Manistee National Forest camping is some of the best the midwest has to offer. You do not need a permit to camp on the National Forests or in designated campgrounds. If your campfire will be on National Forest System lands you will not need a wood permit to cut firewood. Dispersed and Primitive tent camping within the Forests is allowed almost anywhere, unless otherwise posted closed and/or "No Camping".
Platte River Campground is located in the southern district of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, on the lower peninsula of Michigan. This year-round facility is one of the most popular campgrounds in the park. It is within walking distance of the Platte River and a short walk or drive away from the Lake Michigan shore. Hikers can access many of the area's day use and backpacking trails just north of the campground.Summer temperatures range from the upper 70s to 90 degrees F (25__ to 32__ C) during the day, and from the 50s to 70 degrees F (10__ to 25__ C) at night.__ Winters are cold, with daytime highs from 20__ to 30__ F (-7__ to -1__ C) and lows in the 10s and 20s F (-12 to -7__ C). Snow is usually on the ground from late November through March.
Campers can hike, canoe, kayak and fish on the river or the lake. There are canoe rentals at nearby Platte River Point, where the river meets the lake (the point also has beach access for those wishing to drive there). The Platte Plains trail system boasts more than 25 miles (40 km) of trails, some of which can be accessed a short walk away from the campground. Trails to the primitive White Pine backcountry campground are also close by.
Campers can hike, canoe, kayak and fish on the river or the lake. There are canoe rentals at nearby Platte River Point, where the river meets the lake (the point also has beach access for those wishing to drive there). The Platte Plains trail system boasts more than 25 miles (40 km) of trails, some of which can be accessed a short walk away from the campground. Trails to the primitive White Pine backcountry campground are also close by.
The campground lies in a wooded area within walking distance of the Platte River and less than two miles (3.2 km) away from the beaches of Lake Michigan. Although the lakeshore is long and narrow, it has northern hardwood and conifer forests, abandoned farm meadows, wetlands, lakes, streams, bogs and splendid examples of a glacially formed landscape.The most prominent features in the park, and those for which it is named, are the perched sand dunes above Lake Michigan. The overlooks at Sleeping Bear, Empire and Pyramid Point bluffs are about 400 feet (122 m) above the lake. With 65 miles (105 km) of Lake Michigan shoreline and numerous inland lakes and streams, the park is wonderfully water-oriented.
For local information, please call (231) 326-4700 or call (877) 444-6777 for general information.
$50 / night
$20 / night
Northern Exposure Campground staff takes pride in our state-of-the-art RV campground. Our goal is to provide a memorable experience to campers of all ages. We are a nonprofit organization that's committed to providing our guests with clean, safe, and updated camping facilities, fun family entertainment, and a helpful and friendly staff ready to answer all your questions and assist you during your stay. Welcome to Northern Exposure Campground, thanks for staying and helping us be the best RV camping destination in Northern Michigan!
$30 - $45 / night
Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into state parks and recreation areas, state boat launches, state forest campgrounds and state trail parking lots. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79134_79210---,00.html
Traverse City State Park is a 47-acre state park set in a more urban setting and featuring .25 miles of beautiful beach on the Grand Traverse Bay. The park is located only 3 miles from downtown Traverse City, one of the Michigan's most popular resort towns.
The park was established in 1920 on about 16 acres of land after the logging industry began to wane. In 1921 and 1939, parcels were added to increase the park's land area. The original inhabitants of the land were the Ottawa branch of the Algonquin Indians.
D.H. Day Group Campground is a tent-only facility located in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, about one mile (1.6 km) north of the Dune Climb, where visitors can walk over miles of sand dunes. This year-round campground has four sites which accommodate groups of 7 to 25 people.
D.H. Day Group is a hub for water activities. Motorized and non-motorized boating is allowed on the lake, with restrictions, and there is a boat ramp about six miles away by which boaters can access Lake Michigan. Campers can also rent canoes and kayaks in the town of Glen Harbor to float the nearby Crystal River. The beach at Glen Haven, which is popular for beachcombing and swimming, is about one mile away from the campground. There are no lifeguards on duty at the park's beaches. The facility is also close to the Dune Climb, where visitors can climb on sand dunes over 200 feet high, walk more than 1.5 miles on the dunes to Lake Michigan and catch a great view of Glen Lake.
