Camping at Point Beach State Forest

• Etiquette
• Family Campground
• Fees
• Indoor Group Camp
• Outdoor Group Camp
• Pets
• Reservations
• Services
• Winter Camping

Reservations

Point Beach campsites are in high demand and generally fill up on weekends from Memorial Day through the end of October. Weekdays in July and August are also busy, and reservations are recommended. Sites 21 through 127 are reservable and sites 1 through 20 are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are accepted 48 hours to 11 months before the date of your arrival, depending on availability. Call toll-free to (888) 947-2757, TTY (800) 274-7275 or make reservations online [exit DNR].

Family Campground

The family campground consists of 127 sites, 70 of them with electricity. All of the sites are within walking distance of Lake Michigan, where you can enjoy more than five miles of undeveloped shoreline. Because of the high sand dunes, none of the sites offer a view of the lake. All sites are wooded. A flush toilet and shower building is across from site 31.

Campground Map [PDF 118KB]

Each has a fire ring and picnic table.
DNR Photo

Indoor Group Camp

The indoor group camp is near Lake Michigan about 1.7 miles south of the forest entrance station. It has two buildings, one sleeping 14 and the other 16. Groups can reserve one or both rustic cabins, depending on the group size.

One of the indoor rustic group cabins at Point Beach.
DNR Photo

Picnic table inside the Coenen cabin.
DNR Photo

Outdoor Group Camp

Point Beach has an outdoor group camp that accommodates as many as 60 people and is designed for tents and small trailers up to 20 feet in length. Large motor homes and fifth wheel units will not fit in the group camp area and should use the family campground. Group camp accommodations include hand pump for water, pit toilets, picnic tables and a large fire ring. See the Wisconsin State Parks group camp page for details about fees and reservations.

Winter Camping

Point Beach campground is open year round. The campground entrance road is plowed to the shelter building. Sites 74 through 81 have electricity and are available first-come, first-served during the winter. Enjoy the solitude of the season. You can cross-country ski right from your campsite to the groomed trails. Water is available at the forest office or at the shop building. The shower building is shut down in mid to late October.

Camping Fees

The nightly camping fee depends on when you camp, whether or not you're a Wisconsin resident, and whether or not you have an electrical hookup. In addition, there's a reservation fee. See our camping fees page.

Services

Firewood: Ask at the forest office. Firewood is $4 per bundle.

Concession: A private concession is available for some grocery items, camp supplies, ice, food and refreshments. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sanitary Dump Station: Available to registered campers. Located across the main entrance to the campground.

Garbage and Recycling: Located near the dump station. Please separate tin cans, aluminum, paper and #2 plastics and place in appropriate containers.

Church Service: Nondenominational service is available at the campground shelter on Sunday mornings June through August.

Pets

• Pets must be on a leash 8 feet or shorter, and must be kept under control by the owner. This includes controlling barking.
• Pets are not allowed in any picnic area, building, shelter, playground or on the Swales Nature Trail. The only exception is a leader dog for a blind, deaf or mobility impaired person.
• We ask for strict adherence to all pet regulations in order to enhance the visit of all quests and to ensure the safety for both people and pets.

Point beach provides an area south of the lighthouse where pets are allowed on the Lake Michigan Shoreline. For more information contact the forest office.

Camping Etiquette

To protect yourself, other campers, and the natural resources, please remember to...

• drive very slowly through the camp areas, because many young children are there.
• set up your tent within the designated site and park your vehicle or RV on the gravel pad.
• park no more than two vehicles on your site. Extra vehicles may park in the overflow lot.
• keep all food secure from wild animals, and don't feed any wild animals.
• be sure that all sounds from your campsite, including radios, are quiet enough to be heard only by you.
• burn only firewood (no garbage or recyclables), and keep your fire of moderate size, under control, and in the fire ring.
• protect all plants and wildflowers. Don't pick, disturb, or trample them.
• deposit "gray water" from your camping unit in the trailer dumping station. Only small amounts of dishwater (free of food residue) may be dumped into pit toilets or scattered away from your campsite.
• keep your campsite clean and free of debris. Leave it cleaner than when you arrived.

For more information, ask: Point Beach State Forest, (920) 794-7480.