Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Stephenson? Find the best information on tent camping near Stephenson, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Stephenson, Michigan's most popular destinations.
Newport's wilderness experience offers over 2,300 acres of forest on 11 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 30 miles of hiking trails, and backpack camping as a quiet alternative to bustling Door County. At the far end of the Door Peninsula, Newport is also designated as a Dark Sky Park, a perfect destination for stargazing.
Newport State Park offers rustic, backpack camping for visitors. Camping is allowed in designated campsites only.
Newport has 17 backpack (hike-in) campsites, including one group site. All sites can be reserved. Campers must hike or bike in all gear and supplies. There are no carts available at the park. There are a few amenities at the sites, including a pit toilet, fire ring with flip-up grill, a lock box for food and a bench or two. Water is available at the park office or at a solar pump near the picnic shelter by Lot 3 (seasonally). There are no shower facilities at the park. All garbage must be carried out of all campsites.
$20 / night
$20 - $22 / night
This Park offers a great swimming hole (no life guard on duty), A large Pavilion (with electric) for picnic lunches, Pitt Toilets, running water and of coarse great fishing on the Menominee River.
Four sites are available for over night camping, non-electric sites only for $10 per night.
$10 / night
$17 / night
When you’re ready to beat the summer heat, and enjoy some family-friendly camping and outdoor fun, it’s time to head for Harbour Village. Just an hours’ drive northeast of Green Bay, this 300-acre resort features waterslides, swimming and fishing ponds, splash pad, sand beach, sports areas, putt-putt golf, an RC racetrack, and several playgrounds. There’s also plenty of fun for big kids (adults) as well, including disc golf, horseshoes, and shuffleboard, and an adults-only pool and hot tub. The resort also has nature trails for strolling through the woods and watching for local wildlife, and an outdoor theater that shows movies on weekends that can be enjoyed from your own picnic blanket. The campground at Harbor Village features 200 tent and RV campsites so you can settle in just how you like. Tent campers can choose from modern sites with water and electricity, or more secluded, primitive sites for “roughing it.” RV and trailer sites are available with back-in and pull-through pads, all with hookups. Sites are available in wooded and open areas, and all are equipped with picnic tables and fire pits. Campground amenities include drinking water, bathhouses, laundry facilities, and recycling and dump stations. An onsite store sells groceries, ice, firewood, water toys, clothing and games. Dogs are permitted, but must remain leashed, and stay in designated areas. Seasonal campsite rates range from $28–$70/night; cabin rates $65–$190/night. If you want to double your fun at Harbour Village, plan your visit for one of their themed weekends. Pack your hats and boots for Cowboy Weekend, don your favorite Wisconsin sports team wear for Wisco Weekend, or come dressed as your favorite hero for Superhero Weekend—with a golf cart parade! For food and drink fun, plan to visit during Irish Fest or Oktoberfest. Join the festivities for Christmas in July, Summer Halloween, or the Pirate Pool Party Weekend. Come for scavenger hunts, craft sales, pet parades, community potlucks, and free, live entertainment. With so much fun to be enjoyed at Harbour Village, you may need to plan more than one vacation.
There are four canoe campsites available on the Wisconsin shore of the Menominee River. Signs with a canoe and tent symbol mark the campsites. These sites are for groups of six persons or less. On the Wisconsin side of the river, campsites are only available by reservation.
At each site there is a fire ring, a cleared spot to pitch a tent, benches and a primitive latrine. No non-designated island camping is permitted on Wisconsin islands in the river.
$16 / night
$10 / night
Ranger
Nice tent site with a lovely view of the lake. The beach area is nice for wading, but the water was a little chilly in June. The bathrooms are clean and the showers are free! The people at the front desk are friendly and helpful.
The only reason it is not 5 stars is because the tent sites were just lined up in a field. It wasn't bad, but made it a little less comfortable.
Ranger
Hike/bike in tent camping along the lake shore of Lake Michigan. Beautiful natural beaches with multiple parking areas for even just a day trip. The Door County Peninsula is full of activities and neat little shops/boutiques nearby. This is also a dark sky area with gatherings during lunar events without light pollution.
Scout
It was a clean, busy park. We had a nice shaded site along the woods great for tent camping. The bathrooms are kept up nicely, the only downfall of the trip was the rain and our leaky tent!!
Traveler
Tent camped here on may 30th. Very quiet with some sites right on the lake. About a 7 mile gravel road to get here from the main road.
