Apostle Islands Area Campground

Our next stop on the trip was to the Apostle Islands in Bayfield, Wisconsin.  We had reservations from August 9-10 at the Apostle Islands Area Campground.  When we started to try and find RV parks in the between Houghton and Bayfield, nothing was coming up and we were getting frustrated.  Then we changed our search parameters to campgrounds and a couple came up.  We were able to book here at Apostle Islands Area Campground, which was the closest campground to our destination.  We had to drive about 4 hours because part of the road was closed off but heading to Bayfield, we were fortunate to run into a local man who said to just continue down the road toward the construction and then turn left and go around the construction and it would save about an hour - and it did!  Dodged a bullet there.

So, this campground was recently purchased six weeks before we arrived by a super young couple.  The campground is in need of some TLC and they were willing to do the work.  We gave this campground a 2-3 rating.  We paid $45 per night and there were no discounts and credit cards are NOT accepted.  The store was decorated very nicely and the kids were great to chat with.  They have a small store inside and pamphlets for information.

When we booked the campground, we realized all the sites were back-in only except for one pull-through site which was already taken.  Being that we didn't have any other option, we asked for their easiest back-in.  We were given site 2 which was up on the hill but it was not that easy to get to because we had to drive down the hill and then back up the gravel drive and into the site.  I got backed in the first time in 2-3 tries, but Scott didn't have us in a good position - half our left side was on the grass on a hill instead of the gravel.  He said it was "good enough" but I insisted we reposition just for safety since we were leaning a bit.  Unfortunately, the road is so narrow and we are so long that it took about 30 minutes of maneuvering to get us in position in with a couple people helping.  Besides that, the pad is very narrow as well.  We were all frustrated!  But, we were now properly in position.  Whew!

So, this campground is in a very hilly area with sites all over the place.  They didn't have a map except for one pulled from Google that they put numbers over the spaces.  The ground was uneven and bumpy so that was a bit frustrating for driving and walking.

There are some interesting thing about this campground that are unique.  First of all, you have to PAY to shower!  Yes, PAY!  And it isn't cheap, either!  It's a good thing I shower in the rig!  The price was $1.50 for 5 minutes and for every 50 second more you have to pay another 25 cents!  I could just imagine have your head full of shampoo dripping down your closed eyes when the shower kicks off and having to dig around for another quarter just to rinse your hair.  Plus, the shower head doesn't look all that great but supposedly according to the website it's supposed to be good water flow.  The bath house is average - nothing great - but again, the kids are working on fixing a lot of the problems here.  As you see the photo below of the bath house, the right side are the toilets - no door to enter the two stalls and the showers are to the left.  You do your business through the right door and then have to walk into the left door to wash your hands.  Kind of strange for sure.

The playground is just below our rig.  Nothing fancy and in need to repairs.  There's a swingset for two, climbing dome, teeter-totter, basketball/frisbee toss?, volleyball and basketball.

Here are some photos of the sites around the area.

I always list the amenities.  Here they are:

• Back-In Sites
• 1 Pull Through
• Tents
• 2 Cabins
• Dirt & Gravel pads
• Unlevel roads
• Electric 50 amp in sites 2, 4, 37, 49 and 50
• Electric 30 amp in most sites
• Slow Wifi
• Dump Station
• Shade Trees
• Grass
• Picnic Table
• Fire Pit
• Bath House with Pay shower
• No Laundry
• Close to Apostle Islands
• Kids Playground
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Small Camp Store

Being only a mile from Bayfield and the Apostle Islands was convenient.  And, as I mentioned earlier, the kids are really working hard to upgrade the place.  So, while it's in a 2-star mode today, I bet it will be 3-star when you get there.  The nice thing was that it's tree filled and a beautiful place to stay.