Camping near Madison: county and state park campgrounds

Dane County Parks campgrounds

Dane County Parks has individual campsites at five parks. The county's descriptions are:

• William G. Lunney Lake Farm: electric and non-electric sites, little shade, showers.
• Babcock: electric sites, mostly shaded, showers and a dump station.
• Mendota: electric sites, mostly shaded, on Lake Mendota, with showers, a dump station and five boat campsites.
• Token Creek: electric and non-electric sites, a mix of shade and sun, showers and a dump station.
• Brigham: electric and rustic sites with no showers, in a quiet rural setting.

Each campground has an accessible site. Group campsites for tent camping are at Brigham, McCarthy Youth & Conservation, Indian Lake (for adult-chaperoned youth groups only), Token Creek and Scheidegger Forest. They are rustic, with vault or pit toilets and water.

Token Creek also has a 27-hole disc golf course, covered in our golf guide.

County reservations, seasons and rules

All county camping requires a reservation. Book online at reservedane.com, where individual and group campsites have separate booking links. Reservations for the next season open November 1, or the following Monday if November 1 falls on a weekend. That means 2027 reservations open this month. Payment is by credit or debit card.

The county's published 2027 first and last nights are:

• Lake Farm: April 15 to October 24
• Brigham: April 30 to October 24
• Mendota: April 30 to October 10
• Token Creek: April 30 to October 3
• Babcock: closed in 2027 for state DOT construction

Check the county's opening and closing schedule before you book, since dates can change.

Rules worth knowing, from the county's pages:

• Check-in is at 3 p.m. and check-out is by 2 p.m.
• The maximum stay is 14 consecutive nights.
• A site allows one camping party of up to six people and two camping units.
• Quiet hours run from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• Only firewood from within Dane County is allowed in county parks.
• Leashed pets are allowed, and an individual campsite reservation includes a free daily dog permit.

The county lists nightly rates, reservation fees and discounts on its fees page. The county's pages don't describe winter camping.

Wisconsin state parks near Madison

The DNR's park pages describe four campgrounds that people commonly combine with a Madison trip:

• Lake Kegonsa State Park (Stoughton): a family campground with 96 sites, 29 of them electric, mostly wooded, plus a group camp with six sites of up to 20 campers each (tents only). The DNR says showers, flush toilets and the dump station may close in early May and late October depending on weather. See also our Lake Kegonsa listing.
• Devil's Lake State Park (Baraboo): three family campgrounds with 423 sites in all, plus nine group sites. Quartzite is open year-round. Northern Lights and Ice Age typically close in October and reopen around April.
• Blue Mound State Park (Blue Mounds): 78 wooded sites and 12 bike- or hike-in sites between the Military Ridge State Trail and the campground, plus a rustic accessible cabin that is reservable from late May to mid-October. See the Blue Mound listing.
• Governor Dodge State Park (Dodgeville): the Cox Hollow and Twin Valley campgrounds have 269 standard sites, 80 of them electric. The park also has an equestrian campground (May 1 through November 15), a group camp and six backpack sites.

For trails at these parks, see hiking near Madison. For nearby towns and attractions, see day trips from Madison.

State park reservations and rules

All state park campsites are reservable at wisconsin.goingtocamp.com or by phone at 1-888-947-2757. The DNR says you can reserve the same day you arrive or up to 11 months ahead, and that a reservation is required before you set up on any site.

The DNR's camping rules include:

• Check-in is at 3 p.m. with no early check-in, and check-out is at 1 p.m.
• In family campgrounds, you can stay no more than 14 days in any 21-day period.
• A family site allows parents with dependent children plus up to two guests, or a group of up to six people.
• Each site allows up to two motor vehicles.
• Bring certified firewood or wood from within 10 miles of the park.
• The park is closed to non-campers from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., and you can't set up or take down a camping unit in that window.
• Pets are allowed in most campgrounds but not in buildings, on beaches or in picnic areas.

The vehicle admission pass

Every motor vehicle stopping in a Wisconsin state park, forest or recreation area needs a vehicle admission pass, including campers' vehicles. Campers without a 12-month pass need a daily pass for each day they're there. As of 2026, the DNR lists these fees, effective August 19, 2025:

• 12-month pass: $28 with Wisconsin plates, $50 with out-of-state plates. Wisconsin residents 65 and older pay $13.
• Daily pass: $13 with Wisconsin plates, $16 with out-of-state plates.

Passes are sold online, at most park offices and kiosks, at DNR service centers, and when you renew Wisconsin license plates. The DNR also lists waivers for groups such as disabled veterans and former POWs, and all state park vehicle fees are waived on the first full weekend in June. See the DNR admission page for the full list. Camping fees are separate, and the reservation site shows them for each property.

Winter camping

Winter camping is limited, so confirm details with each property before you go. On their own pages, the DNR says:

• Governor Dodge offers 39 winter sites, about 10 of them plowed as staffing allows, with electricity, pit toilets, picnic tables and fire rings. Winter water is available at the park office.
• Blue Mound keeps part of its campground open in winter. Reservations are required, vehicles can't reach the sites, and campers park at the entrance and walk in.
• Devil's Lake lists its Quartzite campground as open year-round.

Not every state campsite or road is plowed in winter, and the reservation site will note it while you book. We found no winter camping information for Dane County campgrounds or Lake Kegonsa. For a warm, indoor alternative, see where to stay in Madison.