Best Tent Camping near Auburn Hills, MI

Recent Tent Reviews near Auburn Hills, Michigan

437 Reviews of 11 Auburn Hills Campgrounds

• 

  Christopher P.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 5, 2021

  McGinnis Lake Modern Campground — Holly Recreation Area

  Quiet, well kept state park

  Just a quick overnight tent camp with my son. Tent sites are relatively well spaced out and clean. Fire rings and picnic tables at each site.

  Modern bathrooms and shower rooms are available.

  Many playgrounds, horseshoe pits, and a basketball court available.

  Firewood and ice available at the front gate.

  RV spaces are well spaced out and give a sense of privacy. Electrical hook ups.

  Cabins available for rent as well.

• 

  Brad S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 13, 2019

  Camp Dearborn

  Lots of campground space. Too much as they can’t maintain it all

  I had fond memories of this place as I would come here as a child. Lots of lakes, beaches, play structures, and more open field space than you can imagine. Most of the campground is run down and in need of improvements. The tennis courts & basketball courts are nearly unusable. The pads are so weathered the lines are gone and vegetation has started growing in all the cracks. Tent camping is difficult as all the sites have large concrete pads in the middle of the site. So a tent has to be pitched next to the road or right on the line of your neighbors site. If you are in a RV this isn’t a problem. For tents, site 191 is the best. On top of a hill which overlooks the campground and lake. It’s an end site so you can spread out a bit into the adjacent field. The bath houses restrooms are in need of renovations or at least a severe cleaning. Very smelly. Showers are nearly pointless, warm water at best. For tent campers this campground is best for day use in my opinion. While the Village of Milford is a bike ride away and has lots to do, there are better places to spend a weekend.

• 

  Rheannon D.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 3, 2021

  Wayne County Fairgrounds RV Park

  no tent camping

  no tent camping

• 

  D P.

  Guide

  

  May. 13, 2024

  McGinnis Lake Modern Campground — Holly Recreation Area

  Over 30 years of camping here.

  It's always great to spend time at Holly. The only downfall is the public bathroom. Camp sites are pretty big. Tent camping is also A bad place to hang out as nothing is level for tents.

• 

  Walker L.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 28, 2018

  D-bar-A Scout Ranch (Boy Scout Use Only)

  Very Large Scout Ranch

  This is another great scout ing campground with cabins, rustic camping, tent sites, lakes, horses to ride, this is one HUGE camp ground for scouts to enjoy and learn..

• 

  D G.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 2, 2019

  McGinnis Lake Modern Campground — Holly Recreation Area

  Great Spot Only 1 Hour From Home

  Spent 2 night in the Aspen Loop tent camping. Minus the silk/inch worms in the trees it was great. Fire pit was large and bathrooms were clean. We did a 6 mile hike and some fishing. Great easy quick weekend away.

• 

  Laurianne H.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 15, 2023

  Waterloo Sugarloaf Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area

  Family campground with beach

  Nice campground. Sites are close together and sites 60-72 or so are really tent site, not level, and need extension cord for electric. No water hookups. No ATT service.

• k

  kate

  Scout

  

  Jul. 30, 2021

  Algonac State Park Campground

  Amazing view but no beach

  Loved this campground! Bathrooms and showers were cleaner than any state park I’ve ever seen. Hosts and staff were friendly and helpful. My friends and I however got bitten up by mosquitoes even with bug spray. I recommend tent camping should be done away from the water to avoid them.

• T

  Teresa B.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 25, 2018

  Camp Dearborn

  Family friendly and fun!

  We have been going to Camp Dearborn for five years now, and our friend's family has been going for nearly sixty! They have activities for both children and adults, two beautiful beaches, a pool, tennis courts, and now a zip line. Options for camping range from tent sites to luxury cabins. We usually get a platform tent, which sleeps six people and comes with a kitchen cabana.

• 

  D G.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 12, 2024

  McGinnis Lake Modern Campground — Holly Recreation Area

  Far Away But Close To Home

  A short trip from home, this was a great weekend getaway! The camp site was spacious but tucked back in a bit (we tent camped on an RV site). The campground was quiet as well.

  We did a 7 mile loop hike and then went to Battle Alley Brewing in Holly (10 min away).

