If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Michigan City, look no further. The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Indiana Dunes National Park hugs 15 miles (24 km) of the southern shore of Lake Michigan and has much to offer. Whether you enjoy scouting for rare species of birds or flying kites on the sandy beach, the national park's 15,000 acres (6070 ha) will continually enchant you. Hikers will enjoy 50 miles (80 km) of trails over rugged dunes, mysterious wetlands, sunny prairies, meandering rivers and peaceful forests.
There is no one-size-fits-all trip to the dunes. Each season offers new and different ways to enjoy Indiana Dunes National Park. Spring splashes the river banks of the Heron Rookery with an abundance of colorful wildflowers in this birder's paradise. Lake Michigan summer sunsets paint the skies with vibrant rays that offer a picture-perfect picnic setting. In the fall, Maple trees burst with warm red and golden hues crafting a spectacular backdrop for a hike by the Chellberg Farm and winter brings a scenic canvas of virgin white snow begging for a cross-country skiing adventure in the Glenwood Dunes. As the seasons change, so do the recreational opportunities, park facility operating hours and closures and safety concerns. Here is a list of some of the activities that occur in the National Park: Beach-going & Swimming, Biking, Bird Watching, Camping, Fishing & Boating, Hiking, Geocaching, Historical Sites, Horseback Riding, Interpretive Programs, Picnic, Winter Activities and Guided Tours. Check the Calendar page on our website for our list of Ranger-led programs.
Indiana Dunes National Park is a treasure of diverse natural resources located within an urban setting. The national park features communities that have both scientific and historic significance to the field of ecology. In addition, four National Natural Landmarks (including Pinhook Bog and Cowles Bog ) and one National Historical Landmark (the Bailly Homestead) are located within its boundaries. The park is comprised of over 15,000 acres (6070 ha) of dunes, oak savannas, swamps, bogs, marshes, prairies, rivers, and forests. It contains 15 miles (24 km) of Lake Michigan shoreline spanning the distance from Gary to Michigan City. Lake Michigan is part of the largest complex of freshwater lakes in the world. The national park's beaches are the park's most significant recreational resource. For more information on our natural features visit the Nature and Science page on the park website.
Central Avenue Beach on Lake Michigan is located nearby, less than 5,000 feet (1524 m) from the campground. Several other national park beaches are within easy driving distance. A gas station / convenience store is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of the campground on U.S. Highway 12. The Beverly Shores South Shore Railroad station with passenger service to Chicago and South Bend is located on Broadway Avenue. Indiana Dunes Tourism and LaPorte County Convention and Visitors Bureau have lists of other activities in the area.
A $10.00 service fee will apply if you modify your reservation or change your stay dates. Cancelling your reservation prior to 11:59 pm Eastern Time two nights before your stay will incur a $10 cancellation fee. Late cancellations (camping reservations cancelled the day before or day of arrival) incur a $10 cancellation fee plus a forfeiture of the first night's use fee. For more information please review Recreation.gov's Rules and Reservations Policies.
$25 / night
This family-owned, nationally recognized, award-winning KOA is the closed to beautiful Lake Michigan, providing guests with top-notch services, amenities and unrivaled proximity to nearby beaches, orchards, vineyards, kayaking rivers and other popular attractions. The parklike setting features mature trees with a canopy of trees, paved roads and well maintained grounds with a peaceful atmosphere that makes this the best place to be. The attentive, friendly team will meet and exceed your expectations, whether you stay in a tent, an RV or one of the 20 lodging options including Camping Cabins, Deluxe Cabins and Glamping tents. Enjoy the heated pool, Jumping Pillow, fishing pond, bike rentals, mini golf, playground, Gem mining, cable TV, Wi-Fi, wooded nature trail, general store and Campfire Café serving Hunt Brothers pizza. Planned activities and themed weekends held throughout the summer.
$60 - $120 / night
$30 - $80 / night
Campside is situated on 5 private acres in Southwest Michigan within walking distance to Downtown Sawyer.
Located just minutes from several Lake Michigan Beaches, Warren Dunes, a wide variety of Wineries and Breweries, Campside's location is ideal for exploring the area or just relaxing.
Three fully furnished sites offer convenience and privacy. And one site where you can bring your own gear.
No cars or other campers are within sight.
Rent one or rent them all. From family gatherings to girls getaways, first time campers to bachelor parties, Campside promises a time you'll never forget.
Pinkie promise.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED.
$75 - $150 / night
$20 / night
Guide
The campground was nice. We did a tent camp site for $32. It had bathrooms with showers and outlets and places to put your stuff. It was clean and quiet. They do have cute cottages you can rent but not sure the cost.
Guide
We tent camped with 8 small kiddos. One if the largest tent sites I’ve been on. There is a small playground, and a pond for swimming and fishing. This campground gets stars from me for the gorgeous and peaceful surroundings, as well as very friendly staff. However, their two flushing toilets and two showers (free) are very outdated with some rusty nails sticking out, and we didn’t see anyone clean anything in the bathrooms for the few days that we were there (which meant a very full garbage and lots of dead bugs everywhere). Ice was an affordable $2 per bag, but bring your own firewood... it was $10 for a few pieces of fallen branches which did not even fit in the firepit. Near the campground is an awesome playground (Lincoln Township Park), as well as an adorable family owned Ice Cream shop (Sycamore Drive-In).
