Slides conquered, swimsuits swapped for shorts—now what? Time to trade the roar of the wave pool for the hiss of a freshly pulled pint. Whether you’re chasing a triple-hop IPA that rivals the speed slide, a kid-approved pizza arcade, or a mellow riverside deck where grandma can hear herself toast, the Dells has a taproom just 5–10 minutes from your Bonanza campsite.
Ready to discover the pours, patios, and pint-sized perks that turn post-splash hunger into happy-hour heaven? Stick with us; the next scroll lines up every can’t-miss craft stop, the fastest ways to get there, and the hacks that keep the whole crew smiling till the campfire sparks.
Key Takeaways
• Many breweries and pubs sit just 5–10 minutes from Bonanza Campground, perfect after water-park fun.
• Color clues: blue = under 10-minute drive, green = under 25.
• Action lovers: Showboat, Latte Stone, and River Walk Pub pour bold IPAs and stay lively.
• Families: Moosejaw’s arcade and Spring Brook’s patio keep kids busy; half-size meals help small eaters.
• Large groups: reserve Moosejaw’s upstairs lodge or Tumbled Rock’s picnic tables; pitcher prices save cash.
• Quiet tastes: Port Huron, early-evening River Walk, and shady Tumbled Rock offer calm half-pours.
• Safe travel: use Uber/Lyft, the Dells Trolley, or the Platypus Beer Hop; free lots sit behind Broadway and the river bridge.
• Money savers: most happy hours run 3–6 p.m.; Showboat drops pints to $3, Port Huron trims growler fills on Tuesdays.
• Hydration tip: match every beer with a glass of water; sharing flights equals one pint.
• Campfire carry-ins: keep growlers upright, cans stay cold and crush flat for easy trash.
• Pets okay on many patios; bring a leash, bowl, and bug spray.
• Evenings cool fast—pack a light jacket—and remember Wisconsin’s .08 DUI limit; choose a sober driver.
At-a-Glance Distance & Vibe Chart
Think of this section as the quick-draw map your phone would make if it could taste hops. Blue means you’re clinking glasses in under ten minutes, green tops out at twenty-five, and every venue in between offers something unique—arcades, river decks, live music stages, or quiet nooks for half-pours. The short drives matter when the kids are damp, the dog is dozing in the back seat, and daylight is fading faster than the foam on a Kölsch.
Showboat Saloon clocks an eight-minute hop from Bonanza and buzzes with jukebox hits, while Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Company sits five minutes south with a parking lot wide enough for SUVs towing pop-ups. Drive another couple of minutes and you’ll find Latte Stone’s sidewalk tables, River Walk Pub’s cabin-style deck over the Wisconsin River, or Spring Brook’s TV-lined patio. Longer hauls—Port Huron Brewing Company east of town, Tumbled Rock Brewery & Kitchen near Devil’s Lake, and Al Ringling Brewing Company in Baraboo—reward you with beer gardens, music stages, and a historic opera-house taproom.
Match the Pub to Your Crew
If your group still smells like sunscreen and victory, Showboat, Latte Stone, and River Walk Pub form the trifecta for thrill-seekers who measure fun in IBUs. Shaka IPA or Dells IPA satisfies hop heads, but contrast it with the porter at Port Huron for a malty reset before the next flight. Late-night cravings? Showboat keeps the kitchen open until midnight, so the squad can snag baskets of curds between rounds.
Parents balancing splash-fatigued toddlers and insatiable teens should steer toward Moosejaw’s two-story arcade or Spring Brook’s sprawling patio. Both spots stash crayons behind the host stand and promise half-size entrées, so tiny appetites don’t waste food—or patience. A stroller fits easily in Moosejaw’s foyer, and Spring Brook shelters families under wide umbrellas when the sun still sizzles.
Reunion planners trying to seat a dozen friends will love Moosejaw’s upstairs lodge room or Tumbled Rock’s picnic tables tucked under pines. Pitcher pricing helps budgets—Moosejaw’s $14 house pitcher disappears faster than gossip—and Al Ringling’s mustache flight becomes a photo prop as much as a tasting tool. Call ahead at Tumbled Rock; Showboat thrives on spontaneous walk-ins.
