Door County's peninsula extends 70 miles into Lake Michigan with Ephraim positioned midway on the Green Bay shore at an elevation of 630 feet. Camping options near Ephraim range from established rv parks with full amenities to rustic tent sites with limited services. Winter temperatures average 10°F while summer highs typically reach 75-80°F.
What to do
Explore Peninsula State Park: Located near Wagon Trail Campground, the park offers miles of hiking trails just 5 minutes from your campsite. "You can bring your gear and hike the trails just 5 minutes away at the state park," notes a camper who appreciated the convenient access.
Visit local orchards: Cherry orchards dot the peninsula with one directly adjacent to Hy-Land Court RV Park. "Just north of sister bay and right next door to a cherry orchard this campground was great!" reports a visitor who found the location ideal for exploring local agriculture.
Watch lakeside sunsets: Lake Michigan offers spectacular evening views. "3 min driving distance to the lake where you can enjoy beautiful sunsets," mentions one camper about Hy-Land Court RV Park, highlighting how close water access is from camping areas.
What campers like
Privacy between sites: Many campgrounds feature wooded separation between campsites. At Rustic Timbers Door County Camping, "I was surprised that each site is pretty wooded making you feel like you don't have neighbors. The surrounding area is just expansive farmlands which is beautiful to look at when walking the dog in the morning."
Clean facilities: Bathroom cleanliness stands out at several rv parks in Ephraim, Wisconsin. "The toilets and showers were just spotless and so clean. That was honestly such a pleasant and welcomed surprise," reports one camper at Rustic Timbers.
Central location: Positioned midway along the peninsula makes Ephraim-area campgrounds convenient for exploring. "They are uniquely situated just outside of Egg Harbor, with plenty of the local attractions within minutes of the park. Trolley Tours, Local Farmer's Markets, Local Wineries, and many other attractions are close by," notes a visitor at HTR Door County.
What you should know
Reservation timing: Summer and fall require advance planning. "We showed up late Friday due to some issues with our pop up. The lady called and asked when we were arriving that was so nice," shared a camper at Tranquil Timbers, highlighting the importance of communication with campground staff.
Site variations: Site quality and spacing can vary dramatically within the same campground. "We stayed in a pull through full hookup 30amp site with our Class C in the fall, and the leaves were beautiful. This campground is very convenient to many of the places in Door County for visitors so we loved the convenience."
Pet policies: Rules for pets vary between campgrounds. "Tranquil Timbers advertises pet friendly but they ARE NOT pet friendly. If your dog makes any kind of noise whatsoever, they are NOT welcome. Motorcycles and noisy kids however, park approved!"
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Several campgrounds feature multiple play areas for different ages. "They have fun kid things but you have to pay extra to use them. They have a free playground (old school looking, lots of metal haha) that my kids had a lot of fun on so that's good."
Evening entertainment: Some rv parks near Ephraim offer organized activities after dark. "They had a live band all day Saturday until 9:15 and it made it difficult to get our 4 year old to nap/go to bed even with 2 sound soother on high and a fan running but I will say the band looked fun!"
Swimming options: Pools provide recreation when lake temperatures are too cold for swimming. At Wagon Trail Campground, visitors appreciate "the playground, the game room, lounge and yoga in the morning. The staff are all friendly and friendly helpful."
Tips from RVers
Site selection: For larger rigs, look for specific site sections. "We were assigned site 339 and in our opinion lucked out with the best site possible in our category. We were nicely surrounded by woods with minimal visibility of our neighbors."
Hookup variations: Electric service ranges from 30-50 amp depending on campground. "The space we had is large, it would fit any RV. We will come back," notes a camper who appreciated the spaciousness at Rustic Timbers.
Surface considerations: Most sites feature gravel rather than grass. "My only complaint is that with dogs it would have been nice to have some grass the entire site was gravel to the tree line. We had to take our dogs to the field for potty as they refused to poop at our site."
