The best campgrounds near Franklin, Wisconsin with swimming

In Franklin, you’ll find over 300 places to camp where you can cool off with a swim. Most sites put you within splashing distance of rivers or lakes—perfect when the Wisconsin humidity kicks in. Expect prices around $45 a night, with some spots dipping as low as $40. Bring your pet, light a campfire, and don’t worry about skipping that morning shower—those comforts are common here. If you want a tried-and-true favorite, check out Purplehaze Acres (434 reviews). For something a little out of the ordinary, A Vegetable & Flower Farm (37 reviews) and 70s Vintage RV, City Glamping (35 reviews) both offer their own spin on the swimming scene. Anglers, snow-sport fans, and wildlife-watchers will all find something to write home about. This isn’t just camping—it’s a full dive into Franklin’s water-loving side.

99% (558)

Top-rated campgrounds

In Franklin, you’ll find over 300 places to camp where you can cool off with a swim. Most sites put you within splashing distance of rivers or lakes—perfect when the Wisconsin humidity kicks in. Expect prices around $45 a night, with some spots dipping as low as $40. Bring your pet, light a campfire, and don’t worry about skipping that morning shower—those comforts are common here. If you want a tried-and-true favorite, check out Purplehaze Acres (434 reviews). For something a little out of the ordinary, A Vegetable & Flower Farm (37 reviews) and 70s Vintage RV, City Glamping (35 reviews) both offer their own spin on the swimming scene. Anglers, snow-sport fans, and wildlife-watchers will all find something to write home about. This isn’t just camping—it’s a full dive into Franklin’s water-loving side.

99% (558)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. Purplehaze Acres

98%

(952)

41mi from Franklin · 9 sites · Tents, Lodging · Rubicon, WI

Purplehaze Acres is a 60-acre organic rustic farm in Rubicon, WI and resides at the beginning of the approx. 650-mile Niagara Escarpment--known locally as "The Ledge". We are in close proximity to the Ice Age Trail, and the natural treasures of the great Horicon Marsh, Lake Sinnissipi/Rock River with canoeing/kayaking/fishing, Ledges County Park, and the world-renowned Holy Hill Shrine. Nearby Hustisford ("Husti") offers unique shopping and dining experiences. Need a few organic groceries? Make sure to visit Back To The Best Organic grocer only 3 miles away, featuring food raised on local organic farms including Purplehaze Acres. We offer a variety of camping alternatives, with 7 tent sites, 1 group site, and a cabin. There is potable water, charcoal grills, firepit grates, eggs and, available for purchase, firewood. COMING SOON: Did you forget something? If so, check out our Camp Cupboard Store. Your approach via 1/2-mile dirt drive up the hills and through the woods . . . to not your grandmother's typical house you go. You'll find wonderful vistas, wildflowers, berries, trails up into the woods, a 900' grass runway for aviators on an overall great "peace" of earth. ☮

2. Ice Age Retreat

99%

(57)

30mi from Franklin · 4 sites · Tents, RVs · Palmyra, WI

Surrounded by the Kettle Moraine Forest, we purchased this property in October of 2022 to be closer to nature and to share this property with you. We look forward to hosting you. The forest provides many opportunities enjoy! Close to the Ice Age Hiking Trail, Blad Bluff Scenic Overlook within walking distance of our retreat. Hiking, Moutain Biking, Cross Country Skiing, Snow Shoe, Horse Back Riding and much more

3. A Vegetable & Flower Farm

98%

(54)