Digital nomads or RV wanderers angling for Wi-Fi and AC outlets can post up along Latte Stone’s back-wall bar or Moosejaw’s main-bar high-tops. Average upload speeds hover between twenty-five and forty megabits in the Broadway corridor cafés, perfect for dumping GoPro footage of water-slide triumphs. When the laptop closes, crowlers from Tumbled Rock, Al Ringling, or Port Huron slip neatly into the cooler for campground editing sessions.
Retiree adventurers often prefer quieter corners and half-pours. Port Huron’s five-ounce tasters illuminate subtle malt notes, and River Walk Pub feels hushed before six. Shade dominates Tumbled Rock’s piney field, and Showboat’s side patio avoids the main-street bustle on midweek evenings when downtown crowds thin to a gentle murmur.
Pub Profiles & Post-Splash Pro Tips
Showboat Saloon drips old-school tavern energy: twenty-one rotating taps, free popcorn, and $3 happy-hour pours on Sunday plus Monday–Thursday from three to six (local craft spots). Park free in the Broadway lot, step inside, and order a local cider while kids dance to the jukebox. Grab that first pint by four, then slip out to the riverwalk a block away for sunset without missing your refill window.
Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Company balances brew geek cred and family chaos in equal measure. Twelve house beers pivot with the season—think Strawberry Lemon-Ale in July or a Rustic Red IPA come shoulder season—while a two-story arcade gobbles quarters faster than the wave pool swallows flip-flops (family-friendly brewpub). Ask servers in antlers for the upstairs lodge when you’ve got more than ten people, and snag a chilled growler on your way out for the campfire.
Latte Stone Brewing Co. opened in 2020 and funnels Guam flavors into tiny-batch beers like Coco’s Island Kölsch and Shaka IPA. Lumpia baskets replace tired bar pretzels, giving taste buds a jolt that rivals any water-slide plunge (inventive nano-brewery). Visit weekday afternoons for elbow room, reliable outlets, and a leisurely half-hour flight before strolling the riverwalk.
River Walk Pub leans hard into log-cabin coziness, with fried-chicken sandwiches that disappear as quickly as the ducks bobbing on the river below (rustic riverside deck). Weekend acoustic sets run eight to ten; arrive by seven to claim prime deck seating, bug spray in pocket. The free lot behind the building handles larger vehicles, useful if your crew rolled up in a truck-bed camper.
Spring Brook Sports Bar & Grill straddles sports-bar and vacation-community hub. TVs blast ballgames, the mini-golf course next door entertains restless kids, and the market attached to the bar lets you build a custom six-pack before leaving. Sunday afternoons bring wing specials and a surprisingly mellow crowd—perfect for comparing tasting notes without shouting over bachelor-party chants.
Port Huron Brewing Company lives at the end of a quick Highway 23 cruise and rewards travelers with its Engine House Tap Room built inside a revamped firehouse. Five core beers—Honey Blonde and Hefeweizen among them—anchor the menu, while seasonal trials keep regulars guessing (engine-house taps). Tuesday growler fills drop two bucks between four and six, so plan your dash accordingly.
Tumbled Rock Brewery & Kitchen stretches across a wooded lot near Devil’s Lake and sports fifteen taps, a wood-fire kitchen, and live tunes every Thursday at six. The twenty-minute drive feels shorter when the scenery flips between bluffs, barns, and lake glints (scenic music hub). Designate a sober driver or reserve the Beer Hop shuttle, and bring a blanket—dogs, kids, and lawn-game fanatics all find their zone on the massive patio.
Al Ringling Brewing Company turns history into hops inside Baraboo’s old opera house. Sixteen taps flow into a mustache-shaped flight board, best paired with an empanada sandwich while admiring red-brick arches (historic taproom). Wednesday trivia starts at seven; order half-pours so you can sample more styles without losing answer accuracy.
Viking Liquor in Lake Delton isn’t a pub at all—it’s the secret weapon for campsite quenchers. Build your own six-pack, snag ice, graham crackers, and marshmallows in one sweep, then cruise back to Bonanza with minimal cooler rummaging (stock-up station). The pull-through lot even fits trailers, so no tricky reversing while cars queue behind you.
Build-Your-Own Brew Crawl Itineraries
Broadway and Riverwalk form the walk-or-bike playground. Lock your ride near Latte Stone, grab a Kölsch, stride three blocks to Showboat for $3 hazies, then wander the riverwalk to River Walk Pub for a fried-chicken finale. Total travel distance sits under half a mile—short enough that even flip-flop wearers stay blister-free, and every venue offers public racks or wide sidewalks for cable locks.
