If you are looking to go camping in Michigan, then you have come to the right place!
There are so many fun things to do in Michigan and camping tops the list for some people!
Michigan is one of my favorite states in the Midwest, and for good reason.
I was born and raised in the Midwest, and I’ve spent a lot of time exploring Michigan.
From the Upper Peninsula to vintage small towns, and amazing national parks, Michigan has a lot to offer.
Michigan is also known for having tons of state and national parks that are perfect for camping.
It’s a really popular Midwestern state to go camping in because of the amazing natural landscapes you can find throughout Michigan.
You can enjoy camping in MI on the shores of Lake Michigan, in dense woods, and along small quiet lakes.
There are even options for RV camping and some places even offer glamping experiences!
Most of these campgrounds in MI have a small nightly fee for camping. However, there are a few free campsites.
Make sure you check the campsite’s website for any fees and any seasonal closings. They are all different!
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at 18 of the best places to go camping in Michigan.
18 Epic Places For Camping In Michigan
Camp Near Waterfalls At Tahquamenon Falls State Park
One of the best places to experience fall in Michigan is Tahquamenon Falls State Park.
Tahquamenon is known for its beautiful waterfalls.
Camping at Tahquamenon is open year-round, including in the winter.
There are two campgrounds at Tahquamenon, one in the river mouth area and one in the lower falls area.
Both areas offer some awesome options for camping in Michigan.
The park has over 200 campsites for both tents and RVs.
So no matter how you like to camp, there are plenty of options at Tahquamenon.
South Higgins Lake State Park Is One Of The Biggest State Parks For Camping In Michigan
South Higgins Lake State Park boasts one of the biggest camping areas at a Michigan state park.
You can find South Higgins towards the middle of the state and a little north.
The state park is on a one-mile stretch on Higgins Lake.
There is a boat launch and there is also a great day-use area.
It’s a popular state park for those who love watersports.
South Higgins Lake State Park has two campgrounds.
One has a mini-cabin that you can rent for a glamping sort of experience.
They also have a standard campground which includes RV and tent sites, and there are 400 campsites.
It’s one of the best campsites in Michigan!
Experience Camping In The UP At Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
If you’ve always wanted to experience camping in the UP, head to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.
It’s one of the best things to do in the UP.
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is the largest state park in Michigan.
It is also one of the few wilderness areas left in the Midwest.
So it’s a really beautiful place to go camping in Michigan.
On this massive state park, there are 11 different camping areas, and all of them offer something different.
You can stay at a traditional campground with your tent or RV.
They also have a few different cabins that you can rent if you’re interested in something closer to glamping.
With over 250 different campsites, it’s one of the best campgrounds in the Upper Peninsula.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Is A Great Place For Camping In Michigan
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is one of the best National Parks in Michigan.
It’s also a great place for camping in northern Michigan.
This is one of the more popular campgrounds in MI, so you are able to make reservations up to six months in advance.
There are three campgrounds on the park grounds, and in total there are around 70 campsites.
You can choose to stay in the dense woods or even stay on the shore of the lake or river.
The campsites are available for tent and RV camping.
If you want to try camping on Lake Superior, this is easily one of the best places for camping in Michigan.
Try Camping In Michigan On The Lake At Wilderness State Park
Wilderness State Park includes areas along the shores of Lake Michigan.
So if you’re looking for campgrounds on Lake Michigan, Wilderness State Park is a great option.
There are over 250 campsites separated between two campgrounds.
One of the campgrounds includes campsites on Lake Michigan.
There are also campsites in the woods if you’d prefer not to stay directly on the lake.
There are tons of things to do in the park as well.
The park is over 10,000 acres including 26 miles of lakeshore.
So it’s easily one of the best camping in Michigan locations.
You’ll Love Camping At Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is one of the coolest national parks in the Midwest.
It has some of the best beaches in Michigan as well!
There are three separate campsites in the park.
Two of them include Lake Michigan campsites.
The third campground is actually on the Manitou Islands, which are part of the National Lakeshore.
All of them are really cool campgrounds in MI.
You can choose more rustic camping with just your tent or bring your RV.
To camp on the Manitou Islands, you will need to be prepared to do some backpacking.
No matter what you choose, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has some of the best camping in Michigan.
Explore Lake Huron At Lakeport State Park
If you’re looking for some awesome camping in Michigan on Lake Huron, check out Lakeport State Park.
Lakeport State Park is located in southeast Michigan on the shores of Lake Huron.
In the middle of the state park is actually the small village of Lakeport.
You will be able to explore this charming town if you need a break from spending some time in the great outdoors.
The state park has two campgrounds with over 250 campsites.