GuideOn a last minute camping trip to Michigan, we were looking for places that didn't require reservations, so I felt very lucky and happy to find tent sites available at this campground on a Sunday afternoon. Nearly every spot for RV camping was occupied. Of the eight or so tent sites available, only two were occupied.
We were given our choice of tent site and settled on site 5 because it was the furthest from all other sites. The grass was solid enough to drive our car across, but there were several questionable spots of swamp we had to be careful to avoid. Site 5 sits next to the playground, which looks like it hasn't been maintained in years. The foliage around the lake was too tall for us to be able to see the lake from our tent and too thick, plus the swampiness of the land, to be able to walk through to access the lake.
A nearby boardwalk was damaged and blocked off to foot traffic. The paved drive within the camp site was where everyone seemed to be spending their time, riding bicycles or roller bladeing in circles.
Four or five showers are available on site, with separate flush toilets for men and women. Firewood was available for purchase, as well as ice and vending machines.
The showers were great to have. However, with no easy access to the lake, not much of a view, being very crowded and catered towards RVers, I would only stay here again if I had no other options, as a tent camper.
Traveler
This was one of the most beautiful campground tent sites ever. We had forget-me-nots on our site it was big enough for our extra large tent and we had the sound of frogs to serenade us at night.
Scout
The camp ground was under expansion when we went, which is good cause there weren't many open sites when we booked. The bathrooms were clean and the site was a good wooded tent site.
Ranger
This is in the middle of Door county, centrally located for exploring all Door County has to offer. We were tent camping and our site, I forget the number, as it was years ago, was perfect. Had shade for our tent, and sun as needed. Hung up our hammocks and read books as we listened to the waves crashing.
Guide
I wanted to give 2 out of 5 stars but felt that would be unfair since we only experienced one campsite area, South Nicollet area. Very crowded, basically all RV's with families, we were in ear shit of crying babies and dogs with small dog syndrome! If RV'ing is your thing, this might be 5 out of 5 but for tent camping it's incredibly loud and crowded. Virtually no privacy beside maybe a couple spots. I've heard Tennison bay campsites are more secluded? Maybe that's the way to go, so book in advance, and go for campsites in the outer circles of the areas! I'd recommend hitting up eagle trail early before it gets busy, very unique trail but bring ankle support lots of rocks. And rent a canoe/kayak lots of great views. I can def see coming back to PSP but only for a day pass. I'd pass on this one if you prefer tent camping.
Scout
The best new campsite in Door County! The campsites themselves are picturesque and they have amenities galore from power, to wifi, to even a great dog walk. Highly recommend to anyone looking for an RV or tent site and will definitely be coming back again!
GuideThe customer service at this campground is impeccable. Bathrooms are always amazingly clean. Small camp store has all the basics. Playground for kids. Campsite was very clean. Tent sites have lots of mosquitoes, so be prepared. Cabins and yurts also available to rent. Couldn't have asked for a better experience.
GuideI have stayed in this campground twice now and have loved it both times. The campground staff is super friendly. Location is beautiful. Bathrooms are great and always clean. Mosquitoes can be annoying in the more secluded tent sites. Get up in the middle of the night, the stars are amazing here! I will keep coming back here.
Scout
We had a change of plans at the last minute and were in a pinch to find somewhere to stay. We got the last tent site at Fish Creek Campground and we are so pleased with how our plan B turned out. Super clean campground with great amenities/convenient shop and the staff is wonderful. If you’re looking for a laid back place to sit by the fire you’d love it here!
Ranger
This is one of the nicest private campgrounds we’ve been to. There’s an abundance of sites to choose from - heavily to lightly wooded, pull thru, back-in, full or partial hookups, and tent sites are available. Although some sites are rather close together, the fact that they are so wooded makes it feel more like a state park. The facilities, although older, are clean and well kept. The location is central to most everything in Door County. We will definitely return when we come here next.
ScoutThee best camp ground ive been too to date!! The bathrooms are AMAZING compared to others, everything is new and well maintained. Theres a park, game room, adult lounge, amazing trails and all breed of dogs are welcomed! They have a dish washing area by the bathrooms and they make sure soap and cleaning supplies are there to use. We tent camped the first night but then a Yurt came up and we snagged that for the next 2 nights with the kiddos. Its fall so its wet out but the beauty of the surrounding area is something to enjoy while not at camp.
