Big Bay Town Park

Located on Madeline Island in Apostle Islands, Wisconsin. Large, private sites w/ trees separating each site. Very helpful host. Pretty beach, after going down stairs. Boardwalk to state park campgrounds. Ice & firewood available. No state park registration/payment required. Not good cell service or internet. Can only be reached via pricey ferry ride from Bayfield. Ferry $17 per person + vehicle. $72 for Class B RV, so $89 total.

Wisconsin has the best campsites of any state parks I've seen.

Keep in mind, this review is based on our first experience on Madeline Island during the year of COVID.

There are two parks on Madeline Island, Big Bay Town Park and Big Bay State Park. We stayed at the Town Park. From what I could tell based on signage, Town Park is dog friendly. If you’re looking for a dog friendly park to take your dog for walks, choose the Town Park. The RV sites are secluded with beautiful growth between sites. Our site was right on the trail head. The trail is well groomed and takes you right down to the shoreline of Lake Superior... Big Bay specifically.

The only downside to our site was the garbage drop off was also on the trail head so often while lounging we would have people dumping their garbage and they could see right into our site. In the future I will probably choose site 51 which is close to the trailhead and provides complete privacy. Privacy is vital to me. The way this campground is laid out provides the best privacy I have ever seen in campgrounds.

30 and 50 amp hookups available. No water hookups but if you bring water cans, there is potable water available on site. No AT&T signal at all. 1 bar hit and miss for Verizon. No sewer hookups but there is a dump site at the airport for a $5 suggested donation.

To ferry our 22’ camper over to the Island was $150 round trip. We’ll with the cost.

Once on the island, life seems to slow down. The town has some exploration opportunities and great places to eat out. At the park, there is the boardwalk that follows the length of the sandy beach. Plenty of beach even when it is extremely busy. The water can get to a surface temp of 70 degrees but often is fairly cold but doable on warm days. There is a large lagoon that is great for exploring in a canoe or kayak. There is rental for both in the park starting at $10 an hour with discounted rates if you want them for longer street he’s of time. If you’re skilled and daring, you can take the kayak’s out into the bay.

I can’t say enough about our experience at Big Bay Town Park. I have never been more relaxed at a campground. Between town and the park, there is endless opportunities.

Prepare to be relaxed.

The website provides information about each individual site including length and width. Not all the sites are appropriate for long rigs, but I saw quite a few longer trailers.
The sites are somewhere private, with tree growth between the neighbors. Bathrooms were clean.
There is a nice sand beach within walking distance, though some steep stairs.
My site had some road noise, but things were very quiet once the sun went down.