Best RV Parks & Resorts near Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

A rare find - clean, level, large RV sites with full hook ups on the North Shore not filled with residents in all the good sites. Strict rules such as no early check in and no late check out. Tents and rvs also allowed in a section next to the highway with electric only. NOTE: no onsite dump station - if you do not stay in a full hookups site you must drive into the town of Silver Bay to use the city dump facility, which may be too awful to use, depending on how many used it first. ATV trails connect to this campground, so it is very popular with them. No one starts before the 8am quiet time end, so we enjoyed watching the different types pass by. A new security code locked bathhouse is clean and nice. We stayed during the Memorial Day weekend, and were pleasantly surprised at the well behaved and polite people here. I recommend this campground as a nice place to explore the North Shore from.

We booked this campground so we could spend some time exploring up north. The site we got had full hookups, a fire ring and a picnic table. Not super spacious but the place is clean and the people are friendly. The bar & grill have a decent menu and the thin crust pizza was yummy. Conveniently located on Hwy2 but you could hear truck traffic at your site... cell tower right next to the campground meant we had full service when needed. We would stay here again no doubt! I think the price for 30Amp full hook ups was about $35/nt

This is a  private campground that fills up quick.    It is 1 mile from Bayfield town center.  It is close to the ferry dock, restaurants, parks and beaches.  All sites are electric and water and some are full hook up.  There are cabins and tent sites as well.   The office/store is very clean and stocked with things you may need.  8 flavor ice creams on site!  There is a  dump station and picnic tables and fire rings at each site.   There is free wi-fi and a shower house, bathrooms and laundry.

Stayed here in September for a few days, and occupied site 1 and 2. Sites are  good sized and clean. Our two sites were great, but if I didn't care about being near the lake, I would look at the new sites they put in the wooded area. They were a little more "remote", The clientele mostly consisted of fisherman and bird hunters when I was here, so it seems to attract the more long term stays and not overnighters. The bathroom / shower combination is adequate and is reminiscent of my younger days at summer camp. They have some playground equipment both at the main loop and the wooded loop, this proved to be a lifesaver for my 4 year old. I also found, since this is further from town, it is very dark here and great for star gazing.

The campground was full when we pulled in at 6 pm but the hosts let us stay in an overflow area, right next to the lake. Lots of small rvs and tents, which we prefer to the big rv parks. It’s off the road but close to to town. We liked it a lot.

Campground Review

One of the things I love about Wisconsin is that there is a municipal campground in a lot of towns near major attractions. In this case, it’s Prentice Park in Ashland, WI, which is on Lake Superior and close to the Apostle Islands. If you come to the Apostle’s on a busy summer weekend, you may not find a place to camp. Ashland to the rescue. This is a fairly new, modern campground just off the the main drag, and a short hike (less than half a mile) to the beaches. There is a nice paved trail that takes you to the beach as well as around the wetlands in between. A short drive into town takes you to a cute downtown where you can see the murals painted on a dozen or so buildings depicting the history and people who have made this town. The campground itself has 9 or 10 tent only sites and about the same of RV/hookup sites, with most of the tent sites clustered on one side, the RV/Hookup sites in one group in the middle, and a few more spacious tent sites past that. Some tent sites are really large and set back from the road, with nice grassy areas for pitching the tent and a few trees for hammocks, and a few of the tent sites are very small, right on the road, and no room for more than a small tent, the picnic table, fire pit, and that’s it. There is one bathhouse that is new and very clean, with two all in one shower rooms (toilet, sink, and shower, very spacious) and what looked like two more standard bathrooms (they were locked the whole time I was there, and they are not coded like the shower rooms are). You will need to check in with the campground host in order to get the code for the shower rooms. One of the best features of this campground is the water. Yep, water. There is an artesian well in the day use area that pumps out the cleanest, tastiest water. Empty every vessel you have and fill up here! There is another artesian well house down on the beach and it was very busy with locals filling up.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally get to test products. On this trip, I fell in love. With Matador’s FlatPak Soap Bar Case. This little “dry bag” for a bar of soap is a total game changer. In the past I’ve always brought tubes of shower gel with me camping. It’s the only time I use shower gels as I am a bar soap kinda gal. The gel’s always seem to be a bit of a mess for me as the lids don’t stay closed, or water or gel leaks out, or there’s just not enough, and it always means a special trip to the store to get just this one item that I don’t have normally at home. This Soap Bar Case means I can bring my own bar of soap which I know will last a while and can easily find another at any store in the country. This dry bag lets the soap dry out while magically keeping soapy residue inside the bag.

