Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Camping Permits
4Heads up4 fires, nearest 37 mi
- Right now
- Taking bookingsSites offered on 30 of the next 30 nights read 16:58 UTC
- A night
- $15From, per site
- Sites
- 9583 on recreation.gov
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 2 notices
In the agency’s own words
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. Keep reading
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.
What the agency tells you
RULES AND REGULATIONS - Group Size: Individual campsites accommodate a maximum of seven people at one time. Children of any age count towards the total number. Group campsites accommodate parties of 8 to 21 people. Parties camping in designated camping zones are limited to a maximum of five people. - Tents: Parties camping in individual campsites can have a maximum of three tents (including those used only to store gear). Parties using camping zones are limited to two tents. All tents must be located in areas designated by tent pads or signs, where they are provided. - Bears: Black bears are found on the islands. All food, beverage containers, garbage, toiletries, and cooking materials must be secured from wildlife. Bear proof lockers are provided for this purpose at all designated campsites. In camping zones, all food and garbage must be hung from a tree at least twelve feet above the ground and six feet from the trunk of the tree. Cookware and dishes should be cleaned as soon as practical after preparation of meals. DO NOT FEED BEARS OR OTHER WILDLIFE. - Garbage: All refuse must be carried out of the park. Please do not dispose of garbage in toilets, do not try to burn it, do not bury it, and do not dispose of it in Lake Superior. - Fires: Build fires in fire receptacles where provided. Zone campers will need to use a backpacking stove for cooking. Beach and campfires must be less than three feet in height or diameter. Fires are not allowed on beaches at Meyers Beach, on Raspberry Island, Julian Bay and Presque Isle Bay on Stockton Island, on beaches within 150 feet of sites where fire receptacles are provided. Do NOT transport firewood to, or between islands in the national lakeshore. Use dead or downed wood on the ground for firewood. Wood may not be collected from vegetated portions of island beaches. Do not leave fires unattended. Extinguish fires before leaving the area. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more about preventing the spread of tree-killing pests. Chainsaw use prohibited. - Soap: Please do not use any type of soap within 100 feet of Lake Superior, or any water source. - Quiet Hours: Quiet hours are enforced from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. - Pets: All pets must be kept on a leash that is six feet or shorter and never left unattended. Pet excrement must be immediately collected and disposed of. - Check Out: Campsite check out must be by 11 a.m. - Itinerary Changes: If itinerary changes are necessary during a camping trip, please contact park staff by phone (715-779-3398) or in person, if possible. Have your permit available. There is no charge for changes due to severe weather conditions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - Trail conditions: Many of the trails may be not be maintained which can make route finding difficult. - Booking Window: Reservations for individual campsites and primitive camping zones can be made 30 days prior to the start of a trip. Group campsites can be made at any time after the group camping lottery. Information on the group camping lottery can be found on the park website. - Camping in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: All island campsites are only accessible by boat. There are three individual campsites that are hike-in or paddle-in sites along the Lakeshore Trail on the mainland. People sleeping on their boat do not need to obtain a camping permit, but must pay an overnight dock fee at the site. You may pay this fee upon arrival using Scan & Pay. Please download the Recreation.gov mobile app before you visit the islands. - Island Transportation: The cost of transportation to the islands may be much higher than the cost of camping. If you do not have your own boat, find out what it will cost to rent a sea kayak, charter a water taxi, or ride the camper shuttle before paying to reserve campsites. - Closed to the public: The southeast corner of Sand Island and an area north of Group Site A on Rocky. These areas include cabins (and docks) where previous land owners retain special rights. - Cold Water: Camping is allowed all year, the demand for camping is greatest from June to September. Temps during this period feature average highs in the 60s and 70s and lows in the 40s and 50s. Annual precipitation averages 33 inches. Lake Superior waters are dangerously cold with an average water temperature of 42F. The threat of hypothermia is real all year.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 95 · 3 walk-in, 9 group
- Hookups
- None
- Accessible sites
- 5
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
Facilities
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets
- VAULT TOILETS on 34 of 95 campsite records, ACCESSIBLE VAULT TOILETS on 3 of 95 campsite records
- Bear boxes
- Yes
158 of 162 site-nights open this Friday and Saturdayread 16:58 UTC
recreation.gov lists 83 of the 95 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.
