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 (16)

    1. Welcker's Point Campground — Peninsula State Park

    10 Reviews
    Ephraim, WI
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (920) 868-3258

    $20 - $22 / night

    "These sites are non-electric/no hookups. The dump station and water fill is near Tennison Bay Campground. 

    There are flush toilets and showers that could use a remodel or a deep cleaning."

    "Campground Review

    Welcker's Point is a well-shaded but somewhat open campground at the north end of the state park. The sites are nicely sized and very comfortable. "

    2. Newport State Park Campground

    34 Reviews
    Ellison Bay, WI
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (920) 854-2500

    $20 / night

    "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."

    "Newport State park is a great place to take a short backpacking trip to quiet campsites that are near lake Michigan."

    3. Harbour Village Campground & Water Park

    3 Reviews
    Egg Harbor, WI
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (920) 743-0274

    4. Old Veterans Lake County Park

    4 Reviews
    Athelstane, WI
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (715) 732-7530

    $17 / night

    "We did have someone ratted on us for using our generator to supply our CPAPs because there was no electricity or water.  We will be back."

    "This is a little campground a short drive down some narrow, twisty backroads from Governor Thompson State Park. We stayed at site 11 which had an awesome little trail to the lake."

    5. Rock Island State Park Campground

    12 Reviews
    Ellison Bay, WI
    45 miles
    Website
    +1 (920) 847-2235

    "Rock island SP is a dark sky spot and combine that with lesser people around, it was a perfect location for stargazing!"

    "Hands down our favorite Wisconsin State Park! Great day or weekend trip! You have to take a Ferry from Washington Island and carry/backpack on your gear (no cars or bikes allowed)."

    6. Oconto River off Mountain Lake Road

    4 Reviews
    Mountain, WI
    48 miles

    "Decent amount of off-road vehicle traffic. No service :)"

    "The entrance was doable for my sedan, but was tricky. I believe a camper could make it going slowly. The second campsite entrance may have an easier time in."

    7. Marinette County Goodman Park

    1 Review
    Armstrong Creek, WI
    45 miles
    Website
    +1 (715) 732-7530

    8. McClintock County Park

    1 Review
    Athelstane, WI
    44 miles
    Website
    +1 (715) 732-7530

    9. Octonto River - South Branch

    1 Review
    Townsend, WI
    49 miles

    "There are 2 campsites at this trailhead, pretty well spaced apart. 

    The first has more of an opening if solar and Starlink matter to you."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Marinette, WI

455 Reviews of 16 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.

  • 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.

  • Megan P.
    Aug. 22, 2019

    Baileys Woods Campground

    Our 1st pick for Door County Camping! Quiet and Close to Everything!

    We absolutely love this campground and it is our first pick when it comes to staying in Door County. It is in the middle of the Door Peninsula and just minutes from anything that you would be interested in doing, including catching amazing sunrises from downtown Bailey's Harbor (Just a short 1.2 mile walk away)! Main road in front of campground is not busy and its very easy to run or walk on without really having to worry about cars.

    The campground itself is small (.6 miles of roads if you walk every road in the campground), but the spaces are large with decent space between sites. The entire campground is in the woods, so each site is completely wooded. All roads and campsites are gravel, there is very little grass. If you are looking for grass to play on, they do have a large mowed area in along the road that is perfect. There is also a small playground for kids. Our children have a lot of fun on the playground and just running around our campsite. We don't need a pool, because there is an amazing public beach 5 minutes away in Bailey's Harbor. Other than the playground and very small camp store, there are no other amenities in the campground, but you don't really miss them because there is so much to do around Door County.

    There are tent only sites, pull through sites, and sites that will accommodate popup campers up to large pull behind campers. Seasonal sites are interspersed throughout the campground. All seasonal campers that we have met are very friendly. There are two bathroom buildings that have showers, one at the front of the campground and one at the back (which also houses 1 washer and 1 dryer). Bathrooms and showers have always been very clean. There are also porta potties by the tent only camping sites. There are also charging stations by the porta potties, since the tent only sites do not have electricity. Tents are allowed on electric only and water and electric sites. Owners are very accommodating and will allow you to put a camper and tent on the same site also. If needed, there are also sites which allow you to hook up to the septic system or you can drain your tank when you leave.

    Campground is dog friendly if your dog is on leash. They do sell firewood for $15 per wheelbarrow full (you fill, so you can get your money's worth on firewood if you stack it right). They do also allow you to bring in your own firewood. Owners allow campers to put charges for firewood and things bought in the store to be put on a tab that you can then close when you check out.

    This campground does not fill up too quickly. Depending on the time of year, you don't need much advance notice to book a site. If you would like to book for cherry season they recommended calling 4-6 weeks in advance. Otherwise I generally reserve a few weeks before arrival. They do provide a campground map on their website, so you can look ahead and choose your site. If you want one of the larger sites (pull through ones), I would suggest calling sooner rather than later because it sounds like those fill up faster.


Guide to Marinette

Explore the beauty of tent camping near Marinette, Wisconsin, where lush landscapes and serene lakes create the perfect backdrop for outdoor adventures.

Local Attractions for Tent Campers

Tips for Tent Camping Near Marinette

  • At River Park, be prepared for a remote experience with spacious sites that provide privacy and beautiful river views.
  • Bring your own firewood to Newport State Park Campground, as it does not sell firewood, ensuring you can enjoy cozy campfires.
  • For a family-friendly experience, consider Harbour Village Campground & Water Park, which features a water park and plenty of activities for kids.

Activities for Outdoor Enthusiasts

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 4.7-star rating from 10 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 16 tent camping locations near Marinette, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.