Kohler-Andrae State Park Camping: The Complete 2026 Wisconsin Guide

Kohler-Andrae State Park camping puts you a short walk from one of the last natural stretches of Lake Michigan shoreline in Wisconsin. The park sits just south of Sheboygan and has sand dunes, a long golden beach, pine woods and a wooded campground that stays open all year. It is also one of the busiest parks in the state, with more than 600,000 visitors a year, so a little planning goes a long way.

This guide covers the Kohler-Andrae State Park campground, the campground map, electric sites, winter camping, reservations, the beach and dunes, the trails and what to know before you go.

Kohler-Andrae State Park Camping: The Basics

• Address: 1020 Beach Park Lane, Sheboygan, WI 53081.
• Phone: (920) 451-4080 (park office). Reservations: 1-888-947-2757.
• Operator: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
• Hours: the park is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., year-round.
• Admission: every vehicle needs a Wisconsin state park vehicle admission sticker, and the camping fee is charged on top of it.
• The name: the park joins two older parks, John Michael Kohler State Park and Terry Andrae State Park, which is why you will see it written "Kohler-Andrae", "Kohler Andrae" and even "Andrae Kohler".

Where is Kohler-Andrae State Park? About two miles south of Sheboygan. From I-43, take exit 120 and go east on County Highway V for about two miles. Where Highway V turns north, keep going straight onto Beach Park Lane, the park entrance road.

The Kohler-Andrae Campground

The family campground sits in the woods between the Black River marsh and the beach. Every site has a fire ring and a picnic table, and each site sits on a blacktop pad.

• Site count: the official campground map lists 135 campsites, 68 with electric hookups, plus two group sites. The DNR camping page gives an older count of 137 units and 52 electric sites. Go by the current map when you book.
• No water or sewer hookups: there is a trailer dump station and a freshwater fill-up station in the park.
• Showers and laundry: in the warm season the campground has showers, flush toilets and a laundry room. The bathhouse and shelter/laundry building are on the east side of the campground, near the picnic areas.
• Site limits: six people or one family (parents and minor children plus two guests), one wheeled camping unit, and two vehicles at most. All wheels must stay on the blacktop pad. Extra vehicles go in parking lots 4 and 10.
• Check-in and check-out: check-in is 3 p.m. with no early check-in, and check-out is 1 p.m. You can't set up between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., and visitors must leave by 11 p.m.
• Hosts: the map shows two campground host sites.

Kohler-Andrae Campground Map

The Kohler-Andrae campground map (a PDF on the DNR's Maps page) is worth opening before you pick a site. Here is how it reads:

• Sites 1–47 and 101–105 are the northern loops closest to the shower building, the beach and Old Park Road. Almost all of them are electric.
• Sites 48–106 fill the middle of the campground, with a mix of electric and non-electric sites.
• Sites 201–230 are at the south end, near the Marsh Trail and the Woodland Dunes Trail. Only a few are electric (201E–203E), so this is the quieter, tent-friendly end of the park.
• Group sites A and B are at the north edge, off Marsh View Road. They are tent-only, hold 50 people combined and use vault toilets.
• A kayak/bike site sits near parking lot 6 by the beach.

Best campsites at Kohler-Andrae State Park: pick the 1–47 range if you want electric and a short walk to the beach. Pick the 200s for more space between neighbours and quick access to the trails. Campnab and other alert services track "Sites 1-44" separately because that block sells out first.

Kohler-Andrae State Park Camping Reservations

Reservations go through the Wisconsin State Park System's online reservation site or by phone at 1-888-947-2757. Wisconsin uses an 11-month rolling window, and summer weekends at Kohler-Andrae go fast. Campers on Wisconsin camping forums say they set an alarm for the moment the window opens, and electric sites are the hardest to get. Fall weekends are much easier.

Camping rates vary by residency, site type and season, so check the reservation site for the current price. Remember the vehicle admission sticker is a separate charge.

Is Kohler-Andrae Open? Winter Camping and Hunts

Yes, the campground is open all year. Showers, flush toilets and laundry only run in the warm season. In winter the park plows family sites 3, 15, 19, 22, 23, 28, 32 and 33 and group sites A and B for winter camping. Bring a bag rated well below the forecast, and read our winter camping and how to stay warm camping guides first.