GuideWe spent the weekend exploring America’s 61st National Park- Indiana Dunes National Park. The National Park campsite was full and recommended this place about 10 minutes away. It was our first time tent camping and the sites were very clean and nice. The bathrooms were also well maintained and camping staff very friendly and helpful.
Guide
Tent sites are all in one cleared area that is a short walk from the parking spots. I had the place to myself as it was Labor Day Monday night. Showers and bathrooms were clean. Pool looked nice. Best part is that it’s a 3 minute drive to a public beach with great swimming and a beautiful sunset. Owners and staff are kind and I think there’s a little store and bar on site. $20 per tent site.
Guide
You gotta love Indiana dunes national lakeshore! A quick drive from chicago this campsite is a real good place to get away from the city and enjoy the outdoors. It’s one of my favorite places to go within an hour’s drive. The campsite has everything you need. Modern bathrooms and showers, running water. Good for tent camping. It’s clean and a quick drive to a quiet beach at Beverly Shores. I highly recommend!
Guide
Close to beach of Lake Michigan. Walk in primitive tent site is what I stayed at. Many other sites available. Quiet at night. Great staff
GuideI prefer this campground a lot more compared to the state park one, especially if tent camping. They have a section of walk in sites that are nicely spread apart, while still only being a few minutes walk to parking and the shower house.
Scout
After camping in Maryland it was nice to have a large more inviting spot. Perfect for tent camping. Camp store has all you need. The dunes are epic and swimming in Lake Michigan was great. Have returned many times and is our go to park.
Guide
...although you probably wouldn't want to camp in the Indiana winter. I grew up coming here mostly to sled on the hills! But, there is a lot more to do. It surrounds Worster Lake and there are cabins, RV sites, and tent sites along with horse trails and bike trails. In the winter, there's sledding hills and ice fishing. The campgrounds are pretty standard, nothing special. If you live in the area, it's a fine little getaway.
Scoutthis was amazing place to stay. the people were very friendly. everything was clean. and it was quiet and peaceful and the beach was absolutely beautiful. i haven’t gone tent camping before and i went here and it made me love it! i will definitely be going back!
Guidetook my son on a father son camping trip! normaly i would bring my 32 foot camper but we roughed it for the weekend and tent camped. sites were smooth and level and well taken care of. lots of nice walking and biking trails and a big electric motor only fishing lake and nice beach.
GuideFirst time to Indiana with a quick trip to the Dunes. We were disappointed the state park was full but found this campground close by. The tent sites were very private as we were the only ones there for the night. Plenty of space tucked among the trees. Bathrooms seemed newer and were very clean. The only thing that disappointed us was the lack of COVID precautions. No mask worn by the office worker or wiping down of desk or credit card machine. Would still recommend for the future.
GuideI came for a 4th of July weekend tent camping one year. In my humble opinion I experienced a party type atmosphere with a bunch of season rv type campers. Tight group of people who spend the summers there. If you have a golf cart it seemed popular. Just not our cup of tea but, if it's yours it might be worth checking out.
ScoutI had a peaceful stay in a tent site here. I tried an RV resort park first and my site was right next to train tracks and packed in next to the other sites. This spot was more spacious and fairly quiet with good showers. A great place for a stop when visiting the dunes if the park campgrounds are full.
Scout
Stayed here 2 nights in the group tent camping area. Plenty of space to spread out and good firepits. Love the secure entrance and key card access. Pool and bathrooms were clean, although the bathroom could use a slight update. The only complaint of the weekend of the garbage pickup at 11pm, very loud, and the fireworks being set off until after midnight (outside of the campground so out of campgrounds control). Will definitely be back if we are in the area!
Guide
We arrived on a busy July evening without reservations to find a single-nigth cancellation already paid for by a camper who left early. Our luck! We spent the afternoon on the lakeside and drove back to the site to set up for the evening. Our site had a picnic area/firepit a short walk away from the parking area, which is great for tent camping, but less suitable for our camper van. Nonetheless, friendly staff, clean bathrooms, and lots of privacy make this gem worth booking.
Scout
We have only stayed in the tent sites but love it. Our kids ride around the circle on their bikes, they love the train rides, its always fun to walk around the grounds and learn about the history. Nice short trip in to St. Joe or Benton Harbor. We got take and bake pizza from Silver Beach Pizza and cooked it over the fire.
Bathrooms are clean, showers are warm. We enjoy this place.
GuideCamped here because the dunes campgrounds were full. Very clean and newly renovated. The tent sites were nice and located around the perimeter.
My boys did like that there was a very nice pool.
My only complaint were the showers. The woman’s bathroom was very clean but the showers did not spray out enough of a stream to wash well.
We paid $30 a night for 4 people. when my husband came on Saturday it was an extra $5.
