USDA Forest Service · Wisconsin
Day Lake
USDA Forest Service · Wisconsin, United States
- Sites
- 52
- Hookups
- 38 no hookups
- Season
- May 1 to October 12
- Max RV length
- 60 ft
- Group sites
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,457 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile good · AT&T good · Verizon good (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- FR 1298 (NFSR 1298) · crushed aggregate or gravel · moderate degree of user comfort
- Lake
- Chequamegon-Nicolet NF
- Nearest town
- Hayward
- Address
- PO Box 896, Hayward, WI
- Phone
- (715) 634-4821 OR (715) 264-2511
- Activities
- Camping, Canoeing, Fishing, Swimming
52 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
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.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20° | 4° | -25° | 43° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 23° | 6° | -21° | 49° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 38° | 20° | -7° | 70° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 48° | 31° | 9° | 78° | 9 of 11 |
| May | 64° | 44° | 30° | 81° | 1 of 11 |
| June | 72° | 54° | 42° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 79° | 60° | 49° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 75° | 60° | 51° | 86° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 73° | 55° | 38° | 83° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 54° | 40° | 25° | 71° | 4 of 10 |
| November | 36° | 26° | 3° | 60° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 27° | 13° | -15° | 55° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- East Twin · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi · 10 sites
- Beaver Lake · USDA Forest Service · 9 mi
- Beaver Lake (Chequamegon-Nicolet NF, WI) · USDA Forest Service · 9 mi · 10 sites
- Mineral Lake · USDA Forest Service · 9 mi · 10 sites
- Namekagon · USDA Forest Service · 10 mi · 35 sites
All public campgrounds in Wisconsin · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.