Sometimes, life is cruel. It certainly was for the family whose son drowned when I visited the Happy Acres Kampground this July. Fire trucks, ambulances, and searchlights scanned every inch of the property on Saturday evening until the authorities made their tragic discovery. The incident took place in the "private pond," which is (or was) open to guests for swimming, boating, and fishing each summer. The water appeared to be treated with a blue anti-algae solution, which made the water opaque and all but impossible to see through. Young children splashed around and slung mud at me with no supervising guardians in sight. I flinched and jumped as imperceptible fish bombarded me underwater, leaving red marks on my skin. The pool on site is a tad less disconcerting, complete with a sunny lounge chair deck and plenty of tolerably clean water for children and their families to enjoy. The nearby shower facilities are less ideal; the showerheads will activate only if you insert a quarter first. My traveling party did not bring any coins with us, and the front desk never warned us that we would need currency to clean off at night. I advise management to warn guests ahead of time that their tokens will be necessary, or else install a shower system worthy of the 21st century. Despite its flaws, it's hard not feel fortunate while taking in the Happy Acres' miles of wooded hiking trails, or enjoying a stroll past ornate trailers and RVs all decked out for the warm season. The atmosphere is joyful--even giddy enough to hold a "Christmas in July" festival complete with decorations, Santa hats, and a holiday movie screening. Needless to say, little kids will have plenty to do while visiting this property. The location of Happy Acres is conveniently close to the Richard Bong Recreational Area, and just a few minutes further from Kenosha. Chicagoans looking for a place to relax for the weekend--or longer, based on the many permanent-looking motorhome setups I observed--need only drive an hour to reach it. What's more, firewood and other camping supplies are sold in a gift shop for flighty travelers such as myself who forgot to pack a few essentials. The indoor bathroom facilities appear to be well maintained, but the portable toilets could do with some hand sanitizer and fly traps. Electrical and water hookups at each site make for a convenient camping space. While bug spray is useful, I never found the mosquito situation to be bothersome. Furthermore, I commend the management for their environmental stewardship in collecting recycling from every camper. This service is more than many businesses bother to offer. To their credit, the staff here did their best to ensure dignity and privacy for the family who lost their son. My deepest condolences are with them. As a swim-at-your-own-risk institution, no lifeguards are on duty anywhere. As one of only a handful of camp grounds in the county, the site is assumedly vital to the local economy. I don't believe the business is personally responsible for this tragedy, and hope Happy Acres survives to see another year. read more

Happy Acres Kampground - Foliage frames a tranquil Wisconsin sky at the Happy Acres Kampground. - Campgrounds Near Me - Bristol, Wisconsin

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No problem with check in, the sites we had for our pop up was actually bigger than I have seen at most other private campgrounds. The porta potty near us was clean. The other bathroom started ok- but needed cleaning. Play ground was fun and we walked the path with disc golf which was nice! The main issue was the noise. The 10pm quiet time is not enforced or followed by others (many "permanent" sites). There was music and loud voices until well past 1am. I needed ear plugs for night 2. Which was surprising, after any brief encounter we had with security. The security was over the top and rude when asking us to move cars (we stopped out of way way to see the animals as we were leaving for the day and happily moved as requested- but it wasn't a nice friendly, Wisconsin request). And their "welcome" back to the property was not welcoming- a rude "5 miles per hour and I don't want to see any dust clouds". read more

Didn't like the over crowding your tents are on top of each other. The bathroom wasn't clean by my tent . The one in front by office is a better option. I do understand your camping but the mosquitos were Ridiculous. You guys are not having your property treated. Would not be going back. read more

