Camper submitted image from Port Crescent State Park Campground - 1

Camper submitted image from Port Crescent State Park Campground - 2

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Water

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People

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Camping

Established Camping

Port Crescent State Park Campground

22 Reviews

About

State Park

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

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Location

Port Crescent State Park Campground is located in Michigan

Directions

From the Detroit area, follow M-53 (VanDyke) north to Port Crescent Rd. Left on Port Crescent Rd 2 miles to M-25. RIght on M-25 1/4 mile and left into the campground. Trip time approximately 2 1/2 hours. From the Bay City area, follow M-25 to Port Crescent State Park. Turn left into the campground. Trip time, approximately 1-1 1/2 hours.

Address

1800 Port Austin
Port Austin, MI 48467

Coordinates

44.00694274 N
83.05198482 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Boat-In
Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Good
T-Mobile
Good

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group
Cabins
Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

Market
ADA Access
Trash
Picnic Table
Firewood Available
Phone Service
Reservable
WiFi
Showers
Drinking Water
Electric Hookups
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump
Sewer Hookups
Water Hookups
Pull-Through Sites
Big Rig Friendly

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

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Contact

General Info

Reservations

(800) 447-2757

Doug L.

Ranger

Reviewed Sep. 2, 2023

Port Crescent - Beautiful Campground on the Shores of Lake Huron

Port Crescent is a really amazing campground to visit. The campground contains cabins, tent, and RV sites. Our site (95) was an electric only site but water was nearby.

Our site was on the sand but large enough to park the camper parallel to the campsite. we were well off the road there were no worries concerning passing vehicles.

The nature and wild life there are simply amazing and the sunsets on the beach were incredible. They were even more amazing because wildfire activity enhanced the fading rays of the sun.

We did buy the yearly MI recreation pass, not only for this but for some other stays we had planned in MI. The pass was $35 which was affordable.

For Astronomers this is a certified dark sky park the IDA. This is a Bortle 3 site with an SQM reading of 21.79 mag./arc sec2. I did not get to observe here due to smoke from wild fires.

Saginaw Bay is nearby and its a beautiful place to visit.

to Make sure you know where your gas stations are as they are a long way away from Each other. Also the water spigots in the park don't have hose connectors to either fill up with potable water at the dump station or bring water canisters with you.

Otherwise have a great time, we did!

Sitesite 95

Month of VisitJuly

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julie S.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 26, 2023

We got lucky

We got lucky for a spur of the moment weekend get away and scored the perfect site at a campground we had never been to before. It's a busy campground.. but this site made us feel like we were in our own little world. The lake was only a few yards from our tent. There is also a dark sky preserve there which worked out perfectly for the meteor shower that was going on that weekend. One of my favorite camping trips ever... it was just gorgeous. I booked online through the michigan parks website. There must have been a cancelation that I got lucky and grabbed. It really was the perfect camp site.

Month of VisitSeptember

(18) View All

Andy B.

Guide

Reviewed May. 31, 2023

Beautiful Lake views

If you get the right spot, you have essentially private access to the beautiful waters of Lake Huron. Clean beaches and large private lots.

Month of VisitAugust

Gary E.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 5, 2022

2nd time

This was our 2nd time here. We stayed on site 71 this time down by the beach. Good amount of space for our set up. Nice view of the lake from across the road.

Site71

Month of VisitOctober

Gary E.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 22, 2022

Great family fun

We stayed here on Labor day last year and loved it. We are going back again this year. We will be making this an annual plan.

Site9

Month of VisitOctober

Rodger M.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 19, 2021

Batten Down the Hatches

We loved this campground. The proximity to the beach was phenomenal. Our site, 95A was along the old river channel which made for nice views of water fowl. I will say though, the Canada Geese were extremely active…even at late hours of the night and early morning (expected). Lake Huron did not disappoint. We enjoyed some sunsets, weathered driftwood, more geese, sea gulls, and sand pipers.

The weather started out decent and very fall like, but come late Friday night, sustained 20 mph winds and unrelenting downpours ensued. Did I mention we were in a tent?! Fortunately, I truly did “batten down the hatches” so to speak. This is not a tent review, but the Sam’s Club 9’ x 14’ tent never leaked, never ripped, and held its own!

Flies out did mosquitoes, and bees were in full pollination mode. We did fog our site and used Thermacells which helped within Mosquitoes. Chipmunks ruled the campground. They were busy everywhere. Also a local woodpecker was going to town at a site next to us. We didn’t see any raccoons or deer…did I mention geese?!?

Site had 120v and 30 amp service, a picnic table, and fire ring. It was directly across the street from the restrooms and showers.

Site Size was approx 33’ x 50’

Shower facilities were a bit dated but functional. Restrooms were clean with nice hot water and high powered hand driers.

We’re planning another trip and hoping to make it to the sites closer to the lake.

Site95A

Month of VisitNovember

(9) View All

Andrew M.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 28, 2021

Awesome Sunsets and beautiful beach

This Park is on our list of favorite parks to visit each year. With it being on the eastern part of the Saginaw Bay you have a great beach for swimming and sunbathing. We were noticing that this park seems to be in an overused state and what we mean by this is the bathhouses not so clean and not updated, sites littered with debris from previous campers and vegetation does not have the opportunity to replenish in between campers. The service roads although black top were in rough shape and hard to read the lot numbers. The State needs to send this park some love!

The town of Port Austin does provide some tourist type things to do but mainly a quiet little harbor town. Port Austin does hold a Farmers Market during the summer months which has lots of local vendors. tour the Port Austin Reef Lighthouse, canoeing, kayaking, and hiking are all close by.

Site120

Month of VisitJuly

Jennifer M.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 26, 2021

1 of my Favorites

Love hearing the waves out my bedroom window here

Site80

Month of VisitJune

(11) View All

Emily F.

