Lake Joy Campground, 24192 Lake Joy Lane, Belmont, WI (2026)

04/22/2026

**Attention Seasonal Campers:**

Your 2026 signed agreements and half or whole payments were due by the end of day on Friday, April 17th.

At this time, we still have yet to receive multiple seasonals' paperwork & payments.

In order to officially be a 2026 seasonal camper, the following must be brought in to the office:

• The agreement that you were sent by mail, fully signed & dated by you

• Registration, updated for 2026

• Payment in either the full amount ($3,000) or first-half amount ($1,500)

Until we receive the three items listed above, you are not officially a seasonal camper for 2026.

{Important Note: if you paid online, and 'agreed' to the camping guidelines during that process, those guidelines are NOT the same thing as our seasonal agreement. You will still need to bring in the agreement that you were mailed, completed. Thank you.}

04/16/2026

**Attention Seasonal Campers:**

While we always aim to blow you away with the service that we offer at the lake, we do not want you (or your trailers!) to get blown away by tomorrow’s weather.

If you are a current seasonal relocating to a different site, or who removed their trailer last season for the winter — or are a brand new seasonal this year itching to get moved onto site — we are asking everyone to hold off bringing their camper/trailer out to the lake until the weather forecast is more amenable for safe placement.

The National Weather Service is urging people not to engage in outdoor activities tomorrow, as it has assessed the storm severity threat level as being a 3 out of 5 — with severe thunderstorms, flooding, high winds with possible tornadoes, and a potential for large hail.

Stay safe, and we’ll see you at the lake soon!

04/12/2026

✅ There’s just six days left until we open for our 2026 camping season on Friday, April 17th!

🤠 Each day we’ll be highlighting different ways to enjoy Lake Joy.

📯 Today we’re reminding you of all the various ways you can come camping at Lake Joy!

🔌 We have 20/30AMP electric sites for an array of camping units and 50AMP pull-thru sites that accommodate bigger camping units, as well as a wooded primitive area (has no water, no electricity) geared towards tenting.

🔥 Every site comes furnished with a picnic table and in-ground fire ring.

🗣️ Ask about our group sites! A great option for everything from family reunions to wedding parties to motorcycle rallies to scouting, school, church, and civic groups! Arrange your adjacent tents or campers/trailers into a big circle, or a horseshoe shape, in pairs of parallel units,etc. creating a private space to getaway with your family and friends!👫👫🏿👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏿

🧮 Overall, we have approximately 225 campsites, if you include our “seasonal” sites. There are around 90 “overnight” campsites and 135 “seasonal” campsites.

🌳There are various terrains from graveled to grassy, shaded to open, wooded to lakeside.

🧭 All of our overnight guests are provided a “concierge” service, being personally guided to their campsite by one of our friendly staff members, and given assistance with placement on site — whether being helped with backing-in, or being lent boards & blocks to get their camper all leveled-out, to being offered stairsteps if their camper sits too far off the ground for safe footing, or lent longer water hoses and electric cord extensions, as needed.

👀 We also offer some electric sites closer to the lakefront, for quicker access to fishing, and premium, front-row seats to the aquatic vista!

📆 There is a two-night minimum for most camping days, and a three-night minimum on the major holiday weekends.

🙌🏻 While last year, we had some booking restrictions, such as not allowing overnight camping on weekdays, and limiting off-season stays, this year we have elminated any such limitations for reservations!

🛜 To book your Joy-ful camping experience at the Lake, visit our reservations platform online at: https://www.campspot.com/park/lake-joy-campground .

☎️ You can also call us to reserve your stay by phone, calling: 608-762-5150.

🫡 We look forward to hosting you at the lake soon!

04/11/2026

Can you believe that in just one week’s time from tonight, you’ll have already witnessed the dazzling splendor of the first sunset above the lake of this camping season?!

That’s right, somehow it’s already been 187 days since we closed at the end of last season… leaving just 7 days to go until we open for the 2026 camping season!

We’ll be counting down every day of this final week before opening, by sharing some of our favorite ways to enjoy Lake Joy!

Tonight, we wanted to highlight the awe-inspiring, multi-hued beauty of sundowns over the serene, placid stillness of the lake.

What’s better than seeing a breathtaking sunset in the sky up above? Getting to see it reflected & mirrored in the water down below! Oranges and golds, purples and reds, pinks and indigos all splash across the wild blue yonder, turning the heavens into a gorgeous canvas of overlapping colors!

And as eventide sets in, it also produces a distinct contrast with the environment — casting shadows of trees, flowers, and shrubs — and creating silhouettes of lake grasses, reeds, and cattails.

We might be biased, but we’d argue that we have some of the prettiest, most picturesque sunsets that you could hope to find anywhere!

And so, while the dawning of the 2026 camping season is just one week away — we wanted to showcase the vibrant, joyful radiance of nightfall!

☀️🌅🌞🌄🔆

Feel welcome to share your favorite photos of bright twilights and majestic dusks illuminating Lake Joy in the comments below!
👇📸🤳🎞️⬇️

We are looking forward to welcoming you all back for another picturesque & tranquil camping season, starting on Friday, April 17th! See you soon! ✨

04/01/2026

At Lake Joy, we don’t “fool” around when it comes to tornadic weather… because dangerously-high winds are no joke!

Across much of the country, Noon on the first Wednesday of every month is the coordinated time to test emergency & weather alert sirens.

But when a tornado siren testing day falls on April Fool’s Day, how does anyone know if it's a real tempest rather than just a test?

There is a narrow whirl-window of time to get to safety after you hear the siren, with cyclone-ly just a few minutes to act! So keep your cool, and don’t be a fool — if there’s a twister, head straight for shelter!