D.H. Day Group is a hub for water activities. Motorized and non-motorized boating is allowed on the lake, with restrictions, and there is a boat ramp about six miles away by which boaters can access Lake Michigan. Campers can also rent canoes and kayaks in the town of Glen Harbor to float the nearby Crystal River. The beach at Glen Haven, which is popular for beachcombing and swimming, is about one mile away from the campground. There are no lifeguards on duty at the park's beaches. The facility is also close to the Dune Climb, where visitors can climb on sand dunes over 200 feet high, walk more than 1.5 miles on the dunes to Lake Michigan and catch a great view of Glen Lake.
The campground is open with sparse vegetation. Contrary to the park's name, bears are rarely sighted here, yet other wildlife such as birds, deer and wild turkey may be seen. Although the Lake Michigan shore is long and narrow, it has northern hardwood and conifer forests, abandoned farm meadows, wetlands, lakes, streams, bogs and splendid examples of a glacially formed landscape. The most prominent features in the park, for which it was named, are the perched sand dunes above Lake Michigan. The overlooks at Sleeping Bear, Empire and Pyramid Point bluffs are about 400 feet above the lake. With 65 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and numerous inland lakes and streams, the park is wonderfully water-oriented.
For local information, please call (231) 326-4700 or call (877) 444-6777 for general information.
The historic area of Glen Haven, which features a working blacksmith shop, a 1920s-era general store and Sleeping Bear Point Maritime Museum, is within a short drive of the campground.
$40 / night
$14 - $27 / night
Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into state parks and recreation areas, state boat launches, state forest campgrounds and state trail parking lots. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/rec-pp
$25 - $65 / night
Lake Michigan Campground is perched on the shores of Lake Michigan, 15 miles south of Manistee. The area creates an incredible setting with a scenic overlook of the lake and a sandy swimming beach. This family campground provides an array of hiking and biking trails, plus swimming, fishing and kayaking.
A hardwood forest gives way to a beautiful sandy beach at the shores of the lake with a playground for younger campers. Trout fishing in Lake Michigan is another big draw. Bird watchers delight in seeing unique species like the piping plover and prairie warbler. The Arrowhead Trail, a short loop trail created by Boy Scouts, forms a loop between the campground and the beach. A trailhead for the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is also within the recreation area.
A hardwood forest gives way to a beautiful sandy beach at the shores of the lake with a playground for younger campers. Trout fishing in Lake Michigan is another big draw. Bird watchers delight in seeing unique species like the piping plover and prairie warbler. The Arrowhead Trail, a short loop trail created by Boy Scouts, forms a loop between the campground and the beach. A trailhead for the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is also within the recreation area.
The recreation area sits on the eastern banks of Lake Michigan along Porter Creek, due north of Hamlin Lake. As the second largest of the five Great Lakes, Lake Michigan provides stunning views and limitless options for water recreation. It covers a whopping 22,400 square miles and ranks as the fifth largest lake in the world. The Huron-Manistee National Forests encompass nearly a million acres of public protected land. Nearly 6,000 acres is wetlands that extend over the northern portion of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
The nearby Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area has abundant trails for hiking and backpacking.
$27 - $32 / night
Platte River Campground is located in the southern district of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, on the lower peninsula of Michigan. This year-round facility is one of the most popular campgrounds in the park. It is within walking distance of the Platte River and a short walk or drive away from the Lake Michigan shore. Hikers can access many of the area's day use and backpacking trails just north of the campground.Summer temperatures range from the upper 70s to 90 degrees F (25__ to 32__ C) during the day, and from the 50s to 70 degrees F (10__ to 25__ C) at night.__ Winters are cold, with daytime highs from 20__ to 30__ F (-7__ to -1__ C) and lows in the 10s and 20s F (-12 to -7__ C). Snow is usually on the ground from late November through March.
Campers can hike, canoe, kayak and fish on the river or the lake. There are canoe rentals at nearby Platte River Point, where the river meets the lake (the point also has beach access for those wishing to drive there). The Platte Plains trail system boasts more than 25 miles (40 km) of trails, some of which can be accessed a short walk away from the campground. Trails to the primitive White Pine backcountry campground are also close by.
Campers can hike, canoe, kayak and fish on the river or the lake. There are canoe rentals at nearby Platte River Point, where the river meets the lake (the point also has beach access for those wishing to drive there). The Platte Plains trail system boasts more than 25 miles (40 km) of trails, some of which can be accessed a short walk away from the campground. Trails to the primitive White Pine backcountry campground are also close by.
