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. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79134_79210---,00.html

Straits State Park Campground

This is one of our favorite state parks for just hanging out. We prefer the Lower West campground due to proximity to the water and views of the Mackinac Bridge.

This place can get very busy and the sites are quite varied in terms of size, shape and how unlevel they are. Some sites offer a lot of privacy but others are more open. The sites right along the water are spectacular, but note they do not have electricity. 

If you have a van or truck camper, note that even the tent sites have electricity available, so consider those if the RV sites are full. 

The Lower West campground isn't the quietest campground but the views and atmosphere make up for it. 

Also note there is good cell service for Verizon and Google Fi (2 to 3 bars LTE with decent data speeds).

Great views, good cellular service

This is a big state park with easy access to town. My campsite was right on the water. In fact two women kayaked up from Ludington, MI, and camped right next to me. It's a great place to camp with wooded sites. However it was quite busy. I was able to get one of the last sites available so you might need to make reservations. The ferry to Mackinac Island is easy to get to. The views from lakeside are impressive.

Straits State Park

Great campground for kids and kayaking and biking and relaxing.  Head out to St Ignance or to the Mackinaw island or too the beach to see the bridge or swim

relaxing and tons to see and do

My entire family booked a weekend at the Straits State Park in August 2016 for the first time at this campground. The views of the bridge are amazing! It is close to town where you can also take the ferry to the Island. I will definitely return to this campground in the future. The sites are wooded and very nice. We had a huge site and had plenty of room for family around the fire. You will not be disappointed. There are so many trails to ride your bike in and the campground is huge as there is a lower and upper section. We rode our bikes every where! Be warned there are some pretty large hills and you have to have your wheaties when riding up them! I very much enjoyed this campground.

Gorgeous View of the bridge

Absolutely gorgeous to go see. Do not try and walk around the island, rent a bike or kayak to see the island. Lots of trails to hike and places to see. Most people don't walk around the second half of the island so it isn't as busy.

Mackinac Island

This is a really nice state park in an urban area with lots of things to do in the surrounding area. But you still get the feel of being in a pleasant park atmosphere surrounded by tall trees. Staying here is really convenient as you are just a half mile from the ferry docks taking you to Mackinaw Island and downtown St. Ignace with restaurants and shops. Or, you can make the five-mile journey across the Mackinac Bridge (toll bridge) to visit Mackinaw City. The park sits on a hill in the town of St. Ignace so you get a great view of the Mackinac Bridge to the south and the surrounding islands.

The most sought after sites are the fifteen that are on the water and perfect for boating activities and great views. The campground is divided into three loops. The upper loop seemed to be quieter and more big-rig friendly than the loops by the water which were more crowded and smaller sites suited for shorter RVs and tents. The upper loop is just a short walk down the road from the waterfront lower loops or you can walk the one-mile trail that has a great overlook of the bridge (the view of the Mackinac Bridge on a clear night is awesome, especially when one of the Great Lakes freighters is passing underneath).

All sites have a picnic table and fire pit (which don’t even thing about moving because they are concrete). No sites have sewer or water but some have electric site (either 50 amp or 20/30 amp) and others have no electric hook-ups. Water spigots are scattered throughout the loops. There are two dump stations which are free to campers (or $10 to dump and fill up with water for non-campers). The roads are paved and easy to navigate and sites are gravel/grass. Each loop had a modern bathroom with hot showers and flush toilets and was kept very clean by staff and was always well stocked.

The town of St. Ignace is cute with shops and eateries. We went to Betsy’s Pasty shop to try the iconic Upper Peninsula pasty which were delicious. The town of Mackinaw City is really touristy full of t-shirt and fudge shops which really is not our thing. We did take the ferry to Mackinac Island for the day and enjoyed exploring the carless island.