Here’s what I LOVE about this case:

1. While compact in size, it can hold a standard bar of soap. No need to squirrel away a bunch of those icky hotel soaps that you end up abandoning after a single use.
2. Soap goes in wet, comes out dryer (but not dried out).
3. The fabric breathes, so the moisture evaporates out through the fabric, but doesn’t get anything around it wet, and the soap residue doesn’t pass through the membrane. Everything in my dopp kit stayed completely dry and soap free. Soap stays in, moisture goes out. Totally mess free!!
4. The dry bag closure is really simple to use. Just roll the bag down about three or four times and clip it closed. Simple.
5. This could easily be clipped to your backpack and it wouldn’t be in the way or flop around as it is so small.

There is only one thing I would want different:

1. I wish this came in other colors besides black. A bright red or marine yellow would make it easier to see in my dopp kit and would make a person less likely to forget it/leave behind.

This is a product I would happily buy for any of my camping buddies, and if/when Matador introduces the FlatPak Soap Bar Case in brighter colors, I will likely buy myself a second one. This would be great for taking to the gym as well as for kids going to summer camp or anywhere you want to get clean without getting soap on all of your gear.

This small - off the beaten path - campground is wonderful. It has all the amenities you would need of a large campground without all the commotion. It sits on the shore of Long Lake, allowing for fishing, swimming or relaxing with cocktails at sunset. It's just south of Copper Falls SP and just a tad further to Lake Superior, which makes the location great for hitting up all the attractions this area of the Northwoods has to offer. RV water/electric sites, tent and cabin options.

Campground Review:

This is the closest campground to Meyer’s Beach, the best launch site for anyone wishing to explore the mainland sea caves of the Apostle Islands. The campground has about 40 sites, with 6 tent only sites, a group camp area, and RV hookup sites. Most of the RV sites are pull thru. Pay showers, a free little library, and firewood is for sale. There are large bathrooms with changing stalls as well as toilets, so kayakers can get out of wet suits without having to balance to not fall in toilets. The group site is closest to the lake and great for groups of kayakers. However, there are not a lot of hammocking options for anyone except the RVers. The tent only sites are along a narrow alley between dense woods (no access to the woods), and very close together (absolutely no privacy). A big rainstorm proved the tent sites are not well draining either. The boat ramp and launch is large and well signed with the various usage fees posted. There is a large parking lot with a National Park Service kiosk/trailer that is manned during normal hours with rangers providing information about the Apostle Islands. Apostle Island campers can leave their cars in this lot while they kayak and camp on the various islands.There was some major construction going on in and around the boat launch and campgrounds, but it is not disruptive to your activities. The whole campground is only 15 minutes to the cute little town of Bayfield where you can find outfitters for various activities in the islands.

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt I get to test product from time to time. On this trip I got to test some Mountain House freeze dried meals. After a long day of kayaking the coast in the sea caves I barely had the energy to boil water, so I pulled out my single serve Rice and Chicken from Mountain House and made a quick and easy dinner by just boiling water. Now, this was my first time trying a freeze dried meal, so I doctored it from the get go with some mini bell peppers I had in the cooler. I actually think this meal would be just fine without adding the bell peppers, but a girl’s gotta have her veggies. Overall, I liked this meal and will keep a couple Mountain House meals in my gear tub for future camping trips. I also tried their New York Style Cheesecake Bites for dessert. I was intrigued by this as I wasn’t sure how dairy could be freeze dried, but it worked! Definitely got the graham cracker crust taste and a vague dairy/cheesecake flavor. I like the way they were portioned in little cubes, very convenient for eating out of the bag.

This campground is oriented towards RV’ers and boaters, the campsite has full RV hookups and is adjacent to a very nice marina for those who are looking for that. The campground is also run by and adjacent to the Red Cliff Casino Hotel, so that has pluses and minuses depending on how you feel about being so close to a hotel and casino. I think the campground overall is adequate but nothing real special in terms of a general camping experience, but it is close to Lake Superior, Apostle Islands, and Bayfield. One gem of a campsite is worth noting: site # 23 is tucked way back in the woods on its own inlet pretty well secluded from all the rest of the campground, I would really recommend it as a very special place for tent campers. Very peaceful, wooded and quiet, lots of bird and wildlife action, and a few nice spots for fishing. Another important thing to mention is that staying at the campground or visiting the marina or hotel restaurant helps support the Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe Indians, which is very worthwhile.

