Tennison Bay Campground — Peninsula State Park

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.

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).

This is a great campground! We went in late October and despite it being a little cold and rainy we enjoyed hiking and exploring. There are so many hiking trails and the views are amazing. We stayed in Tenneson Bay and the sites were plenty big and private.

Great park we had a blast exploring and walking our dogs

We try to go camping here as much as possible. We have family reunions at the campsite. This place always makes me so happy. Being in those trees, right in the lake is just a different type of feeling.

Beautiful state park with plenty of activities for all ages. We booked a same-day campsite over the weekend in August. That in itself in Wisconsin almost deserves five stars. Absolutely stunning views with miles and miles of hiking and biking trails, surrounded by beautiful lake Michigan coast line. Activities such as golf, plays and musicals at a rustic amphitheater, lighthouse lookout, gorgeous skywalk and a nice beach with incredibly large portions of ice cream for the kiddos.

2 star loss goes against the overhead trees not being groomed for a class A, plenty of tree knocks and scratches getting in and out of the camping area and even the main road. All the amenities restricted RV parking so as we were leaving the grounds we could not enjoy new discoveries found.

I would give Peninsula state park a 4 because of the beauty and awesome amenities; maybe even a 5 if We were tent camping; however there was overwhelming evidence that our Class A was an after thought so a solid 3 is my final review.

Beautiful sunsets and amazing trails here. 3 beaches within biking distance! Love it!

We had a cold wet week but still so much to do. In the park and all around Door County. Quaint towns many winery and distilleries. Lots of shops and orchards.

Walk to the water to watch a sunset or hop on a trail 10 mins nearby or kayak, wine and dine... door county has it all and Tennison Bay (peninsula state park) is a great place to stay. Watch out for poison oak and the raccoons though! Great place to camp, but the water is cold so might not be best for swimming - go kayaking!

Seriously, I've died and went to heaven…at least a heaven filled with Vikings, beer, grassy rooftops, a beautiful, freeways lined with flowers, and campsites with shower stalls that are better than yours. 

I feel that the description above, although precise, still does not describe the beauty of this place. Surrounded by small quaint towns, Peninsula State Park is nothing less than a Mecca for all sorts of camping enthusiasts. 

The grounds are manicured to a T with plenty of bathrooms AND shower stalls, 100s of camping sites, some of the best fire rings I've ever used, near a beach in Lake Michigan, and with plenty of activities. This location will certainly please even the most,"roughing it is not having room service" people. 

The outskirts of the park is lined with incredible vistas, beaches, and a golf course. Kayaking, horseback riding, and amazing hikes are some of the immediate activities. If that's not really your pace, you can head out to one of the many towns that surround the area and that will open up infinite possibilities, including:

1. Scuba diving

2. Cliff jumping

3. More hiking

4. Kayaking tours

5. Sailing and/or Parasailing 

Of course, after doing all of the above, you'll need to eat. Don't fret as this piece of heaven on earth has some of the best food on the planet, seriously! 

My number one recommendation is the Wickman House in Ellison Bay. Prices may vary BUT, my buddy and I had:

1. 1 Old Fashioned(each)

2. 1 bottle of wine

3. Oysters

4. Corn salad

5. Brisket

6. Dessert(the best I've ever had in a restaurant, Golden Beets Pannacotta, with cubed red beats, caramelized orange rinds and mint of the side) 

All of that costed us around$120, TOTAL. The place is open from 1700-2100, Friday through Monday. Please DO NOT wait and try to walk in. Get there between 1500-1600 and make a reservation for the night, trust me. 

Another fun spot is Fred and Fuzzy's. A bar on the edge of Lake Michigan serving great local foods and drinks. Oh, you want to make this fun? Okay…Go to the beach in Sister Bay, rent a kayak, and paddle there. It’s a quick trip, just make sure to go left when you get going. 

And this is all I can mustard. There are so many things to do here. One trip will not be enough to truly experience this amazing place. 

Pro tip: At a time of COVID, you can reserve a spot for around$700 and stay for a month…it's all about that telecommuting perk!

If you're looking for bells and whistles, lots of amenities and lots of friendly neighbors in close proximity, this is the place to go! We stayed in south nicolet bay and had a cute little path that gave us direct access to the bay. We did lots of hiking, explored the nature center, swam, enjoyed a show at their outdoor amphitheater, visited the historic lighthouse, and rented bikes with a burley trailer for my two year. They had both adult and kid helmets too. The snack shack by the main swimming area had lots of meal and snack options for when I didn't feel like cooking. The water by our campsite was rocky but the main beach area was sandy and shallow for a ways out. The campsites are close together but the people are so nice and campsites and bathrooms kept clean. There were both flushing bathrooms with showers and smaller more frequent outhouses with pit toilets. We hiked the minnehaha trail from our campsite and did the eagle trail loop which while rated difficult was really manageable for most of the trail and my two year who hikes frequently with hike it baby enjoyed doing many sections of the trail on his own two feet. I did bring my soft structured carrier as well. There area a couple steep inclines, and one area of scrambling over boulders but tons of impressive views and an easy to follow trail. There was some poison ivy by our campsite but plenty of signs to warn campers where to expect it. There was a nice size campfire pit and picnic table at our site as well. The campsites on weekends get booked up months in advance and even on weekdays there are slim pickings for last minute camping adventures in the summer months. It's a very popular Wisconsin destination!

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

My husband and I absolutely love this park! It fills up really quickly and unless you book almost 11 months out, you will likely only get a walk up site. Other than that, this park is family friendly, clean, well maintained, and has more to do than you can cover in one weeked; all while being close to great shopping and restaurants. Take the time and head to this park, even if its just for a day of exploring!