  No grate on the firepit so be aware of that.

  Would definitely come back - it’s like being up north but you’re under an hour from home.

• 

  Tammy P.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 18, 2020

  Crystal Creek Christian Campground

  Family oriented

  Quite the establishment! Almost 150 sites including rustic, full hook up, cabins and even just over a handful of park model units to reserve for your family to come stay and enjoy all the amenities they offer. Amenities including but not limited to horse shoes, swimming ( man dug pond) hiking, basketball, volleyball and etc. No alcohol allowed as this is a Christian campground but for all the amenities it is extremely affordable! $30 a night 30/50 amp full hook up ... don’t need 30+ amp but want sewer as well only $25 a night 15 amp full hook up or as low as $20 for 15 amp water n electric only! Want the full camping ambiance $15 a night for rustic tent camping! Great place to take the family even several times a season on a budget!

• R

  Richard T.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 21, 2024

  Groveland Oaks County Park

  Tent camping at Groveland Oaks County Park

  This park and campgrounds are very manicured with tons of RV, trailer and tent sites. The lake has a small shallow swimming area and beach that gets very busy during the day but less traffic right before sunset. There are lots of family activities like mini golf, kids bike courses and playgrounds. It’s a very large open family camping area. The staff are very nice and very busy making sure the grounds are perfectly maintained. I camped in the area F on the outer perimeter just down way of the beach area. I had plenty of room for my tent, awning and to park my SUV. The was electrical and water (non potable) at the site. During the weekdays I only had a few neighbors further down in tents or travel trailers. On Thursday almost all sites filled up with travel trailers. A park employee told me they would be fully booked for the next two weeks. Very nice camping, quiet. Holly Oaks Offroad park is across the street and Holly Recreation area is adjacent. Lots of great towns nearby like Fenton.

• 

  Rodger M.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 19, 2021

  Ridgewood Campground

  An Quick Camping Escape

  We were warmly greeted by the attendee and the camp host. Firewood, snacks, camp essentials, and ice available on site. Nice touch having firewood delivered to our site. The gentleman could not have been kinder and offered assistance with us setting up. The site was a larger site (#12) tucked nicely away in a corner.

  Picnic Table and Nice Fire Ring onsite. Port-a-potty, dumpster near site.

  Fair warning, the staff aren’t the only ones ready to greet you! Bugs, Mosquitoes, bees, and even raccoons (if food left out - which we did not). We have been to sites before that must have sprayed for pests because we have never experienced the amount of mosquitoes we did here. Thankfully we had Off Area Camp Spray, our Thermacell, and citronella burning and it helped dramatically reduce the pests.

  The noise level was very “citified.” Traffic could be heard throughout the evening and early morning. That’s what we get for camping so close to civilization. Also, beware of Poison Oak and Ivy! The entire site was bordered with it.

  Lastly, make sure that if you car camp or SUV Camp, you let them know. They have a policy of making you park your car/SUV in the lot after setting up your tent (if tent camping).

• 

  Tarah P.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 15, 2022

  The Holly Campground

  Book ANYWHERE Else

  We reserved buddy spots at the Auburn Hills/Holly KOA and the conditions of the campground were so terrible we checked out after 1 hour. The sites do not have any type of lane which causes the lots to be soggy and muddy. I had to put my F250 into 4L to keep it from getting stuck while parking the camper. The lot was so filled with tire tracks and mud that our dogs and children would not be able to walk outside. My friend who was 8-months pregnant almost fell multiple times. We tested the water prior to hooking it up to the camper and it came out brown. The final straw was when we lost power between our 2 campers for the 5th time in 1 hour.

  The staff could not provide any resolutions to these issues. We did not receive the sites that we had booked: poor grounds, unsanitary water and electricity below the necessary 30 amps.

  I’ve called the campground at least 10 times, emailed once and called KOA’s corporate number twice asking for a response and have never received a call back. We filed a dispute with Chase bank and the campground responded after 40 days stating that we did not meet the cancellation policy. How could we meet this policy when we wanted to stay there but could not due to the conditions of the site.

  I hope this review will at least save some future travelers time and energy by booking ANYWHERE else.