I recently called this Campground and requested to rent a space for my travel Trailer, and I was told that they had a space and was about to pay over the phone and the person started to ask how many I told her just two, and 2 visitors would be coming but not to spend the night that they were not staying and we would be leaving late that night and coming back to the trailer before it was time to check out the next day, and things just fell apart, they said that I couldn't leave the trailer when I wanted and it would not be a good fit and I told her I'm not understanding, I've never been to a campsite that tells you when to come and go, they usually give you a pass to come and go, and I'm like saying what is happening, because she said that we are not a good fit and I'm confused and she said all of a sudden we don't even have a space for your trailer, I don't even know why she was trying to fit you in the space, it was too weird, I was very hurt by the whole thing, and while I was telling her I was confused she just hung up. They don't answer the phone there and I spent some time setting this up and now this, after all that I went through to reach them. They are rude, and very cruel, and not family oriented, and they a lot of discrimination going on there, I will be making a formal complaint. I would not recommend this place for a nice family camp outing, or to visit the surrounding towns, because my family and I do like to scout around and about the different surrounding towns while camping. And I think I talked to the owner because the Lady said she would be asking the owner about me coming and going. They never said why I couldn't come and go as I please, very strange. Stay away from this place I suggest. read more

Fine location and activities however the cabins are overpriced for the space, and the staff were extremely rude and perhaps racist to our kids because they yelled at only them while the other families kids were doing the same. read more

Thier pet policy really needs to change as it stats that service animals that are of German Shepherd bread is not welcomed. Well that means that I'm not welcomed as well. When posting this and how we enjoyed going there but nor more on Facebook. They have deleted my post along with blocking me from the page. Seems like the owners really want to lose business. ​ read more

This place is the worst. Everyone who works here has a stick up their a$$. Wanted to come visit friends for an hour before we had plans for the rest of the night and drove 30 minutes not knowing they charge to just come onto the property. If we were staying for awhile that wouldn't have been a problem but considering we wanted to hang out with friends for an hour, they were extremely rude and insistent on charging us. So we dropped beer off for our friends and he met us at the office so we sat and talked with him for 20 minutes. Another lady who worked there drove by and was super sarcastic basically saying our time is up. Came back out again and said we have to go even though we were sitting there having a conversation and not bothering anyone. As a small business owner myself, don't treat people like this. I own a camper and have stayed at many campsites and never had treatment like this. Stay far away. read more

This is a reasonable campground. Great for the price. The store is a little pricey but most are. The Activity director is unorganized and is very very loud. At candy bar bingo if you win you get 1 candy bar so you get your candy back and can't win again. The owner seems nice but didn't have much interaction with them. read more

The campsite itself was "okay", but the owners lack of responsiveness was so rude and unprofessional. We will NEVER stay here again. We would highly NOT recommend this place. read more

Stayed here for a month while we work our wag back to New England. It's been 2 years since we stayed here, and man this place keeps getting better every time we stay. They have a small dog run now, which is nice to have when you want your dog to be off leash and run around. They always keep the grounds so clean and the grass nicely cut, picnic tables at every site and firepits. The weekends are always busy, but it's nice and calm on weekdays. Fun activities, spacious sites and a lot of water activities to do as well. read more

Nice green grass and large sites but the large campground has 4 showers for men 4 for women. And a severe lack of toilets. And low pressure if you want to shower in your rig. The shower houses are vintage mobile units. Site are not cheap and you have to buy a wrist band for some activities. Water is 2.75 a bottle and food even higher. read more

I thought about giving 3 stars only because my 7 year old loved this place (through 7 yr old eyes...God bless him) but I just can't push that extra star. I'm realizing that I'm not a fan of campgrounds that double as petting zoos or have pens of animals like llamas, alpacas, goats, mules, etc., as was the case upon entering the property. The front desk staff was lukewarm at best. They give you 2 trash/recycle bags to leave for daily pickup so that was nice. We started down the drive to what seemed to be a very fun set up. A small lake with a floating dock, paddle boats, bumper boats, and bounce houses (The Fun Zone!). After driving past almost all seasonal campsites with their permanent decks and fences surrounding their summer properties, we pulled into 1 of only 4 spots available to overnight (short stay) campers-across from the Merry Go Round playground, which is a nice play area. I don't know if we backed up to a pasture but the scent of cow was in the air. The bathroom in our area was cramped with 2 stalls and a pedestal sink (Outhouses with modern plumbing). Staff cleaned a couple times a day so that was nice. Showers are a good walk back by the check-in area. .25 cents for 10 minutes. Water is well water. Well, the Fun Zone price sheet told us we weren't going to partake in the paddle boats, bumper boats, bouncy house ($7 for 10 minutes or $20 per kid unlimited). Instead we headed to the "beach" and swam in the green-dyed retention pond (the things you do for your kids). The water visibility is about, um, 2 inches. The pond is stocked with fish, which happened to bite a guy in the nipple when we were treading by the algae-covered floating dock. We decided to scope out the pool (small, odd shaped, mucky water). My daughter compared it to Diary of a Wimpy Kid pool bc it was "so packed you'd have to just stand there, and probably full of pee". We opted for the retention pond over the pool. Lordy! The campground had a host of kids' activities that night (face painting, balloon animals, magic show (I guess?), games (bozo buckets)). It was painful for the parents but for a 7 year old, it was a good time. Onto bedtime and I don't think the campground has quiet hours. Young kids (7-12 yrs?) just started playing ghost in the graveyard at 10:30/11 pm, neighbors shooting fireworks at that time as well. My husband got up at 1:30 am to let our dog out and there were older kids at the park at that time. Just not my cup of tea. read more

