Rock Island State Park

Some claim that the best of the best in tent camping is on Rock Island, known as Wisconsin's "furthest northeast point." Located two ferry rides northeast of the tip of the Door Peninsula, a tent-camping trip to this island park may leave you nodding your head in agreement. Once the home of a wealthy inventor, Chester H. Thordarson, Rock Island comprises 900 acres of history and nature where beaches, bluffs, and woodlands contrast with the relics of voyageurs, settlers, and parts of Thordarson's estate. The campground here lives up to its heady surroundings.

Campers visiting here live on "ferry time." All who visit here are at the mercy of the ferryboat schedule. Be sure to bring all your gear and food (there are no stores on the island) and come ready to walk, since no cars or bikes are allowed. You will have to tote your gear anywhere from 200 yards to a half-mile. I recommend staying at least two nights given all the effort it takes to reach Rock Island.

Get off the second ferry, walk past buildings left over from the Thordarson Estate, and pass the water spigot for the campground. Walk between impressive rock walls. Ahead, three trails lead to various parts of the campground. "Michigan Avenue" leads toward sites #1–#12. Pass pit toilets and a changing station at the end of Michigan Avenue. A big dune separates you from the Lake Michigan on the southwest shore of Rock Island. Campsites #1-#3 are in cedar, sugar maple, and oak woods just inland from a sandy shoreline. Campsites #4–#7 are a bit back from the water near an old cemetery. All these sites are near an old Potawatomi Indian village and a building site of the voyageur LaSalle. Campsites #9, #11, and #13 are just on the back side of the dune in a mix of sun and shade.

A grassy trail leads into thick cedar woods atop a bluff. Campsites #15–#19 are on the edge of the bluff offering a stunning view of Lake Michigan. Campsites #20 and #22 are a bit back from the water. Campsite #21 offers lake views. Next comes a line of campsites, #23–#29, directly beside the water toward Washington Island. This line offers great sites in a mix of sun and shade on the edge of a rock beach.

The third trail leads inland toward heavily wooded, well-separated sites, #30–#35, offering maximum solitude. These sites are large and fine, and while they are the last ones taken, they provide shelter when the weather is cool and windy. By the way, a stone shelter building with a fireplace inside lies near the campground for bad-weather days. Six vault toilets are spread throughout the campground. All campsites can be reserved from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Rock Island will fill on Memorial Day weekend, on the last two weekends of July, and most days in August. Chilly winds blowing off Lake Michigan keep campers away early in the season. Consider coming in September.

The sand and rock beaches are a big draw at Rock Island State Park. No wonder—they offer picture-postcard scenery. The trail system explores some of the human and natural history of the island. Everyone likes to take the mile walk to the Potawatomi Lighthouse. Built in 1836, it is the oldest lighthouse in Wisconsin. The 5.2-mile Thordarson Loop Trail continues beyond the lighthouse around the perimeter of the island to the old fishing village (the first settlement in Door County), where water tower and settler house foundations can still be seen. The Algonquin Nature Loop Trail details the flora and lake history of the island. Check out the rock carvings on the bluffs just below the campground. The Viking Hall stands over a beautiful stone boathouse, part of the Thordarson Estate. In here, you can check out artifacts from the days of the Potawatomi tribe to a more recent past, including old photos and some of Thordarson's original Icelandic carved-oak furniture.

Some campers shore-fish for smallmouth bass and perch, but what campers like most about Rock Island is living on ferry time. You come and go with the ferries, so just relax and leave your worries on the mainland. Just remember to bring your tent-and everything else you will need for camping on this island getaway.

To get there: From Sturgeon Bay, head north on Highway 42 for 46 miles to its end. Here, you must take a pay ferry to reach Washington Island. From Washington Island, drive north on Lobdells Point Road for 1.7 miles to Main Road. Turn left on Main Road and follow it 2.6 miles to Jackson Harbor Road. Turn right on Jackson Harbor Road and follow it 3.6 miles to the Rock Island Ferry. Campers must park in the state park lot, just north of the passenger-only pay ferry.

Key Information

Address: Rock Island State Park, Route 1, Box 118A, Washington Island, WI 54246; Summer: (920) 847-2235, off season: (920) 847-3256, www.wiparks.net
Open: Year-round—private ferry services run only from May 24 to October 14
Individual sites: 35
Fee: Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend Friday and Saturday $10 residents, $12 non-residents; summer weekdays and all days rest of year $8 residents, $10 non-residents