Best RV Parks & Resorts near Stephenson, MI

Overall our stay was pleasant the campground is very rustic facilities on premise could definitely use some TLC. We stayed in a pull through site which was decent. Campground overall was very quiet mainly seasonal or long term sites.

Nice little county campground on lake Michigan. Sandy Beach. Clean bathrooms and showers, and a small laundry facility. Electric and water on each site. Dump station is available for registered campers. Sites are large, not crowded. Mixture of short term campers and long term locals. On site host, not a party spot.

This was such a nice camp ground & wonderful owners!!! We had a birthday party and our site was right across from the nice clean park and a pool that wasn't open yet! But we will be back to enjoy that! We had full hook up and everything was literally a breeze!

This is a great campground for families with RVs. We stayed in summer of ‘20 and loved it, came back in ‘21 and enjoyed it. Biggest attraction of 3 pools and a water slide were down to 1 pool and the splash pad, which meant crowded pool. Like many things during COVID, delays or back ordered repair supplies are impacting the campground. That said, this is still a great KOA with some full hookups and some w/e. Showers and laundry $$ facilities available. The full hook up pull through are awesome sites- easy in and out, but there are only 6 so book early. We stayed in site 198 last year, and it was a nice wooded site but right on top of neighbors. This year we had 49, which had more open space and some shade for one big tree. This is a very dog friendly campground with a big fenced in dog run and lots of rooms for walks. There’s a bar and restaurant, but with so many great places to go in Door Co I’d skip eating there and enjoy the area. They have 2 tent sites, but these are in an open field with no privacy. I’d pass on sites 95-98 and 133-136 as they back up to the pavilion and offer no privacy. If you’re looking for wooded sites with privacy stick to the sites north of the pools. If you’re looking for open sites for a group of campers, the south part of the campground should suit you.

General: Pride of ownership is evident throughout the campground and there are many different types of accommodations: tent, electric and water, (including some classified as prime), full hook-up, cabins, and yurts. There are also seasonal sites and travel trailer rentals. This campground was as busy as I would expect for Door County in the summer. We checked in at the well-staffed office (open until 9 pm) at which time our site was assigned. 

Site Quality/Facilities: Since there are so many different kinds of sites, they vary greatly. Our non-hookup site (#104) had an L-shaped driveway which was just a bit awkward to back our campervan into but not impossible. This site would not have been suitable for a large RV. Some of the tent sites in this loop (#111-113) were called “hideaway” tent sites as they had very long driveways and more privacy. Many of the sites are wooded and there is varying separation between sites but more than adequate. The premium sites have the most privacy and many of these have no one behind them. 

Bathhouse: There are two bathhouses, and each is closed for a two-hour period each day. They were immaculate (possibly the cleanest campground bathrooms I have ever seen!). The shower, while a bit on the small side, had nice hot water and plenty of hooks to hang clothes and toiletries. They were clean. 

Activities/Amenities: The campground itself has much to offer: playground, recreation area with volleyball net, laundry, dishwashing station, fish cleaning station, recreation room with pool table and arcade games, lounge with fireplace, couches, and books, a camp store, and doggie stations. A couple of hiking trails lead from the campground, including one to Grandma’s Swedish Bakery (highly recommend at least one visit). Nearby kayak and SUP rentals. There is much to do in Door County for active and less active pursuits; this campground is located on the quiet side of the peninsula, but it does not take long to drive to other activities. 

This is not our typical type of campground. We used to live within two hours of the northern part of the Door Peninsula, so we only took day trips here; camping here is new to us but we are enjoying exploring many different options.

This campground is huge, it is a lot of permanent RV park sites but there’s a significant amount of sites available. Seems peaceful but busy. Sites are pretty close together so if you looking for quiet privacy I would look elsewhere.

Convenient to Sister Bay in Door County, Wisconsin. Off of WI Hwy 57. Large open field. 27 pull-through RV sites are equipped to handle the biggest RV’s by providing 34′ x 75′ sites. 33 back-in RV sites. 10 walk in tent sites. Pets welcome - $5/day pet fee. New restrooms & showers. No cell service, but very good free WiFi service. Clean campsites, well maintained. No privacy between sites. Gravel driveways. Picnic table. Fire ring. Convenience store & gas station on site - Dovetail Trading Company & Citgo gas station. Registration in store. Accepts reservations. Campground was still open on Oct 23, 2021, even though it's season ended on Oct 18. This is a good campground for RVs. I camped here when I couldn't find another campground that had available sites. I thought it was overpriced for camping in my camper van with no hookups needed, but it was okay in a pinch.

We had an electric only site here for a night. The sites in this section of the campground are very spread out and many have a view of the lake. The full hookup sites are a little more packed together. Nice beach and trail along the water but a lot of it was flooded when we were here. Bathrooms and showers are modern and clean. Not much to do in town but maybe worth a couple days stay if you want quiet and access to the lake.

