Best RV Parks & Resorts near Hayward, WI

Stayed here in September for a few days, and occupied site 1 and 2. Sites are  good sized and clean. Our two sites were great, but if I didn't care about being near the lake, I would look at the new sites they put in the wooded area. They were a little more "remote", The clientele mostly consisted of fisherman and bird hunters when I was here, so it seems to attract the more long term stays and not overnighters. The bathroom / shower combination is adequate and is reminiscent of my younger days at summer camp. They have some playground equipment both at the main loop and the wooded loop, this proved to be a lifesaver for my 4 year old. I also found, since this is further from town, it is very dark here and great for star gazing.

We went for the first time over Labor Day 2021. It was very clean, quite. Exactly what the Dr. Ordered!!!!! The folks next to us were very sweet. And we got curbside wood delivery. We just asked the kids who brought it the front if they would drop it off. Can’t wait to go back. No Tv, internet just peace and quiet and great neighbors! For the 1st time doing a full hook up, it was great!!!! Even the dogs had a great time.

Campground Review

One of the things I love about Wisconsin is that there is a municipal campground in a lot of towns near major attractions. In this case, it’s Prentice Park in Ashland, WI, which is on Lake Superior and close to the Apostle Islands. If you come to the Apostle’s on a busy summer weekend, you may not find a place to camp. Ashland to the rescue. This is a fairly new, modern campground just off the the main drag, and a short hike (less than half a mile) to the beaches. There is a nice paved trail that takes you to the beach as well as around the wetlands in between. A short drive into town takes you to a cute downtown where you can see the murals painted on a dozen or so buildings depicting the history and people who have made this town. The campground itself has 9 or 10 tent only sites and about the same of RV/hookup sites, with most of the tent sites clustered on one side, the RV/Hookup sites in one group in the middle, and a few more spacious tent sites past that. Some tent sites are really large and set back from the road, with nice grassy areas for pitching the tent and a few trees for hammocks, and a few of the tent sites are very small, right on the road, and no room for more than a small tent, the picnic table, fire pit, and that’s it. There is one bathhouse that is new and very clean, with two all in one shower rooms (toilet, sink, and shower, very spacious) and what looked like two more standard bathrooms (they were locked the whole time I was there, and they are not coded like the shower rooms are). You will need to check in with the campground host in order to get the code for the shower rooms. One of the best features of this campground is the water. Yep, water. There is an artesian well in the day use area that pumps out the cleanest, tastiest water. Empty every vessel you have and fill up here! There is another artesian well house down on the beach and it was very busy with locals filling up.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally get to test products. On this trip, I fell in love. With Matador’s FlatPak Soap Bar Case. This little “dry bag” for a bar of soap is a total game changer. In the past I’ve always brought tubes of shower gel with me camping. It’s the only time I use shower gels as I am a bar soap kinda gal. The gel’s always seem to be a bit of a mess for me as the lids don’t stay closed, or water or gel leaks out, or there’s just not enough, and it always means a special trip to the store to get just this one item that I don’t have normally at home. This Soap Bar Case means I can bring my own bar of soap which I know will last a while and can easily find another at any store in the country. This dry bag lets the soap dry out while magically keeping soapy residue inside the bag.

Here’s what I LOVE about this case:

1. While compact in size, it can hold a standard bar of soap. No need to squirrel away a bunch of those icky hotel soaps that you end up abandoning after a single use.
2. Soap goes in wet, comes out dryer (but not dried out).
3. The fabric breathes, so the moisture evaporates out through the fabric, but doesn’t get anything around it wet, and the soap residue doesn’t pass through the membrane. Everything in my dopp kit stayed completely dry and soap free. Soap stays in, moisture goes out. Totally mess free!!
4. The dry bag closure is really simple to use. Just roll the bag down about three or four times and clip it closed. Simple.
5. This could easily be clipped to your backpack and it wouldn’t be in the way or flop around as it is so small.

There is only one thing I would want different:

1. I wish this came in other colors besides black. A bright red or marine yellow would make it easier to see in my dopp kit and would make a person less likely to forget it/leave behind.

This is a product I would happily buy for any of my camping buddies, and if/when Matador introduces the FlatPak Soap Bar Case in brighter colors, I will likely buy myself a second one. This would be great for taking to the gym as well as for kids going to summer camp or anywhere you want to get clean without getting soap on all of your gear.

This small - off the beaten path - campground is wonderful. It has all the amenities you would need of a large campground without all the commotion. It sits on the shore of Long Lake, allowing for fishing, swimming or relaxing with cocktails at sunset. It's just south of Copper Falls SP and just a tad further to Lake Superior, which makes the location great for hitting up all the attractions this area of the Northwoods has to offer. RV water/electric sites, tent and cabin options.

This is a decent park. There are some pretty water falls and campsites are very clean. They all have fire pits with plenty of room for your car or camper trailer. There are plenty of trees for shade. It is a very peaceful setting.

