Established Camping
Rock Island State Park Campground
About
Access
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Hike-InBackcountry sites.
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonUnknown
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- Group
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
GuideSurprisingly quiet in spite of how small the island is
We did a quick one-night trip to Rock Island and stayed at one of the backpacking sites. It was fun to take the two ferries in to the island, and the campsite was a very short hike from the dock. We did a day hike around the whole island that afternoon/evening and departed the next day. I would not have wanted to stay for longer than the one night since the island is too small to permit much in the way of day hiking, but it was a fun destination for the short trip.
GuideGreat destination if you want to “escape”
I visited Rock Island on 8/12/23, during the peak Perseid meteor shower viewing period. Rock island SP is a dark sky spot and combine that with lesser people around, it was a perfect location for stargazing!
About the site(20): Very spacious but the distance btw the picnic table/tent and the fire ring was somewhat far. Can see the neighbors but far enough to maintain some privacy. A short walk to the beach! There are sites that are closer to the water (i think 26-28) and i would definitely stay in one of those sites next time.
Island in general: Like many people mentioned, there’s a water pump near the boat house and pit toilets scattered thru the campsites. Firewood are sold for $7/bundle during 4:30pm-5:30pm. Bring cash!!
One big no-no: SPIDERS. WHY SO MANY SPDIERS?!?!? spiders are crawling everywhere. Yeah the beach was so nice and didnt feel like I was in Wisconsin but there are COUNTLESS SPIDERS crawling on the beach. Why?!?!? So no to a picnic blanket, a camp chair is a MUST.
I was only there for one night to see the meteor shower but will definitely return to enjoy the island, check out the lighthouse and come fully prepared for some anti-spiders measures. There’s also a tour led by the ranger/friends of the Rock Island org (not sure which) and SUP/kayak rental as well.
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GuidePrivate sites and amazing views make this worth the trip!
Rock Island is an amazing gem in our state. It takes some extra work and planning to get to, but the reward is worth it.
We stayed at backpacking site B, which is a little over a mile from the ferry dock. This is where the flush toilets and water are, so prepare for your journey in
We passed the campground which seemed nice. There were several pit toilets and it’s right next to the beach.
Site B was amazing and one of my favorite sites I’ve stayed at. It was very private, large, and had some beautiful views. We thought site A would be close, but we couldn’t see or hear them.
The island gets very windy and cold at night. Be prepared and bring extra layers! On the plus side, bugs were very very minimal.
The ferrys are first come first serve. If you want to get on the first ferry, get down there early.
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Location
Rock Island State Park Campground is located in Wisconsin
Directions
Located north of Sturgeon Bay, take either Hwy 57 (less congested), or Hwy 42, to Northport (2 miles beyond Gill`s Rock). Take 1/2 hour ride on the Washington Island Ferry to Washington Island. Using the map printed inside of your ferry schedule, drive 9 miles across Washington Island (20 minutes) to the Rock Island parking lot, located at Jackson Harbor on Washington Island. Take the Rock Island Ferry to Rock Island. The Rock Island Ferry transports foot passengers only, no vehicles and beware of timing!
Address
1924 Indian Point Road
Washington Island, WI 54246
Coordinates
45.4096898 N
86.82727682 W