Best Tent Camping near Marinette, WI

State parks and county-managed lands surrounding Marinette, Wisconsin provide diverse tent camping options along Lake Michigan's shoreline. Old Veterans Lake County Park in Crivitz offers tent-only sites with drinking water, fire rings, and picnic tables in a secluded setting. For backcountry tent camping experiences, Newport State Park Campground in Ellison Bay features walk-in tent sites with minimal amenities but maximum privacy. Marinette County Goodman Park in Athelstane provides established tent campsites with more amenities, including drinking water, fire rings, and picnic tables, while operating seasonally from May through November.

Most tent campgrounds in the region feature natural surfaces with minimal site preparation. Fire rings are standard at most locations, though firewood availability varies by park. Old Veterans Lake County Park provides drinking water and pit toilets but no electrical hookups, making it suitable for primitive tent camping. Newport State Park's walk-in sites require hikes ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 miles, with campers needing to carry all supplies. Pit toilets are available near most sites, but potable water is typically only found at park entrances or ranger stations. Seasonal considerations include spring ice on Lake Michigan shorelines and intense mosquito activity during summer months.

In early fall, tent campers report significantly fewer crowds and more comfortable temperatures. According to reviews, Newport State Park offers exceptional solitude, with one camper noting, "The sites are far enough apart to feel like no one else is around." The walk-in tent sites at Newport provide direct Lake Michigan access, with many campsites situated on rocky or sandy shorelines. A visitor to Old Veterans Lake described their site as "very private" with good options for dogs to roam freely. Rock Island State Park requires two ferry rides to access but rewards tent campers with exceptional stargazing opportunities due to minimal light pollution. Many tent-only sites throughout the region feature bear boxes for food storage, an important consideration for backcountry tent camping in Wisconsin's northern forests.

Best Tent Sites Near Marinette, Wisconsin (15)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Marinette, WI

463 Reviews of 15 Marinette Campgrounds


  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 28, 2021

    Dovetail Acres Campground

    Relatively New RV Campground

    Convenient to Sister Bay in Door County, Wisconsin. Off of WI Hwy 57. Large open field. 27 pull-through RV sites are equipped to handle the biggest RV’s by providing 34′ x 75′ sites. 33 back-in RV sites. 10 walk in tent sites. Pets welcome - $5/day pet fee. New restrooms & showers. No cell service, but very good free WiFi service. Clean campsites, well maintained. No privacy between sites. Gravel driveways. Picnic table. Fire ring. Convenience store & gas station on site - Dovetail Trading Company & Citgo gas station. Registration in store. Accepts reservations. Campground was still open on Oct 23, 2021, even though it's season ended on Oct 18. This is a good campground for RVs. I camped here when I couldn't find another campground that had available sites. I thought it was overpriced for camping in my camper van with no hookups needed, but it was okay in a pinch.

  • Kirsty G.
    May. 1, 2019

    Newport State Park Campground

    Beautiful and easy hike in sites

    My husband and I stayed at Newport State Park April 12-13th, 2019. We hiked to site 16 but ended up hiking back to site 1 because there was still quite a bit of ice on Lake Michigan by site 16. Both campsites had a fire ring, camp bench seats and bear boxes. The privy by campsite 16 was preferable because it had a half wall instead of being enclosed. Campsite 1 shares its outhouse with campsite 2. The hiking was very easy with minimal elevation change. Lake Michigan was beautiful to look at. Being early spring in Wisconsin it was still slushy and was depositing ice on its shores. A great place for people looking to backpack/hike in. We will be going back.

  • H. K.
    Jun. 26, 2022

    Baileys Grove Travel Park and Campground

    Clean, friendly & overall great

    We really enjoyed this campground!

    The owners were very accommodating. We had a late check in and they still hooked us up with firewood, ice and quarters for laundry!

    It's super clean. The whole campground is nicely cared for. There are plenty of trees and shade.

    There are central flush toilets and showers plus portable toilets scattered throughout the campground. The port o potties are lit at night and pleasantly clean. I generally loathe port o potties but these were actually pretty nice.

    The laundry is open 24/7 which is really convenient.

    The individual sites have a picnic table, fire ring, electricity and water. There wasn't a tent pad but the ground was level.

    I definitely recommend this campground and will stay here again when I return to Door County.

  • Janet B.
    Aug. 16, 2023

    Rock Island State Park Campground

    Great destination if you want to “escape”

    I visited Rock Island on 8/12/23, during the peak Perseid meteor shower viewing period. Rock island SP is a dark sky spot and combine that with lesser people around, it was a perfect location for stargazing!

    About the site(20): Very spacious but the distance btw the picnic table/tent and the fire ring was somewhat far. Can see the neighbors but far enough to maintain some privacy. A short walk to the beach! There are sites that are closer to the water (i think 26-28) and i would definitely stay in one of those sites next time.