44mi from Franklin · 1 site · Tent · Fredonia, WI

Our little chunk of paradise is about 8 acres. It is a diverse piece of land allowing for micro environments. A hilltop with an orchard a few terraced garden beds, about an acre or so of wooded area with a waterway down below, and another 1.5 acre of garden, intermixed with pasture, out buildings and our home. The land is surrounded by 120 acres of adjacent farmland. Across our street is wetlands and woods. Adjacent to the 120 acres of farmland is another 80 acres of public hunting land. We are blessed to live so close to nature without a view of a neighbors house. Stars, crickets, frogs, woodcocks in spring, hummingbirds and sandhill cranes in summer, and more all in abundance at our Willoway Farm. We bought our home in 2006. Before then it was in the same family that settled there in 1840s-1850s. At one time there was a log cabin, then they built our cream city brick farmhouse in 1893. The farm in the 1980s and before was a dairy farm. When we bought it half of where you see the garden was either grass or part of the conventional farm adjacent to our property. Our farm logo is taken from the builder of the barn-many pioneer barn builders often signed their barn work with a symbol. We liked the symbol and kept it to use as our own yet honor the builder of our barn. We have great appreciation for those that built with such beautiful large trees and all by hand. The Produce Wash Building is a timber frame built by Dan our farm owner and farm doer. The timber frame was made from reclaimed timbers and reclaimed barn siding, the shingles were made from scratch by Dan also. Learn more about this land: Willoway Farm is a small scale organic vegetable &and flower farm established in 2007, located 35 minutes north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It's situated upon a glacial hill over looking a Milwaukee river flowage to the south and the kettle moraine state forest to the northwest. Our 8 acre land with cut flower & heirloom vegetable garden is surrounded by over 200 acres of uninhabited land, ( Farmland & state wild land). We are just 5 minutes from hiking trails into the state forest, which is beautiful all times of the year! A 55 acre secluded lake with public access is only 1.5 miles from Willoway - we hear the fishing is good. New now is across the street is a 283 acre land trust- Biehl Nature Preserve on Lake Twelve. The roads near the farm traverse through mixed forest and farm land with only slight traffic offering exceptional bicycling! The camp space is primitive and private yet offers gentle vistas upon the surrounding landscape with often both amazing sunrises and sunsets - situated upon the high point of the farm nestled in a young apple orchard. We have a spacious outhouse on site. We feel so fortunate live and farm where we do & love offering the natural beauty it offers to others. Our garden is lush with flowers, herbs and vegetables great for observing our plethora of pollinators. There are so many places to visit within 10 miles of our Campsite. A favorite is Riveredge Nature Center only 9.6 miles offering 3 miles of trails including 1 mile along Milwaukee River. Riveredge Nature Center has vast landscapes with so many lovely native wild flowers.

4. Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park

83%

(9)

224 sites · Zion, Illinois

Illinois’ only beach ridge shoreline sits within an hour of the city.

Pets

Potable water

Toilets

5. Harrington Beach State Park

100%

(1)

65 sites · Belgium, Wisconsin

Discover Harrington Beach State Park's scenic landscapes and outdoor activities.

Potable water

Toilets

Campfires

6. Glamping in Southern Kettle Moraine

100%

(11)

22mi from Franklin · 1 site · Lodging · Dousman, WI

Just off the Ice Age Trail in the Southern Kettle Moraine, settle in for some glorious glamping! You'll find all the work done for you in this beautiful space with cozy beds appointed in luscious linens. Let the gentle breezes blow or turn on the heater and stoke up the fire. All set up for solitude and self-care, our camper is a great place to rest and restore. Enjoy a blissful evening in nature in our very comfortable "3 bedroom" (three pop-out bed) camper, plenty of room to stretch out and enjoy.

Public campgrounds near Franklin

83%

(9)

Illinois Beach Campground

33mi from Franklin · 224 sites · Tents, RVs · in Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park

100%

(1)

Harrington Beach Campground

43mi from Franklin · 65 sites · Tents, RVs · in Harrington Beach State Park

Stories from the community

The outside of the house and sitting area. Daryll has chairs there so we didn’t have to bring our! That was helpful as we have a Honda Fit!

Lottie

2 weeks ago

With pets

Weekend Trip to Purplehaze Acres

Super nice area! Spacious and lots of camp sites to offer. Staying in the cabin was really cozy. The stove and usb charging was really nice. Wood burning to stay warm, was something new that we enjoyed.

S

Shayna

3 weeks ago

Weekend Trip to Purplehaze Acres

This was our second time staying at Darryl’s property and absolutely loved it. They provide all the perfect elements for a beautiful grounding get away.

K

Kasie

November 2025

20 ft campervan

1 night at Ice Age Retreat

Nice private location with great access to trails including the Ice Age Trail. Another site located across field at a good distance allowing plenty of space for all. Will definitely be back.

A

Anne

October 2025

With kids

Weekend Trip to Glamping in Southern Kettle Moraine

We had a lovely weekend stay. The hosts were welcoming and helpful. The camper was very cozy. And the location was convenient for state park exploration.

Jess

October 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Purplehaze Acres

Very cute site, so private and peaceful with a beautiful setting. Plenty of dry wood available for purchase, and love the little outdoor store. Thank you for sharing your space.

D

David

October 2025

Tent

With kids

Weekend Trip to Purplehaze Acres

It was very nice, and very scenic. The camp areas are as advertised. I drive a mini-van, and we got rained out on our final morning, and driving out was a little dicey. I also wish that we had brought extra TP, as the outhouse ran out. But otherwise, quite a good deal.

