If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Ashland, look no further. The Dyrt helps you find campsites with tent camping near Ashland. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Rustic campsites (no water or electricity) have been established at Potato River Falls (5 sites), Foster Falls (1 site), Wren Falls (1 site), Shay’s Dam (1 site), and Spider Lake (1 site). Camping is allowed at these sites or set up camp anywhere in the County Forest for up to two weeks at no charge. Everyone is always welcome to explore the entire forest on foot.
Potato River Falls (Falls Rd. off of Hwy 169, Gurney) – 5 campsites, pavilion, outhouse, trails with stairs to viewing platforms (ATV access via routes)
$10 / night
Located on the Sioux River, a Class A steelhead trout stream, the park offers a spot for picnicking, wildlife viewing, hiking, bank and stream fishing, and primitive camping. Camping is on a first come, first served basis only.
Amenities Number of sites: 13 Pit toilet Hand pump Fees Non-electric campsite - $13 per day No monthly rates
$15 / night
A few miles north, experience Point Detour “Wilderness” Campground. Rustic camping surrounded by nature and located on an overlook of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands.
On a first come, first serve basis
No reservations required (but advised if it's a weekend or holiday)
Pay site fees at Legendary Waters Resort & Casino Hotel Front Desk
Campground Check-in: 12PM / Campground Check-out: 11am
Stay six nights, get the seventh night FREE! TENT: $25 For reservations or information, please contact the Hotel Front Desk at (800) 226-8478 Toll Free.
The showers are at the casino, not the campground (but they are FREE). You must book a "time" to take a shower with the casino front desk
$25 / night
Location: Approximately 0.5 miles southeast of LaPointe Lighthouse station on the northeast side of the island.
Amenities: picnic table, fire ring, food locker, stump privy, and tent area.
Access: Adequate beach landing for kayakers. Note, there may be areas of Long Island beaches that are closed due to piping plover nesting activity.
$15 / night
Access: Sites 1 - 4
To access campsites 1- 4 experienced kayakers may be able to land at this rock ledge on a calm day. Keep in mind that even on a calm day it is still a difficult area to navigate and land. A flight of approximently 15 steps leads from the rock ledge to the top of the bluff.
Basswood Site 1 Site 1
Location: South end of island, farthest site East in the clump for four sites. Amenities: vault toilet (for sites 1-4), picnic table, fire ring, tent pad, food locker. Access: experienced kayakers may be able to land at the rock ledge on a calm day. A flight of 15 steps leads from the rock ledge to the top of the bluff. All other boaters should land at the dock and hike in.
Basswood Site 2 Site 2
Location: south end of island Amenities: vault toilet (for sites 1-4), picnic table, fire ring, tent pad, food locker Access: experienced kayakers may be able to land at the rock ledge on a calm day. A flight of approximently 15 steps leads from the rock ledge to the top of the bluff. All other boaters should land at the dock and hike in.
Basswood Site 3 Site 3
Location: south end of island Amenities: vault toilet (for sites 1-4), picnic table, fire ring, tent pad, food locker Access: experienced kayakers may be able to land at the rock ledge on a calm day. A flight of approximently 15 steps leads from the rock ledge to the top of the bluff. All other boaters should land at the dock and hike in.
Basswood Site 4 Site 4
Location: South end of island, farthest site West in cluster of four sites. Amenities: vault toilet (for sites 1-4), picnic table, fire ring, tent pad, food locker. Access: experienced kayakers may be able to land at the rock ledge on a calm day. A flight of approximently 15 steps leads from the rock ledge to the top of the bluff. All other boaters should land at the dock and hike in.
$15 / night
Forested camping area. Group Site A
Location: 200 yards south of dock. Amenities: vault toilet, two picnic tables, fire ring, food locker. Access: The site is accessible by landing at the dock. Campers must carry gear up the hill to the site.
$30 / night
Traveler
We loved our stay here, just a bit colder than I was expecting and after coming across the US in June I was not dressed for the cold. We had warm stuff and were totally fine just something to think about. We camped at tent site #3 because we could park right next to our camp site. There are camping spots back in the woods a bit that you can park right next to but we wanted to be on the lake. The sunset was breathtaking, and we had fun picking stones. Be sure to bring your UV light for finding yooper lights.
We lost cell service on the way there and got a bit nervous, taking screen shots of the map but there is service there.
We camped in a tent without 2 dogs and young toddler and had a great time.
Guide
Tent camp sites not too close. The view of Lake Superior was stunning. If you want to get to the Lake it is a hike down and then only a view and not up close. The hike to the falls was a short walk with fantastic views. The North Shore has so many places to visit.
ScoutLoved the view. We had a lakeside tent site. Campsites aren’t that spread out. We had a good amount of space but we could easily hear the neighbors and was annoying late at night. There are some outhouses and ADA restrooms/showers. We were 15 minutes from Meyer’s Beach, which was great. Lakeside tent sites are right by the beach. Beach was rocky - bring a pair of crocs or similar shoe if you’re sensitive to the rocks and branches in the sand. Water was cool and felt great!
