Camping in Michigan

ktsame

We are planning a trip to Michigan this summer and wonder if anyone has some favorite camping places?  We do quite a bit of camping in New York and Vermont and we like state campgrounds.  Electric hookups are not necessary but are preferred.  We will be driving from NY and aiming for the UP but might need a place or two to stay on the way.  Thanks in advance for any input.

dragonsdofly

@ktsame, lifelong Michigan natives here. Since we look over the Detroit River (actually a strait) to Canada, I guess familiarity does kinda prompt some discontent. Our favorite parks are on the western side of our state, on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan. Grand Haven state park has a great beach and awesome walk on a jetty to a Great Lakes lighthouse. Lots of sand will greet you and probably travel with you when you leave, but if you've never seen a fresh water ocean, it's so worth it. 
Nearby, is the town of Holland. Yeah, really. Windmills, tulip festivals and parades with Dutch descendants wearing wooden shoes, scrubbing the streets. Very touristy, but completely unique, and if you're into unusual or absolutely spectacular tulips, the bulbs are for sale and touring the tulip farms during the spring bloom season is unmatched.

Then there is Sleeping Brear National Shoreline. Dunes towering hundreds of feet above the lake. Feels like you can see forever!
Plenty of sun and SAND minus the salt and sharks!

Another very busy place, but certainly fun is Silver Lake State Park in Mears, Michigan. The park is in 2 sections, one the campground, adjacent Silver Lake, and a section of Lake Michigan dunes set aside for 4 wheeling, dune buggy fun. If you don't have the vehicle for it, you can rent one. There is also the iconic Mac Woods dune rides, if you'd rather take the guided tour. This area changes yearly as prevailing winds blow the sand from Lake Michigan inland, altering the topography. Silver Lake is being filled in by the dunes on it's western edge as the dunes travel. Jumping from the dunes into Silver Lake at this point, the water is immediately over 100 feet deep, there is no beach, yet the eastern shore of Silver Lake is waist deep (shallow) for ¼ to ½ a mile because the water from the lake travels out of its original border as the dunes fill in the far side.

These state parks, and the National Shoreline are a bit out of your way if just traveling a straight line through the Mitten, UP.

Midstate, near the centerline, is Higgins Lake state park. Again, in 2 sections. The first is the south park, with hundreds of sites with water and electric and a separate dump station on the way out. This side (south) of Higgins Lake is also very shallow. Again you can walk ½ mile out and still have you feet on the bottom. Because it is a pure sand bottom, spring fed lake, if you sit on the south shore the views are more like seeing  Caribbean vistas. Light blue to aqua blue/green shimmering waters. Gorgeous.
North side, Higgins Lake is primitive camping, but we understand some campsite development is ongoing. Much more quiet area, less development,  but not nearly as picturesque. But staying in the park, you can enjoy both areas while staying in the camp style you prefer.

Sorry about the novel, but we have 2 combined lifetimes of info we can share on this subject. -Jim & Denise

ktsame

Thank you so much for this info.  It’s great to get some insider tips:) I will see how some of these places fit with our travel plans.  Is it difficult to get reservations?  I know reservations can be made six months in advance.  Some places indicate that you need a passport  - I assume that is something you purchase for the camping season.

dragonsdofly

@ktsame, the Recreation Passport is annual and allows access to all state (Michigan) land, DNR, state forests, state parks, state boat launches, etc. Local and municipal permits are purchased separately. There are day use fees possible, but if you are going to be in a state park more than 1 day in a year, the annual pass is much more economical. For state residents, I think it is about $11/15 per year. I am unsure of the cost to non-residents, but this info will help you.

Reservations do have to be made in advance as some of the parks I mentioned are some of the most popular. The Sleeping Bear National Shoreline is under the control of the National Park Service, and reservations are made through them.

lino

We love Ludington State Park and Petosky State Park
Both fill up quickly and you can reserve sites 6 months ahead of time 

JeffroNC

Hoeft is a hidden gem. We will be hosting there again in August. 

ktsame

Thanks for that information.  What's the event in August?

dragonsdofly

@JeffroNC, at last, a state part on the eastern shore. Thanks for the tip. If we get a chance, we'll make it a point to check it out. Thanks to everyone who recommended a state park. It seems most of us are smitten with the left side of the mitten.

JeffroNC

@ktsame we will be camp hosts. Helping campers and staff. Saturday morning coffee, crafts. Lots of fun. 

Basil48192

If you end up needing a place close to the bridge, we camped at Cheboygan State Park earlier this fall.  It's a little dated, but very nice, clean facilities, quiet and great access to Lake Huron.  They also have miles of hiking trails, some of which include stretches along the beach.  We were able to get a great spot next to the water (though in summer you might get a lot of foot traffic there).  Also...only 20A electrical service.

