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April 21, 2025
LIBERTY GROVE – A father’s dream is now turning into reality, thanks to two Door County brothers.
Matt and Chris Hockers are set to open Camp Door RV Resort & Campground – Door County’s newest campground, located just east of Sister Bay – the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, May 23.
With 77 sites available – mostly suited to RVs and campers – Matt said the dream of opening the campground goes back about two decades.
“This was a dream for my dad (Pat) – he was probably already talking about this 20 years ago,” he said. “My dad started and owned Hockers Excavating for 47 years, and he had this dream to open a campground on 40 acres of property he owned. About 13 years ago, he went to the Liberty Grove Town Board to get approval, but my brother and I left for college, so the project just kind of fell by the wayside.”
Matt said the dream was rekindled when he and his brother moved back to the area several years ago.
“We kind of resurrected the project,” he said. “It took a couple of years getting everything designed, engineered, getting the permits, etc. Three years ago, we started the project and broke ground.”
That’s when tragedy struck the family, Matt said.
“Unfortunately, my dad had a massive heart attack in the fall of that year and passed away, so my brother and I and my mom (Jill) are now carrying on my father’s dream,” he said. “We’re pushing hard right now to get it finished for my dad. He always wanted to share the property with others because it’s so beautiful. He moved to Door County from Green Bay when he was 18 and loved it up here. Door County was basically all he knew.”
For now, Matt said the family will continue to run both the campground and the excavating company.
“Obviously, my dad did a lot for the county from an excavating standpoint, but this campground is his last little stamp on Door County,” he said. “The fact that my brother, I and my mom can complete this campground is really special.”
Matt said with Hockers Excavating switching to a work week of four 10-hour shifts, he and his brother will “definitely be present at Camp Door.”
“It’s important we are present at the campground,” he said. “Our employees at Hockers Excavating have always stressed an interest in working four 10s, so that will give Chris and I time to be at the campground on Fridays. Chris and I will also get into a weekend rotation with our Camp Door manager as well.”
Full of amenities
Matt said there are lots of campgrounds in Door County and Wisconsin in general, so the family wanted to make Camp Door RV Resort & Campground “different.”
He said what sets Camp Door apart from other campgrounds is the amenities offered, which include:
- Picnic tables
- Full 50/30/20-amp and water/sewer hookups at each site
- Free high-speed Wi-Fi
- Restrooms
- A shower house with in-floor heating and temperature control
- A camp convenience store for supplies (including firewood and ice) and other retail items
“The clubhouse is kind of split in half,” he said. “The back half is seven private shower rooms with bathrooms in there as well. The front half of the building will be where people check in. There will be a multi-purpose room with board games, coffee and outdoor seating leading to a communal fire pit area.”
Matt said once Camp Door opens and gets some occupancy, they will work on the bar area inside the clubhouse.
“We got our beer and wine license from the Town of Liberty Grove, so I think that will be a popular place for campers after a day of exploring,” he said. “We also have a huge covered patio with vaulted ceilings that matches the interior room, with a big, clear garage door going out.”
Matt said plans also include a retail store.
“We’ll be selling frozen pizzas and all the stuff campers need to help complete their stay,” he said.
How campers use the 77 sites, Matt said, is really to their discretion.
“There is a gravel slot for a camper, but if somebody wanted to tent-camp, they could just use that as a parking area and put their tent up in the green space,” he said. “Tent-campers are certainly welcome, but I would say it’s more suited for motorhomes, campers, RVs, etc.”
Of the 77 sites, Matt said 30 have been made available for seasonal rentals.
“We only have 20 left, so we’ve sold 10 already,” he said. “The remaining sites are all left for transient people. The seasonal booking (period this year) is from May 23 to Oct. 26. Next year, we’ll open May 1.”
So far, Matt said there are more than 200 other bookings.
“I think once people start coming and I start publishing pictures of the campground, things will pick up,” he said. “The campground was built into a pine grove, so every site has mature pine trees that are 20-30 feet tall. I think that also sets us apart from some other spots that clear-cut an area and put in a campground.”
Matt said they tried to retain as many of the pines as they could.
“They are red and white pines we probably planted more than 25 years ago,” he said.
Phase II
With Phase I nearing completion, Matt said the family is also well underway with Phase II plans.
The goal for Phase I, he said, is to open, complete the main lodge and have all 77 sites available.
“With our permit, we also got approved for 19 400-square-foot, four-season cottages,” Matt said. “We’ll be starting those in 2026 in some capacity – even if it’s just a couple of them to get the ball rolling.”
Matt said they were forward-thinking in their Phase II plans.
“When we did all the underground infrastructure (for the campground), we ran all the utilities to the cottages,” he said. “We just need to pour the concrete and get them built.”
For more information on Camp Door RV Resort & Campground or to book a stay, visit camp-door.com or find it on Facebook.
