Wisconsin is known for its great outdoors and miles of shoreline along Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Whether you are looking to enjoy the waterparks of Wisconsin Dells or Lake Superior’s cool waters, there are many camping options available. Here are the 5 best places to camp in Wisconsin this summer!
1) Wisconsin Dells
Wisconsin Dells offers everything from deluxe cabin rentals to RV sites with patios to basic tent camping.
©iStock.com/AlenaMozhjer
Wisconsin Dells is the hub of fun this summer with multiple waterparks, duck boat tours, and unique museum experiences. Many waterparks include hotel accommodations, but there are others where camping is a great option. One of the best places to camp near the Dells is the Wisconsin Dells KOA Holiday. It is only 1 mile from the downtown area and offers everything from deluxe cabin rentals to RV sites with patios to basic tent camping. The campground has a swimming pool, splash pad, playground, and family movies on the big screen. So much to do for a fun summer adventure!
| Location | Just NW of downtown Wisconsin Dells, along the Wisconsin River |
| Nearest City | Wisconsin Dells |
| RV/Tent/Cabins | Yes, RV sites have full hookups available |
| Picnic Tables at each site | Yes |
| Fire Pit at each site | Yes |
| Amenities | Restrooms, showers, camp store, swimming pool, splash pad, playground |
| Pet Friendly | Yes |
| Reservations | Yes |
| What makes it one of the best | Only a mile to all the fun of Wisconsin Dells! |
2) The Apostle Islands
The Apostle Islands are one of Wisconsin’s best summer camp places.
©William Gottemoller/Shutterstock.com
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore includes 21 of the 22 islands off the northern Bayfield Peninsula on Lake Superior. If you are ready for an adventure, this is one of the best places to camp in Wisconsin this summer. The sites can only be accessed by sea kayak, water taxi, motor boat, sailboat, or water shuttle, and even the mainland campsites are accessible by boat or a 6-mile hike. But the experience of remote camping on an island with many sites on the water is an amazing opportunity.
The sites are also spread out, giving you more privacy than many other campgrounds. Each campsite has a picnic table, fire ring, bear-resistant food locker, and a privy nearby. Did you know that Stockton Island has one of the largest concentrations of black bears? They can swim from island to island too! Be sure to keep all of your food locked up and review the safety guidelines for camping in bear country.
| Location | Off the northern Bayfield Peninsula |
| Nearest City | Bayfield, WI |
| RV Sites | None, there are no RV sites |
| Tent Sites | Yes, on 18 of the 21 islands |
| Backcountry camping | Yes |
| Anchoring (sleep in your boat anchored) | Yes, there is no fee for this |
| Fire Pit at each site | Yes, the tent sites |
| Amenities | Privy nearby |
| Pet Friendly | Yes |
| Reservations | Yes, required |
| What makes it one of the best | Adventure camping on an island! |
3) Door County: Peninsula State Park
One of the restaurants in Door County has goats on the roof!
©iStock.com/aurorat
Door County is the peninsula just north of Green Bay. Many parks are worth visiting with a shoreline that seems to go on forever. You can camp at one of the five campgrounds at Peninsula State Park and use that as your home base for exploring Door County. There is the Cave Point County Park, the Washington Island Ferry, and various wineries and restaurants. Don’t miss the Swedish restaurant with goats on the roof! The roof is made of sod, and the goats can be seen munching away while you enjoy your meal. If you take the ferry to Washington Island, you have a good chance of seeing some seagulls, warblers, and even blue herons.
The campgrounds at Peninsula State Park have a variety of sites, including some near the sandy beach at Nicolet Bay. The details for each are listed below.
| Location | Door County, north of Green Bay, WI |
| Nearest City | Fish Creek |
| North Nicolet Bay | 44 sites, no electric sites, hot water showers, flush toilets, swimming beach |
| South Nicolet Bay | 143 sites, 54 with electricity, hot water showers, flush toilets, swimming beach |
| Tenison Bay | 188 sites, 97 with electricity, hot water showers, flush toilets, playground, boat lunch |
| Weborg Point | 12 sites, all-electric, hot water showers, flush toilets, fishing pier |
| Welker’s Point | 81 family campsites, no electric sites, hot water showers, flush toilets |
| Picnic Tables at each site | Yes |
| Fire Pit at each site | Yes |
| Amenities | Some with electric, hot showers, flush toilets, sand beach at Nicolet Bay, playground, fishing pier |
| Pet Friendly | Yes |
| Reservations | Yes |
| What makes it one of the best | Variety of campsites right in Door County! |
4) Harrington Beach State Park
Harrington Beach State Park is one of the best places to camp in Wisconsin this summer because of the mile-long stretch on Lake Michigan.
©Safa Shahidi/Shutterstock.com
For one of the best parks on the shores of Lake Michigan, you can’t go wrong with Harrington Beach State Park. This 715-acre park not only has a mile of beach along Lake Michigan, but it also has a limestone quarry lake and cedar swamp. One of the unique attractions at the park is the Jim and Gwen Plunkett Observatory which holds a 20-inch telescope and provides astronomy programming. You can hike around Quarry Lake or try surf fishing for trout and salmon. You might catch some dinner to fry up at your campsite if you are lucky. There are 69 campsites, with 31 sites supplying electricity.
| Location | 20 miles south of Sheboygan, on Lake Michigan |
| Nearest City | Belgium, WI |
| RV/Tent Sites | 69 sites, 31 with electric |
| Accessible Cabin | 1, designed for wheelchair access, including kitchen counters at wheelchair height and a Hoyer lift nearby if needed |
| Kayak Sites | 1, for 6 campers |
| Picnic Tables at each site | Yes |
| Fire Pit at each site | Yes |
| Amenities | Restrooms, showers, laundry |
| Pet Friendly | Yes |
| Reservations | Yes |
| What makes it one of the best | Camping near the shores of Lake Michigan! |
5) Devil’s Lake State Park
Visit Devil’s Lake State Park for some amazing hiking. Then enjoy all the lake has to offer with swimming, paddling, and fishing.
©Christian Mueller/Shutterstock.com
You should visit Devil’s Lake State Park for some of the best hiking. Hike through the rocky bluffs and overlook the beautiful 360-acre Devil’s Lake. The outcrops and quartzite bluffs will surprise you with their unique formations, including the “Balanced Rock.” There are three campgrounds to choose from, including the Quartzite Campground, which is only 1/3 of a mile from the lake. You can swim, fish and paddle in the lake or relax at the beach. Fishing is good for Brown trout (stocked), walleye, smallmouth, and largemouth bass.
A lot of options for enjoying Wisconsin outdoors.
| Location | Central Wisconsin, south of Wisconsin Dells |
| Nearest City | Baraboo |
| Quartzite Campground | 100 sites, 75 w/electric, 1/3 mile from the lake, good for larger RV’s, playground |
| Northern Lights Campground | 142 sites, 71 with electric, only campground n the park that has wooded electric sites, ½ mile to the lake, playground |
| Ice Age Campground | 234 sites, no electric, some are in grassy areas, others wooded, 1 mile to the lake, best for tent campers or small pop-ups |
| Picnic Tables at each site | Yes |
| Fire Pit at each site | Yes |
| Amenities | Restrooms, Showers, Playgrounds |
| Pet Friendly | Yes |
| Reservations | Yes |
| What makes it one of the best | Best hiking in the bluffs! |
The photo featured at the top of this post is © William Gottemoller/Shutterstock.com
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