The real positive about this campground is that it is a great setting if you want to pull in your camper and if you prefer to rough it in a tent there is a parking lot and a trail for walk-in campsites.

Checkout Amnicon Falls State Park.

This is a very nice RV Park. There’s plenty of sites and they appear to be expanding. Sites are fairly spread out. Easy loop system makes this campground very easy to navigate through. It’s definitely not the most private campground, so it your looking for rustic quiet I would look into some of the smaller county campgrounds.

The Backyard at Amnicon Lake (formerly Amnicon Acres) is a great place to enjoy a typical "up north" Wisconsin experience, especially on a Packer game night! 

General: New owners took over this place on December 31, 2020, and changed the name to The Backyard at Amnicon Lake (it was formerly Amnicon Acres). There is both a campground and a mobile home park, plus a boat dock, and a bar and grill. Most of the sites appeared to be occupied by seasonal (summer) campers but when I called to make a reservation, I was assured a space. 

Site quality: Sites are (mostly) on grass. Site 35 had electricity and water. No privacy or separation between sites, as would be expected in an RV park. We weren’t sure the site would be level, but it was once we maneuvered our van a bit. 

Bathhouse: Two stalls, two showers. Decently clean. It was a bit of a hike to them from our site but not unreasonable. Appreciated paper towels, a garbage container, and soap. There was also a washer and dryer located near the bathrooms. A code is needed to enter. There are also two pit toilets, but Amanda wrinkled her nose when mentioning them, so we decided not to use them, even though they were very close to our campsite. 

Activities/Amenities: There is a boat dock right across the street on Amnicon Lake convenient if you are a boater (I think some of the seasonal campers have boats here). There is a bar and grill, and we had dinner. Pizza and sandwiches and the pizza was good. Televisions in the bar and a Packer game was on so that drew a local crowd (but smaller than usual since it was a late-night game and school had already started). There was a small playground located right by Site 39. 

This was a good place to land for the night but would likely not stay more than one night since we don't have a boat. The owners and staff were very welcoming.

Our family wanted a couple of nights to rest closer to home before returning home after a great week long plus trip to the U.P. of Michigan. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. Our site was in a great location in the park and we were surrounded by some very friendly seasonal RV'ers. The grounds were very well maintained and they hosts really went out of their way to welcome us and help us get in and settled into our site. There is easy water access to Nelson and a short drive in Hayward WI.

The site was a little tight getting into with our 35' TT because of the approach. But we made it in with some direction from the campground host, and on lookers. Nothing like some good old fashion parking peer pressure.; )

The pad was concrete and level, included a nice patio, a picnic table, some nice planters and well maintained  grass on the driver's side of our rig. We had full hookups. The water spigot was shared with the site behind us but there was already a "y" connection installed. Good water pressure. Had a little trouble getting our sewer hose to fit tightly but I tried something new and flipped the sewer donut upside down and was able to get a tight seal.

AT&T and Verizon signals were a little weak but could make phone calls (AT&T) and email with my Verizon hotspot for email.

Had a good time walking the grounds, looking at the lake from the docks and watching the painted turtles who were laying their eggs along the campground's beach. The other seasonal rv's were very friendly and seemed to be having a good time gathering together in the evenings.

We would stay here again and even consider staying for a longer period of time as well in the future.

After a long hard hike on the NCT, we hiked into camp ready for a meal and a good sleep. We had spot #7 reserved, easily the most beautiful camp spot on the lake. A wonderful strip of sandy beach, heavily treed site, nice flat tent pads, a picnic table and fire pit.

Our hearts sank as we walked to the site only to encounter a big RV parked there and it appeared someone was set up for the weekend. We were baffled! I had my print out confirm and proof it was ours but there was no camp host or any kind of ranger on site. We were on our own.

So the people who took our site shows up. They tried to explain to us that there was a mistake in the reservation system and they had the site reserved too. I have no idea if it was a fabrication or not. But we were willing to share the camp site since we were only there for one night anyway.

We pitched our tent. Enjoyed the sunset over the lake and settled in for a nice sleep.

Pros: Large treed campsites Close vault Excellent potable water Beautiful serene lake Close to the NCT trailhead Vault cleaned daily Dumpsters and bear lockers Quiet camp sites No light pollution. Clear skies Minimal bugs in late august

Cons: No camp hosts No firewood for sale Gravel back roads far from town No contact with forest service for issues NCT stretch of trail through the campsite is not that great

I would camp there again but drive and not hike in.

Great campground! Sites are mostly level, treed, and most are very spacious! Enjoyed this campground! We camped in motor home at an electric site. Our AT&T signal was strong.  The hike to Little Manitou Falls was easy and really pretty - well worth doing!

I can't say enough awesome things about this park. The hiking trails and scenery are top notch, the variety of camping options are extensive and the quality of the sites are excellent.

If you just want to get away to some beautiful seclusion, this is the place. Even the RV camp site is nicely laid out, not far from the main doughboys hiking trail. In summer, the pads looked good, fairly level and mud free. The sites were heavily wooded and though near the main camp road, it didn't feel like a major throughfare.

