Outdoors
National forests, parks, lakes and recreation areas with hiking trails near Green Bay, closest first.
Good to know: Carry more water than you think you need, check the managing agency’s page for trail closures and fire restrictions, and start early on hot days.
39 mi northeast · US Army Corps of Engineers
The project is located in the northeast portion of Wisconsin in the middle of The Door County peninsula. The ship canal is used as a shortcut for vessels using the ports of Green Bay and Menominee.
61 mi northwest · USDA Forest Service
Boot Lake Campground overlooks its namesake -- 263-acre Boot Lake. Bask in the sun on the beautiful beach and then take a relaxing dip in the lake, or enjoy the fishing. Boot Lake contains walleye, northern pike, bass, musky, and panfish.
72 mi southwest · Fish and Wildlife Service
At more than 33,000 acres, Horicon Marsh is one of the largest freshwater marshes in the United States and is a critical rest stop for thousands of migrating ducks and Canada geese.
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The project is located in the northeast portion of Wisconsin in the middle of The Door County peninsula. The ship canal is used as a shortcut for vessels using the ports of Green Bay and Menominee.
Boot Lake Campground overlooks its namesake -- 263-acre Boot Lake. Bask in the sun on the beautiful beach and then take a relaxing dip in the lake, or enjoy the fishing. Boot Lake contains walleye, northern pike, bass, musky, and panfish.
At more than 33,000 acres, Horicon Marsh is one of the largest freshwater marshes in the United States and is a critical rest stop for thousands of migrating ducks and Canada geese.
On February 21, 1912, President William Howard Taft established Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge, our nation’s 28th refuge and only the second refuge in the Great Lakes region.
Lake Michigan Campground is perched on the shores of Lake Michigan, 15 miles south of Manistee. The area creates an incredible setting with a scenic overlook of the lake and a sandy swimming beach.
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail spans 1,200 miles, traverses some of Wisconsin's finest geologic and glacial features, and passes through the ancestral lands of 15 Tribes.
The Morgan Lake Campground and Group Site is a great place for families or a large gathering of people to camp in northern Wisconsin's Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
Platte River Campground is located in the southern district of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, on the lower peninsula of Michigan. This year-round facility is one of the most popular campgrounds in the park.
White Pine Backcountry Campground is a primitive camp located in the southern district of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, on the lower peninsula of Michigan.
Lost Lake Cabins offers (11) cabins available for rent in the remote forested area situated on the shores of Lost Lake.
D.H. Day Group Campground is a tent-only facility located in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, about one mile (1.6 km) north of the Dune Climb, where visitors can walk over miles of sand dunes.
South Manitou Group Campground is a tent-only backcountry facility on South Manitou Island in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan.
D.H. Day Campground is located in the northern district of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, on the lower peninsula of Michigan.
Leopold Wetland Management District is named after Aldo Leopold, who is widely acknowledged as the father of wildlife conservation in America.
Miles of sand beach, bluffs that tower 450’ above Lake Michigan, lush forests, clear inland lakes, unique flora and fauna make up the natural world of Sleeping Bear Dunes. High dunes afford spectacular views across the lake.
Sand Lake Campground is situated on the scenic shores of Sand Lake and provides a selection of sites shaded by a mixed hardwood forest. Just beyond the trees is a well-loved, sandy swimming beach.
The Upper Manistee dispersed campsites are primitive campsites on the Manistee River Backwaters of Tippy Dam Pond, located along the banks of the Manistee River between Tippy Dam and Hodenpyl Dam.
Franklin Lake Campground is one of the most popular camping spots within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Northern Wisconsin. Its unique structures built by the CCC land it on the National Register of Historic Places.
If you are looking for a campground with a family atmosphere or a base camp to explore area trails, try Anvil Lake Campground off State Highway 70, just minutes east of Eagle River, within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
The prehistoric lands that make up Necedah National Wildlife Refuge sat at the bottom of Glacial Lake Wisconsin more than 18,000 years ago.
Early settlers from Kentucky gave the name to Kentuck Lake. Kentuck Lake Campground is located on the east lake shore of Kentuck Lake in a stand of maple.
Lying between the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron in the northern half of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, is the nearly one-million-acre Huron-Manistee National Forests.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown Green Bay. Listings come from Recreation.gov’s federal recreation database; check each official page for hours, fees, fire restrictions and closures before you go.
THINGS TO DO · YOUTUBE SHORT
A local activity Short shared by Have Clothes, Will Travel.
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THINGS TO DO · YOUTUBE SHORT
A local activity Short shared by Travels of Sarah Fay.
Watch on YouTube ↗
Sturgeon Bay & Lake Michigan Ship Canal (US Army Corps of Engineers), about 39 miles northeast of Green Bay as the crow flies. Next are Boot Lake Campground (61 mi) and Horicon National Wildlife Refuge (72 mi).
Based on Green Bay’s average highs, April–October. Conditions at higher elevations can be much cooler.
Federal agencies including USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service. Each listing links to its official page for hours, fees, closures and current conditions.