• 

  Nancy W.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 19, 2017

  Wayne County Fairgrounds RV Park

  Typical Fairgrounds Campground

  This is a typical fairground campground with open grassy areas for campsites surrounded by barns and tracks. The fairgrounds is located just off I-94 which makes for easy entrance and exit to the campground, but, means there is lots of road noise. Close by are plenty of stores, restaurants, gas stations, etc. In fact, there is a gap in the fence that runs around the fairgrounds allowing you to walk to a Walmart, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and more. 

  We arrived without a reservation and the women in the office was very helpful providing a map with all available sites during our stay and letting us choose which one we wanted. One of the first things you notice is that a number of people are here long-term so we went to the back area hoping it would be quieter and less crowded. A number of the campsites are “buddy” sites meaning your patio opens to your neighbors so be careful which one you pick. This is pretty undesirable when the neighbor is a total stranger so we chose a site where we didn’t have anyone next to us. 

  They offer 50 amp full hook-up sites, 50 amp/water, and 30 amp/water sites with pull-thru and back-in options. There is a dump station located in the middle of the park which is easy to get to. The roads are wide and a lack of trees makes this campground accessible for any size RV. The sites are level but some lack grassy making the patio pretty dusty or muddy. Unfortunately, where we were was pretty muddy just after a light rain. This campground works best for RV’s and not tents. For tenters there is a designated section that is set in a corner of the park with large trees for shade but not much privacy between you and others. A water spigot is in the tent area and there was one picnic table. The camp office sells firewood but we only saw two fire pits in the whole park. Be aware that noise from the interstate and nearby train tracks may make for a restless night. Bathrooms are centrally located in the campground and were old and tired but relatively clean. On-site laundry is available.

  Apparently, management is having some issues with campers not obeying some of the rules. One of the sad things about this campground is that campers have to be reminded to clean up after their dogs. Apparently, it is such an issue that we got a letter stating that if you don’t pick up your dogs poop you would be asked to leave. How sad is that? There is free WiFi which worked pretty well. Upon checking in, we had to sign a piece of paper stating that we would not download copyrighted material or stream movies or we would be asked to leave. 

  My favorite aspect of this campground is that they had a community garden that you were welcome to pick from. We got tomatoes, Swiss chard, peppers, broccoli, and more. Overall, this campground was fine for the few nights we were here and close to the attractions we wanted to visit. We never felt unsafe even though it was close to major cities. We chose this campground because we wanted to go to Ann Arbor and Dearborn and it was a very convenient location.

  Pros:

  ·        Good location if you want to visit Ann Arbor and Dearborn

  ·        Close to interstate for easy access

  ·        Long, level sites that will fit any RV

  ·        Community garden you can pick from vegetables

  ·        Stores and restaurants are nearby (some within walking distance)

  Cons:

  ·        Lots of road noise from I-94

  ·        No trees for shade or privacy

  ·        Would not recommend for tent camping

  ·        Many campers are long-term

  ·        “Buddy” campsites with patios facing each other

• T

  Tyler C.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 13, 2023

  Camp Agawam

  Great retreat for Canadians

  I come down to Detroit from Windsor every year to camp in Michigan with friends and this year we went to this very nice campsite in Orion Twp and I loved it. This was the first year we started our trip in Toronto, thanks to a solar company at https://www.solarpowertoronto.com/ who installed solar panels on our RV. We were able to camp from Toronto to Orion Twp and had a great time. Will be doing the same next year.

• 

  Samantha M.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 23, 2018

  Clear Water Campgrounds

  Great for tenting

  The tent area was awesome! The rv. area was tight, but the tent area is first come first serve and we had a HUGE area. The park was quiet and the kids liked the animals and the playground.

• 

  Ryan F.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 20, 2021

  Brighton Recreation Area

  Lake Murray Rustic Sites

  This was our first camping experience in Michigan, so we weren’t exactly prepared. My rating takes this into consideration.

  First of all, if it’s rainy or muddy, you might want to think twice about entering the rustic camping area. We have a 4Runner, so it was no problem but a few little cars did slide around and have trouble on the hill by our site.