Ranger Review: Roanline Clothes at Gladstone Bay Campground, MI

Campground Review

We really came to like the Gladstone Bay Campground during the time we were there. The first impression is that it is a mix of seasonal campers mixed with transients and there is a crazy mix of campsites scattered in all different directions. This county-operated park sits on a pretty part of Bay de Noc in Gladstone Bay just north of the larger town of Escanaba in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The best feature for us was the nice view of the water and direct access but there are lots of other things we liked about this campground too. For example, there is a nice walking path that wanders along the water down to the marina and county park (that has free outdoor concerts during the summer).  The path goes through the campground but is located along the water so you don’t feel like everybody is walking through the campground. We used the path every day to walk our dog who loved the water access to cool off and swim. Another feature we liked was the 1,500-foot sandy beach. Here is a great place to set up a chair and read with a pleasant view, take a swim, or launch a kayak. This park has some of the cleanest bathrooms and showers (in separate rooms) that we have seen all summer long. They are modern, clean and well-stocked so a big “thanks” goes out to the people who maintain them and do such a great job. 

The main roads are paved while the ones leading to the waterfront sites are gravel. Some campsites are gravel while others are grass. Patios are grassy and really nice because the grass was thick and not sandy so you didn’t feel like your camper was always dirty. There was a heavy downpour during our stay and some big puddles of water in low spots. All sites have a picnic table (which was in good condition) and a fire pit which was clean when we got there. 

Our site (#20) was pretty close to our neighbors but some are really well spaced – especially the water/electric only or no hook-up sites. As mentioned earlier, we really like the campground and for $30 for a 50 amp full hook-up site (with WiFi) that is a good price. We did not really spend any time in Gladstone (except to go to the grocery which is a couple of miles away) but we did go to Escanaba a couple of days. In Escanaba we visited the lighthouse and historical museum which was interesting ($3 entrance fee) and ate at the highly-touted Swedish Pantry where we had the most delicious Swedish pancakes with lingonberries. We also stopped at Dobber’s Pasties to get some frozen pasties for the road. There is an ice cream truck that comes through the park for those of you with a sweet tooth.

One thing we noticed is that some campsites have lots of people staying on them.  On Labor Day weekend two campers came in with lots of people who stayed up until well past 2 a.m. having a fire and good time. We were two sites down in our RV with pretty good noise insolation and still heard them. It’s great that people want to enjoy the holiday weekend but some rude campers ruin it for others.

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Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally get products to test and evaluate. At Gladstone Bay Campground I tested clothes from Roanline. This company’s philosophy is to provide quality outdoor clothes and gear from up and coming companies with a commitment to giving back to the environment. Super cool!

I had a hard time picking out what to order because so many of their items appealed to me. Finally, I settled on two shirts featured by the company United by Blue (who pledges to remove one pound of trash from waterways for every item sold.  Hooray for them). The first one is the Knowle Plaid long-sleeved shirt.  This item was a good choice since the morning temperatures were dipping into the high 30’s.  The first thing I noticed was how soft this shirt was. It has a nice outdoorsy look with the plaid pattern but has a feminine fit. The shirt was not too bulky so you could wear it under a sweater on days that you need to layer. After a couple of washings it stayed true to size, color and that great soft feel. 

The other item I received was Pine Bear Tee. I was looking for a tee that was more stylish than just a typical unisex shirt and this one delivered. This shirt has a nice fit with a v-neck and is super soft.  It is lightweight enough to be worn hiking on warm days. The stitching and material in this shirt makes it high quality and it has definitely stood up to the wear and tear I put my clothes through.  

Will definitely be ordering from this company again. Their quality products are at a good price point (and they offer many sale items and discounts) and the company has a great mission and philosophy.

For a video review of these Roanline products click here.

We were by ourselves on the first loop site #6. Short walk to sandy beach. (Less than 25-30Yds). Deer in camp when we arrived. $21/night. 1/2 price for those with senior National park pass. Nice fire ring with grill and picnic table. About 1/3 of the 38 sites are first come, rest reservable. Only 2 other campers in area end of September. Could fish, swim or do boating from the site. Need gen if you want electric. No dump station but private campgrounds close and perhaps would let you dump for a fee. Several trails. Lighthouse at end of peninsula about 11 mi away. Fairly level sites. Tent pads with pine needles. Big rigs likely would fit but very narrow and tight squeeze. Length and slides not an issue as sites are large.

Great view of Lake Michigan! Need to pay quarters for showers. Pretty clean bathrooms. Little privacy in sites but the view makes it worth it. Trees by the beach are great for a hammock. There is also a small playground and picnic area. Most of the sites right on the lake are reserved all season by RV trailers when I was there. I believe I was the only tent camper at the time but I would visit again.