The Best Campgrounds in Michigan
It’s hard to beat Michigan campgrounds! Our state’s picturesque lakes, incredible outdoor activities, and wide range of destinations make camping in Michigan one of the best ways to experience a Michigan summer vacation.
Choose to pitch your tent – or park your rig – in one of many state parks, national parks, or privately owned campgrounds. And give your family the outdoor getaway you will be talking about for years.
Use this extensive list of recommended campgrounds in Michigan to discover your family’s next camping destination!
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How to Book Campgrounds in Michigan
Booking campgrounds in Michigan can take a bit of persistence – and luck! Popular locations often fill up as soon as the booking calendar opens. Be prepared, and know how to use the system if you are trying to get reservations after the window has opened.
Booking instructions vary by campground type. The first step is deciding on the type of campground you’d like to stay at.
Options include:
- Michigan State Park Campgrounds
- Michigan National Parks Campgrounds
- Private Campgrounds in Michigan
- Municipal Michigan Campgrounds
- Michigan State Forest Campgrounds
Continue reading for tips on booking sites at the various types of campgrounds in Michigan.
While you’re in planning mode, learn about the best camping hacks.
Happy camping in Michigan!
Booking Campsites at the Different Types of Campgrounds in Michigan
Ok, campers! You’ve got your gear, now you just need a place to go!
Campsite reservations are specific to your camping gear. Before you book your campground in Michigan, you need to know how long your RV is, how big your tent is, how many people are camping with you, and the desired dates of your trip.
1 – Booking Sites at Michigan State Park Campgrounds
The Michigan State Park system is a fantastic network of parks and campgrounds. Over 100 state parks blanket the upper and lower peninsula, providing unparalleled access to nature for everyone.
State parks range in amenities and attractions. Some offer boating experiences, others have unique activities like the zipline adventure or ice skating trail through the woods in Muskegon. Some state parks, like the White Pine Trail, are bike paths.
Needless to say, not all State Parks offer camping in Michigan.
How to Make Michigan State Park Camping Reservations
The state parks that do offer camping, campsites, harbor slips and backcountry campsites can be reserved 6 months in advance (new inventory becomes available Monday through Friday at 8 AM and Saturday and Sunday at 9 AM.)
Many of the coveted campground spots book up instantly when the reservation window opens. You need to put this time and date in your calendar, have your account open and updated with payment info, and be ready to reserve.
It’s a good idea to have multiple people in your camping party trying to get through at the same time – especially if you have several groups that want to camp together.
Book sites online at MiDNRReservations.com or call 1-800-44-PARKS to make a reservation.
Favorite State Park Campgrounds in Michigan
If You Miss the Reservation Window
All hope is not lost! Michigan’s reservation system allows you to set up notifications so you are emailed if/when a camping spot opens up.
The email notification goes out to all people who have set up the alert for that campground and time – the first one to book the site gets it. So don’t delay when you get a notification because the site won’t last long.
You are allowed to set up several notifications (the max is five).
Michigan Recreation Passport
If you love exploring Michigan’s State Parks, do yourself a favor and get a Michigan Recreation Passport when you renew your license plates through the secretary of state.
For Michigan residents, the cost is $14. You park for free and get into all of Michigan’s State Parks and Recreation Areas all year long.
You can buy a Recreation Pass at State Park entrance stations for around $18 (+ an occasional $5 convenience fee).
Non-residents can purchase online. Their website states processing can take up to two weeks. So be sure to purchase ahead of time if you’re planning to purchase online.
2 – Making Reservations at National Parks Campgrounds in Michigan
Michigan has several National Parks that offer camping. National Parks Campgrounds are operated by the National Park Service (NPS) and reservations are made through the recreation.gov website.
Michigan campgrounds operated by NPS include:
Drive-in camping reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance at recreation.gov (or call 1-877-444-6777).
These campgrounds tend to be focused on the natural beauty of the surrounding area and often limit wheeled toys (no skateboards, for example).
Please check the rules of the campground before booking – they are enforced.
3 – Reserving Campsites at Municipal Campgrounds
Municipal Campgrounds are the sleeper hits of campgrounds in Michigan.
These parks are owned and operated by the local governments, often counties or cities. Because they are not part of a larger network of campgrounds they often are lesser known than some of their neighbors and can be easier to get into.
You will need to contact the individual campground to make a reservation. The best way is often by phone, as online booking is not always available.
Please note: Reservation policies vary from campground to campground.
4 – Private Campground Reservations
Private Campgrounds may be owned and operated by individuals or franchises. These campgrounds often offer the most amenities, like swimming pools, Wi-Fi, and family activities.
KOA and Jellystone Parks are examples of private campgrounds in Michigan.
Reservations can often be made online well in advance of your visit. Sign up for loyalty programs to take advantage of brand perks and discounts.
