Saved Account Join
A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Forest Service campground

Day Lake

Forest Service campground in Chequamegon-Nicolet NF, Ashland County, Wisconsin. 1,443 feet. 15.7 miles from Mellen.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Chequamegon-Nicolet NF
Elevation
1,443 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
38 37 standard non-electric, 1 group standard non-electric
Longest rig
60 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Ashland County

Overview

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.

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.

Facilities

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.

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.

Nearby Attractions

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.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • swimming site

The land around Day Lake

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

Join Overlanding Life
Saved Account

Start with a region

Browse the directory