_Tips:_

_The parks webpage has a useful campground map showing the hookups at each site and length RV that will fit to consult before you book online._

_This park requires a “Recreation Passport” which is an additional cost._

_Verizon hotspot and phone worked great and able to get a dozen antennae television stations._

Beautiful Views

We reserved site 83A for our family of 5. we were in close proximity to the newly constructed bathhouse complete with dish washing stations. it was a full campground on the Friday night that we were there. We waited a short time for our morning showers (5+1 handIcap).  The showers were private, deadbolt locking individual showers with hot water. they automatically go off every five minutes and you press a button to get another 5 minutes. there were no cooking grates on the campfire rings but there is a lakeside community-use grill. They sold firewood at the entrance of the park. The Park is within minutes of the St. Ignace ferries to Mackinac Island. There is a Family Dollar store at the entrance of the park. This campsite had views of Lakes Huron, Michigan and the Mackinac Bridge. If you are traveling across the bridge, there is a $4 toll per 2-axle vehicle.

family tent camping

I have camped here many times over the years, it is tucked away right near the Mackinaw Bridge. There are tent sites right on the water and you can watch the lights come on at night. There is wood to buy and the camp hosts are always keeping you updated on the weather and have plenty of ideas of things to do. The St. Ignas Trolly comes through and picks people up to go to the ferry there as well.

Camping with a view

Love Straits State Park!
It doesn’t matter if it is just my husband and I or if we are there with family, it is a great place to camp!  

Great Place!

The Straits State Park in Michigan's Upper Penninsula sits on the North end of the Mackinaw Bridge in St. Ignace. This bridge conects Upper and Lower Michigan at the crossing of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.  This campground is clean, and well layed out with just about a campsite for the taste for everyone. From campsites on the shores of Lake Huron to open sites and wooded sites.  Take the drive to the look outlook area in the park for awesome views of the Mackinaw Bridge  and Mackinaw City which sits on the other side of the bridge.  St. Ignace is a tourist town with lodging, restaurants, shopping and bed and breakfast inns and even a casino.  There is a grocery store for your needs just before the entrance of the park.  If you decide to take the 5 mile trip across the bridge to Mackinaw City, be prepared for a cost of $4 every time you cross and  possibly heavy blowing winds across the bridge. There is a service at the entrance of the bridge that will drive your vehicle across for you if your feeling timid.  Mackinaw City on the opposite side is definitely busy during the Summer months and more touristy feeling than St.Ignace. With plenty to do on either side quiet isn't hard to find. From visiting lighthouse's in downtown Mackinaw and another lighthouse just a short drive East of Mackinaw City at Headlands International Dark Sky Park sits McGulpin Lighthouse. You can travel North  45 mins and hit historic Sault Ste. Marie at the border of Canada and United States or visit the beautiful Tahquamenon Falls area for sights never to be forgotten.

Great Views, Clean, Close to Amenities.

We loved our stay at Straits over July 4th holiday. it’s a popular campground with great amenities. biking distance to downtown, grocery market, and the ferries that go over to Mackinac Island. the shower facilities are clean and excellent. The lower campsites are all close to the water, with access every 100 feet or so. if you want to rough it, you can came on the water, but no power. fresh water stations are thoroughout the grounds. firework is plentiful and affordable. cops come thru just to have a presence. family friendly. 

fantastic

Straits State Park is a handy place to camp if visiting Mackinac Island. Just a three miles away to the ferry in Saint Ignace. Convenient access to grocery store, a fair choice of restaurants if you're inclined to eat (the other way) out.

Plenty of grassy lots, especially nice for tents. Several waterside spots and access to the shoreline/beach. Scenic views of the Mackinac Bridge, especially nice to see it lit at night.

Shower house is very clean and well maintained. Hard to say anything adverse about this park, other than to suggest it can be busy and crowded. Interstate 75 can be a bit noisy. I would go back.

Waterside views; uniquely close to town

Overall nice well maintained campground.

You can see the bridge and are witin 5 minutes of the ferry to Mackinc Island.

The bathrooms and showers are nice- be careful the shower head came off on one and the water pressure was intense!

I enjoy that many of the sites are wooded, even though you are nearby other campers you don't feel completely overcroweded.

Nice place to stay if you are enjoying St. Ignance or Mackinac Island.

Great location!

This campground is really nice and has amazing views of the bridge! It is very close to town and very close to the ferries that take you across to Mackinac island. I would definitely stay here again!

Awesome view of the bridge

We stayed on site 4...it was absolutely beautiful!! The view of the bridge was amazing during the day and at night time. You have to get site 4! We did have trouble stealing our tent down in a couple spots. We think there is concrete under the dirt.

The view!

We went during the semi weekend. All the semi trucks drive across the bridge! It’s very cool! 

Amazing park! 

