The campground is next to a pair of idyllic northwoods lakes with clear waters and fantastic wilderness scenery, Laura Lake (106 acres) and Gordon Lake (51 acres). Hemlocks and pines lean over the water and a spruce-tamarack bog lies on the west shore of Gordon Lake. Laura Lake is surrounded by hemlocks, balsam fir, pines, and hardwoods. The Lake Trail circles Laura Lake and is one of the most scenic trails in the area.
Both lakes are electric-motor use only and are excellent for leisure paddling and fishing. There are often great conditions for paddleboarding on Gordon Lake due to its smaller size and sandy beach to launch from. Anglers will find Panfish, Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass in both lakes. A public boat landing is on each lake.
The day-use area on Gordon Lake offers a scenic, shady picnic area with tables, grills, a sandy swimming beach, and a huge, leaning White Pine.
There are 41 non-electric campsites. All sites offer plenty of shade and can accommodate tents and an RV/trailer (back-in only, see list below). Each site has a tent area, parking spur, picnic table and fire ring. Site #15 is the campground host. Campground amenities include drinking water (electric well & hand pump) and accessible vault toilets. 23 sites are reservable and 18 are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The campground has three distinct areas. Sites 1 through 15 are level with the lake and most of the waterfront sites are in a stand of hemlocks with a light understory. These sites offer less privacy compared to the rest of the campground due to the lack of underbrush, but the setting among the hemlocks is incredibly scenic and most campers won’t mind. The waterfront sites are set back 20 to 50 yards from the lake, offer excellent views of the water, and have direct shoreline access.
Sites 16 through 26 are on higher ground and are surrounded by dense stands of balsam fir mixed with tall pines and hardwoods. These sites offer more privacy. The waterfront sites feature good to excellent views of the lake and have shoreline access.
Sites 27 through 41 are in a separate loop on a long, sloping hillside covered in hardwoods. These sites are spaced well-apart from each other and several have a footpath to the lake (31, 32, 35, 37, 38 & 39). The sites closest to the lake are set back from the lakeshore with partial views of the water looking downhill through the forest. Campsites in this loop generally fill up last; however, they would be considered among the best sites in many other campgrounds.
Sites in the first two areas, 1-15 and 16-26, will fill up first, especially the lakefront sites.
A high, dense canopy of maple, yellow birch, elm, green ash, hemlocks and jack pines shade the campground away from the lakeshore.
Lakeside Campsites with Lake Access:
The following sites are directly waterfront with shoreline access:
2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, & 39.
The recreation area has two public boat landings. The Gordon Lake Landing has a paved ramp, gravel turnaround and trailer parking. The Laura Lake Landing has a gravel ramp, boat pier, turnaround, and trailer parking area.
Laura Lake is a Loon nesting site.
Trails & Places
- Laura Lake Trail | Hiking
- La Salle Falls | Waterfalls
- Goodman Park* | Picnicking, scenic falls & river trail, camping
- McClintock Park* | Picnicking, scenic river trail
- Twelve Foot Falls* | Waterfalls
- Popple River | Paddling
- Peshtigo River | Paddling, whitewater rafting
- Pine River | Paddling
Season
The campground is open from May through October.
Registration
A self-registration kiosk is located near the campground entrance. You must register and pay before occupying a site. Reservable sites may be reserved online up to six months in advance (please visit the reservations website for more details).
GPS: 45.702750, -88.505950
Campground Stats
- Total Number of Campsites: 41
- RV & Tent Campsites: 41
- Tent Only Campsites: 0
- Group Campsites: 0
- Reservable Campsites: 23
Campground Amenities
- Contact station kiosk
- Drinking water (hand pump)
- Accessible vault toilets
- Garbage & recycling
Campsite Amenities
- All sites are non-electric
- Fire ring
- Picnic table
- Tent area
- Parking spur
- Campsite Capacity: 8 people per site
- All sites offer at least partial shade
RV & Camping Trailer Info
- Campground Roads: Paved
- Campsite Spurs: Gravel
- All sites are back-in
- 30-foot max: 21, 28, 34, 36, 39, 40
- 35-foot max: 8, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 25, 32, 38
- 40-foot max: 4, 12, 13, 20, 24, 35, 37, 41
- 45-foot max: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 19, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 33
- Generators Allowed: Yes (6:00am to 10:00pm)
- Generator noise must not disturb other campground guests!
- RV/Trailer Dump Station: No
- Nearby Dump Station: 45.706945, -88.399902
Lake Hilbert Campground($ fee), 12 miles away
- Visit sanidumps.com or rvdumps.com for more info.
Recreation Area Amenities
- Drinking water (hand pump)
- Accessible vault toilets
- Picnic area (Gordon Lake: tables, grills, shade)
- Swimming beach (Gordon Lake)
- Boat landings (Laura Lake & Gordon Lake)
- Pets Allowed? Yes
- Pets must be restrained or on a leash in campgrounds & developed areas.
- Pets (except guide dogs) are not allowed in swimming areas.
Recreation Area Activities
- Picnicking
- Hiking
- Mountain Biking
- Laura Lake (106 acres, max depth: 22 feet)
- Boating (electric-motor only)
- Canoeing & kayaking
- Paddleboarding
- Fishing
- ⥾ Panfish (common)
- ⥾ Largemouth Bass (common)
- ⥾ Smallmouth Bass (present)
- Laura Lake contour map
- Lake Bottom: 5% sand, 40% gravel, 5% rock, 50% muck
- Gordon Lake (51 acres, max depth: 30 feet)
- Swimming
- Boating (electric-motor only)
- Canoeing & kayaking
- Paddleboarding
- Fishing
- ⥾ Panfish (abundant)
- ⥾ Largemouth Bass (common)
- ⥾ Smallmouth Bass (present)
- Gordon Lake contour map
Managing Agency
- Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
- Lakewood-Laona Ranger District
- Laona Office
- 4978 State Highway 8 W
- Laona, WI 54541
- Phone: 715.674.4481
- Oficial Website: Laura and Gordon Lake Recreation Area
Local Gas & Services
- Armstrong Creek is 6 miles away
(restaurants, grocery, convenience store, gas & services) - Laona is 17 miles away
(restaurants, convenience store, gas & services, laundromat) - Florence is 29 miles away
(restaurants, grocery, supplies, convenience store, gas & services) - Iron Mountain-Kingston, MI are 33 miles away
(restaurants, grocery, supplies, convenience store, gas & services, laundromats) - Distances are from the campground entrance.
An asterisk* indicates an external link.