Crappy Acres in more like it, I don't even know where to start with this place, maybe the kids that were sitting on the porch of the cabin we rented when we arrived that had written obscenities all over our picnic table with soap? Or how about the fact that although the cabin is advertised to accommodate 5 people only two shower towels were provided, and when we asked for two more a production was made about a portion of our $50.00 cash deposit being taken if we did not return them. Or maybe my favorite, the fact that the water smells and tastes absolutely putrid, I actually had to find a local fitness center and pay to take a shower, the smell of the water in the cabin literally made me gag. read more

Driving cross country with my kids, and needed an affordable safe place to bed down for the night that could provide a hot shower in the morning. Siri directed me to this place...that is TWENTY MILES AWAY FROM THE INTERSTATE. Finally arrived, greeted by a 60-something man wearing a jacket that read "security guard." while puffing away on a cigarette while peering into my window he informed me the office closed at 10 p.m. and that I could not pay the camping fee in the morning when the office reopened. Shocked. Guard suggested that I drive "back to town" (15 miles back towards the interstate) and sleep in the gas station parking lot. So much for a safe place to sleep. Just added another hour onto my drive. Yippee :/ Wondering about this place? Don't bother. read more

Awesome camp site, if you are a uptight glamping family might not be your thing. This is the second time my husband and I have stayed here with our dog since it's close to home in Chicago. Once in 2017 and then this year. First off remember this is camping there are bugs and maybe even some wild animals. Pack your bug spray, oh BTW sunscreen also since they have sun there too. The sites are a nice size grass with a fire pit and picnic table from r tent sites 38$ not bad. We have now walked the sites twice and it has always been clean and for the most part everyone smiles and some even greet. Yes the workers are young but if you treat them like humans that are working a summer job, trust me they will be nice to you, remember you once were a teenager. Seem to have some fun stuff for kids and looks safe! Kids run around and always look like they are having fun( especially with no cellphones in hand) it was great to watch kids be kids. I recommend coming here if your into camping and maybe not just listening to the people who just write negative reviews. Also check out the animals near the entrance! They are all so well taken care of and enclosures are always very clean! Thank you Happy Acres for always showing us a great time! read more

I stayed here over the past weekend. I was a tent camper with my boyfriend and our two small dogs. I was meeting a family member there to camp so we could spend some time together. The check in process was easy and the ladies up front were nice. The Staff was helpful all weekend. There were some loud campers a few rows down who were blasting loud music. My family has a small child but they were staying in a camper. If you don't have kids this probably is not the place for you. There were kids EVERYWHERE. This is advertised as a family place so don't be shocked when a ton of kids are running in front of your car. I don't think this is the campgrounds fault, but parents please watch your children better! I believe my two dogs enjoyed the camp ground. We went on a walk and they seemed to enjoy it. I did not like that the campground was discriminatory towards certain dog breeds. There are good and bad dogs no matter what the breed. I did enjoy seeing a lot of dogs throughout the campground. Since I was a tent camper I dealt with the outside more. I felt like they should have sprayed the group d's for mosquitos. They we AWFUL! Bug spray did not help one bit. You also cannot bring in outside firewood. Which we all found strange. The wood that was sold to us was wet. It took forever for our fire to start. As far as the little slips this place was okay to stay at. read more