We camped here two nights in July. The campground is very easy to find and is an incredible location if you want to ferry over to Mackinac Island. It is convenient to groceries, restaurants and other amenities if interested. 
The park appears well maintained with three separate camping areas. We tent camp, and had one of the best sites in the park (in my opinion).  Site 1A is in the lower East section of the campground. The site is only a tent site &amp; it is HUGE! It was much more private than the other sites, located on the shore of Lake Huron &amp; has a fantastic view of the Mackinac Bridge.
There is a small beach area within the park, a one mile trail to a viewing platform of the bridge, and a playground. The bathrooms were clean. Our campsite had a standard picnic table and fire ring. 
Campsites were moderately priced, but a Michigan Recreation Pass is also required, as in all MI state parks, so it gets a little more pricey.
If I was returning to the area, I would camp here again. 


Unique View from camp

Really cool campsite for views. Other than that it’s a pretty okay site. It’s extremely close to st. Ignace which is nice. 

Amazing views 

Clean park with hot showers, decent sized sites and a great base camp for exploring the Eastern UP, Mackinac Island or the Soo. Freighters pass, the bridge amazes and life was good. Some sites directly on the straits. 

Clean and a great location

This park is just under the Big Mac Bridge as most of the Michigan State Parks are this is a great campground.  Only Electric Hook Ups but you can fill up on water on your way in.  The restrooms and showers are clean as is the whole park.  There are two main loops, a picnic area and a group campsite in fact 2 group campsites.  They have a baseball diamond and some hiking trails.

  

Speaking of hiking trails you can hike down to see the Mackinac Bridge and even hike out to the rest area on UP side of the bridge.  I love to hike to the two bridge look outs. one has a telescope and you can see the cars on the bridge.

  

They have playgrounds for the kids and a beach you can wade or swim in.  I thought is was a little cold but I saw some folks getting wet.

  

What to do beside spend some quality time in the park.  

1\. Visit the island for 1 or even 2 days. What Island?  Well Mackinac Island. That also has  state park on it.  Only feet, bikes and horses the only way to get around.  Well worth the boat trip over.  

2\. Visit St Ignace downtown and spend some time with the  people in the shops and listen to their stories.  

3\. The Cultural center is a great place to learn about the history and the Ojibwa culture http://www.museumofojibwaculture.net/index.html 

4.  While you are still on the UP side of the bridge visit A Pastie place I would recommend Suzy's but I am partial to the chunks and am on the Ketchup team.

5.  Visit Mackinaw City on South Side of the Bridge it is a fun place to go and learn a lot.

  

Staying at the Straits State Park and you can use it as your base station for many great adventures in the UP.

Such a great park and beautiful scenery. 

One of the things I love about Straits is that their waterfront bridge view sites are non electric, meaning they’re not overtaken by the big rigs! It’s a great place to pitch a tent and relax. I do prefer the vibe during the week to the crowdedness of the weekends, though. The bathrooms are updated and clean with some of the nicest showers in the Michigan State Park system!

One of my favorites

We went there a couple of years ago for our anniversary. We loved the park and look forward to getting back someday!!!

I miss this place!

Small sites but the views are A+! We stayed here the night before completing the Great Lake Challenge and it was perfect distance from all the lakes we needed to get to! Morning view of the bridge was ON POINT and the night sky wasn’t too shabby either! 

Nice views

Very busy campground. Sites were small &amp; packed close together. Extremely clean &amp; family friendly. Has very nice hiking trails with views of the Mackinac Bridge. The campground is separated into 2 sections, I had a spot in the upper area. Campground was extremely full. Definitely want to make a reservation before you go.

Busy campground 

I've been staying here since the late 60's and consider it one of the best campgrounds anywhere. We usually stay in one of the areas closest to the lake, but decided this time to try the upper campground.Our site was beautiful as are most of the sites. This one was almost hidden in the trees with no one behind us. It was a large spacious site and very quiet since it was after Labor Day. Since this was the first time I had stayed in the upper campground, we took a different path to overlook the Mackinac Bridge. It is awesome to see it from this direction. It's like you're looking straight at it. Most times you see it from one side or the other. The restrooms could probably use some updating, but it doesn't take away from the overall experience.

All Time Favorite

Another clean Michigan campground. While some sites are tightly packed together and the road noise nearby is slightly discernible, there’s still room for double-family camping and most sites seem to have partial shade. Scenic trails with views of the Mackinac Bridge make this a distinctively notable park and it served our trip well as the first stop on a UP tour. 

