Camp Wandawega is a flawlessly re-created 1950′s summer camp. At $250 a night (plus a $60 airbnb service fee), you can step back in time. Located in Elkhorn, WI about 90 minutes from where I currently live, on the way there, I drove by the place I used to camp as a kid and by towns I have met my parents in to go antiquing. Where many of the sites on the way were well-known to me, pulling into the camp site was familiar because it was like driving to the set of Moonrise Kingdom. Really, it was like plopping into any Wes Anderson movie. I could very clearly imagine children with their names emblazoned on sleeping bags and wooden tennis rackets being used as swords by campers. When I first arrived, I was early (although the reservation said there was a flexible check-in time). The cleaning lady was arriving in two hours, so I read outside for a while of (what would be) my cabin. The breeze was nice and my book was distracting, but then I started paying attention to a couple who were dipping their feet into the lake at the end of the dock while eating oranges AND drinking orange juice (?!?). That is commitment to Vitamin C, if I ever saw one. Once I moved past my internal giggle at the scurvy-free couple, I glanced at my phone and saw that time had slowed to a crawl. How can a morning at home go so fast and an hour at camp go so slowly? It is like that scene in The Jerk where he says the first day seemed like a week. Camp Wandawega is quite quiet, except for the crazy chipmunks. Sometimes, you can hear the muted, but distinctive click of the flagpole outside. Often, I caught myself looking to see if the crinkle of leaves or branch breaking was a person, but it was almost always a chipmunk (or, not to be out done, squirrels). If the chipmunks weren't there or if flags didn't move, I would have thought I was frozen by some witch's autumn spell. Overall, it seemed like it shouldn't all be there- the details. It felt like it all should have been swept away in a flood or be permanently planted in someone's dream, not surviving as well-preserved as it all is. There is no internet that I could connect to. I didn't need air conditioning or heat, but they are a window cooling unit and a floor heater respectively; nothing major to protect you from the elements. You are here to be (at least, a little) outside. There is a rope swing and open-air showers. There are old bikes and bird houses. The traditional camp colors of burnt red, forest green, and stark white are everywhere. Uneven stairs and rocky hills force your attention even while you walk casually around. The camp was at one point a brothel. Well, it was a speak easy, a distribution center for organized crime, a brothel, a lake resort and a church camp before the current owners bought it and renovated it to its current state. While at Camp Wandawega, what I felt was a constant pang of that very specific camp feeling. The anxiety before arriving your first time. The waiting of ONE MORE YEAR before your next camp experience always seeming like forever. The addiction in the autonomy and the freedom of no parents or siblings. You just being who you are. Someone good at archery. Someone who loves sitting on a dock. Someone who swings in a hammock. Someone who naps. Someone who hikes. While there, I got invited to a fire on the beach by one couple. At another point, a couple taking engagement photos came by to use the canoes. Untroubled people came and went. Some times a fish would come up to ripple the water in their hunger. The lily pads provided a little buffer from the reflection of the sun. There was the constant smell of a fire burning somewhere. What I recommend doing while at Camp Wandawega: -Eat PB&J. You can go into town for food, but why bother? -Sneak iced coffee or coffee grounds and a French press into the communal kitchen. -You don't really have to sneak, but sneaking around seems very camp-y. -Take a nap. Or several. -Read the books at the end of the bed (A Very Modest Cottage and Found, Free & Flea) by Tereasa Surratt. They will provide more information on the renovation of the property and the care of one of the cottages specifically. -Go on a walk around the whole site. You will find tipis (or teepees) and other fun finds. Just bring your hiking boots. -Canoe. (Language side note: canoe is a noun and a verb. English is so quirky.) -Sit with the liquor of your choice by a fire or just sit by the lake for a while. -Go on a bike ride. -Take pictures. You can't really take a bad one. During my time here, the bees were about. Flies and ants, too. Twice, a spider dropped down (seemingly from the sky) onto the book I was reading. Also, I am 99.9% sure there was a raccoon outside of my cabin door one night. Camp Wandawega is a natural and authentic place which makes it an ultimate place to reflect and assess. Yes, you have to constantly check your wine for bugs, but that is part of the magic of being fully present, isn't it? read more

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AMAZING. This is an awesome place with rich history dating back nearly 100 years ago. The tree house is soooo cool, there are many options as far as areas you can stay in. Teepees, old Army tents, the old "dormitories," and small cabins. We were here for a wedding over the weekend (which is rare from what I hear), and the place was recently renovated (in the last 5-7 years or so). This is a very rustic place with a historical feel. In the 1920's during the prohibition years, it was a speakeasy (my favorite part of their history), but there is much more. To learn more about the history check out, www.wandawega.com. This place is also a very well kept secret. I grew up less than 10 miles away from Wandawega, but had only heard of the lake not the "Camp" or "Resort." This place is meticulously decorated, clean, historical, rustic and all-around awesome. read more

I have been going to Camp Wandawega off and on for the last nine years. I have been very lucky to spend restorative, quiet and (lest I be sacrilegious) holy time there. It is a place to reconnect with nature, with friends, with bourbon by a campfire. It has been thoughtfully and painstakingly restored to become a beautiful retreat that feels locked in another era. One that harkens back to the time before we were glued to our smartphones; when we were content to sleep on a cot in a cabin buzzing with insects, breathe fresh air and rough it a bit. The entire property is full of spaces that are simple and beautiful and beginning to be photographed. The owners David and Tereasa have put blood (really), sweat and tears into making it a wonderful place to spend a weekend away from the city. I love every minute I spend there. read more

