In most of Wisconsin, the southern 2/3 anyway, the only camping areas are state parks or private campgrounds – both of which designate where you can camp, but they aren’t all over-crowded. And even in Kettle Moraine North – they have shelters for you to stay in, and you need to have a permit, etc. I don’t believe they allow dispersed camping in that park either.

When you get into northern Wisconsin, you can hit the Nicolet National Forest, and there are plenty of remote / rustic sites that will leave you with few if any neighbors. Check with the local rangers about dispersed camping here, as I think there are only loose guidelines in site selection there.

The ultimate trip, of course, would be up in the Apostle Islands. There you could kayak and hike to your heart’s content, hike and camp, and howl with the wolf pack!

You can canoe / kayak camp on the lower 100 miles of the Wisconsin River; from Sauk City on down, you can camp on any sandbar you come across – and there are some excellent spots. No permits are required, the only rules the DNR worry about is to make sure you don’t bring glass with you on the river.

And the St. Croix river has canoe camping; I haven’t had the good fortune to paddle it, but I believe the campsites are established sites, with picnic tables and fire rings. (no vehicle access though, from what I gather).

Buckhorn State Park on Castle Rock lake is a great option too. They have numerous hike-to sites. Not exactly backpacking on a trail, but you hike in up to a mile to get to your campsite. They have pit toilets nearby, but no showers and RV generators to deal with. The park is on Castle Rock Lake, and all kinds of boats are able to access some of their shoreline campsites. There are numerous bars / restaurants nearby, so you may hear bands / noise from across the lake when you’re at a shoreline site. You can kayak in however, and hike in the park.

Have fun!