Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Camping Permits

$15.00–$30.00/night

Show on map 715-779-3397 EXT 2 apis_camping@nps.gov

415 Washington Ave.
Bayfield, WI 54814

Overview

**Camping within Apostle Island National Lakeshore is strictly tent camping. There is no car or RV camping within the park. All campsites within the national lakeshore must be reached by boat or sea kayak, except for the Mainland 1, 2, and 3 campsites, which can be accessed by kayak or by hiking in only.**

Mainland camping for car & RV camping: There are a variety of state parks and private campgrounds with facilities for car and RV camping in the Bayfield area on the mainland and on Madeline Island. Visit the park's Camping in the Apostles web page and scroll to the "Local Area Camping" section. Madeline Island is not part of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The Madeline Island Ferry is a car & passenger ferry service to transport visitors to the island.

Camping within Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: The Apostle Islands offer a unique camping experience. There are many campsites within the park, and each have their own unique characteristics to them. There are 57 individual campsites, 9 group campsites, and 17 primitive camping zones.

NOTE: Visitors who choose to visit the islands and sleep in their personal self-contained vessel do not need a camping reservation. Public docks are available first-come, first-serve on 12 of the islands. You'll pay the overnight docking fee upon arrival. Be sure to download the Recreation.gov mobile app on your mobile device before you visit so that you can complete payment for overnight docking using scan & pay upon arrival.

Advance reservations for camping permits are required for camping in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Each camping permit may cover up to 14 consecutive nights. Permit holders cannot have concurrent night stays. Permit holders can only have one reservation for the same nights of camping. Permit holders are responsible for any damages. Camping permits are non-transferable.

Individual campsites: These campsites are designated for groups of 1-7 people. Most sites are equipped with a fire ring, bear locker, and a picnic table. These sites are recommended for first-time primitive campers. It will give a sense of backcountry camping with the pleasantries of the amenities. They are a good way to work up to the primitive zone camping. These sites are $15 per night. Reservations can be made starting 30 days from the start of a trip.

Group campsites: These campsites are designated for groups of 8-21 people. Each site is equipped with a fire ring, bear locker, and a picnic table. These sites are great for large families or get-togethers with friends. These sites are $30 per night. These sites can be reserved in March every year during the Group Camping Lottery and remaining sites will open after the lottery is completed.

Primitive zone camping: These campsites are designated for groups of 1-5 people. These sites are for the truly hardcore backpackers. Primitive zone camping is not a specific site but provides the option of choosing a backcountry area to camp. This type of camping experience has NO amenities. There are specific guidelines on where to camp for this type of experience. Consult the Primitive Zone camping maps for potential landing sites and available areas.

The following areas are closed to primitive zone camping:

Areas excluded from primitive camping zones and closed to camping to protect sensitive natural and cultural resources.
Area posted as closed to protect bird nesting areas and threatened or endangered species.
Areas in view of any designated trail.
Areas within 1/4 mile of any building, historic structure, individual or group campsite, or another camping party.
Areas within 100 feet of a flowing stream.
Private land or lease holdings.

For more information or questions about your itinerary, call park staff at (715) 779-3398 extension 0, between the hours of 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., daily from Memorial Day through September or Monday to Friday from October through Memorial Day.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (715) 779-3398.

Charges & Cancellations

Cancellations made prior to the reservation start date will be given a 50% refund of the use fees.
Changes to the reservation will be charged a $15.00 change fee.
There is a $10 reservation fee for each permit made. The $10 reservation fee is non-refundable.

