$18 / night

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Nature

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Activities

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Established Camping

Ely Lake Campground

11 Reviews

Ely Lake Campground, near Allegan, Michigan, is a rustic retreat that offers a true escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. With its unpaved sites and natural surroundings, it’s perfect for those who want to disconnect and enjoy some good old-fashioned camping.

This campground features picnic tables and fire pits at each site, making it easy to gather around the fire and share stories. Visitors have noted the beauty of the area, with opportunities for kayaking and canoeing on the non-motorized lake, as well as miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding. One camper shared, “The lake is great for kayaking. Miles of trails to wander and discover.”

Ely Lake Campground is pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry friends along for the adventure. While the amenities are basic—think vault toilets and hand pumps for water—many campers appreciate the simplicity and the chance to experience nature in its purest form. As one long-time visitor put it, “Nothing changed, just good ole wilderness camping!”

If you’re looking for a peaceful getaway, this campground is a solid choice. Just be prepared for a more rustic experience, and remember to bring your own drinking water and toilet paper. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a longer stay, Ely Lake Campground offers a chance to unwind and enjoy the great outdoors.

Description

MIDNR Wildlife Division

Allegan State Game Area

Ely Lake Campground is a primitive campground located on Ely Lake that offers a quality camping experience that is close to town but has a definite backcountry feel. There are 73 campsites, all of which can be used by both equestrians and non-equestrians, and connects to 30 miles of horseback riding trails located in the Allegan State Game Area. Amenities include walking trails, a swimming beach, fishing, and non-motorized boating. The most beautiful and unique thing about Ely Lake is that the entire park is primarily wooded, providing for plenty of shade in the hot summer months and some spectacular foliage color in the fall. In keeping with the primitive setting, there are no modern restrooms or running water, but there are hand pumps and vault toilets. Ely Lake Campground is open year round and has some spectacular fall and winter camping available.

RESERVATIONS must be made five (5) business days or more prior to your camp date. All UNRESERVED sites are available on a first come/first served basis at the campground. Camping is allowed at numbered sites only.

CAMPSITES are $17 per night and limited to:

Either one camper plus one tent, or two tents
One immediate family or four (4) unrelated adults

EQUESTRIAN NOTES:

Trail riding without a season pass is $5 per horse per day; pay using fee tubes at park
Equestrians are allowed to have one horse trailer and one camper (can occupy only one unit for sleeping)
Picket posts are on sites 58 - 73 only however equestrians are allowed on any site
Portable corrals are allowed away from trees
Tying of horses to trees and/or cribbing of trees is not permitted
Fireworks are prohibited
Alcohol allowed within a designated campsite with a paid camping permit
Dogs must be kept on a 6-foot leash and cannot be left unattended

For more information about the campground and the complete campground and park rules and regulations please visit our website

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Location

Ely Lake Campground is located in Michigan

Directions

Click [here](http://cms.allegancounty.org/sites/Office/Parks/ParksPages/Directions%20to%20Ely%20Lake%20Campground%20and%20Equestrian%20Park.aspx) for driving directions.

Address

Physical Address: 5020 116th ave
Fennvile, MI 49408

Coordinates

42.534619016918484 N
86.03500752181135 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Poor
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Available

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group
Equestrian

Features

For Campers

Picnic Table
Reservable
Electric Hookups
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sewer Hookups
Water Hookups
Pull-Through Sites
30 Amp Hookups
50 Amp Hookups

Contact

General Info

Reservations

Make reservation

Drive Time

45 min from Kalamazoo
48 min from Grand Rapids
1 hr 3 min from Battle Creek
1 hr 3 min from Niles

Becky J.

Traveler

Reviewed Mar. 22, 2025

Great Primitive Camping

Lived in Michigan for most of my life and frequently visited and camped here as a youth. This is primarily a primitive campground with porto- pottys. Usually pretty clean. Located in the Allegan forest. Very quiet and nice that it has a lake for swimming in the summer.

Sitemany of them

Month of VisitJuly

Skip C.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 29, 2024

Hidden gem

Been coming here since I was little, took a 25 year hiatus from camping. Went back there recently and loved it just like when I was a kid!

Site24

Month of VisitJune

SEO K.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 4, 2024

Good Place If you play Super 9 game

The place is very good. But the entertainment is fulfil when you play your favourite game. My favourite is Super 9 Game which I played in this game. The game is very unique and full of enjoy. Download it enjoy yourself. The game will refresh you. So, Try it now.

James C.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 9, 2023

Hidden gem

Been coming here since 1969 when I was 4 yrs. old. Nothing changed, just good ole wilderness camping! Try to up there a couple times a year. Love it.

Site64

Month of VisitMay

Cory W.

Scout

Reviewed Jul. 6, 2023

Off the grid camping

Drive to a place where you are truly, disconnected from society. No cell phone service, no internet, no electricity, and no showers. But who needs any of that when you're camping.

