Apostle Islands in Wisconsin

Washburn has two campgrounds that are run by the city. We haven't stayed at them but did drive through them last summer. Pretty cheap too.

We really liked Buffalo Bay campground. We stayed there maybe 10 years ago in a small travel trailer. It did not have a lot of bells and whistles, but it was on the lakeshore, and very peaceful.

I have direct experience with the poster’s question and I hope to provide some feedback that may be helpful to all who are interested in this area. Bayfield is a small “burg” of a place, which caters to the water/kayak crowd. My wife and I did take our inexpensive plastic kayaks out into Lake Superior, but we stayed close to shore. This area has a lot to offer the kayak enthusiast, but one needs to be experienced in open water trekking and it’s not a place for a big box cheap boat.

There are a few good restaurants, which attract people from all over the place. We enjoyed eating in casual style and recommend some of the eateries, which can be searched on Yelp. Aside from the above mentioned two pursuits, there is not much else happening in this area. I would compare the location to Grand Marais, MN., which we also visited on the same trip.

We stayed at Apostle Islands Campground just south of town. I would attest to the grumpiness of the owner, but he runs a good business and you can bank on an enjoyable stay. The cycling in the area leaves a lot to be desired, especially routes just outside the campground. The hills are real beasts and after our experience, I would not bike the area again.

Overall, unless I was a very experienced kayaker, a onetime visit may be enough for the average person, but staying only for a day or two. Of the five places we visited on our 40th anniversary trip, which also included the two locations mentioned above, plus Door County, WS, Peninsula SP, WS, and MI’s UP, I’d rate Bayfield the lowest of the bunch.

Just my opinion and YMMV, but have fun and camp on.

JimM68 wrote:
Apostle islands in known as a water destination. Bring your kayaks or boat, or be prepared to rent or take a cruise to enjoy the best that area has to offer.

My son's boy scout troop did a high adventure there, kayaking to and camping on the islands for ten days, they had a BLAST!!!

It looks pretty cool looking at the pictures. We plan on taking a tour boat out when we go up.. Thanks

Apostle islands in known as a water destination. Bring your kayaks or boat, or be prepared to rent or take a cruise to enjoy the best that area has to offer.

My son's boy scout troop did a high adventure there, kayaking to and camping on the islands for ten days, they had a BLAST!!!

427435 wrote:
There is a campground just south of Bayfield. Avoid it.

There is also an OK campground about 3 miles north of Bayfield right on the water. http://www.legendarywaters.com/campgrounds-2/
We've stayed at both. The one in the link above is the only one I would go back to.

Thanks, I was looking at the one south of Bayfield but wasn't reading very good things about the owner. Grumpy I guess. I saw the one you are recommending but wasn't sure how far away it was. 3 Miles isn't bad. Thanks

There is a campground just south of Bayfield. Avoid it.

There is also an OK campground about 3 miles north of Bayfield right on the water. http://www.legendarywaters.com/campgrounds-2/
We've stayed at both. The one in the link above is the only one I would go back to.

Black flies should be pretty well gone by August.
The Chequamegon National Forest is nearby and they have several campgrounds.
Link to Cheq. NF campgrounds

We stayed at Kreher Park in Ashland, WI and drove up to Bayfield. Not too far a drive and Kreher Park is great.

20yrs back we went to the islands for a tour,the black flies were so bad ,my mother inlaw tells the story a lot.