OpenBooked
Watch for a cancellation
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We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 14
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $15 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
“Changes to the reservation will be charged a $15.00 change fee. There is a $10 reservation fee for each permit made.” · this campground’s own terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
recreation.gov availability, read 16:58 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
95 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 68 mapped sites2 sites share one published coordinate and are left out of the rankings.
All 95 sites
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 8 of the 95 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 89 of the 95 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
Measured shade is NLCD Tree Canopy Cover 2024 (USDA Forest Service / MRLC) read at the site’s own coordinate, 27% canopy or more, and only for the sites the agency gave no Shade value. It never changes the agency’s own shaded count beside it.
| Basswood | Basswood 1 | standard nonelectric | 278 ft | 41 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Basswood | Basswood 2 | standard nonelectric | 70 ft | 132 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Basswood | Basswood 3 | standard nonelectric | 70 ft | 132 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Basswood | Basswood 4 | standard nonelectric | 163 ft | 163 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Basswood | Basswood 5 | standard nonelectric | 77 ft | 184 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Basswood | Basswood 6 | standard nonelectric | 77 ft | 134 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Basswood | Basswood Primitive Zone | type not stated | 2,967 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Basswood | Basswood Site A | group standard nonelectric | 139 ft | 321 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $30 | |
| Bear | Bear Primitive Zone | anchorage | 3,421 ftLake Superior | ||||
| Cat | Cat 1 | standard nonelectric | 13495 ft | 91 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Cat | Cat Primitive Zone | type not stated | 2,049 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Devils | Devils 1 | standard nonelectric | 17748 ft | 115 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Hermit | Hermit Primitive Zone | type not stated | 1,991 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Ironwood | Ironwood 1 | standard nonelectric | 11566 ft | 133 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Ironwood | Ironwood Primitive Zone | type not stated | 2,443 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Long | Long 1 | standard nonelectric | 38992 ft | 41 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Mainland | Mainland 1 | hike to | 19584 ft | 111 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | ||
| Mainland | Mainland 2 | hike to | 170 ft | 109 ftLake Superior | 2,005 ft | ||
| Mainland | Mainland 3 | hike to | 170 ft | 116 ftLake Superior | 1,835 ft | ||
| Manitou | Manitou 1 | standard nonelectric | 10181 ft | 36 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Manitou | Manitou Primitive Zone | type not stated | 2,033 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Michigan | Michigan 1 | standard nonelectric | 17420 ft | 155 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Michigan | Michigan Primitive Zone | type not stated | 1,988 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| North Twin | North Twin Primitive Zone | type not stated | 651 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Oak | Oak 1 | standard nonelectric | 330 ft | 177 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Oak | Oak 2 | standard nonelectric | 181 ft | 165 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Oak | Oak 3 | standard nonelectric | 1232 ft | 122 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Oak | Oak 4 | standard nonelectric | 6315 ft | 12 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Oak | Oak 6 | standard nonelectric | 8922 ft | 38 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Oak | Oak Primitive Zone | type not stated | $15 | ||||
| Oak | Oak Site A | group standard nonelectric | 330 ft | 90 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $30 | |
| Oak | Oak Site B | group standard nonelectric | 181 ft | 235 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $30 | |
| Oak | Oak Z1 | type not stated | 2,866 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Oak | Oak Z2 | type not stated | 4,112 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Oak | Oak Z3 | type not stated | 3,045 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Otter | Otter 1 | standard nonelectric | 10181 ft | 83 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Otter | Otter Primitive Zone | type not stated | 2,822 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Outer | Outer 1 | standard nonelectric | 21121 ft | 41 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Outer | Outer Primitive Zone | type not stated | $15 | ||||
| Outer | Outer Z1 | type not stated | 791 ft | $15 | |||
| Outer | Outer Z2 | type not stated | 3,012 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Outer | Outer Z3 | type not stated | 390 ft | $15 | |||
| Outer | Outer Z4 | type not stated | 1,477 ft | $15 | |||
| Raspberry | Raspberry Z1 | type not stated | 930 ftLake Superior | ||||