    Island in general: Like many people mentioned, there’s a water pump near the boat house and pit toilets scattered thru the campsites. Firewood are sold for $7/bundle during 4:30pm-5:30pm. Bring cash!!

    One big no-no: SPIDERS. WHY SO MANY SPDIERS?!?!? spiders are crawling everywhere. Yeah the beach was so nice and didnt feel like I was in Wisconsin but there are COUNTLESS SPIDERS crawling on the beach. Why?!?!? So no to a picnic blanket, a camp chair is a MUST.

    I was only there for one night to see the meteor shower but will definitely return to enjoy the island, check out the lighthouse and come fully prepared for some anti-spiders measures. There’s also a tour led by the ranger/friends of the Rock Island org (not sure which) and SUP/kayak rental as well.

  • Scott W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 22, 2025

    Harbour Village Campground & Water Park

    “Rustic” tent camping

    My wife and I enjoyed our stay at the “Rustic” tent camping site. We were the only people that camped over the weekend in the Rustic area. It was a very nice set up. Secluded and far away from any RV campers.

    Our only complaint was that there was a HUGE party at the RV sites. Music blasting so loud from 7pm - 11:30pm. (Quiet hours are from 11pm - 8am) so that was really frustrating, especially when we were just trying to get away from city life and enjoy our campfire.

    Harbor Village is the perfect location for Door County. It’s nestled next to Door County Coffee, Winery, and Brewery. Plus all of the site seeing is within an hour or two.

    The amenities were nice.

    Other than the noisy neighbors, we enjoyed our time at Harbor Village. When we visit Door County, we will most likely stay here again.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 14, 2025

    North Bay Shore Park

    Peaceful stay on the bay of Green Bay

    General/Site Quality: Small (35-site) campground on the west shore of the Bay of Green Bay; some have water and electricity, and some just have electricity. Sites 14-23 are on grass while the others have paved camper pads. All are level and very generous in size. While they don’t necessarily have a physical separation between them, sites are spaced a good distance apart from each other. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. In the center of the loop, there are some nice mature trees. 

    Bath/Shower: At one end of the loop, there is a two-stall, one-sink restroom for each gender plus two showers; at the other end of the loop there are two vault toilets. All were clean. 

    Activities/Amenities: There is quite a bit to do here. Fishing, boating (separate fee for the boat launch), swimming, kayaking (but you need to bring your own – although the literature says there are boat rentals, I did not see this). There is a nice playground and a smaller swing set; both are in different locations behind campsites, making it a bit awkward to access. In the day-use area, there is a fish cleaning station, a basketball hoop, and a somewhat dated playground. There used to be a volleyball area, but the net was no longer there. Self-serve firewood is available. There is a dump station.

    The fee of $20 per night was very reasonable and our stay was very quiet and peaceful for a campground that was about 2/3 full on a Monday after Father’s Day.

  • Kevin M.
    Sep. 5, 2016

    Newport State Park Campground

    Great for short backpacking trips

    Newport State park is a great place to take a short backpacking trip to quiet campsites that are near lake Michigan. I haven't been able to score a site yet with lake access but have heard there are some. The sites I have booked have both been large enough for 3 2-person tents and have a food storage bin in each.

    If you are new to backpacking and want to try out your pack before heading off on a multiday excursion, I would highly recommend coming here 1st.

    The rest of park offers a nice beach and some playground equipment for the kids.

  • Amanda L.
    Jul. 8, 2018

    Tennison Bay Campground — Peninsula State Park

    Quiet yet filled with scenic adventure

    This campground is HUGE! Definitely take a map if you’re offered one or find one. It is so beautiful, lots of shoreline and so many things to do from biking and hiking trails, to a lighthouse & museum and much more. Located in Door County, the peninsula also offers lots to do from Mini Golf to Shipwreck kayak tours. I could have spent a month here and still have more things to try out.

    Do beware of raccoons though! Be sure to put all food in your vehicles at night or if you leave the campsite. The showers weren’t amazing, but I did get to shower with a tree frog, so that’s an experience.

    I also suggest bringing an air mat or sleeping pad if you're tenting. The ground is really quite hard. We had a tough time getting our tent stakes into the ground and ended up tying the tent to trees in a couple spots instead!

    Visited June 2018

  • Mary T.
    Jun. 19, 2019

    J.W. Wells State Park Campground

    Such a great Campground

    This is a great campground not just because this was the first campground park I worked on but because after 40 years it is still great.   Most of the sites are beautiful grass sites, when we were there it was rainy so some of the sites where a lake.  So if you didn't get a bayside site you could have a lake side site.  Great place to tent cam.  They have a nice beach but no life guard.  They have a a lot of items for kids and families, such as the beach, basket ball court, hiking trails and great playgrounds. If you are a walker they have some great trails.  Just up for a day the picnic area is super.  

    The bathrooms are clean and well kept up.  

    The employees are very friendly and helpful.

    I love that you can look up at night and see all the great stars.

    We went to Menominee to see the launching of a Navy Ship from Marinette Marine and that is something you don't see everyday.

