Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Black River, MI has a lot to offer. Black River is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Discover great camping spots near Black River, reviewed by campers like you.
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. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79134_79210---,00.html
$20 - $50 / night
Jewell Lake Campground Jewell Lake Campground is located on the east side of the 193-acre Jewell Lake. This lake offers a wide variety of fishing and boating opportunities. A snowmobile trail runs through the area during the winter months.
$15 / night
Welcome to Old Orchard Park Campground located in beautiful Oscoda, Michigan! We have camping sites for all types and sizes of campers, tents and pop ups!We also have cabins, yurts and group camping areas. For your convenience, camping sites at Old Orchard Park are available by reservation. Campers are now able to make a reservation online by clicking the “reserve now” button below to check site availability and reserve a site. Join us for a outdoor experience to make memories that will last a lifetime!
We invite you to visit or stay in beautiful Old Orchard Campground, which is one of the largest campgrounds in Northeast Michigan. Located within the Huron-Manistee National Forest, along the River Road Scenic Byway, the park which is nearly four miles long, overlooks Foote Pond, which formed after the construction of Foote Dam in 1916, on the AuSable River. The park is open from March 15 thru November 30 each year, with plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities for all three seasons therein. This public recreation facility is part of a Consumers Energy Hydroelectric Dam Project licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and is operated under the authority of the Township of Oscoda.
$23 / night
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. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79134_79210---,00.html
Camping is available in a primitive area with public restrooms, shower house, laundry facilities and store. We can accommodate tent camping and small pop-up campers with groups of 12 people or less. Pets welcome if on a leash.
South Branch Trail Campground Group Site is ideal for equestrian camping. The group area impresses with its beautiful scenery and convenient access to horseback riding and hiking along the 240-mile Michigan Shore-to-Shore Horseback Riding and Hiking Trail. Priority will be given to campers with horses, however everyone is welcome. The spacious site holds up to 250 campers and features a day-use horse parking area.
Hike or horseback ride on the Michigan Shore-To-Shore Riding and Hiking Trail. The trail begins in the town of Empire near Lake Michigan, on the west side of Michigan and ends near Oscoda, Michigan on the Lake Huron eastern side of the state. The eastern part of the trail follows the historic AuSable River to its end in AuSable, just south of Oscoda.
Hike or horseback ride on the Michigan Shore-To-Shore Riding and Hiking Trail. The trail begins in the town of Empire near Lake Michigan, on the west side of Michigan and ends near Oscoda, Michigan on the Lake Huron eastern side of the state. The eastern part of the trail follows the historic AuSable River to its end in AuSable, just south of Oscoda.
Campsites are situated in a stand of oak and pine at an elevation of 880 feet. The campground is adjacent to the South Branch River and is also not too far from the AuSable River. The magnificent Lake Huron is only a short drive east of the campground.
$40 - $100 / night
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. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/rec-pp
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. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79134_79210---,00.html
Only stayed one night but it was a very nice stay. Private but not secluded. Encountered a bear in the night but it retreated back into the woods. Did have my dog with me. I would definitely go back.
Alpena Fairground camp sites are conveniently located right off Route 23 within minutes of local attractions and historic sites. The RV / trailer sites were spacious enough with water views of the Alpena wildlife sanctuary and Thunder Bay River. The sunset views are lovely. We launched our kayaks right from our site and paddled around the sanctuary. Be aware, you cannot access Thunder Bay and Lake Huron from here. Access is blocked off at 9th street dam. If you want to head into Thunder Bay it’s best to just drive down and launch in at marina. And if you head down River you will have to paddle upstream to get back, not fun in high winds. Camping is quiet, only a few other campers there. Be mindful the fairgrounds hosts events during the year. The circus stopped to perform during our three days there but we didn’t hear a sound or notice anyone around. The restrooms and showers were clean enough, located near fairground entrance. Holly the caretaker was courteous to answer my questions over the phone before arrival and during check in. Her home office is located near entrance, it’s a small rancher house. Water and dump available as well near entrance. Overall a nice quiet stay. The should invest in new fire rings.
