These Northern Michigan campgrounds are just a stone’s throw from the water—you’ll wake up to the sound of waves lapping on the shore. Reserve your campsites early, though, some fill up fast.
D.H. Day Campground
Just over a low dune from Lake Michigan’s spectacular Sleeping Bear Bay, D.H. Day Campground presents a sublime playground for a summer sleep-out. Walk the beach forever, swim in warm waters and relax by a bonfire at night. Cruise a couple of miles into downtown Glen Arbor to pick up supplies for s’mores at Anderson’s Market, or if you want somebody else to cook for you (Art’s Tavern, Millie’s and Cherry Public House are a few favorites). D.H. Day has 87 sites; vault toilets; no showers; potable water is seasonal. Regular sites may be reserved up to six months in advance for May 1 to October 15.
Fisherman’s Island State Park
Number of campsites: 80. Number of acres: 2,678. Nice ratio for serenity seekers. Even better, Fisherman’s Island, just south of Charlevoix, offers campsites smack on that endless beach—a rarity despite Michigan’s abundant shore mileage. Site No. 9 is particularly alluring, according to Russ Mikesell, summer ranger. “In one direction the nearest site is a quarter mile away and to the north there aren’t any.” Vault toilets; hand-pumped water; no showers or electricity. Bonus: Six miles of Lake Michigan shoreline.
Wilderness State Park
Pop a tent beside the Straits of Mackinac and consider your place in history. Native Americans traveled these shores by foot and canoe for millennia, perhaps camping where you now sit with a marshmallow and a Pabst. Bonuses: Freighters and sailboats spice your evening water-gazing along 26 miles of shoreline; the park is a designated dark sky preserve and is also just 9 miles from Headlands International Dark Sky Park; from some areas, you can see the 170-year-old Waugoshance Lighthouse (looking west) and the Mackinac Bridge (looking east). Choose from rustic cabins, bunkhouses, full hook-up campsites, walk-in tent sites and backcountry camping.
Mouth of Two Hearted River State Forest Campground
The Two Hearted River’s name was irresistible to Ernest Hemingway, who stole it for a story title (he actually fished the nearby Fox River). But even more irresistible is the location of the namesake campground, right where the river pours into Lake Superior. Cast a line into the trout stream right from your campsite. Walk a short way for agate hunting and beach adventures. The campground has drive-in sites, water pumps and outhouses; available on a first-come, first-serve basis. No reservations.
Beach comb like a pro: Tips for finding agates on the Lake Superior shore
White Pine Backcountry Camp
If you’ve been wanting to try backpacking, make this camp south of Empire your first attempt: easy effort, big payoff. A flat two miles of walking off Trails End Road, and you arrive at six well-spaced campsites set in a forest behind a dune. Beyond said dune is the watery prize of Lake Michigan fringed by a lovely arc of unspoiled shore—one that lacks people. Outhouse, yes. Water pump, no—so pack water for an overnight or plan to purify (filter, boil, tablets). Experienced backpackers? You’ll love White Pine, too. A backcountry permit and park pass are required. Sites are available year-round and reservations can be made seven days in advance of your arrival date.
Tahquamenon Falls & Andrus Lake State Forest
Modern campers might prefer the suburbia-like style of the 188 close-knit sites (and hot showers and flush toilets) at the Lower Falls Campgrounds inside Tahquamenon Falls State Park. But rustic renegades will find a more secluded setting just north of the park near the town of Paradise at Andrus Lake State Forest Campground where 25 sites spread out in the woods and along the otherwise uninhabited sandy lakeshore. Expect great swimming and fishing, a boat launch, plus fire pits, a water pump and vault toilets.
Go with the flow: The best way to see Tahquamenon’s fabulous falls is to hike the four-mile riverside trail from the Lower Falls to the Upper Falls. If you can handle a few hardy hills, you’ll be rewarded: Tahquamenon Falls Brewery and Pub waits at trail’s end. The in-park pub not only serves up ever-changing and brilliant beer concoctions, it also boasts a mighty good menu, an outdoor deck complete with fireplace and rocking chairs, and it sits inches from the stop for the shuttle that totes your tired butt back to the Lower Falls.
More Northern Michigan Camping Adventures:
Angel
Where is the campground that is pictured at the top of this article with the tent and lake view.
Eliza Foster
Hi Angel! This is Fisherman’s Island State Park
Michael Navarre
Which is campground is pictured at the very top of the article? Thanks!
Eliza Foster
Hi Michael,
This is Fisherman’s Island State Park in Charlevoix!
Eliza Foster
Hi Michael! This is Fisherman’s Island State Park