The basement of Lake Joy’s office/store is designated as our tornado shelter! And we have our very own tornado siren that can be heard from anywhere on the Campground!

So the next time that there’s a perilous gale, and the winds really begin to wail, let cooler heads prevail, and live to tell the tale!

🌪️🌀+📢🔊+👂‼️=/=🃏🤡

03/26/2026

Is there anything better than having the whole beach to yourself for swimming some laps or practicing your breast-strokes? This muskrat would surely argue that there’s nothing better!

Sometimes it can be a bit challenging to tell what animals we see out taking a dip in the lake. And telling the difference between beavers and muskrats when they’re out splashing around can be one of those challenges.

So what are the differences between beavers and muskrats? Well, if you must ask…

Telling these two critters apart in the water can be tricky at first glance, but there are a few reliable tells involving their size, silhouette, and how they move through the water:

•The Tail (a dead giveaway!):
The most definitive difference is the tail. Though it can be hard to see if it’s submerged. Beavers have a broad, flat, paddle-like tail. When swimming, you might see the flat surface of their tail break the water, or you might hear a loud "slap" on the lake’s surface if they get startled. Muskrats have a long, thin, rat-like tail that is flat vertically. As they swim, their tails often snake back and forth behind them, acting like a rudder.

•Swimming Silhouette:
How much of the body is visible above the waterline is a great clue! With beavers, you typically only see their head (and maybe a bit of their upper back) above the water. Because they are much heavier—often weighing between 40lbs to 60lbs—the rest of their body stays deep in the water. Muskrats are much lighter—usually only weighing between 2lbs to 5lbs—and tend to "float" higher than beavers do. You will often see a muskrat’s head, back, and tail all visible at once, creating a multi-humped profile.

•Size Comparison: If you have a sense of scale, the size difference between these critters is massive! Beavers can be as big as the size of a large dog. A swimming beaver's head is roughly the size of a grapefruit. Muskrats are similar in size to a large rat or a small cat. Their head is roughly the size of a golf ball or a small orange.

•Diving Behavior: When Beavers dive, they often arch their backs and disappear with a signature tail slap to warn others of danger. Muskrats tend to just slip quietly under the surface of the water without much fanfare or splashing.

•Dams vs. Lodges:
Beavers build dams and large, sturdy lodges out of sticks and mud. Muskrats do not build dams, but rather make smaller, cone-shaped homes out of cattails, grass, and mud.

•Activity: If you see a tree being cut down by a critter, it is a beaver. Muskrats eat vegetation and smaller aquatic plants.

So now you know! Whether you’re a beaver believer or a muskrat zealot—stop guessing uneducatedly, and start identifying confidently!

03/20/2026

“The frost melts away under sunbeams bright,
The tent is pitched before the night.
Green shoots appear on every tree,
Spring camping brings a peaceful glee.
The air is crisp, the air is clean,
With marshmallows roasted in a scene,
Of starry skies and campfires bright,
Spring camping is a true delight.”

Happy First Day Of Spring!
🌱🌧️🌈✨💐🐝

03/17/2026

Does this latest snow dump have you feeling down in the dumps? 😖

Well, it's your lucky day! The 2026 camping season at Lake Joy begins in just 30 days! ☘️

We open for the year on Friday, April 17th! It's almost time to get this 'paddy' started! 🥳

02/28/2026

Are you seeking a fulfilling seasonal work opportunity? Consider being a groundskeeper or lawnmower at Lake Joy Campground!

We are seeking to hire several individuals for each position, at $17/hour.

You would be an integral member of our 2026 team, helping to maintain the beauty of the campground — promoting a relaxing & joyful experience for camping guests!

Being capable of working comfortably in varied outdoor climates is essential to these positions.

The work to begin opening & beautifying the campground will start in March or April, dependent upon the weather. Work to keep the campground operating smoothly, and provide guests with an enjoyable camping experience, will continue through mid- to late- October.

If you’re interested, and wish to learn more about either role, call 608-762-5150 or email [email protected]

02/19/2026

With two months left until opening day, all *should* be quiet at the Lake, but sometimes we still have to deal with unruly trespassers!

So who were these gatecrashers that put us in a fowl mood? No, not some ducks — it was a band of wild Canucks! They said they didn't give a flying flock if the campground is closed until April, they heard that you don't need a license to fish at Lake Joy, and as migrants from The Great White North, they decided to stop by for the day at our beachside buffet.

Well—when trying to reason with unregistered visitors—you wing some, you lose some. It's never easy to haggle with a gaggle! Fortunately, they didn't put up too much of a fight before they took flight, but they did leave without offering any sort of apolo-geese! How brood of them!

02/14/2026

💕 The only thing we love more than spending a beautiful day out at the Lake is seeing the Joy that it brings to our campers!

💝 Happy Valentine’s Day! 🥰

We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back to the Lake for our 2026 camping season starting on Friday, April 17th! 🫶🏻

02/05/2026

ATTENTION FOLLOWERS: There has been an ongoing scam on our page where you may have been 'tagged' in a comment under one of our posts about ordering a Lake Joy themed T-shirt. This is a national scam, and one that is hard to stop, as the perpetrators keep creating new accounts every time they are blocked. Please do not click on the links (it could download a virus!), and definitely do not attempt to purchase the "shirts" being sold. These are not real shirts, the images you see are fake, and your money will be stolen!

If there are ever official Lake Joy shirts made available, they will not be announced as a comment on a post, and the announcement will only come from the official Lake Joy Campground account -- not from a 'person'.

See the image below for an example of one of these scam comments. We do our best to delete the comments and block the perpetrators as soon as possible!

Lake Joy Campground

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