They all have a picnic table and firepit and are available for tent camping or RV camping.
It’s a campsite in Michigan that most people forget, but it’s a great place for camping in Michigan.
Enjoy Beautiful Beaches At Ludington State Park
Ludington State Park is home to one of the prettiest beaches in Michigan.
You can find the Big Sable Point Lighthouse and two beaches in the state park.
Despite the beaches and Michigan lighthouse, Ludington State Park is actually best known for being one of the places with the best camping in Michigan.
There are four separate campgrounds, and they are very popular.
Typically, spots fill up months ahead of time. So plan ahead if you want to try this campsite in Michigan!
This Michigan campground has a total of 355 campsites.
There are also 3 mini cabins that you can rent.
Ludington State Park is easily one of the best campgrounds in Michigan!
Try Primative Tent Camping In Michigan At Huron-Manistee National Forest
Huron-Manistee National Forest is a beautiful place to try primitive tent camping in MI.
Primitive tent camping is camping where you have a tent and no creature comforts.
Creature comforts are things like bathrooms, running water, and electricity.
Most of the campgrounds in MI on this list have all three nearby.
You won’t find any of these creature comforts at Huron-Manistee.
But one of the things that makes this campground in MI especially unique is that you can camp almost anywhere in the forest.
You can choose to stay on one of the dedicated campsites or you can simply pick a spot in the dense forest.
This is an incredibly unique camping in Michigan experience that is absolutely worth a try.
Sleepy Hollow State Park Is A Great Place For Camping In MI
Just outside of the capital city of Lansing Michigan you can find Sleepy Hollow State Park.
Sleepy Hollow State Park is over 2,600 acres of beautiful forest and in the center of the park is Lake Ovid.
If you’re staying in Lansing, or live there, and want a break from city life, this is a great campsite in MI to visit.
At Sleepy Hollow there is one campground that has just over 180 campsites.
The state park also has two cabins that you can rent if you’re interested in trying glamping in MI experience.
While you camp there you can enjoy watersports on the lake, hiking, and even horseback riding.
Stay At The Mackinaw City And Mackinac Island KOA
The Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island KOA is not a state or federally owned campground in Michigan.
It is just a mile away from Mackinaw City and is super close to Mackinac Island as well.
Because it’s a KOA campground, this is one of the best campgrounds in Michigan that offer quite a few amenities.
For instance, there is a free shuttle to both Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island, a heated pool, and tons of trails.
It’s also just a few minutes away from Lake Michigan.
This KOA has campsites for RVs and tents as well as cabins you can rent.
If you’re looking for a more luxurious campground by Lake Michigan, this is a perfect choice!
Holland State Park Campground Is One Of The Best Camping In Michigan Options
One of the coolest lighthouses in Michigan can be found at Holland State Park.
Big Red is a large bright red lighthouse that is in the charming town of Holland, which is a great weekend getaway on its own!
When you camp at Holland State Park, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see this unique town and its lighthouse.
This campground by Lake Michigan has two separate campgrounds that you can choose to stay at.
Altogether, there are over 300 campsites. A few of them even feature views of Big Red.
There is also a cabin you can rent, and it has views of Big Red too.
This is one of the best campsites on Lake Michigan!
Hiawatha National Forest Has One Of The Best Campgrounds In The Upper Peninsula
Hiawatha National Forest is a beautiful park in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The forest is massive, with over 800,000 acres of dense forest.
Because it is so big, there are 26 different campgrounds.
You can also disperse primitively camp throughout the park for free.
To do so, you have to register with the National Forest Service, but that’s it.
No matter if you are looking to camp on a lake, in the woods, or with a group, this campground in Michigan may be perfect for you.
Hovey Lake Is The Most Popular Campground In Hiawatha National Forest
Since there are 26 different Michigan campgrounds in Hiawatha National Forest, the options are endless for picking your campsite.
But, if you are looking to stay in what is often considered the best campsite in MI, you’ll want to stay at Hovey Lake.
The Hovey Lake Dispersed Campground is a free campground in Hiawatha National Forest.
This is one of the things that makes it incredibly popular.
There are five separate campsites and there is a layer of dense trees in between them to give you some privacy.
This campground is also so popular because it is just so pretty.
You’ll be surrounded by tall old growth trees and many sites also have picturesque views of Hovey Lake.
Hovey Lake isn’t good for swimming, but it’s great for other watersports.
If you’re looking for one of the best camping in Michigan experiences, try out the Hovey Lake campsites.
Sturgeon River Campground Is A Beautiful Place For Michigan Camping
Sturgeon River Campground is located within Ottawa National Forest.