I was actually really blown away by he handicap accessible site which was situated right near the top of brownstone falls. You could fall asleep listening to the water crashing down.

The trails were well maintained, especially the waterfall trail (Doughboys). Lots of overlook platforms and a selfy station. If getting away from people is your jam, there are lots of trails away from the hustle and bustle of the main trail. Dirt and turf with some lower muddy spots if you take the trails less travelled.

The swim beach is nice, just a short walk from the parking lot at the ranger station. Plenty of bathroom facilities. The main lot has flush and vault bathrooms, a little nature center (closed for covid), lots of picnic areas and a large spread out feeling.

I never felt crowded at this park which is saying a lot, given how popular it is. The drive there through the Chequamegon forest is even a joy!

Namekagon: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good (70 yr olds in 17’ trailer) Overall Rating: 4. Great water access campground . No trails right at the campground, but for a cross coin ski trail just past the cg entrance. We were here to visit Croix NWW - a bit of a drive from the cg.
Price 2023: non-electric sites are $11 per night w Lifetime Senior Pass. Usage during visit: Full on weekends Site Spacing/Privacy: Some sites are very close. I listed the best sites for privacy and spaciousness. Site surface: Gravel Reservations: Yes. Looks like up to two days out is first come, first serve. Campground Noise: Not bad. Lake noice is minimal as well. Road Noise: Even the sites close to the Missionary Point Dr. do not seem to experience too much traffic noise.
Through Traffic in campground: Just down the middle to the lake boat ramp. And that’s not too bad.
Electric Hookup: Some, not all sites. Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: No Potable Water Available: Yes.
Generators: Allowed during the day.
Bathroom: Pit toilets are kept extremely clean Showers: None. Pull Throughs: Some Cell Service (AT&T): One bar in some areas of cg. Setting: Under a deciduous tree forest. Weather: 70 and 90 degree days . Hot days were particularly humid.
Bugs: Mosquitoes galore. Solar: Most sites are very shady.
Host: Yes Rig size: All rigs I see are under 30’ Sites: Lakeside Sites: 13, 14, 17, 19

BEST non-water side sites: rated for spaciousness and a bit more private :11, 9, 8, 7, 3, 34, 30, 32, 31, 33, 29,28, 27,26, 25, 10. Not in any particular order

Large camp site with trees abs wide open area. # 48 was stent site recently made into a RV site with water and electric hook up. This site did not have sewer but there is a dumping station right on sight. WiFi only worked in the lodge and ATT signal was very weak. Owners are lovely friendly people and their kids help run the place too. Lake is calm and peaceful. Saw a lot of wildlife and heard the sounds of loons in the Am and evening. We wanted to extend our stay but work was calling. I wish we had a way to connect to WiFi or a hotspot in our camper. The we would have.

I've been on an RV road trip to states I have not yet visited in the past. Wisconsin is one of them. Copper Falls State Park had it all. Multiple beautiful hiking trails, all by different beautiful waterfalls, Copper Falls, Brownstone Falls on the Bad River. 

It was a really nice campsite in the forest. There is not much to say about it, just like other campgrounds in the area, in the forest. The trail to the falls is an easy walk from the campground.

Please note that you need to make a reservation when you arrive online or via phone. There is no walk-in. You also have to pay the daily State Park fee which is higher if you have an out of state plate; even for camping. If you spend more than 4 nights in State Parks it's worth buying the yearly pass. If you are only traveling through and lucky enough to find an opening, it can be a bit costly. It cost me over $100 for two nights with electric hookup.

The cell signal was pretty bad down in the campground, it was way better up by the entrance area. There is a lake too with another hiking trail to a different waterfall.

Run by the municipal government, this is a pretty nice little campground. Sites are tightly spaced but mostly perfectly level. All of the sites I checked had at least 30A electric; most also had 50A. All have water and it appears all but the very back row along the municipal parking lot have sewer as well. And there is a very good dump station by the boat ramp. Town hall staff seem very pleasant, professional, and accommodating. I spoke to Stepanie, and she was very flexible about our uncertain length of stay. We're here at the very end of their open season, well past peak. The first night we were alone; the most others we've seen were 3 more. I'm sure in summer this will be a very bustling, active place. Now, in early October, it's a serene and peaceful base from which to enjoy hiking among the autumn colors.

This campground, run by the Village of Birchwood, is family friendly with many amenities. There is a public beach, playground, picnic area, boat launch, fish cleaning house, and pavilion. The pricing for sites is reasonable also with tent sites at $10.00 per night(prices subject to change), All other campers are $30.00 night. There are also monthly($500.00+75.00 for electric} and seasonal sites available{$1800.00+ electric fee at the end of the year).

Fishing is very good on the Big Chetac Chain of Lakes approx.1700acres.

Reservations can be made through the Village of Birchwood by calling 715-354-3300.