Site33

Month of VisitJune

TheSydliks

Scout

Reviewed Apr. 15, 2021

Keyword: RUSTIC

This is our "home base" campground. It's familiar. We've been coming here for decades. Comfortable, and quiet(for the most part).

Caveat: no electric, no running water, no sewer/septic, no dump, no fill... Can run your generator(inverter type is best). Solar is a negative due to tree cover.

Vault toilets only, and pitcher pumps for water. There is a dumpster available in the busier parts of the season but this campground is open year round.

No playground. Just the beach and the trails.

Sites range from small tent sites to fairly large, but the "roads" inside the campground are tight so think twice before bringing the longer 5th wheels.

In short, if you want a quiet getaway from your usual then this is a great place to go. If you're expecting a pool, arcade, and dining hall... Look elsewhere.

Site37

Month of VisitApril

Suzi K.

Scout

Reviewed Oct. 22, 2020

Words Can't Describe

This is always my go to campground! All natural camping with plenty of nice people! One word of advise is to bring your own tp though lol they seem to always run out on Sunday mornings lol but are back up and running by mid afternoon. No showers and just outhouses but that's REAL camping right!!!? No power motor lake but there is another lake close by that is. We take the canoe with a trolling motor and hit that as well. Pet friendly. They have horse campsites and trails. Walking trails around the lake that offer nature at it's purest! I have been coming to this lake to camp for over 40 years and I hope I have 40 more years left!!!

Brad B.

Scout

Reviewed Sep. 26, 2020

Love it here

Perfect u plugged campground with no electric, vault toilets. Beach front and small boat launch - no motors. We love it in the spring and fall. Bugs can be bad in busy season

James K.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 11, 2020

Beautiful rustic sites with loud parties at night

Ely Lake Campground is a County campground in Allegan Michigan. All of the sites are rustic. Here are the bullet points:

There are no bathrooms, just pit toilets.
There is no electricity.
There is a hand pump for water, although I would recommend bringing your own drinking water because the water from the hand pump is very discolored.
Each site has a fire pit and a picnic table.
They don't sell firewood, but you can by some in town on your way in.
There is a beach.
You can make reservations online ahead of time, or show up and find an empty site (but bring cash or check to pay because its a drop box).
They have equestrian trails and sites.

First the positives: It is a beautiful rustic campground. We stayed on the side with sites 49-73 (specifically site 50) which has larger more secluded sites than the other side of the Lake. The Lake is for non-motorized recreational use so it is mostly used for kayaking and canoeing and fishing. There is about a 1 mile trail that you can walk around the exterior of the Lake, however it is ill defined in some places so just keep your eyes peeled for yellow markers on the trees (which are everywhere so you wont get lost).

This place also attracts a lot of equestrian campers and they have trails specifically for horseback riding. So if you have kids that love horses, you may see some on the weekends.

The negatives: It is a wonderful experience until about 10:30 PM on Friday and Saturday night. This place attracts a rowdy crowd and in the evenings (apparently there is no where else for the locals to have a rager). There is loud music , people yelling, fireworks going off and… not very much sleep. And I am not just talking about a few people with their music on -- it was someone blasting their sub-woofer with electronic dance music until 4:45 AM. It was really disappointing because otherwise the experience was positive. Luckily my kids are all deep sleepers so I was the only one who had to sit up all night.

They clean the bathrooms daily from what I can tell, but otherwise the campground is not maintained. There was trash around our site, and when you walk the trail about the lake you will see cigarette packets and beer bottles occasionally. Also along the trail were two massive hornet nests that really should have been removed by park management - but it's clear they don't ever maintain the trail.

If you're willing to overlook some garbage, and if the party people stay away you could have a wonderful camping trip. Allegan County has a beautiful natural resource here, but sadly it seems like it is being squandered, and wont last.

Site50

Month of VisitSeptember

(7) View All

j L.

Scout

Reviewed May. 17, 2018

very noisy not restful at all

I went here one holiday weekend, that was my 1st mistake,,,I ended up being kept awake by the drunks screaming at their kids. Never again,,,I left after one night and I paid for two that was my other mistake!

Month of VisitMay

Ellen S.

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 19, 2018

Great Rustic Campground

I have been camping here a couple years. It is open year round. All rustic sites, horses welcomed, vault toilets, and water pumps. Pay for site by money drop in tube so bring your check book. The lake is great for kayaking. Miles of trails to wander and discover.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Ely Lake Campground have RV hookups?

According to TheDyrt.com, Ely Lake Campground has 30 amp and 50 amp electric hookups, water hookups and sewer hookups.

Are fires allowed at Ely Lake Campground?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Ely Lake Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Ely Lake Campground have wifi?

No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Ely Lake Campground does not have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Ely Lake Campground?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is unknown, AT&T is unknown, and T-Mobile is available.

How hard is it to get a campsite at Ely Lake Campground?

Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Ely Lake Campground. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Ely Lake Campground, try setting up a text message Alert at TheDyrt.com/alerts

Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Ely Lake Campground?

There are 73 campsites at Ely Lake Campground and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert at TheDyrt.com/alerts

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