Although most campsites in the Kettle Moraine State Forest west of Milwaukee are shared by RVs and tents, you can find some sites designed especially for the needs of the tent camper. Site No. 23 at Pike Lake has a dirt camping pad set beneath hardwoods, with a picnic table and fire pit. Walk-in campsites are available at Pinewoods, Whitewater and Ottawa Lake campgrounds. Walk 140 to 750 feet from the parking lot to your spot, where you'll find a picnic table, fire ring and gravel tent pad. Bring a ground cloth or tarp to put beneath your tent and a foam pad or air mattress to sleep on.
Harrington Beach State Park lies 30 miles directly north of Milwaukee along the shores of Lake Michigan. The park has a mile of beach frontage along the lake where you can swim or surf, as well as a 25-acre quarry lake. Hiking and biking trails wind through a 300-acre upland forest and an 80-acre white cedar forest in the park. The park has 66 sites shared between RVs and tents, but you'll also find special sites solely for tent use. One electric tent site is found on an elevated area set away by itself in the center of the campground. Two tent-only sites are situated on the southern end of the campground convenient to parking, water and restrooms. Kayak or canoe to the campground's sole boat-in tent site on Dog Beach or hike in to one of five walk-in sites found 600 to 1,200 feet from the parking area.
Strap on your backpack and head out on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. The trail winds 1,200 miles from Green Bay down through the southern portion of the state before returning to the Northwoods in the central and western part of the state. Near Milwaukee, the trail cuts through the Kettle Moraine State Forest, with three trail shelters where you can overnight. Shelter No. 1 lies 3.7 miles along the trail from the Pinewoods Campground and 7 miles from Shelter No. 2. The third shelter lies 10 miles farther down the trail. All shelters are accessible from parking lots approximately a mile away. Each shelter has a fire pit and a pit toilet on-site. Pack in your own water, and bring a bag to pack out your garbage. Shelters are available year round and can be reserved for up to 10 people for one night only.
Whether you're camping in the backcountry along the Ice Age Trail or in a forest campground, avoid attracting bears to your tent by packing your food in airtight containers and storing them in a wildlife-resistant canister secured at least 100 feet from your tent or in the trunk of your car. Store scented items such as cosmetics and lotions, pet food and garbage in a similar fashion. Change out of clothing that may have absorbed food smells during cooking or eating before retiring to your tent for the evening.