ScoutYou don't mind fireworks all the time and compressed camping with the people that use it for partying all night. There's pedophiles and meth cooks that take over part the grounds for a majority of the summer because it's free to camp. So BE MINDFUL OF YOUR CHILDREN (reason for the review)! You'll definitely get what you pay for in the upper peninsula and if you don't pay you'll hang out in a gypsy camp most likely. Tent camping is a bad idea (too noisy all hours). Otherwise when it's not like that there's decent fishing and water sports to do. If it's empty it's very nice.
Scout
Beautiful state park with plenty of activities for all ages. We booked a same-day campsite over the weekend in August. That in itself in Wisconsin almost deserves five stars. Absolutely stunning views with miles and miles of hiking and biking trails, surrounded by beautiful lake Michigan coast line. Activities such as golf, plays and musicals at a rustic amphitheater, lighthouse lookout, gorgeous skywalk and a nice beach with incredibly large portions of ice cream for the kiddos.
2 star loss goes against the overhead trees not being groomed for a class A, plenty of tree knocks and scratches getting in and out of the camping area and even the main road. All the amenities restricted RV parking so as we were leaving the grounds we could not enjoy new discoveries found.
I would give Peninsula state park a 4 because of the beauty and awesome amenities; maybe even a 5 if We were tent camping; however there was overwhelming evidence that our Class A was an after thought so a solid 3 is my final review.
Scout
Went here on July the 4th weekend. Because another site I had booked fell through after arriving. Nice spacious sites and relatively quiet. It’s mostly geared towards R.V. Campers though. You can tent camp if you want. But be warned of the R.V. Campers and generators. First two nights my girlfriend and I stayed. Everything was good. Then came the guy with the trailer next door. Nice trailer but crappy jobsite type generator. Definitely not what you want for a campsite. The first day we figured he was just using it to setup. The second day he ran the generator and was nowhere to be seen until 10 at night. He shut it off just before the campsite host showed up. But the camper himself was nowhere to be seen. Overall it’s nice and you do hear some traffic from across the bay. Not overwhelming though.
Scout
I have been coming here for 5 years. Every Year there is improvements made to increase the wonderful experience of camping and just when you think it cannot get any better they add a event or service to make it all more relaxing experience.
There are miles of ATV and Side x side trails down the road, We spend the whole day riding and never see it all and they are well groomed.
The fishing is great both from your kayak, boat or the shore line.
There are very clean porta johns, a large grassy area for play and volleyball court.
A large Children's play area .
The owners and fellow campers are always available to lend a hand and the area has much history especially across the border in and around Iron Mountain Michigan.
Swimming and the sound of children playing fills the air.
For those who want a more rustic experience there are tent sites that provide that.
I Highly recommend coming and enjoying the Tranquil Vista Experience and if your like me and my family and friends it will become your summer destination.
Ranger
This campground recently became a KOA. Our site was wooded and spacious, but difficult to maneuver into. We had a W/E site that had a nice fire pit and well placed hook ups. The best part about this campground is the pool area. There are 3 pools- 2 large full sized pools and one kiddie pool and splash pad. Can’t forget about the big water slide too! We enjoyed hours in the pool followed by dinner at the patio seating poolside. A bar/pub restaurant and a well stocked camp store. There are a lot of seasonal sites here, and I didn’t see the tent sites. If you want Door County nature, head to the state parks. If you want a home base with a pool and really nice bathrooms, this place is great. Lots of bike riding, beaches, towns, etc. within a 30 min drive.
LegendGeneral: 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.
Ranger
A friend and I went on a month long bike tour, and this campground was my favorite! The staff was friendly and helped us pick out the best spot for our tent. The bathrooms were brand new and very clean. Showering only costed a quarter for 6 minutes. It felt like they just charged so that the water wouldn't be left on for too long.
There were brand new laundry facilities too ($4 total to wash and dry -$2 wash, $2 dry) which is just what we needed on the bike tour. Our $25 tent site had an electric hook up. There was wifi and a camp shop. There is also a river to swim in with very cheap kayak, tube, and paddle board rentals. We were also informed that there was a pool and a basketball court near by.
Overall, it was a lovely experience and was well priced. I also noticed that they did an excellent job with ADA access when it came to the bathroom/laundry, camp store, and campsites.
LegendConvenient 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.
