Deep Lake Rustic Campground — Yankee Springs Recreation Area - TEMPORARILY CLOSED IN 2024

I lay here, in my hammock listening to the sounds of the evening putting me to sleep as I write this. What a wonderful little campground. Beautiful lake to fish, kayak or canoe. Spacious and shaded site to return to. What more could a dad ask for out of a weekend with their boy.

This site was lovely, had a trail up to deep lake (steep stairs), close access to clean water and put toilets. Unfortunately there is no privacy at all. I felt like I was camping with everyone else there! I also couldn’t find a good spot to hammock in this spot/area.

Also, firewood is more expensive around here. You cannot buy wood at the grounds, but during the day you can buy wood at the convenience store on gun lake, or support Tom’s Market and buy the wood there. There are wood stands occasionally stocked on the road to town and some gas stations had wood in town.

Loved the weekend here. Pit toilets. Nice, large campsites. Sites were sandy, but level. Overall quiet.

Other than having a flat place to set up the tent, this site was horrible.

If I wanted to camp in the open with a bunch of RV’s I would have chosen a campground with water, electricity, flush toilets and shower houses.

This campground offered the worst of both worlds. No creature comforts and absolutely no privacy or connection to nature.

It felt like camping in a parking lot!

It was a madhouse, jam packed, rude people, can’t see ourselves coming back

The campsite was pretty good. Lots of wooded area and plenty of space. Not a ton of level ground, but enough. The vault toilets were surprising clean. There were, however, a few very loud children screaming non-stop. Other than that, it was fairly quiet.

Nice rustic campground with a beautiful lake view. Nice big fire rings. Vault toilet and water pump nearby. Some what level site but in the small side. Perfect for tent camping or a teardrop. Definitely nothing over 15'. Was able to park across from my site to maximize space.

Gorgeous little lake town just 8 miles away has a full grocery store and restaurants.

Campsites border the Deep Lake trail.

First time in central Michigan and it was absolutely beautiful. The campground has a great location and lots of mountain bike and hiking trails. Firewood is not available on site but is at a local convenience store. Boat launch is available at Deep Lake just down the path in the campground. We had 3 locations right next to a playground and we'd probably choose others next time.

This is our go to spot every year! We get the same site and we have the time of our lives while we’re here!

Nice place to stay, open sites, near the lake.

This is a campground in Yankee Spring Recreational Area in Mid-Michigan. This is a nice rustic campground near the NCT(North Country Trail).

Rustic campground. Shaded. Easy access to vaulted toilets and water. So many hiking trails and access to beautiful deep lake.

Great rustic sites! Beautiful and wooded. Would be perfect if your into mountain biking as has great trails. All and all it’s an okay place to camp but I just think better rustic sites are not that much further away.

This campground was really nice and peaceful and there were lots of trees. We didn't have the best weather the weekend we went so there were a lot of tarps rigged up to provide shelter from possible rain. 

There is a lake and really nice hiking trails that we took advantage of. The rangers were constantly patrolling (even at night) which was kind of weird. We couldn't buy firewood at the campground when we arrived. 

Overall - good for a couple days, not our favorite.

Big sites, many with pull through sites. Kids area and pit toilets are close.

It’s been years since I have been here but have great memories of rustic camping with family here growing up. Great large sites with nice views of the lake. The fun of roughing it rustic style.

Lots of sites available! Disappointed that it was not open year round but the trails are still open. There’s a beautiful lake to fish and kayak. Tons of hiking trails!!

Lots of sites to choose from, lake had some good fishing. The tent worms were terrible where our site was. Ranger patrols a lot, which is nice if you need them. Lots were a good size. Bathrooms were pretty clean too. Overall it was quite and we enjoyed our time.

If you want seclusion away from the parking lot atmosphere down the road at Yankee Springs this is your place. There is much more space at each campsite and lots of old growth trees. The sites over looking Deep Lake are wonderful if you can snag one. This is a rustic campground and they have NO electricity or water and many are smaller tent sites. But the peace and quiet is great. You are just a short drive away from Yankee Springs and Gun Lake with the huge beach, plus you are basically right on the NCT and have access to miles of hiking and biking trails. This is a great campground if you don’t mind “roughing it”.

Great times has a fishing dock and a boat landing but no beach

I started camping at Deep Lake with a bunch of my friends years ago. We chose it because it was fairly close and rustic. While the majority if campsites are not right on the lake, most of them are grassy and spacious. The staff is friendly and there are a ton of trails to hike or bike. Lots of smaller lakes to paddle too. There is no swimming at Deep Lake but you can fish and paddle. If you want to swim or boat, Gun Lake is just up the road. It is large and shallow. Great for swimming. There are also lots of smaller lakes nearby. I highly recommend Yankee Springs, Deep Lake unit.

The caretaker was especially friendly, gave us recommendations for stuff to do in the area. The park itself has lots of hiking (possibly mountain biking) trails, boating. Water & vault toilets, some sites wooded, ok size. Not the cleanest state park I’ve ever been to (at least in 2013) but ok. Spent more time nearby than at the park but if you have a boat there’s a dock at the park that could keep you busy for days.

One of the best, rustic camps in Mi! Trails, other nearby lakes, some sites on cliffs like it's Oregon! Great fishing. Quiet.

Campground Review: Deep Lake offers quite a bit to do in a nice family atmosphere. Most sites offer complete shade. Just wish there was access to a site map while making reservations. Ours was site 22. Sadly had no trees that would work for our hammocks. Sites are setup somewhat close to each other but its not too terrible. Just hope your neighbors don't have a set of screaming kids like we did. To our amusement they didn't make it through the night and packed up. Don't expect any glamorous showers or bathhouses. There are pairs of outhouses and the smell comes with. Try to avoid setting up next to these if possible. The website listed that firewood was available at the ranger station but this is not the case. Had to drive to a general store about three miles up the road. Just a slight inconvenience. There is a boat launch adjacent to the campground. Would have been great to bring some kayaks. Overall a decent experience albeit being what one could expect.

Gear Review: As a winner of the June NC contest I received a hundred dollar gift card to Mountain Khakis. With this I purchased the Two Ocean Long Sleeve Shirt. Tech flannels have become a go to for me outdoors and for everyday wear. This one is a decent midweight offering a decent amount of warmth when needed. It has been much to hot for me to be wearing it during any daytime activities so I cannot touch on its sweatwicking capabilities. Was good to cozy up around the fire once it cooled down. Sizewise I am in that awkward stage between S and M I like to refer to as Smedium. Ended up going with a medium and it was a tad big for me. It is one hundred percent cotton so it did shrink in the wash but still fits a little large. Would def recommend ordering true to fit. The color is a big plus. The cowboy blue looks great in person. Will easily be one of my favorite shirts once I grow into it. You can check it out at: https://www.mountainkhakis.com/

This camp ground was kind of hard to find. Had to stop at the gun lake camp ground (where the GPS took us) and ask for directions. Once we pulled up a park ranger came out and greeted us. Check in was smooth, and a map of the camp site was given to us. Your neighbors are close and there isn't much tree area to the sides. Nice family atmosphere though. Nice picnic table and fire pit. Our campsite was about a 2 minute walk from the fishing dock/boat launch. They do have group camp sites near the water. Outhouses smell like they haven't been changed since the beginning of the summer, avoid the campsites near them. The long fishing dock is nice so you can speard out, and easy walking trails as well. Make sure you bring your own firewood.