5 – Making Reservations for Michigan State Forest Campgrounds
If you’re the whimsical type and like to camp when the mood strikes, Michigan State Forest campgrounds might be your cup of tea.
This rustic Michigan campground experience is found throughout the Upper Peninsula and the Northern Lower Peninsula and typically offers river or lake access.
State Forest Campgrounds are inexpensive – most are $20 a night.
There is no electricity at the state forest campgrounds in Michigan and facilities include vault toilets and hand pumps for potable water.
Many of these campsites are first-come, first-served but several do take reservations:
Southwest Michigan Campgrounds
South Haven campgrounds are included in the Southwest Michigan campground region.
Expect state parks with sand beaches and dunes, RV parks, glamping options, inland lakes, rustic retreats and more.
No entries match your request.
No entries match your request.
West Michigan Campgrounds
Right now the battle for best Campgrounds in Michigan is going to West Michigan. They have an extensive list of places to go camping on Lake Michigan, Michigan State campgrounds and private campgrounds.
These top five West Michigan campgrounds are just a taste of what’s out there.
Want to see them all? Check out the full list of amazing West Michigan Campgrounds.
No entries match your request.
Northern Michigan Campgrounds
There are so many options when it comes to up-north camping. From lakeshore to inland camping, you will be hard-pressed to find a campground that doesn’t offer what you need.
Up-north camping offers the beauty of the Michigan landscape, while still being closer to home.
No entries match your request.
Upper Peninsula Campgrounds in Michigan
Say “Ya,” to Camping in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan!
It feels as if you’re a world away and immersed in natural beauty.
If you like camping with kids, give one of these Upper Peninsula Camping spots a try – it’s a real treat!
Note: These are campgrounds in Michigan that our readers have vetted for us. We know there are so many more incredible campgrounds in the U.P., so tell us about your favs in the comments so we can add them to our list!
No entries match your request.
Southeast Michigan Campgrounds
Finding campgrounds in Michigan on the east side of the state is easier than you might think.
Lake Huron is a popular draw, and the proximity of these campgrounds to some of the state’s larger population areas makes camping in Michigan more accessible for many families.
No entries match your request.
Central Michigan Campgrounds
Central Michigan camping is a great option for out-of-state visitors. If you don’t want all the travel time, but still want to camp in Michigan, this area offers the beauty of Michigan without the extra travel time.
No entries match your request.
Michigan Thumb Area Campgrounds
The Michigan Thumb tends to be overlooked by visitors. Yet, it has a variety of campgrounds to offer and many fabulous and attractive landmarks.
Port Austin, Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse, and Caseville Beach are only a few treasures you’ll come across in the Thumb area.
No entries match your request.
Map of Campgrounds in Michigan
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Camping in Michigan With Kids
Every campground is different and exploring each is part of the fun.
Some range from rustic with no water or electricity hookups and others have ‘all the comforts of home‘ amenities.
Get the family ready to unplug, make s’mores and enjoy the great outdoors.
Did we miss one? Please leave us a comment and tell us about your favorite campgrounds in Michigan for families!
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I really enjoyed your article. I love camping and travel. Thank you for sharing with us.
Awesome list. Just found another good list of camping sites here if you’d want to check it out.
My brother found this article very useful. Taylors camp is really an awesome place for camping with kids.
For newbies you can check this site for your camping gears.
“Great article and very helpful tips for family camping.
You explained everything clearly as a good writer.
I enjoy camping, since my childhood, and camping with the family is one of my special areas of interest.
I also found this site very helpful for those who are thinking about family camping.
Thanks for sharing!
“
Would love to see Woodchip Campground (in Byron Center) added to your list!
Perfect place to camp with kids. So many fun things for them to do!
Super fun playground (with a huge bounce pillow!), pool, crafts . . .
Especially nice place to camp as it’s located not far from mall, grocery store, restaurants – but still feels like you’re “away from it all” inside the campground.
Clean, updated, and owners are committed to family! https://www.facebook.com/386729578057142/videos/252651962545687/
Woodchip is a great family campground! Owners are fantastic. I would highly recommend this place to anyone. Many activities for children and a beautiful pool!!
I would love to nominate Woodchip Campground in Byron Center. It is an amazing campground for families! They have fun activities, a bounce pillow and swimming pool. Please add them to your list.
Woodchip Campground in Byron Center is amazing!
One of our long-time favorites is Woodchip Campground in Byron Center. It is just outside GR and provides easy access to the lakeshore, shopping, downtown, & surrounding areas. It provides the perfect low-stress getaway for families, with a wide variety of leisure activities (beautiful pool area, modern playground, bounce pillow, free crafts, volleyball, basketball, gaga ball, horseshoes, four square, a newly renovated camp store and even free rootbeer floats!) We love this hide-away close to the city, and have made lots of fun family memories there. It can serve as a convenient home-base to explore West Michigan, or provide a relaxing getaway, without ever leaving the campground.