  Our site wasn’t level, so we were rolling around a bit. If I went there again I’d try to find a spot towards the end of the loop by the exit. These sites were higher and some of them were private. I’d examine the map carefully because some of the sites were horrendously open and basically on the road. Maybe good for a vehicle with a rooftop tent or a trailer of some sort, but it would have been annoying for us. Site M22 was big and far enough away from other campers, but again not level. Probably a good location for a group of hammock campers.

  All that aside, the biggest problem was mosquito activity. The camping area sits on an inaccessible lake with a marsh area.

  When we rolled in the first thing we noticed was that everyone had screen houses set up.

  We didn’t have anything but our tent and a hammock with a big net so everyone got bitten up while cooking and hanging out by the fire. It was pretty miserable. Yes, I realize this is mostly our fault.

  I’ve since purchased a thermacell backpacker and some bug net hats and stuff. I’m looking into constructing an ultralight screen house that can be suspended from trees.

  The last problem was drunk campers hooting and hollering all night but that isn’t the camping areas fault.

  This place is super close to where we are living so I’ll probably schedule it next spring and come prepared. There are lots of nearby lakes and recreational trails so it’s a fun place to be with family.

• m

  malachi

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 30, 2021

  Holts RV Sites and Mobile Home Court

  Lovely campsite

  Lovely tent and more

• 

  Tammy P.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 18, 2020

  Myers Lake Campground

  Can’t wait til they open under new ownership

  Met the new owners as we were driving by and they gave us a brief description of what they were doing to the grounds to make it more cozy but comfortable as before sites were pretty tight. Adding cabins to their already 8’ish to accommodate additional “glampers” as some of us enjoy a bit more than a tent and or camper OR don’t have a tent/camper. Lake looks big n clean along with activities laid out for the kids outside already can’t wait to see what they put in place next year/ season!

• 

  Jennifer O.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 21, 2018

  Proud Lake Recreation Area

  Clean but crowded

  This site was very nicely kept but felt a little like a sardine can. SO many RVs and children EVERYWHERE kind of ruined the relaxed calm one looks for when camping.

  The site was nice, a little rocky so hard to pitch a tent, and theres a severe hill from the back part of the loop towards the lake - at one point I was worried an improperly locked down camper would roll straight through our tents!

  Views of the water from almost everywhere on the north end of the loop, and the bathrooms are BEAUTIFUL. They must have been recently renovated because they are spacious, tiled, well maintained, and very modern feeling for a campground.

• 

  Beth G.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 7, 2020

  Camp Dearborn

  One of our Favorites

  We’ve been in their tent/cabins and our own RV. Great park, clean, nice swimming lakes, the teens love the canteen. Tough to get in but we love it.

• 

  Kate K.

  Legend

  

  Mar. 20, 2021

  Oakland County Addison Oaks

  Great Local Campground and Trails

  Addison Oaks is a campground that features hiking and mountain biking trails, campground, cabins, disc golf course, and a lake for boating. The campground is RV and tent friendly and offers fire pits/ picnic tables. The trails are well maintained and heavily trafficked.

• 

  Broccoli Boss B.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 15, 2020

  Addison Oaks County Park

  Modern and quiet

  This is a great family campground. I’ve only stayed in section D with my tent. It is heavily wooded and I don’t see my neighbors in section D. Cell phone tower is close by. We especially enjoy the intermediate level mountain bike trails. Showers are hot. Lots of deer to see at dusk.

• D

  David J.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 1, 2020

  Wayne County Fairgrounds RV Park

  Camping at Fairgrounds

  The staff is pretty helpful. They take you to the campsite and assist guiding you in. Full hook ups are available, as are partial h/I’d and tent spaces. The spots are pretty close together and very few have trees/shade.

• 

  Kelly B.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 10, 2018

  The Holly Campground

  Probably would not return

  We went for our first time with our new trailer. The grounds were a little unkept. The shower and restrooms were very clean. I do not like the KOA policy of charging extra per person. Too many nasty tent areas.

  This KOA is right off the freeway. Loud and noisy

• 

  Melissa M.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 31, 2020

  Appleton Lake Campground

  Rustic tent camping

  Appleton has a few sites, very rustic and perfect for tents.

  Not for RVs and no hook ups.

  Appleton lake is perfect for kayaking or very small fishing boats. No real beach area at this lake but Brighton rec is minutes away