Best Tent Camping near Pembine, WI

The hike to these sites is very short. We paid when we parked. It’s a great place to camp if you want to experience being in the woods for the first time. We stayed on the south loop which has 6 sites. The sites still feel very secluded and private. There is a fire ring and picnic table at each site. There is no bear box and there definitely are bears (during one camping trip some hunters treed and shot a bear in the early morning and we saw them carrying it while hiking out) so you’ll want to hang your food. There was access to the lake from our campsite.

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.

Ranger Review: Roanline Clothes at Gladstone Bay Campground, MI

Campground Review

We really came to like the Gladstone Bay Campground during the time we were there. The first impression is that it is a mix of seasonal campers mixed with transients and there is a crazy mix of campsites scattered in all different directions. This county-operated park sits on a pretty part of Bay de Noc in Gladstone Bay just north of the larger town of Escanaba in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The best feature for us was the nice view of the water and direct access but there are lots of other things we liked about this campground too. For example, there is a nice walking path that wanders along the water down to the marina and county park (that has free outdoor concerts during the summer).  The path goes through the campground but is located along the water so you don’t feel like everybody is walking through the campground. We used the path every day to walk our dog who loved the water access to cool off and swim. Another feature we liked was the 1,500-foot sandy beach. Here is a great place to set up a chair and read with a pleasant view, take a swim, or launch a kayak. This park has some of the cleanest bathrooms and showers (in separate rooms) that we have seen all summer long. They are modern, clean and well-stocked so a big “thanks” goes out to the people who maintain them and do such a great job. 

The main roads are paved while the ones leading to the waterfront sites are gravel. Some campsites are gravel while others are grass. Patios are grassy and really nice because the grass was thick and not sandy so you didn’t feel like your camper was always dirty. There was a heavy downpour during our stay and some big puddles of water in low spots. All sites have a picnic table (which was in good condition) and a fire pit which was clean when we got there. 

Our site (#20) was pretty close to our neighbors but some are really well spaced – especially the water/electric only or no hook-up sites. As mentioned earlier, we really like the campground and for $30 for a 50 amp full hook-up site (with WiFi) that is a good price. We did not really spend any time in Gladstone (except to go to the grocery which is a couple of miles away) but we did go to Escanaba a couple of days. In Escanaba we visited the lighthouse and historical museum which was interesting ($3 entrance fee) and ate at the highly-touted Swedish Pantry where we had the most delicious Swedish pancakes with lingonberries. We also stopped at Dobber’s Pasties to get some frozen pasties for the road. There is an ice cream truck that comes through the park for those of you with a sweet tooth.

One thing we noticed is that some campsites have lots of people staying on them.  On Labor Day weekend two campers came in with lots of people who stayed up until well past 2 a.m. having a fire and good time. We were two sites down in our RV with pretty good noise insolation and still heard them. It’s great that people want to enjoy the holiday weekend but some rude campers ruin it for others.

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Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally get products to test and evaluate. At Gladstone Bay Campground I tested clothes from Roanline. This company’s philosophy is to provide quality outdoor clothes and gear from up and coming companies with a commitment to giving back to the environment. Super cool!

I had a hard time picking out what to order because so many of their items appealed to me. Finally, I settled on two shirts featured by the company United by Blue (who pledges to remove one pound of trash from waterways for every item sold.  Hooray for them). The first one is the Knowle Plaid long-sleeved shirt.  This item was a good choice since the morning temperatures were dipping into the high 30’s.  The first thing I noticed was how soft this shirt was. It has a nice outdoorsy look with the plaid pattern but has a feminine fit. The shirt was not too bulky so you could wear it under a sweater on days that you need to layer. After a couple of washings it stayed true to size, color and that great soft feel. 

The other item I received was Pine Bear Tee. I was looking for a tee that was more stylish than just a typical unisex shirt and this one delivered. This shirt has a nice fit with a v-neck and is super soft.  It is lightweight enough to be worn hiking on warm days. The stitching and material in this shirt makes it high quality and it has definitely stood up to the wear and tear I put my clothes through.  

Will definitely be ordering from this company again. Their quality products are at a good price point (and they offer many sale items and discounts) and the company has a great mission and philosophy.

For a video review of these Roanline products click here.

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

This place is awesome. It's 8 miles down an old logging trail but it's worth the drive. There is no electricity but they have a fresh water spigot. There are 14 campsites, half of which have horse pens, most of the sites are river front on the Cedar River, and 2 sets a trails,one which is an equestrian trail that doubles as ski trails in winter. There is a kayak launch and the river is a great place for catching bass. Every site has at least one handicap accessible picnic table and a small fire pit. Most of the sites are big enough to fit a camper. There is a set of mudding trails across the river with easy access, the sounds are not too loud. The campground is usually empty or close to it. The mudders do come visit the grounds for the bathrooms, otherwise it's pretty quiet. There is a bunch of wildlife, you can hear birds and squirrels chattering, coyotes call to each other in the early in the morning across the river, and lots of little critters scurrying about. Dogs are welcome. There is a gas station/Mart on the highway before the turnoff that sells fire wood and other items you may need while camping