TravelerVery beautiful place right on Lake Superior. The tent sites are right along the beach. Small and remote. Beautiful hiking locations close by.
Scout
Lovely spot on the Namekagan River. 3 established tent sites 1 is more secluded than the others. Pit toilets. A little road noise from nearby highway.
Traveler
Been there twice in the last few years. Last time, in late Sept, we had the place to ourselves. It was peaceful and lovely. This time (mid Sept) and it was a friggin zoo. The place was packed with large RVs, several of which had drunken, stupidly loud hooting and hollering yahoos taking it into the night. There is a separate tent camping area that is isolated from the main area by some trees but unfortunately not enough to block the noise. The tent camping sites are not isolated from each other-just a long strip of lawn with about 6 sites or so.
Nice supply of quality firewood and pay to spray shower (closed this year probably due to the pandemic). There is a nice, new modern bathroom facility for the Little Sand Bay park right next to the campgrounds.
Scout
Found this gem of a campground while passing thru this area.
Nice quiet campground. This campground seemed to be mostly filled with RVs. We were tent camping and they had a well shaded,very clean and quiet area for us.
The owners were quick to return our phone call when trying to make a reservation.
Very friendly owners!
ScoutGreat campground with tent sites next to the beach. RV sites are small and close together. Both 30 & 50 amp service for RV's. First come first serve for all sites. Can be very crowded in July and August. I recommend this campground if you like great views of Lake Superior.
Ranger
Pretty rolling hills and water in leaf peeping season. Amazing trails out on the peninsula and throughout the park. Lots of birds and critters. Tent sites are very wooded. No one else was here when I was in October. Obey bear rules! Didn’t see any porcupines or mountains despite the park name!
Legend
For folks with RVs who want a camping spot close to the city of Ashland, this is a convenient spot close to the lake. NOTE however that reserving a campsite solely for tent camping is prohibited! Tents are only allowed at sites where the main occupants is an RV and tents for kids or extra guests are allowed. The park is well maintained and family oriented, with all the amenities RVers might want, and it is located right between a bay on the lake and the city center. Ashland itself has a lot to offer, as does the whole area with its fruit orchards, artisan studios, outdoor recreation opportunities, local festivals and more. Stop off at the Ashland-Great Lakes Visitor Center west of town to get the scoop on all the activities and exploring you can do https://www.nglvc.org The downside to this campground is a lack of trees and privacy between sites, which doesnt appeal to me, and the fact that a major construction project is currently going on adjacent to the park, so be prepared for the unsightliness of the worksite along with noise during regular working hours. The park is a great launchpoint for boating and kayaking though (you can bring your own or rent locally) and the water access and public landing is great. For folks who bring their dogs but occasionally want to do local events without Fido, there are some nice local dogsitters available through Rover.com, one I highly recommend is Judy who is located near the campground and often dogsits while folks go out on an afternoon kayaking or to a concert or something. So, this is a good all around spot to camp at with RV’s if exploring Ashland and vicinity
Traveler
The camp ground is off 169 south. It is very small maybe 5 sites No power and did not see water and there is one vault toilet Perfect for tent camping but not for big trailers. Easy walk to the upper Falls. Quite and pretty clean some trash in the fire pits but that would be my only complaint. I would stay again but would worry it would fill up fast on the weekends.
LegendCamped here July 5th on our way South from Lake Superior and it was empty. Camped right along Lake Superior, practically the entire sandy beach to ourselves. Though close to the road and open, secluded, wooded tent sites and open. Even spots are also available. Cute place in an even cuter town. Excellent spot and would stay again if timing were right.
Legend
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:
There is only one thing I would want different:
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.
Guide
Big Bay State Park is a perfect place for your summer vacation. You can camp with a tent or RV at Big Bay State Park. Don’t forget to look at the cost of the ferry over if you’re bringing your RV. It can get expensive depending on length, but still a better deal than renting an air bnb. Easy walking trails and cliffs to jump off. There are a lot of fun places to visit on the island. Definitely recommend bringing a car if you’re planning to tent camp, the park is far from town.
RangerNot much privacy with these campsites (or shade if you have one right on the lake) but the view is worth it to us! Boat landing is about a 10 minute drive down a gravel road, but it’s a nice area! There are tent sites on the side road that provide shad and some privacy as well. All sites and first-come (no reservations)
ScoutTent “lakeside” site is an open court yard setting which is a little strange. All sites can face The lake. Try and avoid the other tent sites as they are behind fish house in the woods. Those sites are still less than 2 minute walk to lake. Showers are 2 dollars for 8 minutes. Great location for apostle island kayak tours or starting point.
One bogus item or plus item.
County ran so some people pull up and bandant camp.
