Mendota Park

not for people who want total wilderness, but for a spot very close to madison this is great. the staff is friendly and the facilities are very clean. i would stay here again!

I wanted to stay overnight after the solstice bonfire at Little Norway, but the campground nearby (Blue Mound State Park) was TOTALLY BOOKED UP.
So, I surfed around on
(a LOVELY trip planner there) and realized that I could camp on a lakefront with fishing and swimming onsite! Such a deal!
Camping was $ 25 a night (w/​electrical hookup), and for that, according to the regs, you can have 3 tents with 6 adults in a spot. (FYI, If you book via internet, there’s a $ 10 non-​refundable fee and you must book 2 nights in a row.) You can just drive up and self-​register, but it’s not a huge campground. (I HATE surprises, so I always RSVP.)
Firewood is for sale on site, the people are nice and unlike many campgrounds, the gate stays open after 10, so you can stay out later if you like.
There’s a nice picnic pavilion, a shower house with flushable toilets and a dump station for RVs.
Now, if you want that «deep in the woods» experience, this isn’t the place to go. However, if you want to stay overnight in the Madison area without plunking down $ 100, it’s a very nice option.
I was happy with it.