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Newport State ParkEllison Bay, WI
I say this is "lightweight" backpacking because the trails are generally quite level and wide. There's really no need for special hiking boots here, just sturdy athletic-type shoes. A couple times I've even experimented with using a bike-trailer-turned-cart to push by stuff in. Although that's really best done on the slightly wider 2-track trails, which is about half of the trail mileage available. This makes hiking in with kids and all their stuff easier. Poison ivy can be bad in spots. Sites 3 & 4 are very close to each other and have an abundance of poison ivy around their sites. The sites only have one or two "Leopold style" benches in each one--no picnic tables. In the past I have written to the Park supervisor about putting small picnic tables in the sites. With vehicle access on the 2-track trails I'm supposing this wouldn't be too difficult. She responded saying that she felt picnic tables would not be very "wilderness-like". I disagree. Putting a small picnic table in most of these sites would not adversely affect the wilderness experience. Now if we're talking about a hot tub at each site, then yes, something like that would be disruptive. I wonder if it's more a matter of avoiding vandalism to the tables by the occasional immature camper. The greeter at the Park office indicated that a new visitor center is in the works (late 2007). This is definitely needed as the current office and nature center are a couple small rooms carved out of the maintenance garage. Water is available there to fill up your bottles before your hike in. Newport State Park is almost at the very end of Door County, but the drive is worth it if you're seeking solitude and a first time backpacking experience. Camper Reviews for
Sally T. from Idaho writes: Our children were so caught up in video games and television that we thought it would be nice to take them camping, and expose them to the beauty of nature... read more |
All sites are on, or very close to, the water. Except for site #6, which is in the middle of a piney forest. But, considering the lake level has severely retreated in the past several years, the distance to the water's edge keeps increasing. On the upside, the lower water has revealed some interesting geology.