Nice park. Can feel a little tight on some spaces, especially if your neighbor sprawls over the lines. Restrooms could use a little improvement (like replacing the crappy doors leading into the building) and some maintenance, but are clean. Being on a point between Lake Huron & Tawas Bay, there's almost always some breeze. There's beaches on both sides of the point. Staff friendly. Like most MI State Park sites, it's electric only. Tawas has no (as of this review) FHU sites. There's the Tawas Point Lighthouse here, which you can climb for a few bucks. Nice little gift shop next to it. It can get really packed here on weekends, and the day use gets closed because of being too full.
Big rigs, note that the roads can be tight, especially when inconsiderate campers crowd the road, cause you know... It's all about them.
All in all, it's one of our favorite state parks.
Hit Klenow's Market in town. They do great sandwiches!
We left Tawas Point campground and went here. The day use beach bathroom was our first stop...not the cleanest. But the beach was nice as were the trails. Once in the camp itself, we loved how much better it was than Tawas. It's more spread out and I didn't feel like people were staring at me. Our site was perfect. We had some shade, perfect to park under as we car camped. Spacious lot and a trail connected us to a grassy area, boathouse, and beach. PERFECT spot if you are a paddleboarder/kayaker/etc. No wake lake is awesome for paddle sports! Our bathhouse was very clean. We will DEFINITELY be coming back!
It is very nice and extremely clean. However it is kind of cramped. Sites feel close and everyone was very nosey. Pet beach is nice. Water is beautiful. Convenient location. People didn't listen to rules such as quiet hour and let their badly behaved dogs run loose. Bath house is extremely nice! All in all, I would camp here on an off day/season.
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.
Great for our “eastern” adventure up north. Sites require a reservation either at the office or Online. Not somewhere you can just pay for on spot because it’s in the rifle river recreation area. We had site 127 at Devoe lake and it was very pleasant. Quiet and lovely in late September.
We tented here. Our location was right behind the general store so at night the lights were very bright. This KOA has so many activities for kids and we enjoyed ourselves here!
Great location and our site had a nice shortcut through the woods that exited by the lake and bathrooms. The overlook tower is definitely worth the hike and there's a hidden surprise at the same location for those who know where to look. 😉
All in all it was good, no beach to mention it was a hill other than that good
You can climb a lighthouse and look out 30+ miles. Two swimming beaches. Dog beach. A few trails to walk on, not many to ride bikes.
This was my first solo camping experience - I went up on a Thursday and the area was empty. It was super clean and the spots were large. I wish I would have picked a different spot as I was right next to the bathroom but it was fine. Plenty of fire wood around the collect with access to trials and the river.
Location is excellent. This is a well maintained park, fantastic beaches and nice trails. I arrived on a Thursday and left Sunday. The sites are on the small side without any barriers, which was fine midweek. On the weekend, overcrowding was the norm. This was my first experience at a Michigan state park, and I do not know if others have designated spaces based on the size of the RV or tent. This would make a more pleasant experience for campers. My guess is the park was designed long before people hauled around a 30 foot camper. No park rangers facilitated parking that I could see, and clearly you should book your spot as early as possible.
Midweek 5 stars, Weekend 1
Great little sites within the trees and near the Devoe Lake, which has a small beach. Lots of trails, lakes and the Rifle River which was awesome to float down. Pit toilets were clean. They have wood for sale at the entrance of the park.
We were greeted at the gate by an extremely helpful and knowledgeable gentleman. He provided good directions, and helped us with our Rec Pass.
The site was easy to find, spacious, and had adequate distancing from other campers. It included a fire pit and picnic table too.
The lake was serene in the early mornings and evenings. Listen for the woeful call of the loons. What a treat!
Word of caution, the raccoons start partying as soon as you bed down. Make sure your food and trash is adequately covered/contained.
Campground has vault toilets. We never used them but good to know they have them.
Small, rustic, remote, clean and quiet. Large and level campsites that are well spaced. Although only one of the sites has a river view this campground Ideal for trout anglers. There's a access point to Gamble Creek between sites 171 and 173. I got my 20' trailer back there no problem.
It was a short stay but we had a great site that had a little path to a fairly private beach which made it so much fun! It was a very packed campground due to the great location, which made backing in and then hooking up a little tricky so bring your patience during that time. Very nice staff. Super long lines for the dump station on a Sunday (we opted to just wait it out until our next campground)
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.
This is a nice big campground within a short walk of lake huron and a beautiful light house. Camp sites are all very close together providing very little privacy. Bathrooms were clean with private individual shower stalls and hot water. Lots of big RVs and family campers here. Overall nice place.
Bathroom was clean, site was large surrounded by tall pine trees. Picnic table was HC accessible. Fire pit ring. I'm a motocamper and suited my needs. No trash, so take what you brought in plus some.
This is one of the worst campgrounds I have ever been to. The bathrooms and showers close at 10pm, and the restrooms themselves are nasty, the showers cost $2 (in quarters) for 6 minutes of lukewarm water, the locals are hostile to unfamiliar faces, and to top it off, the rental ATVs and dirt track to ride them on is o ly separated from the campsites by a board fence, so expect to hear all kinds of small engines zipping by at all hours. The RV trailers for rental are all used trailers circa 1995 and "refurbished", which entails a quick coat of interior paint and laminate flooring screwed to the floors with drywall screws. Guests who have rented the RV trailers are instructed to not use the showers in their trailers. Absolutely not worth the money, would rate 0 stars if I could. If you are looking for a camping experience that puts you in the heart of upper Michigan redneck territory, this is the place for you. If you want a good experience, look elsewhere.
Gorgeous area right on Jewell lake. Walking distance from Barton City. Sites have nice privacy between them. Utilized the grill on the fire ring alot Privy was well kept. The lake had a beach area to swim. Didn't actually intend on staying here but it was a happy accident and salvaged our memorial day weekend.
The campsites themselves are sadly devoid of much shade, and only a few even have a water view. But the dog beach, a bit of a walk down the trail towards the lighthouse, surely exceeded our expectations. Most places designate barely usable waterfront areas to dog beach. At first glance, the dog beach doesn't appear to be inviting, as the beach itself is narrow and rooty. But once you start to go in the water, it becomes clear that this beach is quite simply lovely, even for human use. The shallows go out quite far, and is pleasantly sandy. The water is warmer than on the Huron side of the point, too. While campground itself is a bit blah, the dog beach gives it an extra star for me. My only suggestion would be to add dispensers for poop bags, like other state parks have, in case of an unfortunate moment of being unprepared, and more trash barrels. (turned out we were near the end of our roll of bags, so our trip was cut short.
East Tawas is a place I've visited most of my adult life. There's some walking trails here, the lighthouse is a close walk/bike from anywhere in the park. Getting to town is a few minute drive, or a very long bike ride on the road.
Like most Michigan State Parks, your site has electric (30/50) only. Water spigots are located in various spots throughout the park. I advise you fill your freshwater tank at home, or when you arrive, at the dump station.
There's a few ADA sites with concrete pads, all others are grass. Comfort stations are in good shape.
Beaches are, like most in Michigan, eroded due to high water levels, but still useable.
You can watch sunrise on the Lake Huron side, sunsets over Tawas Bay.
I've never really interacted with staff here, but never needed to. Park is clean. There can be lineups at the dump station.
A few sites are pull thru. Most back-in.
If you have a vehicle, there's many places to see in the area, like Lumberman's Monument. Tawas has a nice farmers market, worth a visit for fresh veg and other items.
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.
Camped here in early fall. The area around here is beautiful with lots of sights and trails. This park has a wide variety of individuals and many long term residents but the staff were pretty friendly and the lake is beautiful (especially in the early morning).
The Luzerne Express Campground is literally all you need in one spot. The whole place is incredibly accommodating. Friendly, helpful staff. There is an array of sites available plus RV’s and Cabins for rent so winter camping here is a blast. The area is a trail riders Mecca. From horseback riding to ATV’s. There are horse pens available at the campground for overnight horse camping as well at a very reasonable rate. Walk right off the campground into the Huron National Forest.
Camping near Black River, Michigan, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a fun family adventure, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Black River, Michigan, has something for everyone. With beautiful campgrounds and plenty of activities, it's a great spot for your next outdoor adventure!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Black River, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Black River, MI is Tawas Point State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 23 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Black River, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 12 glamping camping locations near Black River, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
