Best Tent Camping near Bayfield, WI

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.

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.

Stockton Island is one of about a dozen islands in the Apostle Islands archipelago. The Apostle Islands are managed as a national lakeshore by the National Park Service. Access to the islands is by water shuttle https://www.apostleisland.com/shuttles-camping/ or via your own watercraft. The islands are famous for a wilderness experience in a pristine part of Lake Superior offshore from Bayfield Wisconsin. Camping and kayaking in the islands is a spectacular experience. The season is short, from late June to Labor Day; traversing the lake lake is too unpredictable after that! We went in June and had a fabulous experience. Lots of sun, no bugs, gentle breezes, perfect temps in the 60’s. The water shuttle drops you passengers at a large dock in a natural harbor on the southeast side of Stockton Island. A short walk from the landing brings you to the Island’s ranger station and visitor center for an orientation and an intro to the island. A stellar handicapped accessible platform campsite is adjacent to the ranger station, the best and most accessible I’ve ever seen and would be perfect for a family member of mine with special needs and mobility issues. It would be completely do-able for folks camping with someone in a wheel chair, thank you NPS for your efforts! Additional walkin campsites are spread out further down the shore, under magnificent trees, along the sandy shore, with plenty of seclusion and a great rustic experience. Tent camping only, of course. No vehicles on the island! Lots of hiking, kayaking, nature watching and more, even swimming if you can brave the cold Superior temps. Be prepared with all the supplies you need for your stay as the water shuttle only comes to the island a few days a week and once you are there, you are there for the duration, no store or anything on the island. Coming here is a real adventure!

This 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.

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.

This is a private campground located a few miles south of Bayfield. It is oriented towards RV camping but also has tent sites. It is very family friendly with play areas, small store with necessities and snacks. It would be particularly good for families or groups of events who are attending summer events (lectures, concerts, workshops) at the nearby Chatauqua Event grounds; in fact, the campground has a designated Chatauqua shuttle stop stop so you dont have to deal with traffic and parking. It is convenient to the town of Bayfield too, so you could easily do a variety if day trips in the area. The RV campsite loop is a bit open with only small trees and not much privacy between, but many RV campers like that for socializing and interacting with neighbors. There is a quieter shady loop towards the back of the campground that tent campers and others who want more peace and quiet might prefer. Note: you should call ahead to make reservations as spots fill quickly especially in Chatauqua season. More importantly, note that the entrance and office close by 6pm and NO ONE who is not already registered is allowed in, no late arrivals!

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!

We camped in a cart-in site, with privacy and a beautiful view of Lake Superior. It is a splendid place for tent camping.

The MN Historical Society runs the tours and manages a visitor center for the lighthouse. Go up in the lighthouse and look around the lighthouse keepers home from a hundred years ago.

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!

Tent “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.

The 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.

This 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.

We liked the easy drive through sites with full hookup.  The campsites were tiered into the hill.  This helped sound proof the campsites.  There was a large group a few sites down from us that we didn't hear until we walked past their site.  Some sites also had a view overlooking the pond and Lake Superior.  We could see the full moon reflecting off of Lake Superior.  Our site did not have this view but we saw it on a walk in the campground.  The unique looking cabins were on the pond and looked to be very convenient for families with children who want to be in the water most of the time.  We loved all the amenities of Water, Sewer, Electric and WiFi.   We loved the close access to Bayfield and the water excursions we took from Bayfield.  One of the highlights for our group was the excellent golf course close to the campground.  I gave my review a 4 star because the day we were leaving the campsites lost water pressure and had no water to get ready to leave.  I believe the owners will be addressing this problem.  They were working on it while we were there.

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.

We 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!