It was an odd experience. The staff and many campers were very friendly, but we were told there was a recent staffing change that made our reservation process more ambiguous than we were led to believe. When we arrived, the lakeside site we reserved over the phone wasn’t available and instead we were placed in an overflow site next to the dumpster. Because it was a fishing campground (which we didn’t know when we booked), the dumpster was full of aromatic sun-baked fish parts. Then we learned the camp bathroom was an unmarked passcode door with “old fashioned” plumbing standards. Admittedly, we never checked to see what the bathroom was like inside.

In short, it wasn’t a comfortable vibe and rather than stick it out, we took a short walk upwind to consider our options. As luck would have it, we found a site at another campground in Manistee. The Hopkins staff seemed to appreciate our decision and offered a refund. Nice people with a pretty view of Bear Lake, but I’d pass on this campground for now.