We love camping at woodchip campground located in Byron Center. It has tons of family fun activities to enjoy. Easy to get to being just west of 131, and just 15 minutes south of Grand Rapids. It is also just 1.5 miles from Kent trails for biking and walking.
Woodchip Campground! Lots of fun features on site and easy access to inland lakes, Lake Mich, and all of the downtown GR attractions and dining! Great staff and amenities.
Woodchip campground is awesome. Lots of activities. A huge bounce pad and pool. Check it out! We highly recommend it!
Woodchip Campgrounds in Byron Center Michigan. They are affordable and very family friendly. They have so many fun things to do as a family that are included in the price of staying. They have a glow ride at night, a craft to do together, a foam party during the day, and root beer floats to enjoy!
https://woodchipcampground.com/
Woods and waters in white cloud is my favorite as a child and now a mom. Weekend themes are super fun for kids!.
Thank you for your article. All campgrounds is awesome
My family has a camping trip to Saginaw Country Park last summer. This campsite is home to 151 sites located near a small lake. The lake has several features that make it awesome for swimmers; one of them is the sandy beach. Some of the amazing activities my son and my daughter can engage hayrides.les.
Where can you tent camp for under $20 with a family?
Kibby Creek Campground | Ludington
Located in the countryside between Ludington and Pentwater and a mile from Lake Michigan. We have both shaded and grassy sites that can accommodate tents, pop-ups, trailers, fifth wheels, and motor homes. We have a swimming pool, fishing ponds, playground, kids barrel train, mini golf, arcade, and camp store featuring ice cream, candy, Slush Puppies and more! A family favorite for decades. Now with more restrooms and beautifully remodeled restrooms!
If you’re departing in the morning from Harwich the Riva Bar is great for a morning coffee and
also to read your morning pieces of paper. For a mid-morning snack,
head for the Taste restaurant. Hot meals are available
including pies, cereal, sandwiches and salads geared to all ages and tastes.
On the afternoon sailing from Attach of Holland the Taste eating place is open throughout, along with
hot food available. On the other hand, have an afternoon tea or
maybe alcoholic beverage in the Riva nightclub, Taste wine bar as well as sundeck bar.
The Metro restaurant offers a delicious a la carte menu.
What better way to begin your trip when compared with by tucking
into a delicious meal at the Metropolitan diner where you can enjoy
the relaxed mood of our onboard restaurant just where you’re sure to enjoy the outstanding “at seat service”.
Following your meal, retire on the Riva Bar where you can delight in an after dinner beverage.
For a full menu (including continental dishes) visit the Tastes restaurant.
Following your meals why not have a drink in the Taste wine bar?
The following morning, start the day the proper way:
treat yourself to buffet morning meal at the Metropolitan before you disembark.
Choose from a mouth-watering array including full
English lunch, fresh pastries, cereal, fat free yogurt and fruit.
Campers Cove in Alpena is a great campground for kids..right on the Thunder Bay River. They have an indoor pool for rainy days. .a water trampoline on the river..putt putt golf..tri-wheeled bike rentals…paddle boat, pontoon and fishing boat rentals. Activities for the kids on holiday weekends and “train rides” for the kiddos. They have cabins to rent or campers to rent as well. Should be added to the list.
Taylors Beach Campground in Howell is a great place for kids.
Jellystone in South Haven is amazing. Activities planned for the kids everyday!
You missed mentioning Triponds Campground. This is an absolute favorite of ours. Mini golf, paddle boarding, fishing ponds, jump pad, petting /walking goats …. It is awesome!
Absolutely love Lake Leelanau RV Park – despite the name it takes all types from tents to motor homes- the campground is on the Leelanau peninsula and sits right on Lake Leelanau – tons of families, beautiful area – we grew up camping there and is a favorite to return to every year
The discription for River Ridge Resort is actually River Ridge Campground in Breckenridge MI. This is a very kid friendly park.
How about Logan hills campground in Hale Michigan! It’s family friendly on the water and in the woods! Beautiful sunsets and peaceful getaway where kids can ride bikes and play safely
Port Crescent State Park, in Port Austin is one of our favorites! We go there every summer! You can get beautiful sites right on the beach and the sunset is incredible! Awesome place for kids and right down the road from Caseville.
It’s been YEARS since we’ve been to Stony Haven…we tent camped in the back 40 there back in the day.
Our kids LOVE Mackinac Mill Creek just outside of Mackinac City…I’ve been going there since I was a kid. 🙂
Meg Zerfas
Carrie Hanes
Joe Bandy Pat Hilton
Amber Tatro Jason Tatro we should go to some of these
Ashley Jo Schreuder
Julie Harris Gitchell
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we go to salmon run in grant ,mi. Its great for kids!
