08/10/2026
WIScamping Review: Pine Grove Campground in Shawano, WI
Fun fact: When we purchased our very first camper in 2016 the very first campground we ever visited was…. Pine Grove Campground! 10 years later, we still make Pine Grove a must for our summer camping. And there is a reason for it!
If you’ve been keeping tabs on our socials, you’ve probably noticed a LOT of positive comments from campers around the state about Pine Grove Campground. Yes, Pine Grove has some fantastic amenities…but we think there’s something more to it than that. It’s the way the Zirbel family has continued creating those summer family traditions year after year since purchasing the campground in 2003. And we saw that come up several times in the comments of our posts!
Let’s start with the amenities! Pine Grove’s pool is easily one of our favorites. We LOVE a big pool with seating right in the water! Plus, if you have littles, the splash pad is super close, making it easy to go back and forth between the two. And that’s just the beginning. There’s a nice arcade for kids, a very well-maintained mini golf course, two playgrounds (with 1 being very large), petting zoo, scenic boardwalk, nature trail, tiki bar, a haunted house (during Halloween and select themed weekends), and, of course, Kroening Lake with a sandy beach! And we have to say, the lake is just perfect to hop on a floaty and let the wind take you wherever it wants…Or grab a fishing pole and spend some time catching panfish! Oh, and shout out on the remodel of the camp store, it looks super nice! And as an added bonus, you can even grab some Wisco Sips there! We also loved seeing a local Shawano touch on Saturday with a Stubborn Brothers Brewery beer truck on-site! It's always great to see campgrounds brining in and supporting other local businesses!
Now, let’s talk about this weekend’s theme: Farmers Appreciation & Corn Roast. There was SO much history behind this weekend that we never knew about until experiencing it firsthand. This marked the 24th season of the Corn Roast, and after hearing directly from the Zirbel family about its history, we can see why this weekend means so much to both their family and the campers who return for it year after year. And yes… preparing 1,600 ears of corn is quite the feat! But seeing everything that goes into making it happen is even more impressive. I spent some time talking with the Zirbel family, and they shared the history behind one of their family traditions. For the past 24 years, Russ and his son Zach have made the trip to Mares Farm to pick up the corn. And for the past eight years, another generation has joined them - Zach’s daughter! I also learned she has a tradition of her own: getting her annual fresh watermelon from the farm, something she VERY much looks forward to each year. Once those three generations of Zirbels return to the campground with the corn, an entire crew comes together to make the Corn Roast happen. Seasonal campers, friends and family all jump in to help, including some who traveled hundreds of miles just to be there and take part in the tradition.
But Saturday definitely didn’t stop with the corn! The day was packed with activities, including a Kids Tractor Pull, Hay Ride Wagon Ride, Chicken Drop Bingo and Russian Egg Roulette. Those don't exactly sound like your typical campground activities, do they? EXACTLY! Kids pulling weighted tractors and competing for awards? Yup! Picking a number on a giant bingo board and hoping a chicken decides to “drop its #2” on YOUR number? Yup! Going one-on-one against an opponent smashing eggs against your forehead to find out whether you grabbed a hard-boiled egg…or a RAW one? YES. YES. YES. Oh my goodness, Saturday’s activities were seriously a HOOT! Everything fit the Farmers Appreciation theme so well, and after experiencing it ourselves, we completely understand why so many campers make a point of coming back for this particular weekend year after year. And really, that brings us back to what stands out about Pine Grove.
You can build a pool. You can add a playground, arcade, mini golf and all kinds of amenities. But you can’t just build tradition. That takes years. It takes a family that cares about keeping those traditions going, campers who look forward to coming back for them, and eventually another generation getting involved and carrying them forward. We’ve always loved our time at Pine Grove Campground, and after this weekend, we have an even greater appreciation for what the Zirbel family has created here!
Interestingly, we also chatted with some campers who just happened to stumble upon Pine Grove during their travels and were experiencing the campground for the very first time. Their first impression? They loved it!
And when first-time visitors are saying the same things as campers who have been coming back year after year, that probably tells you something!
So, if you’re already starting to think about your 2027 camping adventures, definitely put Pine Grove Campground on your list!
Family Favorites:
Chris (45): The group site along the lake! This is one of the easiest setups for a group site and the fact that we can walk for 15 seconds and make it to the beach is so convenient. The lake has a nice large dock to walk along and fish if you want. But it’s one of those lakes where you can just float away and have some relaxation! If you feel so inclined, there is a beach volleyball court and another playground on the sand for kids to play on.
Ashley (43): I loved the activities. How everything correlated to the theme and just how the campground went all-out for Farmers Appreciation & Corn Roast. And honestly, they’ve always done a great job for all their themed weekends.
Bryn (15): The pool is one of my favorites at any campground. There is plenty of room to swim around and they have benches in the water if you want to sit and relax. We swam so much between the pool and the lake!
Harper (12): The Jurassic Park boardwalk and playgrounds. You have to find the dinosaurs in the woods along the boardwalk and you can read and learn more about each one. And, I also chose the playgrounds because it had a lot of different equipment including the balance beam, obstacle course and a BIG jungle gym. Also, there’s a really cool Disney campsite right past the dog lake.
Lainey (Pup): It’s a nice size campground to take a walk with my owners. They even have a dog lake where I could swim!
We'd love to hear what you love the most about Pine Grove Campground! List your favorites in the comments!
