Bay City Campground

We spent 2 months at Bay City as we transitioned into full-time living. We had stayed here previously and enjoyed being on the water, so decided to come back and the price was right so it worked out.

Pros:
-QUIET. My kids were the loudest thing there. Now it is close to railroad tracks so we heard trains but it really didn't bother us. That may be a con for some.
-Access to the bay. We enjoyed playing on the beach and kayaking in the water. The first part of the time we were there the algae was really bad but once we got some rain it was much better.
-Bird watching. We saw eagles and hawks and water birds (nope don't know what they were). It was fun to see the different birds!
-Bob, the camp host/manager was so nice.
-Clean bathroom
-Not a lot of people. It got a little busy on the weekends with people using the boat ramp for hunting and fishing but was otherwise pretty quiet.
-Dog friendly. No extra fees for the dogs.

Cons:
-You're kind of in the middle of nowhere. This is probably a pro for some, but we like to do things. The closest town was Red Wing, MN, 20 minutes away.
-Not easy highway access. It took me a minimum hour to get anywhere in the Twin Cities.
-Sand. So. Much. Sand.
-Mayflies. Every so often they'd emerge and they would just be EVERYWHERE. Harmless little nuisances. SO MANY.
-Pay shower. $1 for 5 minutes. But they are nice!
-Not much in the way of a playground. There's a climbing structure and a couple swings and that's it. If your kids require a playground, this might not be for them. But there is the beach and sand! SO MUCH SAND.

Cell service here was pretty decent. My husband was able to work using our ATT hotspot and we also had T-Mobile service as well.

Overall we really liked this low-tech place!

This was the week after the Covid19 started to open up. Our site was nice, but the picnic table had not been moved in yet (no real problem there). We had a rainy weekend, but were able to go in the water a bit. Water, electric and sewer are included. The camp manager is an excellent, friendly person. My grandson and I will camp here again!

We stayed the beginning of October and there were lots of open spaces. We were camped right on the lake. Beautiful. The campground has electric, water and sewer. This older campground’s bathroom leaves much to be desired and there is no shower, so fully contained rigs will have a more enjoyable time. Cash or check only. A railroad track about two blocks away with an active line. We do not mind trains so we’re not disturbed

I was here the third weekend in October with my 3 granddaughters. I think the campground was mostly closed. No place for us to pay. Plenty of people using the boat launch, but no one camping except us. The water had been turned off, but electric hookup was still on. You can't get any closer to the Mississippi river than this. The views were stunning and we had a perfect camping experience replete with s'mores. Great American Pelicans and bald eagles gave us quite a show. It was a great place to use as a base to go explore the National Eagle Center and Lark Toys.