    Enjoyed the craft fair for all the campers the weekend we were also there.  

    Such a great camprgound.


Guide to Marinette

Tent campsites near Marinette, Wisconsin are situated in the northern forest region of the state at elevations averaging 600-700 feet above sea level. The camping season typically runs from May through October, with average summer temperatures between 65-80°F during the day and 45-55°F at night. Water temperatures in Lake Michigan near Marinette remain cold even in summer months, rarely exceeding 65°F.

What to do

Swimming at natural beaches: Peninsula State Park offers a swimming beach where campers can cool off during summer months. According to David M., "The pit toilets are better than most, the facilities with running water and flush toilets are clean as are the shower sites."

Kayaking quiet waters: Welcker's Point Campground in Peninsula State Park provides excellent kayaking opportunities. Caroline R. notes, "Very pretty, lots of hiking and biking trails. If you are planning on kayaking in the lake, our little kayaks could barely take it it was difficult paddling."

Wildlife viewing: The forested areas around tent camping sites provide habitat for various wildlife. At Old Veterans Lake County Park, Paul&Faith B. observed, "Tons of tiny fish everywhere that are very interactive... It was great for swimming and finding more tiny fish."

Stargazing: The dark skies in northern Wisconsin make stargazing excellent. At Rock Island State Park Campground, Kevin S. mentioned, "There is very little light pollution and star gazing is a must."

What campers like

Privacy between sites: Many tent campers appreciate the separation between campsites. At Newport State Park Campground, Emily H. noted, "The sites are far enough apart to feel like no one else is around. Enjoy the best that Wisconsin has to offer!"

Lake access: Campers value sites with direct water access. Kylie S. from Peninsula State Park shared, "Campsites close to the boat launch are more secluded. Stayed at site 854 which had private access to the water, plenty of shade, and secluded from other sites."

Quiet atmosphere: The peaceful environment is frequently mentioned in reviews. According to Zachary S. from Oconto River off Mountain Lake Road, "The first night was almost absolutely silent other than the waterfall (difficult to access) about a mile away. The campsite is right along a deep, and steadily moving stream."

Vehicle access limitations: Some campers appreciate that limited vehicle access reduces noise and crowds. Karnpal C. notes about Rock Island, "The ferries to the island make the trip there an experience in and of itself. Camping on Rock Island is refreshing for Wisconsin, as more campers are aiming for an experience in nature than that of a weekend-long tailgate party."

What you should know

Cell service limitations: Many tent sites have limited or no cell coverage. Jacob V. reports at Welcker's Point, "Site 85 had absolutely zero T-Mobile and Verizon signal. Our phones were in SOS Mode. Brought the Starlink dish, but the tree cover was too thick for it to work."

Pack-in requirements: For remote sites, be prepared to carry all your gear. Calli N. shares about Rock Island, "We stayed at backpacking site B, which is a little over a mile from the ferry dock. This is where the flush toilets and water are, so prepare for your journey in."

Weather preparedness: Temperature variations can be significant. Calli N. adds, "The island gets very windy and cold at night. Be prepared and bring extra layers! On the plus side, bugs were very very minimal."

Road conditions: Some dispersed sites require appropriate vehicles. Michael U. warns about Oconto River, "4x4 recommended. 2wd truck couldn't make it easily."

Tips for camping with families

Protected swimming areas: Look for camping areas with calm water access. Melissa K. notes about Old Veterans Lake County Park, "We come here with the kids every spring. They always catch frogs, fish, and turtles. They also enjoy swimming across, and hiking and biking around the lake."

Playgrounds and open spaces: Some campgrounds offer places for kids to play. C A. mentions that Rock Island has "a big mowed field. It's a great spot for kids to play. We had a great time with flying kites and playing soccer!"

Educational opportunities: Marinette County Goodman Park and other sites offer learning experiences for children. C A. notes that at Rock Island "the boathouse is a great spot to explore the history and ecology of the island. We learned that the spot was used by liquor runners during the days of prohibition, which was of great interest to the little ones."

Pet-friendly options: Many families camp with pets. Ann M. shares about Old Veterans Lake, "Very private and our dog was able to roam at will."

Tips from RVers

Generator restrictions: Many campgrounds have strict policies on generator use. Ann M. reports, "We did have someone ratted on us for using our generator to supply our CPAPs because there was no electricity or water."

Water quality issues: Be aware of water quality at some sites. Jacob V. notes about Welcker's Point, "The water here is loaded with iron and comes out looking orange, even the well water for drinking. It didn't taste bad, but it definitely looked gross in a water bottle."

Campsite selection: Choose sites based on specific needs. Donna C. advises about Peninsula State Park, "If you are camping RV style, you may want to check out the site you would like to reserve to be sure it will accommodate your vehicle."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Marinette, WI?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Marinette, WI is Welcker's Point Campground — Peninsula State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 11 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Marinette, WI?

TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Marinette, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.