| Rocky | Rocky 1 | standard nonelectric | 1352 ft | 64 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Rocky | Rocky 2 | standard nonelectric | 930 ft | 70 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Rocky | Rocky 3 | standard nonelectric | 930 ft | 48 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Rocky | Rocky 4 | standard nonelectric | 90 ft | 138 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Rocky | Rocky 5 | standard nonelectric | 90 ft | 105 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Rocky | Rocky Primitive Zone | type not stated | 2,059 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Rocky | Rocky Site A | group standard nonelectric | 112 ft | 75 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $30 | |
| Sand | Sand 1 | standard nonelectric | 111 ft | 123 ftLake Superior | 210 ft | $15 | |
| Sand | Sand 2 | standard nonelectric | 104 ft | 204 ftLake Superior | 122 ft | $15 | |
| Sand | Sand 3 | standard nonelectric | yes | 1261 ft | 67 ftLake Superior | Accessible Vault Toilets listed | $15 |
| Sand | Sand 4 | standard nonelectric | 305 ftLake Superior | 46 ft | $15 | ||
| Sand | Sand 5 | standard nonelectric | 1261 ft | 152 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Sand | Sand 6 | standard nonelectric | 3508 ft | 158 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Sand | Sand Primitive Zone | type not stated | 4,154 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Sand | Sand Site A | group standard nonelectric | 70 ft | 103 ftLake Superior | 168 ft | $30 | |
| Sand | Sand Site B | group standard nonelectric | 70 ft | 101 ftLake Superior | 197 ft | $30 | |
| Sand | Sand Site C | group standard nonelectric | yes | 305 ftLake Superior | 46 ft | $30 | |
| South Twin | South Twin 1 | standard nonelectric | 285 ft | under 10 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| South Twin | South Twin 2 | standard nonelectric | 43 ft | 251 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| South Twin | South Twin 3 | standard nonelectric | 43 ft | 260 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| South Twin | South Twin 4 | standard nonelectric | 245 ft | 290 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| South Twin | South Twin Primitive Zone | type not stated | 1,222 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| Stockton | Stockton 1 | standard nonelectric | yes | 154 ft | 87 ftLake Superior | Accessible Vault Toilets listed | $15 |
| Stockton | Stockton 10 | standard nonelectric | 17 ft | 74 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 11 | standard nonelectric | 17 ft | 91 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 12 | standard nonelectric | 189 ft | 91 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 13 | standard nonelectric | 189 ft | 93 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 15 | standard nonelectric | 277 ft | 90 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 16 | standard nonelectric | 265 ft | 73 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 17 | standard nonelectric | 222 ft | 144 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 18 | standard nonelectric | 166 ft | 135 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 19 | standard nonelectric | 166 ft | 68 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 2 | standard nonelectric | 75 ft | 57 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 20 | standard nonelectric | 380 ft | under 10 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Stockton | Stockton 21 | standard nonelectric | 13495 ft | 44 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 3 | standard nonelectric | 75 ft | 33 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 4 | standard nonelectric | 181 ft | 140 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 5 | standard nonelectric | 181 ft | 196 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 6 | standard nonelectric | 256 ft | 60 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 7 | standard nonelectric | 137 ft | 52 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton 8 | standard nonelectric | 137 ft | 131 ftLake Superior | $15 | ||
| Stockton | Stockton Primitive Zone | type not stated | $15 | ||||
| Stockton | Stockton Site A | group standard nonelectric | yes | 380 ft | 186 ftLake Superior | $30 | |
| Stockton | Stockton Site B | group standard nonelectric | yes | 559 ft | 162 ftLake Superior | $30 | |
| Stockton | Stockton Z1 | type not stated | 192 ft | $15 | |||
| Stockton | Stockton Z2 | type not stated | 1,230 ft | $15 | |||
| Stockton | Stockton Z3 | type not stated | 3,528 ftLake Superior | $15 | |||
| York | York 1 | standard nonelectric | 187 ft | 64 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| York | York 2 | standard nonelectric | 187 ft | 67 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| York | York 3 | standard nonelectric | 347 ft | 41 ftLake Superior | Vault Toilets listed | $15 | |
| Zone | Zone Z | type not stated | 591 ftLake Superior |
25 of 95 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Birch Grove Recreation AreaChequamegon National Forest · 14 miBAH1Chequamegon National Forest · 29 miBAH2Chequamegon National Forest · 29 miWanoka Lake Recreation AreaChequamegon National Forest · 29 mi
Lake ThreeChequamegon National Forest · 34 miPerch Lake Recreation AreaChequamegon National Forest · 35 mi**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.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Bayfield, WI
Typical weather
Typical October night 37°F, day 54°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical February night 7°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Camping Permits is in Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district. Its representative, Tom Tiffany (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →