Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Bay City, MI is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Bay City. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
"Beach, trails and children's solace pad, just an easy walk across the road. Newer bathhouse. Shady sandy campsite."
"We took a group of 6 adults and 3 kids to Bay City which was a pretty good drive for us. We had a lot of fun! Park was clean and located across from the lake."
$15 / night
"The office where payment is made is a few miles away from the actual campground.
There is a dump station and water at the fairgrounds. "
"Nice campground with great access to the Saginaw Bay for boaters/kayakers/etc with a small beach. Some campsites are better than others, like most campgrounds but all have some perks."
"Good place for quiet camping and a great walking trail back to the bay through the marsh."
"We weren’t able to sit outside because of the direct sun until after 8:30pm.
This was a smaller lot with our neighbors fairly close."
"Went in right after they mopped and it looked like they just slid the dirt around."
$28 - $125 / night
"we live close to this campground and we love swimming in the pond on hot summer days. The halloween trick or treating was a blast along with their haunted woods."
"There’s private land on either side and a dirt bike track that the neighbor owns on the north end, so if you’ve got a light afternoon napper, stay away from that end."
$28 - $66 / night
"We insisted on a different site and were placed across the bridge on a beautiful huge site on the lake! After that, everything was wonderful."
"Nice campground, lake, pool, playground and entertainment.
Lots of sand and golf cart gangs"
ScoutWe stayed here 2 years ago. The office where payment is made is a few miles away from the actual campground.
There is a dump station and water at the fairgrounds. Along the left side near the dump / water station as you enter are huge grassy sites marked by electrical outlets at the rear of the sites. The rest of the fairgrounds are set up like a traditional campground on a "loop" style. It looks like almost all the sites will accommodate a 40 footer easily.
There were 2 or 3 campers who appeared to be long term seasonal guests but it did not distract from our overall stay.
We pull an Imagine 2500RL pulled by a Ford F-150 max trailer package.
We stayed 4 nights and spent the days traveling around Bay City.
Founds a great BBQ that had been shared by MI PLAYGROUND --- Meaty's Roadhouse BBQ& Sausage Shack Bay City.
We are planning our Summer 2024 travels and will; be stopping at the Bay County Fairgrounds again this summer.
TravelerBeach, trails and children's solace pad, just an easy walk across the road. Newer bathhouse. Shady sandy campsite. Be sure and visit downtown Bay City, lots of great restaurants, a Riverwalk on both sides of the river, concerts in the park. Great atmosphere.
ScoutWe took a group of 6 adults and 3 kids to Bay City which was a pretty good drive for us. We had a lot of fun! Park was clean and located across from the lake. There was a splash pad area for the kids which they begged to go to every day! The only bad thing was we had to drive our kayaks across the street and then lug them down the very long walk way to the beach. Nevertheless it was a great time and great park!
ScoutNot a great place to tent. Great place to stay with a small camper or RV if passing through Bay City or going to an event. Beach is not the most sanitary.
TravelerGreat opportunities for winter sports. Pools, lakes, mini golf. Designed for young families. Pet friendly but has restrictions on the type of dog.
TravelerStayed there for a day and there was plenty to do. From the beach, to the splash pad, the huge playground, the hiking trails, fishing in the lagoon, and the touristy attractions right down the road (i.e. - bumper boats, mini golf, batting cage, go karts, etc..). The kids had a blast and are wanting to go back again. We were there in the middle of the week so it was not packed or loud. It is located north of Bay City by a little bit, so if a night out in the city is what you want it is easy to do. It is right on the Saginaw Bay so there is a lot of fishing that can be done out there too. The campsites were the normal state park campsite fare. Overall it was a great day. The only downfalls were that there was a bit of construction in park going on and the beach wasn't of the all sand variety. A bit of small rocks and a lot of shells, plus the water was a tad murky but nothing major. If you are looking for the great outdoors, in the middle of nowhere camping, this is not it. But if you want a fun time with the kids, I would recommend it.
TravelerI used to work at this state park for two years and really enjoyed my time there. I spent many nights there with family and coworkers. The staff is very friendly and they patrol all through the night to ensure safety and noise control. The sites vary from close together, to secluded. It is easy to camp in a group with sites all close to each other, or to be off on your own. the bathrooms on the campground side are very clean. They are newer and updated and are cleaned 2-3 times a day or more as needed. The visitor side has less updated bathrooms, making them appear more dirty, but they are cleaned 4-6 times a day at the least. These bathrooms are also close to the beach, so sand makes it seem dirty as well. Sites vary in size, allowing tents or large rvs to be in most spaces. This campground does get very full most weekends Memorial Day through Labor Day, especially around the 4th of July. Bay city has lots to do and the visitor side has plenty of interesting programs for kids to do. swimming is iffy, as the city closes the beach depending on bacteria in the water and which way the wind is blowing it on a given day. The water is not clean (not the parks fault). there is a splash pad for younger children to enjoy though. There are no water sites. you must cross a relatively busy road to get to the visitor side where the beach/splash pad/visitor center is.
ScoutA nice campground with two loops. Can be tricky getting a large RV in especially during bigger holidays but the sites are large and you can park you camper a few different ways. Decent trails. Beach access across the road. There is a pet friendly section of the beach. Lots of pets here. The bathrooms in the east loop are older and not that great but the other loop has a nice modern bathroom. Sites are mostly flat more so on the eastern loop. We had a nice visit.
RangerSmall but sweet campground. If given the choice get a site in the pine loops. It's more of a walk from the lake but the other loops have no shade and seem more crowded together. We had site #24 and it was fairly ideal and very roomy. There is the Pier- Marquette Rail trail about 1.5 miles from the campground, great for biking, running etc. Electric hook up was fine. Bathrooms are cleaned 3 x a day. Showers were warm and clean. This is Amish country and the campground has horse hitching posts near the fishing lakes. We saw a horse and buggy hitched up there. But I imagine anyone could ride their horse there then hitch up while they fish or wade in the water. Beach is across the road from the park and no pets/dogs allowed in that side of the park. Other campers there were courteous and respectful of quite hours. I would stay there again if I had another event bring me to this area.
Discover the best spots for pets-allowed camping near Bay City, Michigan, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Bay City, MI is Bay City State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 20 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 77 dog-friendly camping locations near Bay City, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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