The campground lies in a wooded area within walking distance of the Platte River and less than two miles (3.2 km) away from the beaches of Lake Michigan. Although the lakeshore is long and narrow, it has northern hardwood and conifer forests, abandoned farm meadows, wetlands, lakes, streams, bogs and splendid examples of a glacially formed landscape.The most prominent features in the park, and those for which it is named, are the perched sand dunes above Lake Michigan. The overlooks at Sleeping Bear, Empire and Pyramid Point bluffs are about 400 feet (122 m) above the lake. With 65 miles (105 km) of Lake Michigan shoreline and numerous inland lakes and streams, the park is wonderfully water-oriented.
For local information, please call (231) 326-4700 or call (877) 444-6777 for general information.
$50 / night
$20 / night
Northern Exposure Campground staff takes pride in our state-of-the-art RV campground. Our goal is to provide a memorable experience to campers of all ages. We are a nonprofit organization that's committed to providing our guests with clean, safe, and updated camping facilities, fun family entertainment, and a helpful and friendly staff ready to answer all your questions and assist you during your stay. Welcome to Northern Exposure Campground, thanks for staying and helping us be the best RV camping destination in Northern Michigan!
$30 - $45 / night
Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into state parks and recreation areas, state boat launches, state forest campgrounds and state trail parking lots. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79134_79210---,00.html
Traverse City State Park is a 47-acre state park set in a more urban setting and featuring .25 miles of beautiful beach on the Grand Traverse Bay. The park is located only 3 miles from downtown Traverse City, one of the Michigan's most popular resort towns.
The park was established in 1920 on about 16 acres of land after the logging industry began to wane. In 1921 and 1939, parcels were added to increase the park's land area. The original inhabitants of the land were the Ottawa branch of the Algonquin Indians.
The camping area is amazing. My group camped in the non electric section. Each area was set back from the road. Flat gravel pad. Small paved driveway for your car. It was peaceful. And absolutely dark at night. Perfect for star gazing. The comfort station was a short walk away. Clean bathrooms, shower areas, and a small room to wash dishes. You cannot wash dishes at your site. You must take precautions against bears. So food had to be locked in cars. We didn’t encounter bears. At the entrance is a canoe/tube business. You can float down the river to Lake Michigan.
Our site was great, easily fit a 17 foot trailer and a tent. Trails down to the water were appreciated by our kids. Neighbors are pretty close all around but that didn't matter until our last night. Several new campers rolled in at 10pm and proceeded to throw an absolute rager of a party until 4am - on Labor Day weekend. So overall a great campground but I wish there had been enforcement of quiet time or some kind of consequence for such horrible camping manners.
Most sites have direct river access. All sites are walk-in, but not far from the parking area. There are two pit toilets for six sites and both were clean. They sites are large, but fairly open, not much between the sites.
Elk is a great place to spend the night after a day of paddling or fishing. There are four sites with decent space between them. The pit toilet was decently clean and well away from the sites, so no smell. The only downside is that access is tricky. The landing is a steep bank with large rocks on the river bank.
Small campsites, but nice bathrooms and showers, close to Baldwin
Went there to use dump station after camping at the local veterans retreat, nice facilities and staff. 15$ fee to use dump station
Stayed at site 3. It was a relatively easy hike until you hit a hilly spot towards the campground. Mid July was very buggy.
Site 3 has easy access to an overlook which we made use of for photos of a storm that rolled in over North Manitou Island, our original destination. There was one vault toilet at the opposite end of the campground.
Like at Weatherstation, it was easy enough to get down to the beach for swimming and refilling our Grayls but to get back up was a bit of a challenge that grew old after a few trips.
Our last night, we stayed at the Bay campground which was nice. Fire rings are available and getting to and from the water was much easier. I'd recommend the Bay for people who want a more leisurely experience and one of the other campgrounds if you want to get some miles and get more rustic.
No running water.
No electricity.
No flush toilets.
No internet.
No phone signal.
Pure heaven.
Rustic campsites. 50-100 yards from the river. Great water from the pump. Nice clean vault toilet. Very quiet at night. Peaceful and beautiful. We've gone ever year for the last 5 years. Going again next year.
Highly recommend a satellite-based GPS unit like Garmin or TomTom in your car. I was serious when I said no phone signal so Google Maps ain't gonna' get you there.
The campground is a small, family friendly campground that has a lot of activities for both adults and kids. It is clean, has level sites and well maintained facilities.
