Best Tent Camping near Baileys Harbor, WI

Completly wooded camping through out the campground. Kid and pet friendly including a very fun playground. It is located within a 2 to 5 minute drive from Baileys Harbor on Lake Michigan. Plenty to do in the area including swimming in Lake Michigan, kangaroo lake along with beautiful hiking, shopping, kayaking, the list goes on!

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!!

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.

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.

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.

We were tent camping and stayed on a rustic site. Although we were 205 and it was fine, I would choose 212 and that area next time. $22 night for a rustic site; $34 for reserved with hook-ups. Plenty of clean shower and bathroom facilities and nice laundry

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.

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!

The 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.

The tent sites are a great size and semi private (you can have a conversation and not be heard at other sites). The bathroom and showers are decent and cleaned daily around 6 am. There are reservable and walk-in sites. The sites also have extra parking across from them.

There is a lot to do for kids a great play area, swimming, fishing, boating etc. There are hiking trails but not a lot.

The couple I went with had issues with the site next to them ( loud inappropriate language and using drugs) the rangers responded quickly and efficiently!

I have been there summer and late spring.

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.

We 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!

We 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.

We absolutely love this campground and it is our first pick when it comes to staying in Door County. It is in the middle of the Door Peninsula and just minutes from anything that you would be interested in doing, including catching amazing sunrises from downtown Bailey's Harbor (Just a short 1.2 mile walk away)! Main road in front of campground is not busy and its very easy to run or walk on without really having to worry about cars.

The campground itself is small (.6 miles of roads if you walk every road in the campground), but the spaces are large with decent space between sites. The entire campground is in the woods, so each site is completely wooded. All roads and campsites are gravel, there is very little grass. If you are looking for grass to play on, they do have a large mowed area in along the road that is perfect. There is also a small playground for kids. Our children have a lot of fun on the playground and just running around our campsite. We don't need a pool, because there is an amazing public beach 5 minutes away in Bailey's Harbor. Other than the playground and very small camp store, there are no other amenities in the campground, but you don't really miss them because there is so much to do around Door County.

There are tent only sites, pull through sites, and sites that will accommodate popup campers up to large pull behind campers. Seasonal sites are interspersed throughout the campground. All seasonal campers that we have met are very friendly. There are two bathroom buildings that have showers, one at the front of the campground and one at the back (which also houses 1 washer and 1 dryer). Bathrooms and showers have always been very clean. There are also porta potties by the tent only camping sites. There are also charging stations by the porta potties, since the tent only sites do not have electricity. Tents are allowed on electric only and water and electric sites. Owners are very accommodating and will allow you to put a camper and tent on the same site also. If needed, there are also sites which allow you to hook up to the septic system or you can drain your tank when you leave.

Campground is dog friendly if your dog is on leash. They do sell firewood for $15 per wheelbarrow full (you fill, so you can get your money's worth on firewood if you stack it right). They do also allow you to bring in your own firewood. Owners allow campers to put charges for firewood and things bought in the store to be put on a tab that you can then close when you check out.

This campground does not fill up too quickly. Depending on the time of year, you don't need much advance notice to book a site. If you would like to book for cherry season they recommended calling 4-6 weeks in advance. Otherwise I generally reserve a few weeks before arrival. They do provide a campground map on their website, so you can look ahead and choose your site. If you want one of the larger sites (pull through ones), I would suggest calling sooner rather than later because it sounds like those fill up faster.

This is the best place to camp in Wisconsin if you’re looking for a mix of outdoor adventure and touristy activities like drive in theaters and wine tastings. The site we stayed at was a 1.5 mile hike in. You could definitely bring a mountain bike to make the trip to and from your campsite faster but we enjoyed the hike. I’ve been for 2 separate 3-day trips and never once saw another camper. The sites are far enough apart to feel like no one else is around. Enjoy the best that Wisconsin has to offer!

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Well compared to the human petting zoo and three ring circus at Peninsula State Park, and by not settling and pressing on, I found what I consider to be the perfect park. Newport State Park in Elison Bay, WI is secluded, pristine and quiet with just a handful of primitive campsites all on the lakeshore with 30 miles of ungroomed, heavily wooded trails which abound with wildlife (kinda, not really).

There is a stretch of open beach with lots of shoreline and a ranger station unmanned with self-registration. There were only two campsites available for one night only so I went with lucky 13 because it was remote, not near any other campsites and on the rocky cedar grove crowded with rocky shoreline.

It was a four mile loop to backpack to the campsite on Rowley's Bay Trail. I had been walking everyday for weeks leading up to this trip to strengthen my legs and toughen up my feet. The preparation worked as I performed very well even for a fat old guy. My feet are meat.