Scout
Our trip to Camp Sullivan was mostly a test run to determine how our new dog handled camping. The campsites are pretty crowded, you can easily see and hear your neighbors the entire time you're there. The bathroom facilities were clean with an average level of amenities. We tent camped, but could see the cabin grounds which looked nice. However, important to note dogs are not allowed inside the cabins. Overall it was an okay spot to test our dog's temperament, but the closeness, expensive fire wood, and lack of extensive hiking trails means we probably will not return.
GuideWe tent camped for two nights while visiting Indiana Dunes. It’s only 15 minutes away, and nestled into a residential area so it’s a nice option. It’s a pretty big campground and there’s a nice mixture of grassy, tree lined tent spots and more secluded wooded spots in the woods by the creek. Also tons of RV spots. The bathroom and shower facilities were clean and there was a pool, basketball court, volleyball court, and even some cabins. The owner is nice - she’s particular about everybody doing their part to keep the campground safe and clean and has a lot of “mothering” type signs everywhere, but I felt well looked after. The noise is quite jarring for a campground that seems like it would be pretty quiet - constant train traffic, airplane noise, and if it’s windy and you’re near the trees that really adds to it. We are heavy sleepers so it didn’t bother us too much but it could be an issue for the wake prone. All in all we had a nice stay and would stay here again.
TravelerThe campground was full, but not overcrowded. Very friendly neighbors and camp staff. There is a nice nature trail to the beach. If you are able, do the 3 dune challenge. It wasn’t easy for this old body, but I was glad to have marked it off my list. The nature center is right next to the campground. The pavilion is being renovated, the ice cream shop was open, but they were still doing construction on the rest. I hear that it will be grand when finished. I will definitely go back to this campground. I just won’t pick the tent site again. The sand is very dirty there.
TravelerWe brought a large group of friends to tent camp in this camp ground and it was great! We loved the safety of the park, the community around us, and the facilities offered were exactly what we needed. The bath and shower house was a little dirty most of the weekend but given that the campground was full the whole weekend, I am sure the bathrooms got a lot of traffic. There isn’t many trees on the sites so if you are hammock camping, I would suggest not camping here for risk that there aren’t two trees a good distance together. The staff was very friendly and the camp store had just enough supplies. Not too many things, just the necessary stuff.
TravelerI stopped here with my dog for the night. The semi-modern or tent sites have okay privacy. Some sites like 18 and 19 (where I stayed) share space so those sites would be great for groups. Could hear the traffic from the local highway but it wasn't too bad, I still slept well. The grounds were prettt empty but I was there on a Tuesday night before Labor Day.
The dunes and dog beach were perfect for Clutch to expel energy after a long drive.
These grounds would be perfect for a night or two or if you have a larger group.
FYI: Vault toilets
Traveler
This is a nice, family friendly campground. Lots of very friendly other campers, a heated pool, playground for the kids, nice size lots with fire pits, picnic tables, electric& water (including at tent sites). Pool has an ADA lift chair. 2 shower/bath houses, camp store, a real bear cave you can tour in (free), a creek that meanders through it. The resort sits on the St. Joseph river & this park has a boat ramp & dock for fishing. There is a gate that campers need a code to get into so it keeps out unwanted’s. Nice staff. Yolanda is a great manager. Security, a ‘honey wagon’. Laundry center. Quiet hours are 10p-8a. It’s near Buchanan Michigan and the RED BUD Motor Cross track. Very friendly people, always stopping and talking.
GuideThis is a beautifully kept campground just outside Michigan City, IN. It is gated so will need to call in once you arrive to enter. We stayed in the premium sites which were 90ft pull thought with 50A service, water and sewer, and the best wifi I have seen at a campsite. The cement patio was large with a picnic table and an adjacent fire pit. There is swimming pool and a game room, and a small store with the essentials, and propane.
You are close to Indiana Dunes and the downtown area of Michigan city. Good food, shops are close by.
By the way there are a number of cabins/mini homes to rent.
Legend
We wanted to stay at Warren Dunes State Park, but I think this discovery was a better choice. A clean and friendly municipal campground on the St. Joseph River. The grounds are mostly open with little shade, but we had a tent site by the river and trees. What impressed me most was that they have a building specifically for cleaning fish, with scales, cutting boards and sinks. Another nice feature is the outdoor sink at the shower & restroom building for campers to wash dishes. As tent campers I wish more places had a set up like that. There’s a large stack of firewood, so it’s easy to get a bundle that’s good and dry. We did go to Warren Dunes for an afternoon. It’s busy and crowded. If you go to the beach, be aware there’s very little shade. North of there is Grand Mere State Park, which is better for hiking. In Berrien Springs, check out Zick’s specialty meats across the river from the camp.
GuideHike-to is a must. You walk down steps or a ramp to your area, tent pad with a picnic table and firepit. So beautiful when the sun comes up. Showers and toilets regularly cleaned and modern. Close to shops where you can get food/beer/firewood etc. venture into portage or Michigan city for some food. Great taste of Lake Michigan for the lower midwesterners! I will be returning.
Tent camping near Michigan City, Indiana, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Michigan City, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Michigan City, IN is Central Avenue Walk-in Sites — Indiana Dunes National Park with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Michigan City, IN?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Michigan City, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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