Decent stop on our way

The best part about this state park is that it is right on the north shore of Lake Huron, within sight of the iconic Mackinac Bridge and has gorgeous sunrise and sunset views. Otherwise, it’s a relatively typical state park with all the normal facilities such primitive sites, electric sites, sewage dumps, flush toilets and showers, but one nice feature is that the showers are self-contained rather than a row of showers in the bathhouse– which is perfect for families, and safer during a pandemic as the case may be. The sites are decently sized, but sit rather closely together so not much privacy. 

  

We pulled into this state park with no reservations as that is how we always travel. We asked for a non-electric site as we run on solar and didn’t need hookups. We lucked out with the last option they had, and it turned out to be THE BEST lakefront site in the whole park! Secluded from all the other sites, right on the lake, and a wide-open grassy field. It pays to go solar, I guess. 

  

Oh, and if you are looking for one of the best pasty shops, head to Bessie’s in St. Ignace. Don’t stop anywhere else. Wait for Bessie’s to be open…you won’t be sorry! There are plenty of grocery, gas, and restaurant options in St. Ignace as well, which is just outside of the park. Ferries over to Mackinac Island run from St. Ignace regularly, and that seems to be the major entertainment outlet of the area.

It Pays to Go Solar!

Most people go to Wilderness State park on the south side of the bridge, but this is an equally wonderful campground.  As with Wilderness, this park has two sections of campgrounds- a higher loop in the woods and a lower loop along the shore of Lake Michigan.  Both are desirable and have decent sized sites.  There is a good hiking trial through the park with multiple vista points for viewing the lake and Mackinac Bridge.  It's a couple minutes away from the ferry to go to Mackinac Island.  Highly recommend this campground particularly when other ones are harder to get into.

Underrated campground

This campground is beautiful any time of year I have camped there many times before. There are great private tent sites as well as larger sites for groups. The facilities were modern and very clean! There are water and electric hook ups for campers and RVs.  Short hike to the beach with the best views of the bridge!  There are many campgrounds within the state park so getting a spot is relatively easy any time of the year.  The UP is known for is breathtaking fall colors so I highly recommend aiming for peak color week to have the best experience. Make sure to dress for variable weather, it can get cold in the UP even in the middle of summer, and it can start snowing in early October so be prepared for anything! 



Camping with Views of Mackinaw Bridge

What a beautiful campground, they have everything to offer. 
Rustic lakefront sites, electric/ water hook up for RVs or tents. 

Our site was 79-A best bridge view, pictures can’t even do it justice. It was absolutely beautiful and relaxing. Nice easy trial to the water from our site. 

Our site did flood a bit with heavy rain but we would for sure do this site again. 

No hook up, so be prepared to boondocking in the lake front sites. 

2 dump stations/ water fill up 

Offers 2 small playgrounds 
Bath houses are nice 

St ignance town was very cute! We enjoyed going into town. 

Near by grocery store available .

Service was good - sprint 

Lakefront site 

Our site was small and close to our neighbors. We were close to the restrooms which were very clean and showers available. Some nice campsites by water with view of Macinack bridge. We biked to ferry from campsite and had a wonderful day on the island.

Straits campground 

We stayed at the upper sites not the ones with a bridge view but the sites were still very nice.  Spaced out and roomy, clean shower,bathroom facilities and close to all the action in town.  My only complaint is they close the bathroom/showers at 9am for cleaning. That seams like a very inconvenient time to do it.

Great experience 

Well we didn’t camp there (we were already camping at Brevort down the road), we did spend almost 2 full days there of our 10 day expedition up North. We are absolutely going to camp there the next time we visit the UP. It is definitely one of my new favorite state parks, with breathtaking views of the Mackinac Bridge, beautiful well marked hiking trails, and some of the most awesome campsites I’ve ever seen! We had a blast hiking all the trails, meeting new friends, enjoying the scenic views, and hunting for stones along the shore! Can’t wait to visit again!! ￼

Your Welcome to the UP!

Yes, the view of the **Mackinac Bridge** is gorgeous and sunsets are nice, but you hear every truck apply their air brakes on their way to the UP. The lakeside sites have been rutted and squashed to death by too many RV's in too tight a space without substrate gravel. They should separate tents and RV's and forbid RV's in the delicate area near the shore.

