Best Campgrounds near Sturgeon Bay, WI

Great place to stay! Big rig friendly! Gravel pads and each site comes with a picnic table and fire pit. Bathrooms in the campground were clean and I believe there were showers.

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.

shower and restroom facility in the campground. Site had electricity. Campground has a boat launch for kayaks and canoes. Big rig friendly with a gravel pad. Dump station with potable water fill up station as well.

This was our first experience with a “bells and whistles” type campground. And we were very pleased with the quality of the amenities that we have previously done without.

The newer playground is now open/free and includes a pickleball court, which was enjoyed by everyone. There is also a nice little convenience store and a bar/restaurant with a patio that overlooks the play area. It’s a great setup for parents who feel comfortable letting their kids play at a distance.

The toilets and showers were just spotless and so clean. That was honestly such a pleasant and welcomed surprise.

We were fortunate to have a more wooded spot within the circle section of the campground but it was not as wooded/secluded as other camping experiences we’ve had. But we knew this going in and were really pleased with the amount of greenery we got along with the amenities.

Would definitely come back!

The views are beautiful but all the camping spots are grass, we instantly sunk the second we tried to park ! Bring blocks if you want to stay!

Great views of Lake Michigan! Beautiful sandy beach just a short walk away! Really nice playground for the kids. Overall, one of our favorite places to connected camp!

Beautiful large but serene campground in the Peninsula State Park. Each site is very private and nicely spaced from the neighbor. Levelness is variable between sites. Some sites have 50 and 30 amp electric, and some have no hookups. There is a dump station and water fill near this campground, which serves all the campground in the state park. There are a ton of dump holes and lanes, it’s like a costco gas station. 

This campground has a kayak launch right at the campground, AND it’s an easy walk from this campground to the Nature Center and to the Northern Sky Theater, as well as several walking and biking trails that wind around through this park. It’s also not too far of a walk to Nicolet Beach where there is a boat ramp and a store and equipment rentals. 

Cell service is minimal here, both for Verizon and ATT, service would come in and out, very unreliable, though some texts would eventually go through. We got really lucky and got a spot on a Saturday in August- the entire park (all campgrounds within the park) were completely booked, but right before we pulled up to ask if there was any availability, someone had just vacated their site a night early so we were able to snag it. It’s too pricey at $42/night, PLUS the state park fee of $13/day or $38/year (good through the end of that year, not for 12 months). 

Showers were nice and free. Wisconsin is great with recycling and there are mixed recycling bins that take everything, even glass (no plastic bags though).

Nice and quiet, smaller campground within the Peninsula State Park. 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. You’re really close to the bay here, and the Sunset Bike Trail goes right alongside this campground. 

There’s a host on site, water, trash and recycling. Cell service is weak but there.

North and South Nicolet Bay campgrounds is where the action is. It felt like spring break out at the beach and boat ramp (no pets allowed on beach). 

North Nicolet has no power sites, all are no hookups. There is a dump station and water fill near Tennison Bay campground. 

Campground is very close to the beach, and you definitely hear the shrieking children from the beach, especially if you get a site close to the beach like we did, so heads up. 

There’s a host on site, flush toilets, and showers. Recycling and garbage here as well as a playground.

Again, we stayed here for one night on our way elsewhere. We have to come back and make it our destination next time. Clean bathrooms… excellent camp hosts. Weekdays in the fall.. so quiet and peaceful.

We did a quick one-night trip to Rock Island and stayed at one of the backpacking sites. It was fun to take the two ferries in to the island, and the campsite was a very short hike from the dock. We did a day hike around the whole island that afternoon/evening and departed the next day. I would not have wanted to stay for longer than the one night since the island is too small to permit much in the way of day hiking, but it was a fun destination for the short trip.

Camped for two nights in the northern loop. The camp store is fantastic -- lots of camping gear, snacks, beer, ice cream, and merch. The bathrooms were clean and the showers had nice hot/warm water! The hand dryer in the ladies bathroom is useless, though, so I ended up just having to air dry.

Amazing hiking and sights! Very close to the water and trails. The shoreline is rocky and definitely not meant for swimming. The boat launch is north of the campground and even has a fish-cleaning station. You can rent kayaks and paddleboards from the camp store and then launch them at the boat landing.

VERY VERY noisy campground. Lots of screaming kids and barking dogs and loud-talking. While this doesn't bother a lot of people, it made it difficult to really relax. Also, this isn't a reflection of the park at all -- of course it's a popular campground, as it has a lot of amenities and activities. I knew what I was getting myself into!

The sites are pretty close to one another but there are a lot of trees and greenery, so you still feel like you're in your own space. The bathrooms are all very clean and within short walking distance from the sites. 

Next time I visit, I will do it in April/May or September/October so that I can avoid peak season, but I'll definitely be coming back!

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.