Best Tent Camping near Ellison Bay, WI

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.

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.

On a last minute camping trip to Michigan, we were looking for places that didn't require reservations, so I felt very lucky and happy to find tent sites available at this campground on a Sunday afternoon. Nearly every spot for RV camping was occupied. Of the eight or so tent sites available, only two were occupied. 

We were given our choice of tent site and settled on site 5 because it was the furthest from all other sites. The grass was solid enough to drive our car across, but there were several questionable spots of swamp we had to be careful to avoid. Site 5 sits next to the playground, which looks like it hasn't been maintained in years. The foliage around the lake was too tall for us to be able to see the lake from our tent and too thick, plus the swampiness of the land, to be able to walk through to access the lake. 

A nearby boardwalk was damaged and blocked off to foot traffic. The paved drive within the camp site was where everyone seemed to be spending their time, riding bicycles or roller bladeing in circles.

Four or five showers are available on site, with separate flush toilets for men and women. Firewood was available for purchase, as well as ice and vending machines. 

The showers were great to have. However, with no easy access to the lake, not much of a view, being very crowded and catered towards RVers, I would only stay here again if I had no other options, as a tent camper.

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.

Hikers rejoice. You’ll find the 16-17 rustic sites quite awesome at Newport State Park. Camp right next to the water even.

We hiked just after a 3” rainfall, so unfortunately the trails were washed out. But we made do.

It’s a beautiful park, and looks to be well kept. Close to Uncle Tom’s Candy Store and a short drive to Ellison Bay for supplies or a fish boil.

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.

This campground recently became a KOA. Our site was wooded and spacious, but difficult to maneuver into. We had a W/E site that had a nice fire pit and well placed hook ups. The best part about this campground is the pool area. There are 3 pools- 2 large full sized pools and one kiddie pool and splash pad. Can’t forget about the big water slide too! We enjoyed hours in the pool followed by dinner at the patio seating poolside. A bar/pub restaurant and a well stocked camp store. There are a lot of seasonal sites here, and I didn’t see the tent sites. If you want Door County nature, head to the state parks. If you want a home base with a pool and really nice bathrooms, this place is great. Lots of bike riding, beaches, towns, etc. within a 30 min drive.

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.

When we pulled into this campground we couldn’t believe how empty it was. Compared to all the other campgrounds we had been to in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and seeing as it was still the busy summer camping season we were shocked. We were wondering what was “wrong” but nothing really surfaced. It could just have been that we were there during the week and the weekend rush hadn’t come yet. 

There are 96 campsites that sit on 74 acres so there was plenty of room for us to walk our dog and not feel like we were going in circles. Campsites are the usual mix of pull thrus and back-ins, rustic tent and water/electric. None of the sites have sewer but some have 20/30/50 amp electric with water and others are rustic tent sites. The electric and water sites long enough for any size RV but leveling may be difficult in some of the sites (which are grass). Picnic tables and fire pits accompany every sites. Some sites have their fire pits located at the back of the sites which makes for a big line of fire pits which was kind of weird. There are some large pine trees that provide some shade but this is not a wooded campground by any means. 

For a county-run park there are plenty of amenities including WiFi which was slow and depends on where you are located in the park.  The showers and flush toilets were clean but a little on the old side. A store sells ice, firewood, soda, snacks and ice cream. There is a really nice picnic pavilion that would be great if you had a lot of people in your group. It is covered with a “kitchen” area and lots of picnic tables. Since the park is on the Escanaba River there is a boat launch (albeit not really suitable for large boats with deep draft) and you can fish from the bank. Disco golf fans will love the 27-hole course that winds through the woods and property. For the kids, a playground area is large with lots of things for them to climb and play on. 

The park is located off HWY 2 so access is easy but there is a bit of road noise. Plus, when we visited there was road construction going on that produced traffic backups and more noise. But the real problem is the train tracks that runs alongside the campground and seemed busy 24/7. It is not so bad in the front of the park but back where the tent section is must be pretty bad if you are in a tent.

Seriously, I've died and went to heaven…at least a heaven filled with Vikings, beer, grassy rooftops, a beautiful, freeways lined with flowers, and campsites with shower stalls that are better than yours. 

I feel that the description above, although precise, still does not describe the beauty of this place. Surrounded by small quaint towns, Peninsula State Park is nothing less than a Mecca for all sorts of camping enthusiasts. 

The grounds are manicured to a T with plenty of bathrooms AND shower stalls, 100s of camping sites, some of the best fire rings I've ever used, near a beach in Lake Michigan, and with plenty of activities. This location will certainly please even the most,"roughing it is not having room service" people. 

The outskirts of the park is lined with incredible vistas, beaches, and a golf course. Kayaking, horseback riding, and amazing hikes are some of the immediate activities. If that's not really your pace, you can head out to one of the many towns that surround the area and that will open up infinite possibilities, including:

1. Scuba diving

2. Cliff jumping

3. More hiking

4. Kayaking tours

5. Sailing and/or Parasailing 

Of course, after doing all of the above, you'll need to eat. Don't fret as this piece of heaven on earth has some of the best food on the planet, seriously! 

My number one recommendation is the Wickman House in Ellison Bay. Prices may vary BUT, my buddy and I had:

1. 1 Old Fashioned(each)

2. 1 bottle of wine

3. Oysters

4. Corn salad

5. Brisket

6. Dessert(the best I've ever had in a restaurant, Golden Beets Pannacotta, with cubed red beats, caramelized orange rinds and mint of the side) 

All of that costed us around$120, TOTAL. The place is open from 1700-2100, Friday through Monday. Please DO NOT wait and try to walk in. Get there between 1500-1600 and make a reservation for the night, trust me. 

Another fun spot is Fred and Fuzzy's. A bar on the edge of Lake Michigan serving great local foods and drinks. Oh, you want to make this fun? Okay…Go to the beach in Sister Bay, rent a kayak, and paddle there. It’s a quick trip, just make sure to go left when you get going. 

And this is all I can mustard. There are so many things to do here. One trip will not be enough to truly experience this amazing place. 

Pro tip: At a time of COVID, you can reserve a spot for around$700 and stay for a month…it's all about that telecommuting perk!