I already wish we were back at Camp Wandawega! We stayed on the top floor of the bunkhouse with a group of 12 and had a completely magical weekend. Decor is charmingly curated, rooms are cozy, and the common spaces are incredible, particularly the Tree House with its lofted reading nooks. We tried everything: the rope swing, canoes/paddleboat, archery, ax throwing, tennis, basketball court, the tandem bike, shuffle board, hiking trail, hammocks, camp fires, look out points, and best of all floating for hours in the lake - so much to do and something for everyone - we had kids, adults & babies with us. Everywhere you look is delightful and the atmosphere is cheerful and relaxing. The history of the camp is romantic and intriguing and well shared by the hosts. Fitzgerald the dog was frolicking about being adorable. We want to make it an annual trip! A few things to note about what to bring: Wandawega has a great grill set up with propane and charcoal grills and a griddle with some grill tools - but bring charcoal, tinfoil, pans, etc, and any tools you're partial to. The stovetop in the bunk house top floor works but not the oven, and there is a microwave, tea pot and large percolator for coffee. The kitchen has dish soap & cleaning supplies. The fridge is HUGE. You will need to bring pots and pans for cooking and utensils, though there are some random tools. There are some assorted plates (maybe 4), bowls (3 or 4), etc, and a cabinet of paper plates left behind by other guests, but you should bring your own to be sure. The bar set up is cute but bring your shaker, strainer and ice cube trays! Wandawega provides each room a bath towel and a campfire blanket and the pillows and linens are completely comfortable and you don't really need to supplement. For as many people as we had, the space doesn't feel crowded and noise isn't really an issue. There is a sports room with equipment for the various courts but bring your own rackets and balls if you're serious and definitely your own floats for the lake (although we did leave some behind for future guests). Bunk house has two toilets - mens/womens - and two clawfoot tubs with showers in a separate room. The tubs don't drain super well but there is a great (Harry Weiss designed) outdoor shower building and we also had access to showers in another cabin - just next door - that I heard were gorgeous. Definitely bring sunscreen, bug spray (lots of bees about), big beach towels, sun hat, flip flops and leave all your cares and worries at home! Hosts were very relaxed about check out time and were very available for tours at check in. It's a friendly, relaxed vibe and you will not regret making the trip out there. Thank you so much Camp Wandawega! read more

This place is a hidden gem! Love it and would defiantly go back if it was not such a drive for my family. They have rope swings over the lake, tire swings, a tree swing, shuffle board, hammocks, basketball, bonfire areas, volleyball etc. we were there for a wedding this past weekend and I fell in love with the place! I could visit a place like that every year! I don't think my kids ever got bored that day or night. They want to go back and camp. It was beautiful and the treehouse added to the whole camp! read more

Camp Wandawega - Tree house and basketball - Vacation Rentals Near Me - Elkhorn, Wisconsin

We stayed here over the summer, and it was quite charming, but be warned- the mattresses on the beds are older than the kitsch on the walls. They had to be the most uncomfortable beds we've ever slept on. The bathrooms desperately need some comet and elbow grease. Otherwise would have been a great find. read more

Camp Wandawega is such a gem. If you want to remember what it is like to be a living breathing human, I highly recommend enjoying this morsel of heaven on earth. Yes, it is not a 5 star, 4 star or 3 star hotel, however the experience you have by remembering the simple things in life is worth more then any Hilton. It is rustic and doesn't have egyptian cotton bedding, but hey, you get a bed and a place to hang your hat, which we all should be thankful for in life no matter where we go. Rooms use shared baths that are original and rustic, but really, who needs a private bathroom? This place reminds you that you don't need to be so delicate and reminds you of how much fun it was to be a kid and have fun and get dirty and jump around like a silly person. The website is honest and true to Camp Wandawega's potential visitors. The manifesto they have honestly written, filter their guests and prepares you for a half a star on a 5-star scale. It tells you to prepare to camp inside and that this is a place not for the pampered, but for the adventurous and free! Really, there are few places on this earth that brings you back to a simple, more satisfying way of life. Camp Wandawega sends you back into history with the decor, rooms, bedding, kitchen and environment, so you can remember the romance of living. read more

Camp Wandawega was the ideal setting for our July wedding! Prior to the event we have spent several weekends at Camp and have always had a fantastic experience. The groundskeeper Joe is a joy to spend time with and went out of his way to make sure everything was perfect for our event depsite flooding rainfall in the days prior. The couple that owns this place is lovely, and makes the experience as personal as it gets. They keep expectations low, and slow guests to have their expectations exceeded with the charm and styling of this unique venue. There is so much to look at, photograph and explore on site that all of our guests had a wonderful time. There is also a ton to do at Camp, our wedding guests swam, canoed, kayaked, threw hatchets, did archery, hiked and relaxed in the hammocks. We truly had our perfect weekend here and the venue was the most essential part in both our experience and that of our guests. We highly recommend Camp Wandawega for an event or just for a weekend getaway! Keep up the great work Camp Wandawega crew, this is a very special place! read more