Does anyone know of a great place to go camping with a large family. Secluded from other campers but has vehicular access. Showers and toilets a must. We are doing tent camping with 3 families. I dont want access to pools, arcade rooms, and MCdonalds. We were at Mississippi Palisades and it was great but want to try somewhere else. Any ideas?
Friends who tent camp really like the Chequamegon NF, northwest of Green Bay. Point Beach SF in Two Rivers WI has some really nice tent sites, though I wouldn't say they have more than one or two that are secluded (for your group, probably not a possibility).
We camped in the National Forest in southern Illinois last year. The campsites were large enough but did not have a lot of privacy.The campground had showers and flush toilets. We loved the hiking in the area which is why we went. There were also several state parks nearby.
If you wind up in Southern Illinois, Fern Clyffe is a really a beautiful place to camp. First come, first served, though. The campground isn't very large but it is quite nice.
Nice, clean bathrooms in the Deer Ridge campground. and the trailheads for some of the most beautiful, scenic trails you'll ever hike are within spitting distance of the campground. Plus, the hikes aren't very difficult at all.
Me (69), DW (69), DD (95), DS (00), DS (01) and 1 camping toy fox terrier (08)
95 Fleetwood Utah, 02 Ford Explorer Limited (V8)
Ottowa Lake CG in Kettle Moraine Southern Unit, Wisconsin State Park. We stayed there last August. It has showers/toilets, and washer/dryers at the shower building, which were clean. The sites are very large, and well spaced. The outer circle has the nicest sites, very spacious and shady, secluded. You are NOT on top of each other. I would have liked the outer circle sites but they do not have electric, which is a must for me. But if you don't mind no elec, that would be a good choice. Ottawa Lake has a nice swimming beach and playgrounds, and huge picnic shelters that are reservable, especially if you have a large group. We had a family reunion/campout there, some of us camped and some of us just came in for the day. Great bike paths throughout the Kettle Morraine s.f. The nearest town is Eagle and it does NOT have a McDonald's. The park is about 30-45 minutes from Lake Geneva, but you would not know it, definetly away from the beaten path. Do not follow Mapquest directions, they will get you lost. Let me know if you want more info.
Not real secluded but Rock Cut near Rockford, IL has some nice tent sites and if you want electricity you could choose a Class A site... They take reservations in one part of the CG (Stag Horn)...
We really liked Kettle-Moraine SF southern unit, the Pinewoods campground. We don't need electric, so we opted for the more sheltered and less populated spots over there. We weren't in the designated quiet loop (we have a dog).
It was very nice. We were just there for an overnight, so we didn't explore much, though we did mark it down as worth a return trip/longer stay. It rained when we were there, so I don't have any pics of our site. The showers were very nice and clean. Our urchin was still in utero, so I've no idea about kid activities.
A little bit further... It was kknowlton (another respondent) who turned me on to Perrot State Park a bit north of LaCrosse WI. We stayed there because of all the biking in the area (it's the confluence of 3 bike trails plus some others in the area). The Elroy-Sparta bike trail is one of the premier bike trails in the U.S. Has some old tunnels, one a mile long, you can walk through if you are not biking (with flashlights -- I guarantee the kids will like that!)
You may well not want to bike, but the park is secluded, decent showers/bathroom facilities, heavily wooded. It's right on the Mississippi river --- can walk to the river from the campsite in 5 minutes. You're basically on a side channel of the river. Bike trail goes by edge of park which you can also use for walking. There is hiking in the park and some evening ranger activities too, geared to the kids (and us big kids). There is even a little nature building --- but no 'arcade'. You're 25 minutes to LaCrosse, 15 minutes to Winona.
The small town it's near (Trempealeau) has a lock and dam that the kids, and you, might find entertaining. We hung out in that area so we could see boats, and a full set of barges, go through the lock. You're right there --- you can talk to the people on the boats going through the lock.
I know, TMI. Obviously, we really like that area....
Pup: 2007 Jayco 1206 w/slide-out + shower
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25 years tent camping, 4000+ miles of hiking, lots of biking
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