Camping Near Viroqua: 8 Campgrounds Within 20 Miles

Search for camping near Viroqua and the big chains send you to campgrounds 38 miles away. You do not need to go that far. Within 20 miles of town there are eight places to pitch a tent, park a camper or rent a cabin, from a county park with a lake to a trout club on the river and canoe camps on the Kickapoo.

Here they are in order of distance from downtown Viroqua, measured in a straight line, with what each has and who it suits.

Which campground near Viroqua should you pick?

For families and RVs close to town, pick Sidie Hollow. For trout fishing, pick the West Fork Sports Club. For paddling, camp at an Ontario canoe outfitter. For quiet and no neighbors, book a primitive site in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.

1. Sidie Hollow Campground (3.3 miles west-southwest)

Reviewers recommend booking a couple of weeks ahead for August, and they flag two small things: sound carries between sites, and the floodlights near the park office spoil the stars. The lake, the trout streams and nearly 10 miles of trail are on the doorstep, so a weekend here leaves plenty of time for fishing and riding at Sidie Hollow.

2. West Fork Sports Club and Campground (6.2 miles east-northeast)

Some sites are first come, first served and others can be reserved, along with a cabin. Dogs are allowed, and campground listings also show pull-through sites, a dump station, laundry and a playground. If you plan to fish, stop at Driftless Angler on Main Street in Viroqua on the way out for flies and a read on how the West Fork is running.

3. Esofea County Park (6.6 miles northwest, near Westby)

Esofea County Park is the big county park north of Viroqua, with 1,800 acres of park and forest, more than 31 miles of multi-use trail, trout fishing, swimming, canoeing and horseback riding.

Campers praise the well-kept grounds and level sites with picnic tables and fire rings, and full hookups are available. One small complaint from reviewers: the dump station sits right beside the bathhouse and one campsite. It holds 4.7 stars from 177 Google reviews.

4. Driftless Creek Cabins and Retreat Center (8.2 miles south)

5. Kickapoo Valley Reserve (13.3 miles east-northeast, near La Farge)

Primitive camping at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve means 33 designated sites spread through the valley, some reached by car and some only by trail or by canoe. Primitive means no drinking water and no toilets, and each site is limited to 10 people.

Every camper needs a permit, bought online or at the visitor center on the day you arrive or up to 45 days ahead, and the site must be paid for before you set up. The permit also covers parking at the river access points. State park passes do not apply on the reserve.

Camping on the open riverbank is not allowed because of the risk of flash floods, so stick to the marked sites, and expect steep, muddy banks if you are carrying gear up from the river. You can burn dead and downed wood you find on the reserve.

The sites come in three kinds: some you can drive to, some you hike or paddle into, and Willow Camp, a cluster of eight sites for self-contained units only. Maximum camper length varies by site, from about 20 to 60 feet, so check the reserve's site list before you book with a trailer.

The visitor center is open Monday through Saturday 8 to 4:30 and Sunday 10 to 4, and its staff will help you pick a site for the trip you have in mind.

6. Wildcat Mountain State Park (18.5 miles east-northeast, near Ontario)

The inexpensive campground at Wildcat Mountain State Park sits on top of a bluff, with wide views over the Kickapoo River valley. Sites have picnic tables and fire rings, with drinking water, vault toilets and hot showers.

Trails with panoramic views of the valley start in the park, and the Ice Cave Trail is a short, easy walk up a wooded creek. There is a separate horse campground with electric hookups, hitching rails and pens. Expect a vehicle entry fee plus the camping fee, and bring earplugs: campers note that sound travels across the park in the early morning. The park holds 4.8 stars from more than 1,200 Google reviews.

7. Titanic Canoe Rental (18.9 miles northeast, Ontario)

Titanic Canoe Rental on Highway 131 in Ontario rents canoes, kayaks and tubes for the Kickapoo and runs a bus shuttle upstream, so you float back to your tent. It also offers camping in Ontario, which makes it an easy base for a paddling weekend.

It uses Old Town canoes and kayaks and adds new boats each year, with gender-neutral restrooms and accessible parking at the base, and it holds 4.9 stars from more than 550 reviews. Call ahead for site types and hookups.

8. Mr Ducks Canoe Rental (18.9 miles northeast, Ontario)

Mr Ducks Canoe Rental sits in the Big Yellow Building at the junction of Highways 33 and 131 in Ontario, right on the river, and runs on-site camping alongside its canoe, kayak and tube trips of 1.5 to 6.5 hours.

Mr Ducks bills the Kickapoo as the crookedest river in the world, which you will believe by the tenth hairpin. Families get discounts, it is veteran-owned and women-owned, and it holds 4.7 stars from 247 reviews.

Just past 20 miles: Norwalk

About 23 miles northeast, eight sites with electric, water and sewer hookups make up the Village of Norwalk Campground, each with a picnic table and fire ring, plus a pavilion with restrooms and showers. It sits right on the trail, so it is the pick for riding the Elroy-Sparta State Trail through its rail tunnels.

Camping with an RV

RV campers have the easiest time at Sidie Hollow, Esofea and the West Fork Sports Club. Sidie Hollow has electric, water and sewer hookups on some sites, Esofea has full hookups, and West Fork has electricity with a length limit of about 32 feet.

The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is harder: no hookups, no water, and gravel access, though Willow Camp takes self-contained units. Wildcat Mountain's horse campground has electric hookups, and Norwalk's eight sites all have full hookups for the trail crowd.

Camping with kids

For families, Sidie Hollow is the easy pick. It has two playgrounds, fishing piers on the lake, picnic shelters and hot showers, and the trails near the water are gentle.

Esofea has a playground and swimming, and the Ontario canoe outfitters run tubing trips that kids love on a hot day. Save the primitive Kickapoo sites, with no water or toilets, for older kids who are up for it.

What to know about camping in the Driftless

The valleys flood fast after heavy rain, which is why the Kickapoo Valley Reserve bans camping on the open riverbank. Wherever you camp, pitch away from low ground and creek banks, and keep an eye on the forecast.

Bring your own drinking water to primitive sites, and plan for cool nights even in summer, when July lows average about 59 degrees. Download maps and share your plans before you go.

How to book

Each campground books a different way, so sort it out before you drive. Sidie Hollow and Esofea are county parks with their own reservation pages, and Wildcat Mountain books through the Wisconsin state park system.

Kickapoo Valley Reserve permits are sold online or at the visitor center, up to 45 days ahead. West Fork takes some reservations and keeps other sites first come, first served. For the Ontario outfitters, call ahead, especially for a summer weekend when the river is busy.

Supplies in Viroqua

Stock up in town before you head out, since the campgrounds have little or nothing to buy. The Viroqua Food Co+op on North Main is open every day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for groceries, local cheese and the deli.

Big subs that hold up in a cooler come from the Cheese Corner on South Main, and flies, tippet and advice for the creeks come from Driftless Angler.

When to camp near Viroqua

The camping season runs roughly from April through October. West Fork opens April 1 and closes October 31, and the county parks are busiest from June through August.

June is the wettest month of the year, so pack for storms and pitch away from low spots. September and early October bring cool nights, dry trails and fall color, and are the best-kept secret of the season.

If the weather turns, there are hotels, B&Bs and cabins in town as a backup.

On a rest day, the theatre, shops and trails of Viroqua are all within 20 miles of any of these sites.