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    J W Wells State Park

    4.5 (12 reviews)

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    View of the lake, huge site!
    N. S.

    Kids had a blast! Wish we could have stayed more than one night. Who doesn't want to be near water when camping? We could hear the waves all night and the campsites are HUGE compared to most.

    Site #28

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

    Directions and cleanliness. The road construction was ridiculous. Seems like no one maintained.

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Awesome place. Bring your bikes. Trails, beach, playground for the little ones and nice sized sites. Pretty quiet. Beautiful bathrooms.

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    9 years ago

    What a great little hidden gem! We've never noticed it before! Stopped for a swim and was amazed at the facilities!

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    15 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    Little Lake Nature Preserve - Little Lake, a lake on an island in a lake.

    Little Lake Nature Preserve

    4.5(2 reviews)
    21.2 mi

    This is in an area on the very northwest corner of Washington Island. Not too many people get up…read morethis far. Finding this place was not helped by Yelp's erroneous location. At first we ended up on Allouez Trail. Gets you close but ends in private property. Google Earth took us to Little Lake Road (duh!), which is quite south of where you think the right road should be. This road takes you to the Jacobsen Museum (worthy of a visit, if you can catch it open) with this pretty little lake just to the east of the museum. There was once a large Native American encampment here. Most of the northern part of the lake is in preserve And it is a pretty lake...a lake on an island in a lake. A few artifacts are scattered about..an old rock wagon and a salvaged rudder among them. You can lauch a canoe or kayak here. The preserve around the lake is 32 scres with an easy 1.25 mile hiking trail. Birding is great! We had permission from the owner of the Hotel Washington to access her property and we walked to the cliffside of Green Bay. All in all a pretty place to visit. I'm sure there's a ton of fish there, too. If you're on Washington Island and looking for a lesser known place it would behoove you to drive or bike here. Two asides...the bird you hear singing in the woods is likely a red eyed vireo, they are everywhere on the island. You will see an unfamiliar flag around the island. It is the flag of Iceland, many of the early folks who settled on Washington Island came from or had ancestry from Iceland. The tradition continues.

    Little Lake is a part of Washington Island that, for some odd reason, tourists rarely check out…read more None of the guided tours of the Island stop here, and every time I have ever visited the place has been completely deserted. Odd when you consider that School House Beach located nearby is often jam packed with visitors. Frankly, this is precisely why I like paying a visit here. I come to the Island to get away from people and keep to myself, not to bask in crowds. What you will find at Little Lake, as you can see from my attached photo, is gorgeous landscapes and peaceful tranquility. Despite what would be conventional wisdom given it's location, Little Lake is not an inland harbor from the bay. It is landlocked, although barely. There is unique plant and wildlife abound to check out. The area is chock full of peace and natural beauty, with wetlands and wildlife all around, as well as hemlock (a road on the east side of the Island is also called "hemlock") and cedar trees.This park is a bit of an oddity as far as ownership goes, as it is not maintained by the Wisconsin DNR. The Door County Land Trust acquired much of the property in the mid 2000's and it is also surrounded by numerous plots of land which are privately owned by islanders. There is a long dock after you park which extends out into the lake which is ideal for photos and for relaxing. There are a couple of native American and Danish structures, including the Jacobsen Museum, at the entrance which are (as of May 2017) still in the process of being renovated as display pieces. If you pay a visit to Washington Island, this place is definitely worth a stop.

    Photos
    Little Lake Nature Preserve - A lake on an island in a lake. Flag of Iceland.

    A lake on an island in a lake. Flag of Iceland.

    Little Lake Nature Preserve - Looking north

    Looking north

    Little Lake Nature Preserve - Cliffs

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    Cliffs

    Kentuck Lake - The fishing is great!