GuideWe have a timeshare and stay in Door County every year during the off season. We decided to camp during the summer to check out some of the places that are only open in the summer. Door County, WI is one of the most beautiful places. We tent camped (2 adults & 4 kids). The staff are extremely friendly, small store has all necessary items ($6 wood bundles, $3 ice bags). Bathrooms are very clean, flushing toilets and nice showers. Playground great for the 10yrs and under crowd. Basketball, pickleball, gaga ball etc. Fun place to stay. Four stars because the sites are a bit close together. In downtown Fish Creek they have some awesome food and shopping. Pelletiers Fish Boil ($21 for a whole meal, two meals fed our whole family). Not Licked Yet frozen custard is a great place for adults to relax and kids to play on their large playgroud. Lots of cute stores as well. Our stay was cut short due to repeated thunderstorms. Would love to go back and stay for longer!
Guide
This campground in Felch is a rustic campground, with two outhouses and a water pump for potable water that sits on Gene's Pond. It’s a gorgeous campground, with a boat ramp and fishing dock on the lake. We’ve camped here twice now, and love the remote location — it’s pretty far back in the woods and ideal for anyone who really wants that northern Michigan/remote experience. At night, you can sometimes hear wolves in the distance. We had the campground to ourselves the first time, and th second time there was only one other camper. We tent camped, and while the outhouses were clean, the one nearest our campsite was out of toilet paper. Luckily we had our own. There are only a handful of campsites. Maybe 12 or 15 total? And all of them are well shaded with good privacy, a picnic table, and a fire pit. The only downside to this campground is the horrid water. It comes from a cistern (I imagine) and has a hand pump. The water is awful. Cloudy and foul tasting, stale and full of minerals. The second time we camped there we made sure to bring our own water. The fishing was great in Gene's Pond. My hubby caught some bluegill in the lake that we cooked up for dinner. It’s really a beautiful spot, not far from Felch or Sagola for supplies, and near some great brook trout fishing on the Ford River. We'll definitely go back.
TravelerWe got our new Marmot Tungston 4P tent so I took the wife and kids on a quick weekend trip to J.W. Wells State Park campground in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to test it out. I found J.W. Wells by searching for waterfront camping along Lake Michigan. There are plenty of state and national parks along Lake Michigan but not many where you can pitch your tent right along the waters edge like J.W. Wells. It also happened to be the only site within 4 hours drive of Northbrook, IL (N. Suburb of Chicago) with such close proximity to the waters edge that I could find.
The site itself is tucked right along the Green Bay coastline about 1 hour drive north of Green Bay, Wisconsin. There is a main campground for tent and RV but we chose to stay at 1 of 3 rustic tent sites a little north of the main campground. The campground was well maintained with picnic tables for each site, firepit, and a nice well groomed plot of grass for us to pitch our tent and setup camp. The main campground has showers and a playground right in the middle.
The view from our site was majestic, especially watching the sun rise over the horizon of Lake Michigan. The sunrise was the pinnacle moment of this trip. And that's really the only reason why I gave it 3 stars. The campground itself and the views are incredible, it's just that there isn't much to do around these parts. There are a couple short trails for hiking or ATV's and the Cedar River about a mile north of the site which I assume has some fishing and boating, but that was about it. The only other activity we found was to drive 30 mins north to check the small harbor town of Escanaba. Really not much to see or do there either.
I probably wouldn't recommend this campground for families or persons looking for lots of activities or places to see and visit while camping. It's great for a simple quick getaway with a great view to just sit around camp and relax.
Guide
Washington Island is a fun family oriented island. There are beaches all around, a very unique limestone beach that only exists in a few parts of the world and several different activities geared towards families. Everything is on Island time, meaning, life seems to slow down. Chill, relax, lay in the sun on the beach, go for a swim, walk among the millions of lavender flowers, attend a church service on Sunday. Washington Island seems to have a little bit of everything, even some fossils!
The campground available to us was just ok. The showers seemed a long walk, there are pit toilets near the camping spots but if you want running water you have to go to the club-house. The "mini-golf" course was in disarray, the "playground" was old and falling apart, and a lot of the camp ground spots were right on top of the other so do your research before reserving a spot. We stayed in site 12 and it felt like it was a little more private and larger.
The weather was great at the end of Aug; not too hot and not chilly, very comfortable for tent camping. The Ferry ride over was an unforgettable experience that my 6 year old thoroughly enjoyed. I will say that we were able to pretty much do everything the Island has to offer in 3 days and I don't know if I can justify coming back here again, but we had fun slowing down and that's what matters.
Tent camping near Stephenson, Michigan offers a serene escape into nature, with beautiful landscapes and well-equipped sites for outdoor enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Stephenson, MI is Newport State Park Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 32 reviews.
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