Family Pizza & Pitchers wins hearts and stomachs in two moves. Show up at Moosejaw around four, order pitchers and handmade pies while kids drain arcade tokens, and by six-thirty you’ll have room for Spring Brook cheesecake and a second pint. The mini-golf next door soaks up sugar highs, turning the drive back to Bonanza into a sleepy-time shuttle.
Music & Mountains pairs landscape with lagers. Drive to Tumbled Rock for live music at three, snag an outdoor table under the pines, then pivot to Al Ringling by six for opera-house flights. The round-trip clocks just under fifty minutes, so pre-download playlists or trivia podcasts for entertainment and always identify the sober driver before the first toast.
Safe & Smooth Transport from Bonanza
Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft operate in Wisconsin Dells but surge on summer Saturdays—ordering fifteen minutes ahead tamps wait times and sticker shock. The Dells Trolley and SAS’s Platypus Beer Hop Shuttle offer pre-set routes to most breweries; tickets cost less than a single pint and remove the designated-driver debate. If you insist on driving, note the free Broadway lot behind River Walk Pub and the larger surface lot near the Riverwalk bridge—both accept trucks and towable campers.
Cyclists should stick to the paved Lake Delton–Downtown path rather than braving Highway 12’s shoulder. Pack a compact cable lock and a front light for the dusk pedal home, especially on Fridays when traffic thickens after fireworks displays. Remember: Wisconsin’s legal limit is .08, and local police know the watering-hole timetable as well as any barback.
Campfire Carry-In: Growlers, Crowlers & Cans
Nothing beats cracking open a campsite beer while embers glow, but a little prep protects flavor. Growlers and crowlers ride upright in the cooler—block ice lasts longer than cubes and keeps glass from rattling against burger condiments. Once opened, a growler’s bubbles fade within twenty-four hours, so plan to share that half-gallon around tonight’s fire ring rather than stashing leftovers for tomorrow.
Aluminum cans remain the reigning campsite champion because they chill fast, travel light, and crush down for minimal trash volume. Avoid skunking by shrouding the cooler with a towel; direct July sun can turn hop aromatics sour in ten minutes. And remember campground quiet hours: enthusiastic sing-alongs belong at Tumbled Rock’s stage, not at section B after eleven.
Patio, Pets & Fresh-Air Comforts
Dogs love vacation too, and luckily most Dells-area patios welcome leashed companions outside food-prep zones. Call ahead—Moosejaw, Showboat, and River Walk Pub usually allow four-legged pals—but always carry a collapsible bowl and ask your server for water. Evening breezes off the river can turn buggy, so pack unscented repellent to avoid becoming a feast yourself.
Temperatures drop nearly ten degrees after sunset along the Wisconsin River, so stash a packable fleece or light jacket in your day bag. Thunderstorms pop up fast; if the sky rumbles, shift to interior high-tops where bartenders will gladly pour pints into plastic cups for safe relocation. Plastic means no glass shards if slippery sandals betray you en route to that refill.
Timing & Happy-Hour Hacks
Waterparks typically close for maintenance between three and five, which perfectly overlaps with most brewery happy hours. Sunday through Thursday, Showboat slices tap prices to three dollars, and on Tuesdays Port Huron shaves two bucks off growler fills. Kick off the crawl with a lighter beer—lager or Kölsch—to set your palate, then scale to high-octane IPAs when hydration and snacks are in check.
Follow the one-for-one rule: match every beer with a glass of water. Sharing flights helps exploration without overdoing ABV intake; four four-ounce pours equal roughly a single pint. Pay your tab fifteen minutes before departure, hit the restroom, and top off water bottles—those tiny rituals streamline the drive back to Bonanza’s loop road and prevent late-night detours.
Camp chairs creak, firewood pops, and last light fades behind pine silhouettes as you settle back at Bonanza. Savor that final sip, tag the day’s taproom hero in your photos, and raise one more toast to slides conquered and pints discovered. Tomorrow’s adrenaline waits, but for now, the only rush you need is the hum of crickets and the clink of an empty can in the recycle bag.
