Camping Near Alpine Valley In Wisconsin

Whether you visit in winter for the skiing and snowboarding or summer for the golf, Alpine Valley Resort, 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, offers day and season rates to fit most budgets. The resort, halfway between the cities of Elkhorn and East Troy, does not allow tent or RV camping, but nearby private campgrounds and state parks offer both.

State Parks

Kettle Moraine State Forest, only 14 miles from Elkhorn, features glacial hills, prairies and forests. The park has three campgrounds, a horse riders camp and a group camp. Bike, hike or ride your horse on more than 160 miles of trails in summer, and ski and snowmobile those miles in winter. The park has a dump station, restrooms and showers, an information center and water. Campsites have a picnic table and fire ring. Richard Bong State Recreation Area, 27 miles east of Elkhorn, has camping for both RVs and tents, a comfort station, dump station, picnic tables, a playground, a lookout tower and hiking trails. In summer, swim in the lake or visit the nature center to learn about area flora and fauna, then head out on the trail on foot or on an ATV to enjoy the woodlands.

Private Campgrounds

Snug Harbor Campground is 17 miles southwest of East Troy, in Delavan. The campground is adjacent to Turtle Lake, a 169-acre spring-fed lake chock full of bass, perch, northern pike, catfish and walleye. The park has a playground, swimming area, court sports, canoes and rowboats for rent and a game room. Each campsite has a view of the lake. Horseback riding, hayrides and a petting zoo are nearby. Scenic Ridge Campground in Whitewater, 18 miles west of East Troy, offers prairie tent sites, RV sites with some pull-throughs, water hookups, and 20-, 30- and 50-amp electrical service. The park has laundry facilities, WiFi, a snack bar, restrooms with showers and a dump station. Fish or water ski on Whitewater Lake, or stay on dry land and watch the evening water ski show.

Winter Sports

Skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling are the obvious choices at John Delavan State Park, but you can also find places to ice skate and even go ice fishing. Season ski passes are available at Alpine Valley Resort and at Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc. Indoor golf at Olympia Resort allows for tee times anytime. Try hardwater fishing for walleye, perch, panfish and bluegill at Lake Delavan, 21 miles southwest of East Troy. Delavan also offers ice-skating and hockey rinks and plenty of hills for sledding. With a state-issued permit, you can hunt white-tailed deer, black bear, waterfowl, mourning dove, turkey and grouse on public, state-owned lands.

Summer Sports

Visit Delavan's 27-hole Delbrook Golf Course if you like a challenge, or take on the 18 holes at Kettle Moraine Golf Club. Immerse yourself in whitewater at the White River in Walworth County with its Class I and II, two-mile-long rapids or take the plunge on the Pewaukee River from Waukesha, 20 miles north of East Troy. The water there is also Class I and II and lasts for a little over one-and-a-half miles.

Considerations

As of 2010, firewood from outside the state or 25 miles outside state parks and forests was banned. Apply for a bear hunting permit in August to receive it in time for bear hunting season. School groups, disabled veterans and former prisoners of war qualify for admission fee waivers at all Wisconsin state parks. Conservation plate holders also qualify for a waiver. Veterans and others may qualify for reduced or waived fees for hunting and fishing licenses. Check with the state park office to see if you qualify.