Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and user-submitted reviews.
$30 / night
"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. "
"There is bike rental at Howl bike shop which is walking distance. Howl also has a brewery with outside seating. The camp ground itself is quiet and clean."
$25 - $35 / night
"Great campground with swimming hole & great access to Bayside for island ferry’s! Complaints: Park is located on the side of a hill—Spots are small but level, roads are all at a slope."
"The bathroom are spotless. Sites are big and well maintained. We camped in site 64. Would definitely recommend this campground if in the area!"
$4 - $20 / night
"If you are looking for real out door experience with no common amenities except running water this is the place for you. Enjoy amazing waterfalls, rugged camping and gorgeous lake Superior sunsets..."
"Great location, and has the basics for the camping. I was in site 44, and most of the sites in the "middle" were more of an open field with a couple of trees. "
"The bar & grill have a decent menu and the thin crust pizza was yummy."
"Very nice park with several new lots that are all grass with water and electric. Several lots are full hookup."
"There are many miles of trails that can be ridden on horseback. It is a very clean campground especially if you want a quiet place. Also spacious campsites."
"After driving up from Chicago, checking in, and then driving to Little Carp River Road, finally ready to hike at 4pm."
"Campsite LS-14 had a lovely location on the lake, but was very muddy/previously submerged with water. It immediately abuts site LS-13."
"We stayed at site 49, which was a short walk to the beach. Our boys, age 5 and 3, spent hours throwing rocks in the lake."
"Nice clean bathroom and great showers that have an extra DRY SPACE and a chair to change into fresh dry clothes.
Campground is well maintained, sites in the woods are spaced apart."
"this campground was nice, clean, decent size sites with pressurized water throughout the park, a few sites with nice Lake Superior view, is up on a ridge so can’t actually access water from the campground"
"This campground is one of the best in/near the Ottawa National Forest. Sites are large and there are lots of trees creating privacy. We loved the hiking trails surrounding the area!"
$15 - $20 / night
"It is less than a mile to Lake Michigan. We would stay there again if we were in the area."
"There is a trash dumpster here, and even a recycling bin, a nice surprise. There is potable water at the campground (per note at spigot water is safe to drink but will leave rust residue)."
GuideWe visited with our dog the first week of October to catch the fall colors. After driving up from Chicago, checking in, and then driving to Little Carp River Road, finally ready to hike at 4pm. Parking lot isn't huge and all sites were booked that weekend but we were able to snag a spot. We took the Little Carp River trail all the way to the site, which was easy to follow, a good bit of up and down but nothing too difficult. Reservation site says 2.3 miles, we did closer to 3.5 by the time we arrived. LC-7 and LC-6 are close to each other but far enough away that you have some privacy, couldn't hear the other party chatting. Fire wood in the area was sparse, everything was damp. Bear pole was tough to find, follow the trail past the site, then a stump, at the second huge tree on your left, turn to your right and climb the hill.
Site has a fire pit, logs to sit on and plenty of level space to pitch tents. It is right on the trail, so you may see some traffic. Good coverage from old growth trees, enough hills in the area to find privacy for squatting, and the river is easy to access. If I had to choose between LC-6 and LC-7, would pick 6, it's up higher and further from the trail.
We hiked back the next morning, went to Lake in the Clouds and then Ontonagon for lunch. Visited Squeeze on Main for food and beer, place is brand new, looks nice, price reasonable, food was ok. Then the bar a few doors down for more beer, they had a good selection.
Then we drove to the Pinkerton Trail head, limited parking on the side of the road, but room enough on the end for a few cars when we arrived. Pinkerton was a pleasant stroll through the woods, lots of boards, dead falls, and mud, and it's a gradual descent. Met up with the Superior Trail 3 miles in, then went left to LS-3.
LS-3 is everything we came for - right on the lake, plenty of firewood, ultimate in privacy since no other sites are within at least a half mile, perfectly level spot for the tent and a built-out fire pit area. Highly recommend.
ScoutThis a great rustic campground. If you are looking for real out door experience with no common amenities except running water this is the place for you. Enjoy amazing waterfalls, rugged camping and gorgeous lake Superior sunsets... About as perfect as it gets!
LegendThis 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.
GuideGreat location, and has the basics for the camping. I was in site 44, and most of the sites in the "middle" were more of an open field with a couple of trees. There were no real clear boundary lines . If you are looking for a little more shade or tree cover, book a perimeter site. This is also the first campsite I've been to where the fire pit didn't have a grill grate on part of it. There is water on site, but it is the hand pump style, so it would help to have a large open container to capture the water.
Cell service was really spot (can be a good thing when camping), and I wasn't able to pick up a lot of radio stations either. Still nice to enjoy the quite dark skies. Short walk down stairs to Lake Superior which offered some great sunset views.
Lots of great hiking trails, and close to a lot of other fun attractions. I would plan on coming back up here another time, and possible pick a different site after being here.