Winter also brings a two-mile groomed cross-country ski trail through the wooded southern campground and a one-mile snowshoe trail from the amphitheater. Pets aren't allowed on either.

Deer hunts: the park allows the 19-day muzzleloader season and the archery season from November 15 to the Sunday nearest January 6 in its open areas, plus the general Wisconsin state park hunting and trapping window. There is no gun deer hunting here. Wear bright colours on the trails in late fall and check the park's hunting map.

Crowds: from May through October, parking lots fill before 11 a.m. on weekends and holidays, and the entrance can be closed for a while until traffic clears. If you are camping, leave your car at your site and walk to the beach.

Kohler-Andrae Beach and Sand Dunes

The park has miles of Lake Michigan beach, with a north beach by the Sanderling Nature Center and a south beach near parking lot 6. The water is cold well into summer, and the warmest swimming is usually in August. Check the Wisconsin Beach Health website for current beach conditions.

• Dogs: the pet picnic areas at lots 2 and 3 have beach access. Pets aren't allowed in the picnic areas around lots 4–8, the shelters or the amphitheater. See our camping with dogs guide for the basics.
• Accessibility: the park lends two beach wheelchairs for free (call ahead), and there is an accessible picnic site on the beach from lot 6.

The Kohler Dunes State Natural Area protects the active and stabilized sand dunes behind the beach. Stay on the cordwalk, because the dune plants are fragile.

Kohler-Andrae State Park Trails

• Dunes Cordwalk (2 miles): runs along the shoreline through the dunes, inter-dunal wetlands and white pines. It is moderate to difficult.
• Creeping Juniper Nature Trail (0.5 mile): a loop from the Sanderling Nature Center through rolling dunes.
• Woodland Dunes Trail (1 mile): starts near the playground. The first 0.25-mile loop is wheelchair- and stroller-friendly.
• Black River Marsh Boardwalk (0.25 mile) and the Marsh Trail (0.5 mile): wetlands and waterfowl, right next to the campground.
• Black River Trail (2.5 miles): open to horses and mountain bikes, and usually much quieter.
• Fishing Pond Trail (0.3 mile): loops the Friends Fishing Pond off Old Park Road, which has an accessible fishing pier.

Sanderling Nature Center

The nature center sits in the dunes above the beach and has wildlife exhibits, films and a rooftop deck for watching ships on Lake Michigan. It is open daily May through October (weekdays 12:30–4:30 p.m., weekends 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) and on the third Saturday of each month from December through April. The park runs more than 100 programs a year, such as candlelight hikes and bird walks. The Friends of Kohler-Andrae run the gift shop.

Accessible Cabin, Shelters and Weddings

The accessible cabin is for campers with disabilities. It has heat, air conditioning, a kitchenette, two hospital beds, a Hoyer lift and a wheel-in shower. It sleeps six and can be booked for up to four nights a year.

The park also rents an open shelter (40 people), an enclosed indoor shelter by site 13 (100) and an amphitheater (198), all up to 11 months ahead. Kohler-Andrae weddings are popular. Beach ceremonies with chairs or decorations need a Special Event Permit.

Hotels and restaurants near Kohler-Andrae State Park: Sheboygan, two miles north, has both. If you are not camping, that is the easy base.

Recommended Gear

Lake Michigan weather changes fast, and nights by the shore are cool even in summer.

• Coleman Sundome Camping Tent: an easy, weatherproof tent for a wooded site. See how to set up a tent.
• Teton Celsius Sleeping Bag: cold-rated, for shoulder-season trips and the plowed winter sites.
• Black Diamond Spot 400-R Headlamp: for the walk back from the beach after sunset, and the dark campground loops.

For the rest of your list, use our camping checklist and pack for camping in the rain.

More Wisconsin and Great Lakes Camping

Kohler-Andrae is a great Lake Michigan base. For the rest of the state, see our Wisconsin camping guide and Devil's Lake State Park camping. If you like dunes, try Sleeping Bear Dunes and Indiana Dunes across the lake. Plan a campfire with firewood from the park office, because Wisconsin restricts moving firewood.