The campsites are spacious and feature trails that lead directly to the Tippy Dam Backwater. There’s also convenient access for launching a boat on either the Manistee River or the backwaters side of the dam
This was a great campground, quiet and peaceful in the cherry orchard area of west Michigan, near Glen Arbor and Traverse City.
Our site, #20, had an improved gravel parking area for camper with a finished concrete pad with a picnic table.
Site, and whole campground was clean and well maintained. Our site was a full hookup but had one small issue where the drain dump was slightly uphill from the camper, so we had to work with the drain hose to empty tanks.
Only other negative is that there are no trees for the majority of sites for shade cover.
This was a good spot for a two night stay as it’s close to the Sleeping Bear National Dunes and also many local wineries.
Have fun!
Quiet, large sites, like new bath house, 7th nite free, rate$35, good location for northwestern Michigan sites Water on all outside sites. interior sites share water hookups
To many people and yelling kids but breath taking for sure
Updating this information. We live 3 miles from this camp. All MI State Forest Campgrounds are nor $20/night.
There is not a RV dump or hookup of any kind in this campground. One could easily bring a 30 ft trailer but sites this size are limited.
This camp is on the Betsie River and the Grass Lake Flooding. There is a gravel/sand ramp to launch smaller fishing boats. Great area to kayak and float tube. 1000's of acres of State Forest surrounding this spot with miles of trails for atv, cars, trucks and horses. There are no horst facilities at this camp.
Nice spot with a fire pit. I don’t think you can get a trailer in the spot but I pulled up in my truck and setup a tent right next to it. I can’t hear anyone else and it’s elevated above the road. Nice and peaceful
Our site was $65.63 a night. (This was the average after receiving one night free for staying a week).
We were in Site# 4A (premium site). We had Full hook- up with a blacktop pull-through.
We travel towing a 14 foot trailer and were able to fit both in our pull through site along with my jeep.
The site was easy to level.
Our site was not shaded with limited trees. This was a smaller lot with our neighbors fairly close.
The lot comes with a concrete patio with picnic table. There was not a fire ring since only propane fires are allowed.
There is free WiFi. They do not offer Cable TV but there are many local channels.
There is an adult pub-style game room with poker tables, a large tv, a table shuffle board, air hockey game, foosball table, and board games. There is a community catering kitchen located in their activities center.
They do not provide garbage service at your site so you must walk to garbage dumpster. This can be a long distance for some.
You are allowed to ride personal golf carts. They also allow you to rent golf carts. It is beneficial to have a golf cart to get around since it is a large campground. We have our own e-bikes which helped.
They do have a large heated Swimming pool and an adults only hot tub. There is a fitness center.
They have quite a few ponds throughout the campground.
There is not a Playground. They offer pickleball courts.
There is not a general store nor snack bar/restaurant on site.
The streets are paved and good for riding bikes.
This is solely an RV park. They do not have any cabins to rent or any tent areas.
The showers are located in the activity center. These are typical stalls. There is a great area to hang clothes and store your toiletries in the shower stall. These are kept very clean.
There is a laundry facility. There are approximately 4 washers and 4 dryers. They allow you to use cash or an app. It is approximately $2.25 to wash and $2 to dry a load.
They do not have a fenced in dog park. There are areas to walk dogs though.
Bugs/gnats were a small issue and bug spray was needed.
There is supposedly a mowed trail to hike off of the campground (about 3 miles) but I was unable to locate it.
Some fun things to do outside of the campground are the shops (Front Street) & water activities in Traverse City, the local wineries/vineyards, and the DNR Outdoor Shooting range (5 miles away & free to the public). We ate at Yankee Boy where all of the locals hangout. Excellent food (no alcohol served).
Large campground composed or 5 loops. Many have a trail leading to the water. Hiking and biking paths within the campground along with a nice boat ramp. Trash on sites and dirty outhouses along with lots of generators and after hour noise was a downside.
Nice campsites with enough space between sites. Our site wasn’t level. Most sites are level and have large picnic tables and fire pits with fold away grills. Bring enough supplies for your stay unless you don’t mind a 1/2 hour drive to get resupplied in Ludington or Manistee. Mice and mosquitoes can be a nuisance in the campsite even if you’re careful about crumbs etc. We had a mouse going under our ground tarp under the tent
The lake was pretty peaceful and has private residences. One of the private residences had construction noise (generator, nail gun, impact drill, saw). There was a relatively frequent roar of SxS and dirt bikes from a dirt road that went behind the campground.