Guide

Reviewed Jan. 31, 2021

On the water

Well maintained. Sites are kind of tight. Well maintained facilities and it’s nice to be so close to the lake.

David B.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 13, 2020

Tight

Narrow and tight, lots of tents, pop ups and sand. Nicely treed area though and of course next to the lake

Matt M.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 27, 2020

We’ll be back!

First time staying here. Great campground. Sandy beach. Swimming is great! Sites are close and driving through campground is tight. Cell and tv signal is limited. Pictures are from site 92

Janessa L.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 11, 2020

Introduction to Camping

I organized a camping trip for my best friend's birthday - who's never been camping before. I couldn't have asked for a better campground or area to introduce her to the hobby. We chose a shady, rustic site that was decent in size - fire ring and picnic table provided. The private beach was our favorite feature of the campground. The sand was white and soft with a volleyball net; it was never too crowded. There is a ton of things to do in the area: hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming, horseback riding and a Dark Sky Preserve.

The bathroom facilities were large and obviously cleaned regularly. There are shower rooms for added privacy (I'd suggest water shoes or flip flops for the shower rooms.)

It's very family friendly and people were respectful when darkness fell in regards to volume. The only setback for me was that it was very crowded, but not more so than the average loop campground sites. It's just personal preference to do dispersed camping. Perfect for families or someone who's never been camping before to see what it's all about!

SiteSite 128

Month of VisitSeptember

Kate K.

Legend

Reviewed Jul. 28, 2019

Book early

Probably one of the most popular state parks in Michigan, and for good reason. Most of the park is located on the water and the views are pretty gorgeous. The sites are small, so we usually book two. The grounds offer bathrooms and showers, as well as electric and water for RVs. No rustic options available, so all sites are $35 per night. The campground is located only a few short minutes from the launch site for Turnip Rock, so it’s become very popular for weekend trips.

(5) View All

Timothy P.

Scout

Reviewed Jul. 21, 2019

Gem on the tip of The Thumb

This park is in a great location—The Thumb felt quite isolated. There are some pretty rad sites right on Lake Huron—unfortunately, we were on site 41 which buts right up against a main road and it got quite loud at times (especially on the weekends). Bathrooms were good for a state park. The beach was a little small, but water levels are high this year. DNR staff were pleasant, helpful and good at being present. Firewood is for sale at the gate for $5 a bundle. This campground is close to Caseville, Bad Axe and Port Austin where I would recommend renting a kayak and checking out Turnip Rock (only accessible by H2O). This park didn’t get a full 5 stars because of the proximity to the road (which wasn’t really that bad…). Great Park!

Vaughn S.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 11, 2019

One of my favorite campgrounds growing up and still is to this day.

Been coming here for over 20 years and still love it.

l.jeczen@hotmail.com T.

Scout

Reviewed Apr. 18, 2019

Great family camp!

Great campground at the top of Michigan's thumb. Close to fishing, kayaking and a great beach.

Magy C.

Ranger

Reviewed Aug. 27, 2018

Good camping

Very very busy campground. I don’t think there was an open site while we were there. Our site was right near the playground, and although we have no kids it was not bothersome AT ALL surprisingly. They have a few cabins to rent that have decent privacy. As well as bathrooms and showers —not the nicest but definitely bearable. Hiked to the water that was clean and easy to swim in and walk in with bare feet, too!

(9) View All

Emily S.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 22, 2018

All the comforts of Lake Life

My family and I have been here many times. The proximity to the water can't be beat. Canoe and kayak rental locations are a short way away, as are the town and local focal points. Save room for dessert at The Farm, a fine dining experience just a mile away from the campground with world class food.

Sammy S.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 8, 2018

Beautiful

Never have been to Port Austin, wanted to check it out for myself. My boyfriend and I had our first date traveling there. I had heard there was an old ghost town around there, check it out. We put up a tent, talked under the stars it was absolutely gorgeous. Can not wait to come back and stay again for our anniversary! Camp ground is quiet, very large spots, from what I remember they have bathrooms! Very cheap!

Month of VisitJune

Matt M.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 1, 2018

Great staff and check in, busy campground!

Port Crescent is a clean and comfortable campground with great lake views even from sites not on the water. It's also an extremely busy campground so not a place to find silence and solitude, nevertheless with Michigan's state park booking system it's a great option!

Ashleigh M.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 12, 2018

When it rains it pours

It was forecasted to rain during our visit to Port Crescent and we decided to brave it and hope the forecast would be wrong. It wasn’t. It rained most of the day Saturday and Sunday. I know it’s not the park’s fault, but there was literally nothing nearby to do in the rain. I was looking forward to kayaking Turnip Rock, but I’m not doing that in a thunder storm. It was a pretty miserable weekend. The sites are large but lack privacy. The bathhouse got pretty gross with all the mud and could use an update. Overall, the weather really affected my opinion of this whole area. I will probably be back though, because I still want to kayak to Turnip Rock.

Dave E.

Ranger

Reviewed Aug. 16, 2017

Great family campground

This has been an annual destination for my family. We would camp here 2 weeks every summer with all of our relatives and basically turn this little place into home. There are nice clean sites, facilities, and easy access to town (Pt. Austin) if you want to go explore. I highly recommend Grindstone's Ice Cream place in Grindstone City. During summer months, it books up 6 months in advance. So learn their online reservation system and be quick at it if you have a specific site in mind. The sites on the front row by the water are the best in my opinion. Amazing sunset views and quick access to the beach. When storms come it, make sure you have everything put away and your tent staked down reeeeeal good, cause I've definitely seen 60mph+ winds and tents end up in the trees.

Month of VisitAugust

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