Bathrooms are excellent -- at least in the lower campground.

**Very difficult park to find in the dark.** Use Church Road and look for the small "Family Fare" market on the corner when turning. Then three tenths of mile on right--- park is hardly marked. (don't pick site # 99 by the way. It's next to heavy duty equipment. Sites are packed together--- parking lot style.

Perfect place from which to drive to the **Mackinac Island** ferry boats just a couple of miles away.

You hear every large truck going over the famous bridge

Being a state park, the access is easy, all the alleys being asphalted.  The sites range from 20 to 50 feet, almost every place has a fire ring and electricity, there is a lot of shade.  No site has sewerage or water, but there is a dump station and drinking water at the entrance and there are spigots all over the place and of course restrooms and showers.. The price is $ 30 per night. 
    In the southern part of the campground you have a beautiful view over the bridge and the lake.

Nice and beautiful located

This is a large park with multiple loops spread across an Upper and Lower campground.

The Lower Campground has nice views of the Mackinac Bridge and the Straits of Mackinac. 

  

Easy access off of I-75, but that means you will hear freeway traffic and all the trucks coming across the Mackinac Bridge's grates. 

  

Site size varies quite a bit so double-check it before booking if you have a big rig. Also, the campground roads are a bit narrow so maneuvering during the busy season will be tricky but it's manageable. 

  

Bathrooms in the Upper Campground are decent, the Lower Campground has newer bathrooms. 

  

It's nice that, given the number of sites here, that there is a dump station for Lower and one for Upper. 

  

If you can get by without electricity, check out the "A" sites in Lower Campground as they are right on the water. 

  

There's a nice trail through the woods between the Upper and Lower campgrounds and the nearby Father Marquette Memorial is worth checking out. The town of St. Ignace is cute with local shops and restaurants, plus the ferry dock to Mackinac Island. 

  

Cell service was decent for Verizon and Google Fi but seemed stronger in the Lower Campground. 

  

Note that if you stay in October, water is off and bathrooms are closed. Water is available at the ranger station and there are vault toilets. They do leave the electricity on at the sites.

Nice park with great views but some road noise

Nice beach along the Mackinac strait. Good view of Mackinac island. Close bike ride to St Ignace. Some walking trails with great views of Mackinac Bridge. Has electric at most sites. Dump station with water. Shower clean. 

Nice views nice campsites

Camped in the upper campground, with nice sites, some shaded and pull-thrus. The bathrooms are a bit old. The lower campground is much tighter, but many of the sites are on or very close to the lake. Great views of the Mackinac bridge from many areas in the park. 

Great destination

If you want a great view of the mackinaw bridge well you camp, this is the spot! Our campsite was in the center but still big enough that it didn’t feel cramped, the bathhouse is clean and has plenty of room. It is also a state park so priced good but make sure you reserve ahead of time because it books out fast. there is a little beach off the sites with a direct view of the bridge. 

Breathtaking views 

Great site. Easy to back into. Short walk to the beach. 

Great State park

The view of mackinaw bridge from our tent was beautiful. Our site was very close to neighbors. 9A. Only planned on staying one night so we were ok with it for that one night. Bathrooms are very clean and modern. 

Beautiful campground. Very nice showers 

Love this place. Clean bathrooms and showers. Big fire pits and $6 per bundle for wood. Steps from the Straits and some site have water and/or bridge views. Great staff, too. 

Unbeatable view!

The site 10 is good for a small campet. The facilities are nice and clean close. 

Nice state campground

My family and I stayed at the Straits for 3 nights and, unfortunately, the first night it rained. The site soon became a mud hole due to the rain and all the rain from the other sites running in to our site.
I do not recommend Site 18a and I wish I would have been warned about this prior so that’s why I’m leaving this review!
The bathrooms and showers are clean. There is also a dishwashing station which is nice.
Wood is $6 a bundle, get exact change because the people manning it get annoyed if you need change.
All in all, it was an okay stay but we probably won’t be back. 

Mud Hole

Great views of the mighty mackinaw bridge! Nice grass sites close to the water for tents! Be warned, if there is inclement weather, it will seem like you are in a hurricane due to the proximity to the water. The park was easy to find! the bathroom and shower facilities were nice and clean! Highly recommend this park for the views alone! Great basecamp if you are heading to the island! Grocery store nearby for any last minute needs you may have!