When you backpack in and out you are thinking about what you need and what will fit in the pack. Efficiency is key unless in this instance you forget to pack a few sheets of toliet paper (luckily I didn't need it). I was able to fit a sleeping bag, Luke's green Northface Nebula Strata tent, Mary's green "tights", Joey's Hulk pillow and blanket, a Pink Floyd shirt from Walmart for the irony, waterproof matches, a hatchet for protection, two cuties, four bottles of water and a bag of trail mix.

More to come.....

Ok, I'm back. I had to find Wifi and a place to charge my phone because my charger in the car is really slow for some reason. I thought going back to Al Johson's Swedish Restaurant and Butik was as good as any other place and I learned a few things from the staff and more experienced patrons while I was there charging my phone. I also ate a proper breakfast for the first time in a long time - it was damned good.

Al Johnson opened his restaurant 70 years ago and ran it up until his passing a few years ago. He rode his bike to work and waited tables, cooked, wiped down tables, hosted and even fed the goats.

There are a total of five goats and they get on the roof using a ramp in the back of the restaurant; there are also two webcams on the roof in caae you want to watch goats graze on a Swedish grass roof top 24/7 or check the weather.

http://www.aljohnsons.com/goat-cam/

The restaurant is packed everyday from open to close, year round. Butik is a Swedish word for the French word "boutique" or small shop. Some of the staff are actually fron Sweden. Swedish meatballs sound relatively easy to make given the simplicity of the ingredients (100% beef, onions, milk, salt and pepper) and they are even more delicious if you haven't eaten anything but fruit and trail mix for days.

Next up, the Washington Island Ferry and staying the night on the island before catching the Rock Island Ferry (the Karfi) tomorrow morning.

Newport State Park is a 2,373-acre Wisconsin state park at the tip of Door Peninsula near Ellison Bay, Wisconsin. Protecting 11 miles of shoreline on Lake Michigan, Newport is Wisconsin's only wilderness-designated state park. In 2017, the International Dark-Sky Association named Newport a Dark-sky preserve.

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Newport State Park, WI continued... I packed my hatchet for protection and from my tent I shouted into the darkness, "I got a gun you son of a bitch!"

With my backpack packed and feeling a little anxious, as if I was up for the two hour hike to campsite 13, it was at the Rowley's Bay Trailhead that I noticed that my phone battery was dead which meant no pictures and no measure of time. Oh well. I didn't see any wildlife along the hike but I did notice a sign for that invasive flowered plant, Garlic Mustard, that I saw at Big Knob Campground in MI (UP).

I reached the shoreline and the cedar groves crowding the rocky shore rivaled those of the ones I've seen at Rock Island. It was only a few more paces until I got to campsite 13. It was tucked away in the woods with a fire pit, two wood benches, two flat areas for tents and a metal animal box to protect food. It was perfect, or so I thought - the plot thickens.

I set up the tent and went to the shoreline to relax in the sun. The view looked east over Rowley's Bay and there were no waves; just ripples lapping up on the rocks. With no concept of time, I sat there until the sun passed over me to the right (west) and I figured it was getting close to dusk and enjoyed the golden hour.

I thought about all sorts of stuff and recognized how noisy my mind was even in such a quiet and tranquil setting. On these solo trips you can cover a lot of ground seeing stuff and you can talk to yourself out loud and disagree most of the time with what you are saying. But I never really win that many arguments with myself, so I did what I always do - walk around, eat and sleep.

I ate half the bag of trail mix and drank two bottles of water saving the rest and the two cuties for tomorrow. I turned in early without using those cool waterproof matches and opted not to make a fire.

I fell a sleep quickly to the sounds of the ripples and in the middle of the night I was startled and woke in a panic. I heard something or someone stalking around the tent. Was it an animal, a ranger, a serial killer, my ex-wife, or worse both my ex-wives or the creepy guy that I met in the parking lot at the trailhead? My mind was racing and I grabbed the hatchet that I always keep in the tent under my pillow for moments exactly like this one.

I must have stayed motionless for 30 minutes running through all the horific scenarios in my head and debated with myself what would be my first move. I definitely did not imagine the foot steps and I was now prepared to seriously fight.

I chose to stay in the tent and maintain a defensive position but I thought I should send a warning. I gripped the hatchet and from my tent I shouted into the darkness "I got a gun you son of a bitch!". There was nothing but silence, however, I could still hear the footsteps pacing further from the tent now but definitely still on the campsite.

I continued to think of my options but leaving the tent to confront the threat was an unnecessary risk. I laid motionless in complete silence with the hatchet in my hand until I fell a sleep.

When I woke up to the sound of the now familiar ripples it was early morning, the hatchet was still in my hand and I was alive. The hatchet is a gun? It's the same thing to me if it scares off a threatening son of a bitch or a imposing walking tree.

I really was scared...

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.