D

Donald

October 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Purplehaze Acres

This camp site was awesome and very accommodating. My family had a blast and we will definitely be coming back. The only problem, if you want to call it a problem was that we stayed at Twisted Elm and I was unaware that the entire camp site is on a hill. So when you put something on the picnic table it will slide off and tumble down the hill. I had my one year old with us who is learning how to walk and it was impossible for him to waddle around without tumbling toward the hill so we had the stress not letting him wander around. We also had to move our bed around a bit because it felt like we were gonna roll out of bed. Now we have a large 9 person tent. I think this campsite is better for smaller tents. Don’t get me wrong, the site was awesome, the hill was just a bit much for my family and next time we will pick a different site at purple haze. Maybe fallen tower. That looked sweet. Something more level.

Heidi

October 2025

23 ft travel trailer

Weekend Trip to Ice Age Retreat

We have stayed here in the past and have enjoyed the peace and quiet. It's a perfect camping spot. Chris is an awesome host!

M

Mohan

October 2025

With kids

Weekend Trip to Purplehaze Acres

We really loved staying at the Tiny house (cabin). My 3 year old son didn't want to leave. This was our 1st time camping at an off grid cabin and it was a cool experience. Everything inside the cabin worked. The lights, gas stove, wood stove and the water pump. Also, 1st time using a composting toilet. It worked out well. Outside, there's a fire pit, some chairs, picnic table, gas grill and a charcoal grill. We got to meet Darryl and Linda, and they were very welcoming.

A

Andrew

October 2025

Tent

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Purplehaze Acres

Amazing campsite! Easy to find with directions and great access to bathroom and water spout.

V

Viviane

October 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Ice Age Retreat

Chris was accommodating and helpful. The site came with water and wood. A lot of room. Dogs loved it too!

D

Dana

October 2025

Weekend Trip to Glamping in Southern Kettle Moraine

Peaceful and serene as promised. Lots of little touches!

A

Aral

October 2025

Tent

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Purplehaze Acres

Darryl has amazing campsites! We got in after dark and couldn't make it to solitude 6 but Darryl gave us free choice out of some other sites that were not being used! Solitude 6 is a good hike and not best for a lot of equipment but wagons are provided. Toilets are compost toilets so they are as you expect, but well maintained. Spigot is very nice to have. The oat fields next to our site shimmered with platinum in the moonlight. I would recommend purple haze acres and will likely come again. My biggest regret ia not offering Darryl a beer when he stopped by our site!

S

Stefan

October 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Purplehaze Acres

We were tent camping at Fallen tower and it was an amazing and peaceful time! Everything you need is only a short walk away in terms of firewood and anything you might’ve forgotten in the shop. The stars were amazing and there were some cats that stopped by plus a chicken.

D

David

October 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Ice Age Retreat

Great site! Host is friendly. Plenty of firewood, well-maintained compost toilet. Good access to hiking and regional attractions. No complaints.

J

Jessica

September 2025

Tent

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Purplehaze Acres

Loved solitude site 6! We were 4 friends camping, so we split the burden of climbing up the hill together. Both paths are a little wonky, but the path behind the woodshed is a little shorter and smoother, though you have to travel through Bullfrog site (it wasn’t occupied so we didn’t disturb anyone.) The water from the spiget is delicious, so we filled up our collapsible water container to have water at the site. There are vault toilets with no lights, so bring ur head lamp and wet wipes. Use the wagons with the wider wheels! No eggs for us, but Daryl was cheery and nice! Oh and just note that the trees hide the stars, so we walked out to the prairie to see them at night - incredible views

K

Katie

September 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Ice Age Retreat

Great spot to relax and view the stars at night! It feels really secluded when you get to your site, there’s 1 more in the vicinity but you still have plenty of privacy. You may hear some road noise during the day but it gets quiet and serene as it gets dark. Host was kind and communicative, she even came by around checkout to see if we needed any help. All around a great time, I can’t wait to spend another night here again in the future

C

Christian

September 2025

Tent

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Ice Age Retreat

Quiet and secluded campsite with lots of space. The site came with lots of good firewood which was super nice to not have to worry about.

L

Lauren

September 2025

Weekend Trip to Purplehaze Acres

This was our third time camping on Darryl’s land, and our second time staying at the tiny cabin at his stone ridge location. We were super impressed with the upgrades made since our last stay. It was clean, with clear instruction. Every time we stay there we drive away saying, “best stay yet!”

J

Joseph

September 2025

20 ft travel trailer

With pets

3 nights at Ice Age Retreat

We camped w a 20 ft trailer rv. It was a nice quiet semi remote site. Nature and peace n quiet. And mosquitoes. We had tiki torches n citronella n spray n really enjoyed our stay. Firewood was supplied n great quality. Until it rained, lol. Definitely will be coming back again. Thanks for the great spot