Old Orchard Park Campground

I stayed here a few times in September 2022.  The weather was really rainy but the lake is pretty and Oscoda has a lot of hiking and places to hang up a hammock and relax.  (The campsite is about 10 minutes from town.)

Labor Day weekend was crazy and my neighbors had a really difficult time staying in their designated site - one family next to me really liked to put their trash on a tree within my site.  People just seemed a little unfriendly and territorial - it seemed like they didn’t know what to do with a younger solo woman camper.  Unrelated, a guy was shouting a song about cocaine around 11pm, drinking with his buddies.  Just kind of weird vibes even though there were a million kids.  It didn’t really feel like homey, family vibes.  

The second time I was there I was told I could not car camp.  The lady who was working didn’t seem to care but my last night an older male worker waited at the entrance until I returned and loudly announced my site number and said I wasn’t allowed to car camp (I usually don’t get frustrated with older people when they yell because I assume they may be hard of hearing, but it seemed a little unsafe to announce where I would be sleeping.) I asked if hammock camping was ok and he became gruffer and told me his boss wanted to kick me off the campground - which seemed to imply a possible punishment if I kept asking questions.  Ironically, I was asking these questions because I didn’t have a tent but was still trying to comply.  I just felt uncomfortable after that and left, spending my last night somewhere else.

Showers are ok - they’re coin operated and cleaned every few days.  

The scenery is pretty but it doesn’t work for me if I can’t car camp and if there’s no cell service to work. As mentioned, weird vibes as a solo female camper too.  Adult activities - like a dance party or movies - take place after dark.  I can’t imagine how being in a dark forest with strangers would feel safe, let alone fun, when there is alcohol and it seems likely there are other substances too.  No really where my interests lie.

But if you have an RV you might have a different experience - or if you’re looking for a party during a holiday weekend.  It might also be worth a try if you’re camping as a group.

Got lucky enough to snag a week-long stay on a waterfront site(401) the last week of July and thoroughly enjoyed our stay! We had very nice neighbors and had a great week of relaxing. 

Pros: 

Website booking process was very easy. Sites are reasonably priced around$25-30/night.

The park is very dog-friendly, which we appreciated. 

Nice large, woodsy, level lots. Many are waterfront. 

Trash pickup if you leave it by your site marker. Nice and quiet during the week.

Delicious hard ice cream served from the store. 

Nice walks down"The Point". Beautiful views. 

Cons:

Water and electric are poorly located. Need extra hose/cords.

The large store is mostly empty. No souvenir style items.

Trash everywhere..mini booze bottles, wrappers, cigarette butts.

Bathrooms are clean, but very outdated and run down.

Showers run on tokens/quarters and do not have a temperature control.

Lots of things to do in this area! The large campground is crowded in summer months and you have to buy tokens to take a shower, but the views and access to the River are spectacular.