, and the dump station is closed from October 15 through April 15 each year.

Throughout the summer and early fall, the Northern Lights Campground remains open. This campground has a total of 71 sites. Some are in open spaces, while others are shrouded by trees and brush. Like the Quartzite Campground, the sites here are a mix of electric and non-electric. There is also a fill and dump station. So, RVers can utilize this campground. However, it is better suited to smaller RVs, as some of the sites are fairly tight. You'll also find two campsites designed to accommodate people with differing abilities, to help you create a more accessible campsite.

The Northern Lights Campground also features a small restroom and shower facility and a playground, making it ideal for familes. The campground is approximately a half-mile from the popular North Shore picnic area and beach. Trails connect the campground to that day-use area for those who don't mind the relatively short hike. However, they should be advised that while the hike is scenic, portions of the trail are fairly steep.

Those who have larger groups can also reserve one of the nine group sites located on the South Shore. These sites vary in size. Depending on the particular site, the maximum capacity ranges from 20 to 60. The group camping area also has showers and restrooms, as well as trails leading to the South Shore day use area and beach, a 15-minute walk away.

The third and final campground in Devil's Lake State Park is the only one which doesn't have any electrical hookups. Although Ice Age Campground is primarily used by tent campers, RVs and popups are allowed. Since there is no electricity, you will have to hook up your RV to a generator if you want power. This campground doesn't have a pump-out station, either, so you will need a Camco tote tank or similar product if you exceed your RVs grey and black water holding capacity. That said, this isn't exactly wild camping, either, as the Ice Age Campground has two restroom facilities with running water, a shower building, and seven pit toilets. Additionally, each site is furnished with a fire ring and picnic table. Three campsites accommodate differently abled campers

The Ice Age Campground is actually comprised of two campground units: The Upper Ice Age and Lower Ice Age campgrounds. Upper Ice Age has 135 campsites, while Lower Ice Age features 90. The entire Upper Ice Age location is wooded, whereas the Lower Ice Age Campground has some open areas. There is also a small store at the entrance of the Lower Ice Age site. These campsites are a bit further from the day use area — around a mile, which you can drive or walk.