U.S. Forest Service · Chequamegon-Nicolet NF · Hayward, WI

Day Lake

Day Lake Campground is situated in northwestern Wisconsin, not far from the shores of Lake Superior. The spacious and peaceful Day Lake offers a family-friendly campground with swimming beaches, a boat launch and picnic area. Day Lake is a designated off-road vehicle campground, allowing off-road vehicle use to and from the nearby trails.

Closed for the season Partly reservable 52 sites 60 ft max No hookupsPets okFires ok

Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served.

More like this: first-come in Wisconsin · reservable in Wisconsin · big rigs in Wisconsin · pets allowed in Wisconsin · group sites in Wisconsin

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Photos courtesy of USDA Forest Service · Recreation.gov

4fires
active

Redhouse · 19 mi away · 22 acres

3 more within 50 miles

Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups		37
Group sites		1
Host/management		14

Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served. For the first-come sites, arrive early on a weekday and take what is open. The booking page shows which of the reservable sites are open. The first-come playbook

Site guide

Will my RV fit

Towing a trailerRear or front mounted accessoriesi

Tow vehicle length, ftTrailer length, ft

The longest site here provides 60 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

38 sites in 4 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

Site	Loop	Type	Entry	Fits, ft	Surface	Shade	People / vehicles	Fires	Accessible
001	JACK	Standard			Gravel	Partial	8 / 3	Yes	Yes
002	JACK	Standard	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial	8 / 3	Yes	Yes
003	JACK	Standard	Back-in		Gravel	Partial	8 / 3	Yes	Yes
004	JACK	Standard	Back-in	30	Gravel	Partial	8 / 3	Yes	Yes
005	JACK	Standard	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial	8 / 3	Yes	Yes
006	JACK	Standard	Back-in		Gravel	Partial	8 / 3	Yes	Yes
007	JACK	Standard	Back-in	55	Gravel	Partial	8 / 4	Yes	Yes
008	JACK	Standard	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial	8 / 4	Yes	Yes
009	JACK	Standard	Back-in	60	Gravel	Partial	8 / 4	Yes	Yes
010	JACK	Standard	Back-in		Gravel	Partial	8 / 3	Yes	Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 2:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

Hookups	None
Max vehicle length	60 ft
Equipment	RVs & trailers, Tents
Pets	Allowed
Campfires	Allowed, subject to restrictions
Accessibility	Sites 001, 002, 003, 004 and 11 more are listed accessible

The campground offers dozens of single-family campsites for tent and RV camping. Only the Paper Birch loop has a paved road, while the remainder of roads within the campground are gravel. The parking aprons are grass and dirt. Each campsite is equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills. Accessible vault toilets and hand pump drinking water are also provided. Trash collection and recycling bins are available at the campground as well.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

Status	Closed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
Season	May 2 to October 31
Forest	Chequamegon-Nicolet NF
Fees	Individual campsite fee is $18/night, payable at the fee envelope tube at the site. Camping fees are $9 with use of Interagency Senior or Access Pass. Pass discounts apply only to the fee for the campsite physically occupied by the pass holder.
Rules	Campsite Capacity Maximum of 8 people and 4 vehicles at each camp site. Vehicle capacity limit includes vehicles, wheeled camping units and trailers. Pets and Animals Pets must always be restrained or on a leash while in developed recreation areas. Pets (except guide dogs) are not allowed in swimming areas.

Chequamegon-Nicolet NF recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →

The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Clam Lake 4W, 3 miles from the campground at 1,498 feet, station USC00471604 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 34 inches a year. The shaded span is the published season, May 2 to October 31.

Getting there

From Clam Lake, Wisconsin, travel a mile north on Highway GG.

Nearest town	Hayward, Wisconsin
Coordinates	46.1764° N, 90.9092° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

Wildfire
Redhouse
19 mi from the campground · 22 acres
Wildfire
Bog
45 mi from the campground · 94 acres
Wildfire
Black River
50 mi from the campground · 300 acres
Wildfire
Black River
50 mi from the campground · 382 acres · 60% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gear

Solstice Outdoors ↗

28.1 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

0.2 mi
Day Lake
0.9 mi trail · hiking
0.7 mi
Day Lake Hwt
0.9 mi trail · hiking
0.7 mi
Clam Lake Connector ↗
7.2 mi trail · hiking, e-bike, snowmobile
0.9 mi
North Day Lake Hwt
1.8 mi trail · hiking
1.9 mi
Snowmobile Trail 9A
2.4 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
2 mi
Woodtick Lake Hwt
0.8 mi trail · hiking

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

in
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest ↗
National Forest · Forest Service · 2,005,629 acres
12 mi
Porcupine Lake Wilderness ↗
Wilderness · Forest Service · 4,074 acres

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Other campgrounds nearby

FS · WI

East Twin

Partly reservable2.6 mi

FS · WI

Beaver Lake

Partly reservable8.7 mi

Natural features

The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest offers 845,000 acres of lush landscape dotted with lakes, rivers and streams. Pine, spruce, maple, aspen and balsam forests, as well as extensive jack pine plantations, make up the vegetation.

Recreation

Located in the elk capital of Wisconsin, the Day Lake area has activities for everyone. Miles of off-road vehicle, hiking and mountain biking trails are nearby on the Dead Horse Run Off-road Vehicle (ATV/UTV) Trail. A half-mile interpretive trail can be accessed from the campground. A boat ramp and picnic area with beach access are located two miles south of the campground, on County Highway M. The 640-acre lake is a popular destination for anglers, with musky, bass and panfish available in abundance. The area is also ideal for kayaking, canoeing and swimming. Elk, eagles, loons and other wildlife are often spotted in the area.

Nearby

A general store, bait shop, firewood vendor, fuel and restaurants are located in Clam Lake, about a mile from the campground. The local community club hosts an annual July 4th fireworks display.

Guidebooks for Wisconsin

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Best Tent Camping: Wisconsin
Kevin Revolinski and Johnny Molloy, 2018
Find at Bookshop.org
Best Hikes Madison, Wisconsin
Johnny Molloy, 2018
Find at Bookshop.org
Rail-trails Michigan & Wisconsin
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2017
Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Day Lake?

For some sites. Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Day Lake?

Individual campsite fee is $18/night, payable at the fee envelope tube at the site. Camping fees are $9 with use of Interagency Senior or Access Pass. Pass discounts apply only to the fee for the campsite physically occupied by the pass holder.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Day Lake?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 2:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Day Lake open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season May 2 to October 31.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Day Lake have?

52 sites, including 37 standard sites without power and 1 group site.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Day Lake?

The longest site here provides 60 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Day Lake?

Yes, pets are allowed at Day Lake. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Day Lake?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 4 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. Campsite Capacity Maximum of 8 people and 4 vehicles at each camp site.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there accessible sites at Day Lake?

Sites 001, 002, 003, and 004 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov, 15 sites in all. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Day Lake?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Day Lake?

Located in the elk capital of Wisconsin, the Day Lake area has activities for everyone. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Day Lake?

Hayward, Wisconsin. A general store, bait shop, firewood vendor, fuel and restaurants are located in Clam Lake, about a mile from the campground.

Source: Getting there