Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Green Bay, WI

Campground Review

I've been going to Devil's River for as long as I can remember on Labor Day weekend. My grandparents used to have a permanent site there, and my family has continued to camp there since my grandparents' deaths. It is a nice campground, not far from Green Bay, in a nice area. The weekender sites have been made more level in the past few years and are pretty grassy with some trees.

They removed the old small pool and installed a large swimming pond. It is a treated pond, so it is murky water, but the open space is nice for a swim on a hot day. The pond is full of clay at the bottom, with not much sand except for by the beach, so it isn't the best for walking, just swimming or floating.

The bathroom building is old, but mostly clean. The showers are in need of an upgrade. Some were out of order when we were there.

There is access to the river and the nearby Maribel Caves park is nice as well. This is a great campground to just relax at and play cards.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time, this time I got to test the ColdPruf Platinum II shirt and pant base layers.

Being from Wisconsin, I have to own long underwear to really enjoy going outside in the winter. I've always found the stuff I had to be uncomfortable and hard to move around.

I wore these camping over Labor Day weekend when it got down into the mid-40s, and I was comfortable without any coat or outer layer. In the winter I would wear these under other appropriate clothing and I'm confident I'll be warm enough.

ColdPruf has better quality materials (not cotton) than the old stuff I have, and the fit is much better. There are excellent sizing charts and sizes for tall people, like myself. The fit is great. I could comfortably play sports or other activities in the Platinum II without any range of motion restrictions. It is tight enough fitting for a base layer (the modern name for long underwear), but not too tight.

The best part about ColdPruf is the value. You are getting very high quality, warm base layer for a great price. I would definitely say ColdPruf Platinum II is Ranger-worthy and can whole-heartedly recommend them.

Potawatomi State Park in Wisconsin sits in the northeast corner of the state in Door County Wisconsin. This is one of five state parks in the area and if you're making your way into Door County it is the first Park in Door County up Highway 42. This area of the state is the gem of Wisconsin and not just for tourist reasons. The topography in this part of the state is phenomenal. Potawatomi State Park is just before the city of Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin. This is a major port from the Bay of Green Bay into Lake Michigan. In Sturgeon Bay there are many shops, restaurants, pubs, art studios, and even a Walmart and Target if neede. The views from the shipyards can leave you in awe if this isn't a familiar sight. Potawatomi state park is the start of the Ice Age Trail which covers 1, 200 plus miles in the state. it offers modern facilities with showers and flush toilets. The showers are in the same room as the bathroom stalls. The park offers excellent hiking trails with views of ships coming and going from Lake Michigan in to Sturgeon Bay. The park offers an observation tower, once reach to the top you will have spectacular views of the Bay of Green Bay as well as the rest of Door County Wisconsin. The campgrounds are split into two sections. The Southern campground is a bit more wooded compared to the North campground, but I prefer the Northth sites as it offered more of a variety of campsites, meaning they don't all look the same. There is a camp store at the park as well as a small playground for the little ones. There are plenty of picnic areas especially on the shore but there is no beach at the park. There is a boat landing and fishing and this can be a popular spot for boaters to launch your boat.

This is a great park to start your vacation in Door County even if it's just to take in the sights. It is an even better place to stay if you want to be close to amenities but away from the tourists in the area. Amenities are not far, plan on a 5-10 min drive. This is my park of preference for camping in this area!

Bagley Rapids Campground is located in the Lakewood- Laona District of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, which is about as far South as the Forest goes. This makes Bagley Rapids Campground the perfect spot for a quick weekend trip from surrounding larger cities. It's roughly 2.5 hours away from Madison and Milwaukee and just over an hour away from the Green Bay area. 

If outdoor recreation is your thing, this is the perfect base camp. The campground entrance is right off the ATV / Snowmobile / Horse Trails which connect to thousands of miles of trail systems all throughout the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I've stayed here 5 times in the last two years and frequent the local logging roads on my Dual Sport motorcycle. I'd say over 1/4 of the spots are actually located on Bagley Rapids, a very clear, crisp refreshing spring fed river that runs around the campground. It's great to wade into and enjoy after a hot day hiking and exploring trails. 

A couple miles from the campground is nearby Mountain, WI where you can get basic groceries, gas and a great bar burger. Within 30 minutes you can be in the smaller town of Wabeno, which is home to some of the best ATV trails around and also has a very cool old style downtown.

The sites are a mix of tent and RV with some really great spots with some elevation that back down into the river. It's always been peaceful during my stays and never gets loud and rowdy.

As there isn't a beach, small children should stay out of the river due to it's strong current, so this might not be the best choice if you're going purely for the water.