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Tent Camping near Sturgeon Bay, WI

2 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.

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    SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile

    Tent campsites in Door County near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin range from secluded walk-in sites to established campgrounds with basic amenities. Newport State Park offers backcountry tent camping with 16 walk-in sites accessible via hiking trails ranging from one to two and a half miles. Harbour Village Campground provides drive-in tent sites with more developed facilities, while Peninsula State Park's Welcker's Point Campground offers tent sites in a wooded setting near Green Bay waters.

    Primitive tent setups at Newport State Park feature fire rings, camp bench seats, and bear boxes for food storage. Most walk-in tent locations require hikers to carry all gear and supplies, with no cart or wagon services available. Sites have pit toilets or rustic outhouses nearby, though Newport campers should bring their own toilet paper. Potable water is available at ranger stations, but backcountry campers often filter water from Lake Michigan for cooking and drinking. Peninsula State Park provides more amenities including showers, flush toilets, and drinking water for tent campers.

    Walk-in tent sites at Newport State Park offer exceptional privacy and natural experiences. The park's shoreline campsites provide direct access to Lake Michigan's rocky or pebble beaches. Tent campers enjoy significantly more solitude than at other Door County destinations, with several reviewers noting they never encountered other campers during their stay. Sites vary in their proximity to water—some directly on the shoreline while others require a short walk to reach Lake Michigan or Europe Lake. A reviewer described Newport as having "beautiful, quiet sites which are spread out nicely. Even the couple that are 'close together' didn't feel crowded at all." For tent campers seeking stargazing opportunities, Newport's dark skies offer exceptional viewing during new moon periods.

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    Best Tent Campgrounds near Sturgeon Bay (2)

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      1. Newport State Park Campground

      4.8(33)34mi from Sturgeon Bay18 sitesTents

      "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."

      from $23 - $90 / night

      Check Availability

      2. Rock Island State Park Campground

      4.8(13)48mi from Sturgeon Bay44 sitesTents

      "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)."

      from $25 - $90 / night

      Check Availability
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    Recent Tent Camping Photos near Sturgeon Bay, WI

    31 Photos of 2 Sturgeon Bay Campgrounds

    Tent Camping Reviews near Sturgeon Bay, WI

    379 Reviews of 2 Sturgeon Bay 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

    • Adam S.
      Oct. 4, 2021

      Newport State Park Campground

      Backcountry Camping

      Site 12 is amazing.

      I have been coming to Newport for the last year and have stayed at sites 2, 9, and 12.

      All sites have a fire ring, bear box, and access to a toilet.

      Site 12 is my favorite of the three sites I've been to so far. It's a two mile hike, but I use a bike with a trailer which I highly recommend for any site if you don't like to hike your stuff in like me.

      There are two trees that are perfect for putting up a hammock near the shoreline. You can watch the sunrise to the east of you, and take a short walk down the shore to watch the sun set to the west of you.

      There is a private pit toilet for site 12, and the site is about a hundred yards off of the main trail so you definitely have privacy. Nobody really hikes this far down the trail at the park anyway.

      The stars at this park are amazing on a dark night as it is a dark sky area with no man-made light within many miles.

      Highly recommend Newport at any site if you are looking for a place that is more secluded.

    Guide to Sturgeon Bay

    Tent campsites near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin sit on the Door Peninsula, a 70-mile finger of land extending into Lake Michigan. The area experiences typical Midwestern seasonal variations with summer temperatures averaging 70-80°F and winter dropping well below freezing. Camping options include both established campgrounds with amenities and primitive sites that require hikers to carry in all gear, with most locations open from May through October.

    What to do

    Explore lighthouse history: Peninsula State Park offers access to Eagle's Bluff lighthouse, though visitors should note "Eagle's Bluff lighthouse is currently closed for renovations" as David M. at Welcker's Point Campground mentions.

    Hike island trails: Rock Island State Park requires two ferry rides to access and features extensive hiking opportunities. "The island has a great history that can be explored by hiking to the Potowatomi lighthouse and poking around the boathouse by the ferry dock. Abundant hiking trails make for good exploration and wildlife spotting," notes Jen C..

    Swimming and beach activities: Welcker's Point at Peninsula State Park offers access to swimming areas. According to Caroline R., "A very nice beach, plenty of campgrounds, relatively clean bathrooms considering you're camping. Very pretty, lots of hiking and biking trails."

    What campers like

    Stargazing opportunities: Rock Island State Park provides exceptional dark skies for astronomy enthusiasts. Kevin S. shares, "It was incredible - the island is so peaceful, you can hear the peaceful waves of Lake Michigan all night... I was able to see the sunset one night and the sunrise the next."

    Water access: Many tent camping sites in Door County provide direct water access. "The campsites are spacious and clean. Also lots of great hiking trails and points of interests," says Owen H. about Welcker's Point.

    Family activities: Harbour Village Campground & Water Park offers amenities specifically for families with children. "We had stayed for three days over the Father's Day weekend and had a great time. Plenty of things to do for the kids, swimming pond was a ton of fun, and the sites were big and spacious!" shares Marie C.

    What you should know

    Weather preparedness: Door County camping conditions can change rapidly, particularly on islands. At Rock Island, "The island gets very windy and cold at night. Be prepared and bring extra layers! On the plus side, bugs were very very minimal," warns Calli N..

    Cell service limitations: Phone reception varies widely across the peninsula. "Don't plan on having any cell phone reception with AT&T. 90% of the time I was at my campsite my phone was in SOS mode. You need to drive out to the park entrance to get reliable reception," notes David M. about Welcker's Point.

    Seasonal insect concerns: Depending on timing, insects can impact the camping experience. Amy R. shares about Newport State Park: "Mosquitos not so much. They were intense. Bring alot of repellant. Next time we go we'll probably permethrin our clothes to help."

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is the most popular tent campsite near Sturgeon Bay, WI?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sturgeon Bay, WI is Newport State Park Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 33 reviews.

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