Basil48192

One more thought.  If you decide to take the 'scenic route' north (M33), Clear Lake State Park is very nice.  I haven't camped there, but the spring-fed lake and beach is beautiful.  There is a lot of state land along that stretch of M33 and we typically 'boondock'...then visit the state park for the beach.  

ktsame

Thanks Basil - I was looking at Clear Lake.

Travelin3D

We spent a week this past June traveling through Michigan, starting in Grand Haven SP. Working our way north we were at the St. Ignace KOA then over the Mackinac Bridge to the upper peninsula. Heading west in the UP we stayed at Pictured Rocks RV Park (undergoing a lot of improvements but a decent park). From there we went up to Copper Harbor and stayed at Fort Wilkins Historic State Park for a couple of days. It's an older park, but very nice and the fort is a nice little walking tour.
We're from NY and were traveling with my brother (from Nebraska) and we both purchased the Recreation Passport - $34 for out-of-staters, worth paying for.

PhilW

If you are planning a trip to Michigan you may want to consider a few things before you plan where to go. Michigan is a big state and you won’t be able to see or do all that you might want without considerable time. It is roughly 600 miles from Detroit to the Porcupine Mountains in the Upper Peninsula.

I am also a lifelong resident of Michigan and the comments above are excellent choices. Holland, Grand Haven, Muskegon, Ludington, and Silver Lake  are all excellent choices on the west coast with great beaches and bike trails to name a few. Here are a few more ideas (but far from complete) that come to mind:

Visit https://www.michigan.org/ for information about things to do and places to stay.

Things to see and do:

Beautiful beaches (there are 3224 miles of shoreline in Michigan)

Bike trails - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28943-Activities-c61-t83-oa30-Michigan.html

Waterfalls - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28943-Activities-c57-t95-Michigan.html

Hiking trails - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28943-Activities-c61-t87-Michigan.html

Wine country - https://www.traversecity.com/traverse-wine-coast/

National Treasures - https://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/2017/08/31/michigans-national-treasures/

Museums - https://www.thehenryford.org/ Henery Ford Museum is one of many

Casinos

NASCAR ( https://www.mispeedway.com/ )

The Michigan State Parks fill up fast. Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance. The more popular campgrounds fill up in a few short days. There are also many municipal and private campgrounds. Note: Michigan State Campgrounds have electricity, water near campsites, a dumping station. Michigan State Forest Campgrounds are very rustic – no electricity, pit toilets, etc.

Some of my favorites (All mentioned above are also favorites):

Van Riper State Park - https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=430&type=SPRK Located in the Upper Peninsula. Nice hiking areas and waterfalls/Gorge. https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/michigan/grand-canyon-winter-mi/

Petoskey-Dunes Modern Campground – https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=444&type=SPCG. Nice beach, clean campground, bike trails, Beautiful scenic drives (Tunnel of the Trees) https://petoskeyarea.com/planning/scenic-routes/

Indigo Bluffs Campground (private) in Empire https://www.indigobluffs.com/. Full hook-ups at every site. Private and clean. Near Sleeping Bear National Dunes https://www.sleepingbeardunes.com/, also near Traverse City Wine Country https://www.traversecity.com/traverse-wine-coast/. There are also State Parks in Traverse City (very nice, in town, nice beach, a lot of traffic), and near the Dunes.

Straits State Park in St. Ignace – https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=77&type=SPCG. In the Upper Peninsula just over the Mackinac Bridge https://www.mackinacbridge.org/. See Mackinaw City, Mackinaw Island https://www.mackinacisland.org/, and try star gazing at night in Mackinaw City https://www.midarkskypark.org/

ktsame

Thanks PhilW - I'm in the trip planning process.  I did sign up for Harvest Host to use in between state park stays.  I did get a Michigan Passport.  Since we are coming from NY will probably head up the East coast and then on to the UP.  Looking at a 10 to 14 day trip.  Your information is very helpful:)

WayneW

Great information here.  Thanks!  My wife and I are planning a trip from our home in northern Idaho to Sutton's Bay in June so she can reconnect with some old high school chums.  It's a girls-only getaway so our dog and I will be heading out in our T@B to find a place to camp and fly fish for a few days.  Maybe the Ausable River or a branch of that?

Anyway, the information here is most helpful.  We're not in a rush and plan to take a couple of weeks.  We'll likely be staying in some of these campgrounds while there and will definitely look into the Passport.  

JeffroNC

@ktsame the Gilmore Car Museum is a Harvest Host. It’s an awesome stop.