When the last pint is drained and sun-tired grins return, you’ll be glad Bonanza Camping Resort is just around the bend. Swap bar stools for camp chairs, let the kids chase fireflies while you sample that growler under the pines, and wake up steps from tomorrow’s water-slide encore. Prime splash-and-sip weekends book fast—reserve your site at Bonanza today and keep every Dells adventure, on tap or otherwise, within easy reach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How close are the craft-beer spots to the waterparks and Bonanza Camping Resort?
A: Showboat Saloon, Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Company, Latte Stone Brewing Co., River Walk Pub, and Spring Brook Sports Bar & Grill are all within a five- to ten-minute drive, so you can swap swimsuits for barstools faster than the foam on a Kölsch disappears.
Q: Is anything walkable, or should we budget for Uber or a shuttle?
A: The Broadway and Riverwalk corridor—home to Showboat, Latte Stone, and River Walk Pub—is strollable once you’ve parked downtown, while farther venues like Port Huron, Tumbled Rock, and Al Ringling are better reached by rideshare, the Dells Trolley, or the Platypus Beer Hop Shuttle to keep everyone out of the driver’s seat.
Q: Which taproom handles kids best without eye rolls from other patrons?
A: Moosejaw tops the family list with a two-story arcade, crayons at the host stand, half-size entrées, stroller space in the foyer, and parking that swallows SUVs full of floaties; Spring Brook’s patio and neighboring mini-golf course are close runners-up for restless youngsters.
Q: We’re likely to get hungry late—who still serves food after 10 p.m.?
A: Showboat Saloon keeps its kitchen humming until midnight, pairing baskets of cheese curds and burgers with twenty-one rotating taps so nobody has to settle for gas-station snacks on the way back to camp.
Q: Can a dozen friends sit together without playing musical chairs?
A: Yes—ask Moosejaw for the upstairs lodge room or head to Tumbled Rock where picnic tables under the pines seat large parties; calling ahead at Tumbled Rock secures space, while Moosejaw usually manages walk-ins if you arrive before the dinner crush.
Q: Do any of these places take reservations?
A: Tumbled Rock and Al Ringling accept reservations by phone or online, Moosejaw will pencil in large groups over the phone, and most downtown pubs like Showboat rely on first-come, first-served seating but turn tables quickly outside peak weekends.
Q: I need Wi-Fi and an outlet to upload GoPro footage—where should I camp out?
A: Latte Stone’s back-wall bar and Moosejaw’s main-bar high-tops provide steady 25–40 Mbps speeds plus reachable outlets, letting digital nomads knock out work before the next flight lands.
Q: Can we grab beer to enjoy back at the fire ring?
A: Absolutely—Moosejaw sells chilled growlers, Tumbled Rock and Al Ringling crank out crowlers, Port Huron discounts Tuesday growler fills, and all three will seal cans fresh off the line so you can toast by lantern light later.
Q: I prefer sampling over a full pint; who offers flights or half-pours?
A: Port Huron pours five-ounce tasters, Al Ringling serves a mustache-shaped flight board, and most pubs will split a pint into two half-pours if you ask, making it easy to explore styles without tipping your ABV balance.
Q: Where can we relax outdoors without blasting music or direct sun?
A: River Walk Pub’s cabin-style deck stays mellow before six, Tumbled Rock’s pine-shaded field softens noise, and the side patio at Showboat avoids main-street bustle while still catching evening breezes off the Wisconsin River.
Q: Are dogs welcome on these patios?
A: Leashed pups are usually invited to join at Moosejaw, Showboat, River Walk Pub, and Tumbled Rock; just call ahead to confirm space, bring a collapsible water bowl, and keep four-legged friends clear of food-prep areas.
Q: When’s the least crowded time for a quiet pint?
A: Midweek afternoons from three to five overlap waterpark maintenance breaks and happy-hour deals, meaning lighter crowds, shorter waits, and discounted pours at Showboat, Latte Stone, and Port Huron.
Q: What’s the safest way to hop between breweries if nobody wants to drive?
A: Ordering Uber or Lyft about fifteen minutes in advance dodges surge pricing, while the Dells Trolley and Platypus Beer Hop Shuttle run set loops that hit most taprooms for less than the cost of one pint, eliminating designated-driver debates.
Q: Is there a one-stop shop to build a six-pack before heading back to the campsite?
A: Viking Liquor in Lake Delton stocks an impressive craft selection, sells ice and s’mores supplies, and boasts a pull-through lot that even trailer-towing campers can navigate without white-knuckle reversing.