The campground is along the Sturgeon River near the Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness.
This is a primitive campground and no motorized vehicles are allowed within the Wilderness area.
So if you choose to stay at this Michigan campground, make sure to not drive within the Wilderness district.
You can drive to the campground itself.
There is no bathroom, just a pit toilet, and you’ll have nothing but a firepit at the campsite.
This MI campground only has 9 campsites, but they are all free to use.
Head To Fort Custer State Recreation Area For Camping In Southern Michigan
You can find the Fort Custer State Recreation Area in southern Michigan.
It is between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo.
The park itself is over 3,000 acres and includes three lakes and a portion of the Kalamazoo River.
There are four Michigan campgrounds at Fort Custer.
One is specifically for equestrians to use and has 8 campsites.
There is also a general use campground with over 200 campsites, a campground with three rustic cabins, and a campground that is for large groups to use.
While you’re there, you can enjoy hiking, watersports, and horseback riding.
Pontiac Lake Recreation Area Is Perfect For Model Plane Enthusiasts
The Pontiac Lake Recreation Area is located in eastern Michigan.
It actually has the longest beach in southeast Michigan.
This campground by Lake Michigan actually has a few unique features.
It has a model airplane flying field, an off-leash dog park, and a mixture of landscapes.
In this one park, there are marshes, beaches, dense forests, old farmland, and more.
There are five campgrounds in Pontiac Lake Recreation Area.
One is for equestrians, but there is also a group campground and a tent campground with over 175 campsites.
If you’re interested in glamping, there are two other campgrounds you can try as well.
At those, there is a mini A-frame cabin and 5 cottage cabins.
It’s a great place to go camping in MI.
Indian Creek Campground Is Great For Families And Large Groups
Indian Creek Campground is one of the best Michigan campgrounds.
You can choose campsites for tent camping or RV camping.
They also have a selection of cabins you can rent.
It’s also packed full of fun amenities that make it an awesome place for camping in Michigan.
There is a camp store, a heated pool, a recreation hall and library, and even wifi available.
If you want to enjoy camping but with a ton of cool amenities, then Indian Creek Campground is a great option for you!
Packing List For Camping In Michigan
A concealed travel pouch may be one of the most important items you bring along when camping in Michigan. It is always important to protect your personal information. Identity thieves are everywhere.
This unisex RFID blocking concealed travel pouch is lightweight and comes in several colors. It has lots of organization to give you peace of mind.
You can place it under your hiking clothes next to your body to carry your ID safely.
If you have a pouch already that does not come with the RFID protection, as I do, these RFID sleeves are the perfect solution.
This configuration comes with enough credit card sleeves that the entire family would be protected. They are slim too, so they will easily fit into your pouch or wallet.
If you are planning on taking a lot of pictures with your phone you will definitely want to consider an external charging battery. This Anker high-speed phone charging battery is the exact one I carry with me on all of my trips.
It can be used on a variety of phones, not just an iPhone like I have. And wow is it fast!
I like that it holds its charging capabilities for several uses so I do not have to worry about it while out and about, and if I forget to recharge it at night, it will still be good to go the next day.
My daughter gifted me with this FugeTek selfie stick and tripod setup for my birthday. I absolutely love it! It is made of lightweight aluminum and is so easy to use.
It has Bluetooth connectivity and is a breeze to use for taking selfies when staying in one of the best Airbnbs in Illinois.
Hydration is so important when traveling. You want to remain hydrated throughout your travels to support your immune system which in turn will be stronger to fight off any germs you will encounter during your travels.
You will want to bring your own refillable water bottle with you.
I never leave home on a trip without my Bobble filtration bottle. The 18.5-ounce size is perfect for hiking and it fits nicely in the pocket of a backpack.
When filled with water, it is not too heavy to carry. And the charcoal filter ensures fresh clean water whenever you fill the Bobble.
Perhaps you are traveling a long distance and packing space is a premium in your suitcase, or in your car.
Then this set of collapsible silicone foldable water bottles would work well for you. Would not take up much space at all.
You will want a backpack or daypack with you to store snacks, your water bottle, phone, extra clothes, etc.. when hiking This foldable water-resistant backpack would be great
It is very affordable and is available in many color options for you to choose from. The fact that it folds down into a zippered pouch will make it easy to pack.
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There are so many great places for camping in Michigan.
Michigan is one of my favorite Midwestern states because the wilderness is so beautiful there.
Whether you want to try primitive camping or want to be within walking distance of a heated pool, there is a campground in Michigan perfect for you.
Have you had the opportunity to try camping at any of these cool Michigan campgrounds?
I’d love to hear about your Michigan camping experience in the comments!
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