LegendThis is just outside of Ashland so you have access to supply runs. The campground felt like a park that blends into a camping area. We saw some nice walk in tenting sites. The rest are standard sites. The location is just off route 2 so it’s convenient when traveling through this area. We drove over to the beach to enjoy a lunch picnic. Even though it is alongside the highway it was a popular place to be. This is a bit too centrally located for us but others may love the closeness to town.
TravelerThe staff is incredibly friendly and helpful for starters. Also, the campground is gorgeous and there are a wide variety of sites suitable for trailer or tent camping including some walk-in sites that are very private. There are plenty of trees to shade you from the morning sun. The campground is located right on the shore of Lake Superior so each night prepare yourself for the most beautiful sunset you’ll ever witness. You’re also located near plenty of trails that lead to water falls.
ScoutWe tried it on the way to the UP of Michigan and came back the same route for two more nights. If you are a water lover, you’ll love the easy access to the water and walkable beach. 12 Reservable campsites online. Tent camping and electrical camping on water, and dry camping in the back woods first come first serve. Camp hosts are nice. Picnic table and fire ring included. Wood bundles $5 for a lot of wood. Laundry, separate bathrooms from shower trailer. Faucets in shower were odd. Definitely would stay again.
ScoutThis campground has a marina and a beach right on Lake Superior. We went in mid September and it was pretty empty. There were about 10 tent only sites and there were campers at only 1 of the other tent sites and they were there only 1 night. I think if it was busy it might feel too crowded because the sites are very close. You had to pay 2 dollars for the showers but the water was hot and you got a good amount of time. The bathrooms were clean.
ScoutThis is one of my favorite campgrounds. If your looking for a place to camp on the shore of Lake Superior, then this is your place. Nothing beats the sunsets!
They recently have gotten showers and a place to wash dishes.
From my experience if you want a tent site on the lake and not in the woods, you need to get there early Friday or go during the week.
Bring food with you, the nearest store is 7 miles away in Cornucopia.
Legend
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.
Legend
for short stay RV campers or seasonal campers, this might be a campground of interest due to its proximity to the Bay as well as into the town of Washburn. However, I am reviewing this from the perspective of a tent camper, and this campground proides bathrooms and menities etc, but this is not a reall desireable location for tent camping. Few trees, small campsites, close together, no privacy. The waterfront area needs a bit of work and maintanence too, in rough shape due to shoreline flooding. It would be more than adequate to stay here if nothing lse in the area is avaialble, or would be a decent place to stay overnight before launching out into the Apostle Islands, but not the best place as a destination camping area for tent campers.
Legend
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.
LegendWe had a very difficult time finding a place to camp for the night traveling from MN back to GA. We found this place and I’m so glad we stayed here. We got a site with water and electric to plug in our teardrop trailer. We really wanted to tent camp so we pitched our tent and started a fire.
The camp host was quick to respond whenever we needed something (we just needed some firewood and had questions about the restrooms Before making a reservation) and even though the restrooms were closed for covid, they did provide a port-a-potty for campers.
This place was quiet and peaceful and left me well rested. I wish this wasn’t a pit stop and I could’ve stayed for a few days! I’ll be back!
ScoutGreat location, few spots so first come first serve. $35.00 a day, water and electricity, also tent sites. A nice park for family away from the camping grounds, but close enough. We came up on Thursday evening from Baraboo, got there in the evening. Found our spot right away and it was GREAT for us and our dog. This was our second outing in our RV. We were close enough to Lake Superior you could walk there. The dumping station is at another park not far away. We decided to come to this site because we wanted to see our new puppy, a basset hound. We will visit again!
LegendRight on Lake Superior! The campground name was a bit confusing as it is also called The Town of Clover Campground, but most of the signage seems to say Herbster Campground, so that is what we will go with. The RV campground section is up front on a large lot with views of the lake (if you are in the front row). Across the street are a few tent sites right on the beach, as well as a few on the main campground side of the street. There is a nice loop going back into the woods that has most of the tent/small trailer sites. You get your pick- sand flies on the beach or skeeters in the woods. The campground overall is well maintained and very private- everything was well mowed to keep bugs down, and the sites in the woods were well spaced so that most sites are out of sight from each other. The shower house is in a newer shower trailer- sounds weird, but they were actually very nice and obviously cleaned daily. There was a sink station outside the shower trailer for cleaning dishes. I think I saw a fish cleaning station too. Most tent sites seemed to have electric (bonus!) and all had picnic tables and fire rings. They are pretty strict about firewood- it must be local! They have some wood for sale but also had recommendations for where to purchase nearby. This is a first come first serve campground that doesn’t take reservations, which is nice so close to the busy Apostle Islands. This is the place to come as it is much quieter than some of the campgrounds closer to the Islands. There is a boat launch about 5 minutes away that is reasonably priced if you have your own boat for exploring the islands/sea caves.
Tent camping near Ashland, Wisconsin, offers a blend of serene nature and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Ashland, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ashland, WI is Potato River Falls Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 9 reviews.
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