GuideThe first four days were five stars. The campground was mostly full of tents, pop ups, small trailers, and a few 5ers and Class As. The site was clean and groomed. Spacing is nice and provides some privacy. The location is secluded with an easy walk to a quiet stretch of Lake Superior shoreline. The waterfalls in the area are a don't miss attraction. For a longer day trip the State Park to the east was magnificent as was Copper Peak.
The last three nights were 1 star. A large open frame generator ran 24/7 the entire time. The "camper" said quiet hours were only for TVs and radios. The generator ran even while they left the campsite. The owner ignored all requests to honor the quiet hours and insulted anyone that asked. We were three campsites away and it interfered with our sleep.
There are no camp hosts, no cellar coverage, and the Rangers do not answer knocks on the door at their offices about 20 miles away. You are on your own.
GuideWe had a wonderful time at Lamb’s Resort on our way back from Thunder Bay! The owners were available for questions and our site was perfect! We stayed at site 49, which was a short walk to the beach. Our boys, age 5 and 3, spent hours throwing rocks in the lake.
Activities: walked along the rocky shore to the mouth of the Cross River stargazing at night while laying on the beach Schroeder Baking Company just outside the entrance for rolls or pizza when the weather was not good for cooking. Rented a canoe from Sawtooth Outfitters and took up to Fourmile lake for fishing Hiked Temperance River trails after a big rainstorm. When our kids get older, we will take them up Carlton Peak
Plusses: Tent campers and RVs are separate to minimize noise. Site was private and tucked in the corner. So many activities to do, no matter the weather. Although a hike from our site, the main bathrooms were clean.
opportunities: really the only issue for us was that there were no grills on the fire pits. We made due, but a slight inconvenience. RVs were close together, but didn’t matter for us. playground was a little shaky - could use an update.
ScoutThis is the best base camp for exploring the Apostle islands. It’s about a mile from Bayfield. There is bike rental at Howl bike shop which is walking distance. Howl also has a brewery with outside seating. The camp ground itself is quiet and clean. We didn’t go in the bathrooms or use the washers due to Covid. Owners are very accommodating.
GuideI did a 3 day/2 night hike during peak color, starting at the Lake Superior Trailhead. I was warned the Lake Superior trail was muddy when I checked in, and the ranger was not joking - I was grateful to have trekking poles to help balance on logs, branches, roots and rocks to try to keep my boots as dry as possible in the parts of the trail that were submerged.
Campsite LS-14 had a lovely location on the lake, but was very muddy/previously submerged with water. It immediately abuts site LS-13. There was a wooden platform to put my tent on, but I had to bolster the corners so that it was big enough for my tent poles to have something to rest on. If I had gotten in before dark, I might have seen the small area near the trail side of the site that had higher, dryer ground. There is supposed to be a bear pole for these sites, but the group at the other site said there wasn't one. In hindsight, I think there probably was, away from the campsites, but since I had a canister, I didn't go looking for it after dark. The Lake Superior trail continued to be muddy until you got close to the Big Carp River mouth.
Campsite BC-8 was a big upgrade - very large site, a little patch of open sky over the fire pit, easy access to the river for water. The big trees provided good shelter from a minor storm and high winds overnight. This site is right alongside the trail, but separated from the cabin and next site by a good distance. The hike out from here up the Big Carp River trail to Lake of the Clouds is a somewhat longer trek with a bit of elevation gain, but nothing too intense in my opinion.
RangerIf you're a person who loves waterfalls, then I recommend you don’t miss this campground. Presque Isle Campground is located at the southern edge of the Porcupine Mountains State Park in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This campground has bluff overlooking Lake Superior, there is a walkway and stairs that take you down the bluff to the shore. Walking distance from the campground is the Presque River you can hike along and see all the beautiful waterfalls this river has to offer. This is a Rustic campground that has vault toilets, and hand pump drinking water. The campground, restrooms and surrounding area’s were kept very clean. There are 50 campsites that are equipped for tents, trailers, and RV’s. Each site has a fire pit, and picnic table. There is no electrical hook up, and part of the campground is generator free. Six of the sites are walk in sites, there are parking spots for these sites, you park and walk in a little ways to your site. I recommend a site that is located on the outer sides of the campground loop. They are larger sites and more privacy from your neighbors. Inner loop sites are closer together and open. Be prepared for mosquitoes and blackflies. Blackflies bite, and bug spray does not affect them. I found keeping a hand towel or fly swatter moving around me helped keep them away. They are more active when it is humid, and down by the water. These flies seem to be common up here along the shore.
There are many things to do around the campground close to your site and others are a little bit of a drive from your site in the Porcupine Mountains State Park. If you like to stay close to your camp, you can hang out on the beach, hike along the Presque Isle River and discover the Manabezho Falls, Manido Falls, and the Nawadaha Falls. Also the Lake Superior Trail and North Country Trail are right by the campground. These trails will connect you with other trails in the Porcupine Mountains. The Porcupine Mountains have lot’s to offer anyone stopping to visit. We took and day and seen The Lake of the Clouds, and Summit Peak. They both are gorgeous areas to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Apostle Islands National Lakeshore?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is Apostle Islands Area RV park and Camping with a 4.3-star rating from 23 reviews.
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