The sites were each unique, some near the water and some more wooded. I stayed at #7 which was wooded and full of ticks. Despite plenty of bug spray and a Thermacell, I ended up with two ticks on me in the evening and one on the picnic table. Flies were pesky throughout the campground.
The price is considerably high given it's the same price as the paid sites in the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area with its surrounding activities and scenery.
The American Land & Leisure who operate the Highbanks Lake campground could improve the footprints of the sites some to provide better delineation between natural areas and site boundaries which might eliminate ticks to an extent.
We just stayed here for 6 nights. Owners were welcoming and kind upon check in. The campground was very well maintained with a good amount of trees giving good shade outside.
Sites are large well maintained.
We stayed across the street from the bath house and the pool. Pool was chemically checked several times a day and it was so nice.
Our kids loved the pool and the space to ride bikes.
Will definitely be booking here again.
Reasonable rates for the site and generous wood costs as well. They drive around almost nightly and will sell you wood right at your site if you're there. $10 for a wheel barrow full and they stack it for you!
Highly recommend this campground.
We have come to this campground every year since 2020 for a week with our travel trailer. We got lucky to find and opening at an electric site in their schedule and once you're in, you can reserve the same site on the same week the following year. We've had family members stay in tent sites nearby and they loved it.
Great cabin for winter camping. Electricity, heat, microwave, mini fridge. 2 sets of bunks, sleeps 5. Table with chairs. Wonderful hiking.
Green Lake Rustic- clean campground. Some sites are small, and you are on top of your "neighbors." Vault style toilets that get quite smelly. The boat ramp to Green Lake is well maintained. The parking lot is a bit small but doable. Good pan and bass fishing. The local grocery store is close, as well as a dollar store, mini golf, ice cream, and restaurants (if that's your thing).
Absolutely one of the most beautiful sites that I have seen yet. Secluded enough for my dog to roam. Large open site surrounded by trees. I have a promaster and made it through the rough sand road.
Ted and Jen have been doing improvements to maple grove camp ground, they have gotten new fire rings last year and got the road grated, this year there in the process of getting better internet out there which will be great for the whole camp ground and they leveled the camp sites out the best they could , the city of lake is always on top of mowing the field and play area, they always try to help their campers as much as they can. very quiet camp ground will always come back they are doing a better job then Ron and Deb ever did!
The location is beautiful
I was disappointed in the campground after having high expectations from previous reviews. Sites were fine, good size and maybe could have been some planting between sites. My concern was that there was only one bathroom, for the entire campground. They were filthy, cleaned once daily which was considerably less than other campgrounds. There was a sanitary pad discarded behind a toilet for over 24 hours. Possibly this is the norm, and guests were more disgusting than usual. The scenic overlook deck was littered with toilet paper where someone had taken to using this area as their own restroom. The grass and trails weren't mowed and the park attendant said they were changing mowing services, I understand that. The water hose used to clean tanks had been cut off or fallen off, and when this was showed to a worker, they said they'd tell the manager. What day, no one knows because he got in his car and left for the night. The next day it was not fixed.
Which brings me to the point that while there were three people in the guard house, no one was really doing much. No one drove around checking on things, no one walked a common path to see discarded trash, etc. The on duty person left at 8PM. This is all a management issue, not the campground itself.
I have camped at local/municipally owned campgrounds in Michigan before and was very happy, and gladly went with this campground but was disappointed.
Camping near Huron-Manistee National Forests, Michigan, offers a fantastic escape into nature with plenty of options for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a quiet spot to relax or a place to enjoy outdoor activities, this area has something for you.
Camping near Huron-Manistee National Forests, Michigan, has a lot to offer, from beautiful nature to friendly campgrounds. Just be sure to check the specifics of each campground to find the best fit for your adventure!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Huron-Manistee National Forests?
According to TheDyrt.com, Huron-Manistee National Forests offers a wide range of camping options, with 258 campgrounds and RV parks near Huron-Manistee National Forests and 10 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Huron-Manistee National Forests?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Huron-Manistee National Forests is Platte River Campground — Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore with a 4.8-star rating from 59 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Huron-Manistee National Forests?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 10 free dispersed camping spots near Huron-Manistee National Forests.
What parks are near Huron-Manistee National Forests?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 4 parks near Huron-Manistee National Forests that allow camping, notably Sleeping Bear Dunes and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