    Kentuck Lake

    5.0(1 review)
    94.1 mi

    My favorite lake on this entire sphere!. Kentuck Lake is approximately a 950 acre lake located in…read moreboth Vilas County & Forest counties. It has a maximum depth of 40 feet. Visitors have access to the lake from 2 public boat landings. Fish include Musky, Perch, Blue Gill, Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass & Walleye. The lake's water clarity is low. The lake is completely surrounded by beautiful tree covered rolling hills. Most of the shore is rocky & steep. But, a few areas have shallow & sandy beaches. The lake has some of the best fishing in Wisconsin. The lake holds a lot of natural structure. The DNR sank a line of log cribs to enhance fish habitats. The entire lake produces great fishing. I've landed 2 Musky's in a day on the lake. I've also have landed Walleye as big as 26 inches & Small Mouth Bass as long as 20" weighing 5 pounds plus. Walleye's are my only keepers, everything else I throw back. Fishing regulations are posted at each boat ramp landing, please read & adhere to these rules. Keep this awesome fishery strong. The lake is surrounded by approximately 50 lake houses, the majority are only occupied a few times a year. Traffic on the lake is slow, usually a handful of fishing boats most weekends. I've had it all to myself at times during the week. Our family lake house has been on Kentuck lake for the past 18 years. In all that time I've only seen about a dozen boats towing water skiers. We are predominately a nice & quiet fishing lake. Typical noises that can be heard are wind, water & the abundance of Bald Eagles soaring overhead. Just the way I like it!! You can get me out of the woods. But, you can't get the woods out of me!

    Photos
    Kentuck Lake
    Kentuck Lake - Out ice fishing

    Out ice fishing

    Kentuck Lake - Walleye fishing on a cold Fall morning

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    Walleye fishing on a cold Fall morning

    Kitch-iti-Kipi - Entrance leading to the raft

    Kitch-iti-Kipi

    4.9(49 reviews)
    63.5 mi
    $

    On our road trip around the Great Lakes from Philly, we made a stop at this incredible spot -- and…read moredon't ask me to pronounce the name! Located inside Palms Book State Park, this natural spring was one of the most unique and beautiful places we visited. The water is crystal clear all the way to the bottom, and you can easily see fish swimming below. You hop onto a self-operated raft that you pull across the water to the middle of the spring, where there's an opening in the center to look straight down. It gives you a perfect view of the vibrant underwater world -- it's honestly mesmerizing. It's a quick stop, but totally worth it. And the best part? It's dog-friendly! Definitely add this to your list if you're exploring the Upper Peninsula.

    This is such a unique place. I'm so glad we stopped. We were on a road trip from Mackinaw City to…read moreMilwaukee and wanted to break up the trip a bit so we saw this diversion and decided to check it out. Clear blue water, bubbling sand, never ending springs, a tow boat, and lots of trout are the wonders to see. Everyone gets on the boat and someone (well a few people over the course of the trip) step up to the wheel to tow the boat across the water. The water is mesmerizing. I couldn't take my eyes off the water. Many people can fit on the boat so the wait is not too long. A day pass is $11. Definitely make this stop if you are in the area.

    Photos
    Kitch-iti-Kipi
    Kitch-iti-Kipi
    Kitch-iti-Kipi - View of the spring

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    View of the spring

    Rock Island State Park - Inside the party room above boathouse. Look at the chandelier.

    Rock Island State Park

    4.8(20 reviews)
    26.7 mi

    This island is definitely worth the ferry rides to get there. You can tour the lighthouse and hike…read morethe entire island. The lighthouse attendants are so friendly and knowledgeable. Very beautiful place to see.

    Rock Island is, well, rocky. Make sure you have sturdy soled shoes or hiking boots because hiking…read morearound without them will sincerely tire out your feet. Unless you have your own boat access, you will take two boats to get there. The first is from the tip of the Door County peninsula to Washington Island, and the second is from Washington Island to Rock Island. Now, you may take your vehicle to Washington Island, but Rock Island is pedestrian traffic only. That is because there is nothing on it....it's uninhabited forest save for birds and some ground dwelling animals, like squirrels and chipmunks. You may hike around the island (it's large, but not huge, it doesn't take all day), and primitive camp. There are a few buildings you can visit and some you can even go in. Food and beverage is allowed, but you must bring it with you, and take all trash with you when you leave. Make sure to get back to the dock at one of the scheduled departure times, especially if you need to make the ferry back to the mainland. If you miss the last boat on either island, you're stuck until the following day. 6/2025

    Photos
    Rock Island State Park - Me doing yoga on a rock in the lake.

    Me doing yoga on a rock in the lake.

    Rock Island State Park - Fireplace in the upstairs party room.

    Fireplace in the upstairs party room.

    Rock Island State Park - Boathouse and upstairs party room, which is gorgeous.

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    Boathouse and upstairs party room, which is gorgeous.

    J W Wells State Park - campgrounds - Updated May 2026

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