A great campground for families. Lots of activities to keep children 4-15 busy. Employees were friendly and helpful. The sites are large, grassy and plenty of trees. It is a little pricey read more

This campground is NOT happy at all and NOT worth the price to stay. There are no sewer connections which is fine but they charge to take a shower! What kind of crap is that? They charge to do anything on their property even for little kids. They also don't have any rules regarding golf carts so while we were out in ours was told they are not allowed and to park it. Really!!!??? Seems like being happy is not allowed. read more

We love staying a here! My kids enjoyed the hiking, swimming in the pool and pond. They weren't bored because there was so much to do. The owners were super nice! Our campsite was nice and leveled. Will definitely be back again!! read more

I will NEVER recommend his place for camping We went the to stay during the 4 th of july everything was great but the mosquitoes were really bad not even the repellent help we had to leave because it was so bad read more

We camped here for Labor Day weekend 2011. This was our first trip to this campground. I found it through a search for campgrounds in the southeastern Wisconsin area. There is SO MUCH for the kids to see and do here. We are tent campers, so it was very nice to find a campground that keeps the RV's and tenters separate from each other. However, they do allow tents on RV sites if you are part of a larger group. The tent area is along a small swimming pond. Be aware that there really is no privacy here. People will walk through your campsite to get to the pond to fish. (We had a site located on the pond - you can reserve a site farther back to avoid this.) People fish along the shores all day long. The swimming pond has a small sandy beach and the water is treated to keep algae at bay. There's also an aerator to prevent it from stagnating. There's a raft in the middle for jumping/diving. There's a small roped off area for bumper boats and they have 5 different designs of paddleboats - from the standard 2-seater to a huge dragon. It was fun to watch people rent them. There are kayaks for rental as well. We saw people catch a lot of bluegill and bass. There were also crayfish and frogs. In addition to the swimming pond, there's also a small inground pool behind the camp office. There are planned activities all weekend long. There is a petting zoo with emus, donkeys, horses, ducks, chickens, rabbits, and goats. There are a lot of old school coin operated rides like they used to have in front of retail stores. There's also bumper cars, a 9-hole mini golf course, and an 18-hole mini golf course. There are many, many playgrounds all throughout the campground, which is really nice. There's a pool table and a small game room for the older kids. There is a snack bar by the pool that operates during the day. I did not go into the store, so I can't comment on that. We just wanted to relax, so we didn't use any of the amenities other than swimming in the pond. There are 3 showers behind the camp office and 3 showers in a trailer near the tent areas. The girl who registered me was kind enough to tell me that the showers behind the camp office were nicer, and she was right. They are wider with doors that resemble a western saloon. The trailer showers are narrower and the walls go all the way up to the ceiling, making it feel a bit claustrophobic. However, on a busy holiday weekend, I never had to wait for a shower. Granted, I went at odd times - but the campground was full. BRING QUARTERS! This is the first time we encountered pay showers in all our years of camping. 25 cents gets you 6 minutes, but 50 cents gave us all plenty of time to shower - and I even shaved my legs. (about 15 minutes) Wood is expensive here. $5.00 a bundle, plus tax. There's a guy down the road from the campground who sells wood off his property for cheaper. We don't bring our own wood due to environmental reasons. There are trees on the property - the RV area is more wooded, but there are trees throughout the tent area. It's not like you're in the middle of a cornfield. Sites are spacious with lots of water stations. We never had any problems with noise, and we were camping on one of the busiest weekends of the year. There are cabins for rent next to the tent area, which is nice if you have people in your group without tenting equipment. The "lodge" has a bathroom inside and is fully furnished. I did not see the inside of the other cabins to see if they were just shells or if there were beds inside. The campground staff is super nice and courteous. They clean the bathrooms often. I ran out of TP once, but it was refilled the next time I went. The trailer bathroom doesn't have a countertop for your stuff. Women know this is important! It rained on our stay, so I needed to dry some stuff. The dryer takes 6 quarters. They drive through the campground nightly to pick up your garbage. Major plus - they recycle here!! Ask for a blue bag for the recycling. We had two adults and one teenage boy. We did not leave the campground to explore nearby towns. We spend the holiday weekend camping each year. This year, we tried a new place. They close before Columbus Day weekend, which is kind of disappointing. I reserved the site over the phone and only had to pay the first night's rate for a deposit and paid the rest when we arrived. Super easy check-in. There is only one way in, and you have to pass the little "guardhouse" and they will check your pass. Very well-operated campground! You can tell they care about it and invest time into it. I hope they continue to do so and don't let anything slide. The pay shower situation is a bit weird, but we may go back regardless. read more

