The area around Brookfield dazzles campers with glacial landscapes shaped by the Ice Age.
Just outside of Milwaukee, Brookfield leads campers deep into the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” for a trip surrounded by water. The Southern Unit of Kettle Moraine State Forest is a half-hour drive west from town—set up at the modern campground at Ottawa Lake with convenient amenities like shower buildings and electrical hookups, or go camping at Whitewater Lake, home to vault toilets and a sanitary dump station. Wherever your home base is, a hike on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail is easily accessible, especially from rustic backpack shelters right on the trail. Keep a lookout for glacial features like eskers, kettles, and moraines. About an hour north, the Northern Unit is made up of thousands of acres of wooded hills and prairies, while beachside campsites by Mauthe Lake offer great views and canoe rentals. For rock climbing and stunning quartzite bluffs, head deeper inland past Madison to Devil’s Lake State Park. Here both open and wooded campsites feature paved pads, picnic tables, playgrounds, and electric hookups.