Most importantly, whether you stay at this campground or another near by, the campground is just south of an incredible outdoor opportunity: the chance to visit the new Frog Bay Tribal National Park, the first Indigenous National Park in the US. This park has been set aside by the Red Cliff Band to preserve an incredible segment of The Red Cliff peninsula that encompasses an amazingly beautiful and undisturbed old-growth cedar hemlock forest. As a biologist, I was thrilled to visit this very, very special place on earth, and I am grateful to the Red Cliff Band for their conservation and education efforts here. The quiet, the profound stillness of the forest, the rare plants and habitats, the beautiful trails are breathtaking. You can wander through on your own on several impeccably kept trails, and as you wander you will find guide posts pointing out plants of special cultural value along with their Ojibwe name. Even better, you can hire a Red Cliff Ojibwe naturalist to give you an informative guided tour to learn more about the natural and cultural landscape. You can also arrange for a guided tour to some of the Red Cliff sea caves that are off limits to the general public. These are must-do activities for curious adventurous naturalists. For more info on Frog Bay Tribal Park, check this link: http://redcliff-nsn.gov/divisions/TNRD/FBTNP.htm

This is a small lot for RV parking on the way to the scenic overlook. There’s a dump station and hose for fresh water down the hill. We stayed the night and ended up meeting another van couple and ate dinner together. If you stay, definitely recommend doing the City/Lake view trail at the top of the hill to learn a little bit about Silver Bay! The video I added is of the trail at the top.

Note: this is for the rustic sites only. Better spaces and facilities if you are camping in the RV park. 

Ok so this campground is really lacking compared to the Big Bay state park campground. One thing that stuck out for me is how close many of the sites are to the big (and busy) parking lot that was always filled to capacity in the summer months. 

If you are looking for privacy, you will need to move further from the bathroom shower house. The campground is situated on the bog rather than the island coast. Heavier bugs, less views, smaller sites. 

Showers are pay showers. Camp wood available for sale near shower facility. Hope you get there early enough for parking!  

Noise levels are a bit much during the day depending on the proximity to the bathroom and parking. Vaults are the most disgusting I have ever experienced.

This was a great little spot to stay for a couple days. As other reviewers have mentioned, it is in an open field and feels a little like a parking lot, but it was really quiet and right on the lake, so we found very little room for complaint! It was beautiful to watch the sunsets at night and walk along the beach looking for agates along the way. I would definitely return here. We were in an RV so had one of the large RV sites, but if you're a camper, you will love the sites right on the water - looked like a lot of room to spread out and was just enough away from the RVs that I don't think they would have been much of a bother.

Couple notes: water and electric provided, no sites have full hookups, though there is a dump on site. The showers were clean and hot. No wifi, but we had a pretty decent AT&T signal with our WeBoost. Firewood is provided at $5 p.bundle. No laundry.

The campground is located in a very nice small town and the water sites are amazing for sunrise. The campground has all the amenities you need; Full hookups, water, dump station, fire rings, and picnic tables. Tent sites were the most numerous, but there were several RVs. We saw everything from big RVs to motorcycles here. Things were clean but it was a super packed when we were there. You can't sit outside without getting to know your neighbors inner secrets! 

The view and access to water is what would bring us back.

On the outskirts of Finland, along the Baptism River, in the Finland National Forest. Just a few miles north of Eckbeck Campground, off of MN 1 & County Rd 6. Really nice wooded sites, some can accommodate big rigs. Level sites. Vault toilets. Trash bins. Some privacy between sites. I would recommend staying here overnight if the nearby state parks are full. I do not recommend staying here for peace & quiet. Noise from ATVs, a few with modified mufflers. Since there are no electric hookups, there is some noise from generators for the big RVs. What was really annoying was the noise from a bunch of drunk middle aged folks down at the group site on the night of Oct 8, 2021. I had my own drunken moments at parties, but their behavior was pathetic. Their loud voices carried throughout the campground, including some loud f-bombs. Vault toilets were just okay; not particularly clean but usable. IMO, $17 fee is too high for this particular campground. 4 bars T-Mobile.

Very nice park with several new lots that are all grass with water and electric. Several lots are full hookup. There is not a true dump station, only a spot near the bathroom that you can pull up to dump, but then you have to back out of it. I would not hesitate to stay here again.

This is a first come first served city campground, which is a good thing because each site is so different that it would be difficult to make a good choice in advance. Some sites are difficult/ impossible for RVs and some are fine. We are in a 26ft class c and felt really big- they have a 30ft max limit for RVs. Some (I believe 18& 19?) are grouped together so they would make a good choice for friends and family camping together. There are also some primitive tent walk-up sites.

Nice campground, $30/night, can pay online when you arrive. Good cell reception. Most, if not all, sites have 30 and 20 amp service. There are no water or sewer hookups here, and no dump station. No showers. There are a couple of trash dumpsters throughout the campground but no recycling. There are water spigots throughout the campground too (not for filling RV tanks, but for filling water jugs).

Easy walk to town, not quite a mile, and there is a sidewalk for most (not all) of the way. There are some nice walking paths around the campground, with benches positioned to view each of the Apostle Islands. 

Mosquitos were surprisingly not too bad here. We had a really pleasant and relaxing night’s stay here. The town of Bayfield is really cute and the ferry rides to the islands are a must.

Clean and easy. Pull through, full hookups, and a great view of the sky. Has a bar, and, gas/diesel. If your looking for a spot to ATV its