I always start off by making my camping reservation by asking for full hook up? I was told yes and proceeded with making the reservation. However, once we arrived at the site, there was no sewer. I asked the gentlemen who parked us, why there was no sewage when I specifically asked when I made the reservation. He said he hears that comment a lot. He also stated the owners of the campground define full hook ups as water and electricity only. You also have to pay for water at the shower house if you plan on showering. Large sites and quiet. I would not go back. read more

If you are a tent camper with a bag of quarters for the pay shower then this is the place for you. If you are a Motor Home this is NOT the place for you; why, because there are no sites with full hookups. If you want to dump you have to disconnect and go to the dump site. The staff says there is a man who will come by and pump you for $17.50 and I did arrange for that, but he never showed. The sites have not been maintained and so you cannot level, also the 50 amps truely deliver less than 30. I poped the main breaker with one AC and the microwave. read more

I hate giving this place 2 star but it should get 1 star but I gave it two for a few reasons. The good things were few but here they are.. The staff was very nice and there was a lot to do for kid. They did serve food that was edible. The prices were good for the camp site. The bathrooms were kind of clean and the showers were ok the ones by the main office are the best. Ok now for the issues with camping here. They have a "fun zone" that was way over priced for what it was. The play ground areas were very old and the one spinning ride we would not let our daughter sit on it cause it was rusty and dirty. Our biggest issue was that the people that were camping here were horrible!! And that is putting it mildly. The one camp site next to us had Two tents and a pop up, along with6 cars!! The 12 children (all had to be under 10) ran wild thought our came site and nothing could keep them out! The oldest of the hellions even walk up tp our tent that my daughter, who is 3 and my sister-in-law were laying down in, and tried to step on my daughters head!!! At this point it was 10 pm and I tried to call the office about this but no one was there. The office did call me back right around 11. They said they would send someone to talk to them it did not help. The other thing is while I do curse I do not do it around my child. The way these people spoke and screamed at each other would make a truck driver blush. TrusT me I worked for a trucking company for almost 12 years AND DRIVER HAVE NOTHING ON THIS FAMILY!! The nose was not only from this family but from the whole tent area. It was very load till about 4 am. In the morning when I once again went to complain about the night before the lady at the office told me that it is always very noisy in that area. While it was priced right to camp there I do not think we will be back. read more

Good place to stay. Close to fun activities. They have things for the kids to do if it is raining. The pool area is clean. Not big on the fun zone and could use more access to pond for fishing. We will stay here again. read more

Had 3 campsited reserved right next to each other. Somehow the reservation got screwed up, we were charged for 3 campsites and were only given two. JSo the accomodations were a little cramped. Other than that it was fantastic. So much for the kids to see and do, no boredom all weekend. While there were some loud patrons a couple sites over from us, personnel put a stop to it right away and were definelty on top of things. I recommend this place especially if you have large groups. read more

We spent the weekend here with 2 other families. The camp sites were a good size but were on grass lots with little shade. No sewer hookups, we asked when the reservation was made and were told it was full hookup. Someone took us to our spot, he didn't help us park just showed us the spot and the hookups. We asked where the sewer hookup was and he said they didn't have that. When we told him that we were told they had full hookups he said we consider water and electric full hookup. He then said they would pump our tank for $17. Or they had a dump station "but there's no way you're getting your rig in there" We were already paying $49/ night! ( a little high for a grass lot and no sewer)Bath house is hot as h3!! , it smells horrible and is dirty. Showers had coin machines so they charged for showers. Everything was an extra charge. Swimming pond is gross. High grass and mossy. Staff is less than friendly. We went up to buy ice and there were a couple kids in the kitchen area making themselves a nice big snack. Mosquitoes were terrible they really need to spray. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

