Lake Chippewa Campground

We stayed here again in our new Brinkley G3500, and this time got the weekly rate. As we arrived on a Saturday around 1:45 PM, there was quite the line of RVs checking in as most people come in for a week on Saturdays. As we have been here multiple times, we knew not to line up down the narrow road shoot that’s adjacent to the lodge where you check in but stay on the main road. They had plenty of staff on duty, so check-in was fairly quick, and we headed to site 457, which was an easy back-in with FHUs. We were pleasantly surprised we didn’t get site 456 right on the road. When we make a reservation for this campground (CG), you can only pick an area, not a specific site, for most of the sites. This was the first time we’d stayed in this area of mixed short-term and seasonal sites. The FHU facilities were placed in the middle of the gravel-grass site with a picnic table and fire pit. We were able to put out our back patio and have plenty of space to park our F450. There are a lot of mature trees in this park, so satellite is going to be iffy depending on the site. We were able to get an okay shot to the north for Starlink but no chance for the southern sky. You can opt to pay for the park Wi-Fi. The water pressure is good, and we had two bars on Verizon. The staff at the lodge/office is top-notch. We found out that this year’s “watch out” was kids riding electric bikes full out versus underage golf cart drivers of last year, so “watch out” in either case. The CG has been trying to police the lack of parental oversight, but this first-rate CG attacks a lot of families. Though there’s no formal dog park, there are plenty of areas to walk your dog, including the trail up and around the newer primitive camping area. Lake Chip is one of our favs, and we will continue to return.

We arrived on a Saturday at about 1:00 PM and there were already quite a few rigs checking in as this campground (CG) focuses on Saturday to Saturday stays. However, our check in was quick due to them having enough competent staff. We were due to stay in the group/overflow (470-478 area) for a week, then move to the 456-460 area for 3 weeks as that was where we requested a site. We were asked to come back mid-week to get our new site assignment and pay for our stay. We headed to back-in site 477 with FHUs. However, when we arrived we found a trailer in the site and our 39’ 5th wheel would be tight in the spot due to the vegetation and trees on both sides. We tried to call the office, but we could not get enough of a Verizon signal. Site 478 was empty so we backed in and disconnected to head to the office. About that time, one of the CG workers came to get the rig in 477 as it was a CG rental. The CG worker had a radio and called the office to get approval for us to switch to site 478. Site 478 was wider plus on the end with some lake view. We did not back in as far into the site as we would have liked due to overhead tree branches. Due to the rig’s position on the site, we needed about 20’ of sewer hose plus the connection is not threaded and sits up about 6 inches making it tough to dump. I used sewer weights to keep my connector in the sewer hole. The 50/30/20 AMP box was not a problem nor was the water spigot that has 2 spigots, which was handy. We were here 2 years ago and stayed in site 452, and got a usable Verizon signal with our WeBoost and MiFi. This was not the case in the 470 area. We did get some random Verizon connectivity as it showed 2 bars but no internet. We decided to try their $2.95 internet connectivity for 24 hours on 2 devices. We connected a cell phone and our Weingard 2.0 and were pleased with the service, so we decided to pay for the monthly service. However, the monthly internet was not nearly as fast as the 24-hour service. We were not sure if this was a coincidence or not. Since our last stay, they had added a primitive/dry camping area and cut down on underaged golf cart driving. The multiple sites that are right on the lake are weekly site rentals with water and electric only but the CG does have a blackwater pump out service, and a dump station. We rented a pontoon boat at a reasonable price compared to other places we’ve visited. Hats off to the great lady (Cathy) in the office who worked hard and kept us in site 478 for our entire stay. This kept us from having to pack up and move, but also kept us closer to friends traveling with us. Overall, this is a well-run CG with a state park feel.

I hesitate to say really good things about this campground as I want to keep it for myself. If you request a reservation early enough like January 1st, you can score a lakefront site with a little beach to swim and keep your water toys on at night. All of the lakefront sites have water and electric, honey wagon service 3 times a week for $8 per visit and there is a really clean free dump in the campground. Verizon signal was 2 bars for calls & texting but sending pix was next to impossible from campground. Camp store has basics along with ice cream shop and a nice arcade. Really a destination vacation for a lot of campers many who have been coming here for 20 years or more. If I lived closer I would too.

Overall, this was an outstanding campground with a state park feel. Check in was quick and efficient and we were provided a map to our FHUs camp site 452. We followed the road to the Frog Pond and tried to take the right, which was tight due to a tree. We went down the road for group sites and was able to do a back in turn around that put us on a straight path on the road to our site . After looking closer at the Frog Pond right turn, if we’d swung out further we could have made it with our 39’ fifth wheel. Backing into the site was a little tight with trees and bushes but we made it in fine after a couple of minor adjustments. I would not recommend this site for 41+ fifth wheels or back-in novices. The $43 reflected a weekly discount as we stayed 2 weeks. Utilities were smartly placed so set up was a breeze. Water pressure was good around 40 psi. In this area of the CG, we received 1 bar Verizon and a very weak AT&T signal. We put up our WeBoost antenna and got 3 bars Verizon. There was CG internet if you want to pay, but hey, we’re here to enjoy the lake not to be glued to devices. Site 452 and neighboring campsites had a view of the lake that was right across the street. We were near one of the small marinas where you could dock your boat. If you order wood before 4:00 PM, you got a dollar off at $4.00 plus they delivered the wood to your campsite. The CG rents items such as golf carts and boats. A rental pic is with this review. As the website states, their short-term speciality is week long camping Sat to Sat with the majority of short-term campsites located right on the lake. There were plenty of areas to walk our dogs to include a trail system within the campground.Most campers run full throttle during their week stay. Unfortunately, too many parents let the campground babysit and we observed preteens driving golf carts with no supervision. Be extra careful on the roads around dusk with golf carts and bicyclers. We will definitely come back but probably before Memorial Day or after Labor Day when it's less crowded.

If you're looking for the quintessential Northwoods experience, this is it. My family has been coming here for quite a few years for their annual camping trip. The campground is right on the Chippewa Flowage and about half the sites have their own slice of water front where you can also park a boat and water toys for the duration of your stay.

Although the area is wooded, from most sites you can see your neighbor. Despite it being full all summer, it is a pretty quiet campground, probably because every one is so tired from being on the lake all.day.long.

The campground is not cheap but unless it's a state park up north, nothing is cheap up north in the summer. Lake sites are a few dollars more a night and if you can reserve one, it's worth it. You have to plan well ahead however.

Along with campsites, some people have small park models here.

Despite high prices of the campsites, everything else here is very reasonably priced. Water rentals are $5-$10 for 2 hours (SUP, paddleboats). They serve ice cream and treats in the lodge for less than you would spend by going into town. There is a playground, water wars contraption, mini golf, golf carts, and italian bikes for rent as well. Some sites are full hookups, for those that aren't they offer pump out service for a whopping $6. They also come around and pick up your trash twice a day. We didn't leave the park at all but the closest town Hayward, is about 20 minutes away and has everything you need (and plenty you don't).

No ATT/Tmobile and Verizon varies within the park. Sometimes I had 3.0 down and sometimes 500kbps. It was generally pretty slow at night.