Ray N Ronda Benedict Matt Nauta
Jason Fulton
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Just bought a pop up camper that we are excited about. Most of the state parks and Pioneer Park are already booked for Memorial Day weekend. Any suggestions on where we could try to get in that weekend? Thanks!!
River ridge is on the Muskegon river.
Bewabic State Park is wonderful place to camp in the U.P. A wonderful place, we go a couple times a year.
Covenant Hills in Otisville is awesome for families!
We LOVE Pioneer Park! We will be going back one last time before school starts. It is clean and has great areas for kids to play. Lake Michigan beaches can’t be beat and that is where we spend most of our time while camping at Pioneer park. It is very close to Michigan Adventure and that makes a great day trip. Highly recommend.
Has anyone camped at LakeView Campsite on Hamlin Lake in Ludington?
We love Hill & Hollow Campground in Pentwater as well as Muskegon State Park. Hill & Hollow have two nice pools to choose from and nice shaded lots. Muskegon State Park is right on Lake Michigan and it feels like you have the whole beach to yourself!
I don’t know how Young State Park didn’t make this list!! BEST campground ever!:) Especially great for families with little kids…have been camping there since I was born:) Ludington is a close second for us too.
Pioneer Park! Muskegon , Right on Lake MI!
I was excited by the title, but I think my style of camping might be different and so maybe this list doesn’t work for my family? When I see things like Jellystone and “well manicured grass,” I get turned off. I think generators, lawns and RVs. Not my idea of a pleasant camping experience. Are there walk-in sites at these places? For Sleeping Bear Dunes area, we’ve always liked DH Day, but haven’t made it out there in a few years. The whole family has also enjoyed camping on Beaver Island, but that takes some time and money to get to. While not on my list of very favorites, Diamond Lake campground has been a good stand-by when we want to be close to the North Country Trail. Btw, if you want a roof and showers, you can also stay at the North Country Trail Association’s historical schoolhouse for very cheap in White Cloud.
Julie, there’s a little bit of everything included here. If you like a more natura experience, try one of the walkin sites at Platte River. I camped there awhile ago and it was fun, but be prepared to carry all your equipment in.
Cool! Thanks!
I agr4 Julie I think of sleeping in a tent in the woods, no running water just “roughing it”. But we all have different opinions. We went to a camp ground in Manton that was really nice an peaceful. If in the UP the 2hearted river is great. We got lost getting to the sites since the GPS stopped working though.
Stay away from Yankee Springs/Gun Lake this year. All beaches are closed, and the lake’s test results for E. Coli are twice as much as the shut-down levels.
Young state park is the BEST.
We live in Traverse City and go to Interlochen State Park, already been there 3 times this summer!
Sandy Pines is close enough for Dad to get to work. Kids can play at the water park, ropes course, tennis, basketball, gaga ball, dodge ball, mini golf, beach fun and rent a golf cart to get around the park as well as play a 18 holes of golf. THis is our first year there and are loving it.
Sandy Pines is close enough for Dad to get to work. Kids can play at the water park, ropes course, tennis, basketball, gaga ball, dodge ball, mini golf, beach fun and rent a golf cart to get around the park as well as play a 18 holes of golf. THis is our first year there and are loving it.
Sandy Pines is close enough for Dad to get to work. Kids can play at the water park, ropes course, tennis, basketball, gaga ball, dodge ball, mini golf, beach fun and rent a golf cart to get around the park as well as play a 18 holes of golf. THis is our first year there and are loving it.
Orchard beach is beautiful, been there a few times.
Orchard beach is beautiful, been there a few times.
Orchard beach is beautiful, been there a few times.
We’re headed to Wabasis tomorrow. So excited 🙂
I love Pentwater. We prefer a smaller campground about 8 miles away called “whispering surf” . Not so hard to get into, shady, and there’s access to both Lake Mi and Bass lk.
Lakeside is an awesome campground. You’d be surprised you can’t hear the highway and they do alot for kids and its very clean, and popular!!
Lakeside is an awesome campground. You’d be surprised you can’t hear the highway and they do alot for kids and its very clean, and popular!!
Lakeside is an awesome campground. You’d be surprised you can’t hear the highway and they do alot for kids and its very clean, and popular!!
I agree Jason but it is always full!
It cracks me up every time we drive by that campground along the highway in Cedar Springs. How is that camping? lol
Has anyone camped at Tyler Creek in Alto?
Yes, we go there every year. Tyler creek is great. Just got back this week actually! Very clean pool, super relaxed and our favorite spot in lot 7 or 8. We have 3 young kids and being right off the playground, sandbox, volleyball is awesome. Never very busy and always a lot of fun. The “petting zoo” is more like farm animals, but the kids always get a kick out of it. For sure recommend… it’s one of our favorites.
it sounds really fun
All great campgrounds