We took a family camping trip over the labor day weekend (2010). The campground is quite large, with many activities for kids, both free and for a charge. They have couple of ponds there where you could fish (we didn't) and do paddle boats etc. I read somewhere on the internet that their ponds are bright green. Unfortunately, that is true. Still, there were many kids swimming in there. They had other activities such as science show, magic show, craft time etc. which our kids enjoyed. Bathroom facilities leave something to be desired. First two nights, we used the bathroom/shower facilities which were much too cramped. Two tiny sinks, and three or so shower stalls. Again, somewhere I read that the shower water smells like sewage. It wasn't that terrible, but the water did have some odor to it. Last day of our stay, we discovered a much more modern facility (still quite small, but bigger than the other two in the grounds) right behind the office. Water had some odor but not very strong. All of the bathrooms were clean, but at certain times of the day, there would be handtowels spilling out of the trash can. Pros: nicely shaded lots with mature trees (they helped us stay dry with a bit of passing clouds), activities for kids, a short trail within the grounds, very friendly fellow campers (both overnighters and seasonals) Cons: bathrooms could be bigger and modernized. Our firepit was large and too far below ground level (all of the pits were below ground - may be due to the strong winds, but several were smaller). Also, no privacy in the lots. If the campground is full, you are surrounded by peple. Not sure if we will go back there again. read more

Giving this place 2 stars is giving it the benefit of the doubt. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Everything was overpriced. Upon arrival dog crap was found in our site the fire pit was not cleaned. Impossible to get my trailer situated for a number of reasons very unlevel and too tight given the trailer length. I have never been to a place that charges $10 for a half hour to use their jumping pillow. So 3 kids $30 for a half hour!!. Not happening. Firewood was $6.50 bundle and infested with Emerald Ash Borer. Their claim was any wood brought in would be confiscated, Due to spread of EAB. Sad excuse to make a profit. Overly crazy about making a buck! You were almost run down by staff as you enter the place to make sure you were a paying guest. People were vandalized while we were there. Neighbors personal belongings were damaged grills were knocked over. The animals were a nice touch however won't be returning. It's a shame being so close to the Ren Faire. Hope this feed back helps to improve their operations and penny pinching. read more

amazing place, great to see animals the kids can interact with, the staff is so friendly, the store has everything you need, the pool and lake are just what you need read more

Does not live up to it's pictures! We were tenting in the water/electric hook-up sites. We had a very spacious site but only had a couple of port-a-potty's in the entire area. Pond was very scummy and small pool was overcrowded. On the plus side it was mostly peaceful and quiet . Kids liked the wagon rides and because traffic flow was slow, riding their bikes. Not much to do for younger children and adults had to pay for everything they wanted to do with their kids. Staff was pretty unfriendly and not at all knowledgeable of the area. read more

This is a great place to camp with kids. We stayed here twice on memorial day wknd and both times had great experiences. Granted some campers stay up late around the fire and talk loud sometimes, but I've noticed that at plenty of Memorial Day campgrounds. I thought having a site on all grass was very nice (around the lake). There are quite a few tent sites around the main pond/lake which is enjoyable. There are plenty of games, planned events, bumper boats, activities to keep the family engaged and entertained. My kids loved it here both times and I enjoyed it too. This is a great campground that is close to Chicagoland. Its an entertainment campground with good amenities. I'd recommend it for family camping. read more

It's a nice enough place to camp with an RV or tent. Paying for showers is an interesting concept but rest assured, toilet use is free. The bathrooms by the clubhouse are MUCH nicer than the ones in the trailer. We are here for the Fourth of July and am a little anxious about them having only 1 pump out station seeing as it is quite crowded. Camp spots are large but there is no privacy. Some water hookups will require more hose length than usual. read more

Not the best place to camp! $20 a day amenity fee. Yikes! None of the amenities are open during the week. We have camped there twice now and both times our children have been bullied by older campers. The campground certainly has that trailer trash feel to it. The electricity needs updating as our 30 amp breaker popped several times. Seriously, you have to pay for a shower!? You can't bring in your own firewood, you have to buy theirs - of course it is over priced. They try to squeeze every penny from you. Try another campground. read more