Camp site features

Across 93 camp sites:

Fire pit: 47 of 93 sites
Pets allowed: 9 of 93 sites
ADA accessible: 5 of 93 sites
Group sites: 9 of 93 sites
Largest party: 21 people
Equipment: Tent

Fees

Group Camping Use Fee (Nightly): $30.00 Individual Site Camping Use Fee (Nightly): $15.00 Primitive Camping Zone Use Fee (Nightly): $15.00 Change fee: $15.00

Directions

**Camping within Apostle Island National Lakeshore is strictly tent camping. There is no car or RV camping within the park and no campsites that you can drive to. All campsites within the national lakeshore must be reached by boat or sea kayak, except for the Mainland 1, 2, and 3 campsites, which can be accessed by kayak or hiking in only.** Mainland camping for car & RV camping: There are a variety of state parks and private campgrounds with facilities for car and RV camping in the Bayfield area on the mainland and on Madeline Island. Madeline Island is not part of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The Madeline Island Ferry is a car & passenger ferry service to transport visitors to the island. Getting Here: Starting from Washburn, follow Highway 13 North for about 12 miles. Turn left onto 4th Street. The headquarters is the large brownstone building a block 1/2 up.

Stay Limit

Check in from 11 AM, check out by 11 AM.

Reviews

166 reviews

5 stars

113

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 stars

Santos M

Loop:Hermit

Site:

Reviewed 15 days ago

Great overnight kayaking trip. Put in at Red Cliff (Legendary Waters Resort and Casino) where there is a $25 fee for launching a kayak.

Justin K

Loop:Mainland

Site:

Reviewed 24 days ago

Beautiful secluded well maintained campsite right next to Lake Superior. My only advice would be to come prepared for the flies during warmer months. Longsleeves and pants help from getting eaten by the carnivorous flies.

Maria T

Loop:Mainland

Site:

Reviewed 24 days ago

Campsite #3 is a nice spot, very close to the lake. We used the recreation app and followed its directions with Google Maps, but it isn't accurate. Maps says you've arrived in the middle of the trail, but there's no access to the lake from there. Instead, you need to keep going straight and walk another 2-3 minutes until you find a camping sign. To get there, follow the directions to campsites 2 and 3, which take you deep into the forest, then walk about 5 more minutes. You can also go down to the beach and walk along the sand to the campsite. We ended up using that route to get to and from the parking lot, since it was faster and more comfortable. You also have to share a latrine with campsite 2. The problem is that it's out in the open and faces toward campsite 2. We went in October, when some of the leaves had already fallen, so we were pretty much exposed and could be seen. But overall, it's a good place to camp.

Steve G

Loop:Mainland

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

Mainland 1 is a fairly remote campsite. When I arrived, I found a campsite tucked into the woods just off the beach. The beach was nice. The campsite felt crammed. The picnic table, firepit, bear locker, and tent pad were all in one space. There was still food left from the previous campers in the bear locker (not the free-meal-yummy kind). Being in the woods, but also right off the water, the area gets damp and there's not a lot of sunlight. Needless to say, it was a damp kind of weekend and i didn't have the right gear for it. Could be a great site for the right person who has appropriate gear and enjoys major solitude (the only hiker I saw for the last 4 miles of the hike was a trail runner)!

Mark W

Loop:Mainland

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

Perfect campsite

Joseph w

Loop:Mainland

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

Really cool spot, campsite is accessible from both beach and sea cave trail. A bout a mile down the sea cave trail there is signage to turn left to go to campsites 2/3. Signage in the parking lot did not show that you could get to campsite from the trailhead but nevertheless you can. We ended up using the beach to get back and forth from the parking lot more than the trail. Water was too cold to swim for extended periods in early September especially if you are not use to colder water swimming, but we still jumped in to wash off. Sea caves are about a mile down the trail from campsite. Secluded area, but still close enough to campsite 2 to not feel completely alone if both campsites are inhabited. Water sounds at night was really nice to fall asleep to. If it is foggy/rainy I wouldn’t count of starting a fire or plan on cooking over the fire. The area seems to have a climate of its own so don’t forget warmer clothes. Latrine was fine and has a privacy fence around it, there are also bathrooms in the parking lot if you would like to use a bit more modern of a toilet. Overall great experience, it is a beautiful park.

Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

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