Dog-Friendly Camping near Brethren, MI

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    Government Landing Campground offers several rustic riverside sites where pets are welcome, set along the backwaters of Tippy Dam. This dispersed camping area features approximately eight sites that allow dogs, though no specific pet amenities like waste stations are provided at this primitive location. Nearby, Tippy Dam State Recreation Area maintains pet-friendly campsites with more established facilities, including toilet access and picnic tables where campers and their dogs can relax. Local campgrounds are searchable through The Dyrt's listings. The campsites at Tippy Dam provide spacious accommodations that easily fit tents and moderate-sized RVs, with some sites allowing multiple dogs per reservation without breed restrictions.

    The Manistee River Trail system near these campgrounds provides excellent dog walking opportunities with access points close to both Government Landing and Tippy Dam sites. Dogs must remain leashed on trails and in campgrounds to protect local wildlife and other campers. Many sites at Government Landing provide direct water access where pets can cool off in the backwaters, though the shoreline can be steep in places. During summer months, campgrounds fill quickly, making mid-week reservations advisable for pet owners seeking prime waterfront sites. The sites on Tippy Dam's backwaters offer beautiful views and peaceful settings that have proven popular with dog owners seeking quiet camping experiences, though facilities remain basic with vault toilets and no running water for pet washing or drinking.

    Best Dog-Friendly Campgrounds near Brethren (190)

      1. Orchard Beach State Park Campground

      4.0(30)14mi from BrethrenRVs, Tents, Cabins, Glamping

      "Pretty standard Michigan State Park campground. Nice staff. Park maintenance is currently building a wood fence to keep folks away from steep bluff edge. Views of Lake Michigan fairly limited."

      "Clean park with beautiful views of Lake Michigan. Unfortunately no access to beach because of erosion. Typical site sizes for Michigan State Park. Walk across the road for a 2 mile hike in the woods."

      2. Northern Exposure Campground & RV Park

      4.9(18)13mi from BrethrenRVs, Tents, Cabins, Glamping

      "We asked to be away from the lake because of our young kids but the lake lots looked beautiful. We will be back."

      "I love having a view from my campsite that has a lake on it! Not many big boats on it so there was no motor noise constantly like how it is on most inland lake campgrounds."

      from $30 - $45 / night

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      3. Tippy Dam State Recreation Area

      4.3(6)5mi from BrethrenRVs, Tents, Cabins, Glamping

      "Campsites are very clean and big, with nice trails to explore. Just a heads up, the sites with "lake access" don't actually have lake access - it's a steep drop to the water. Tumble at your own risk."

      "Steps go right down to the river. Good fishing. When we were there the toilets were In need of a pump out desperately."

      from $20 - $78 / night

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      4. Twin Oaks RV Campground and Cabins

      4.4(7)8mi from Brethren7 sitesRVs, Tents, Cabins, Glamping

      "Nice private campground with good access to ATV trails as well as good proximity to big M for mountain biking. Sites are nice and spaced out as well."

      "And while I will say it's not very hidden away from the other sites it was still plenty relaxing and served the purpose of somewhere to hang my hat at the end of the day."

      from $11 - $90 / night

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      5. Seaton Creek Campground

      4.9(8)11mi from Brethren19 sitesRVs, Tents

      "You are surrounded by beautiful pines. I wasn't able to explore as much as I liked to but hear there are great trails and you are in walking distance of water."

      "It's right by the second largest suspension bridge in Michigan. Great please to stay before you canoe or kayak the Manistee river."

      from $30 - $80 / night

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      6. Government Landing Campground

      4.8(5)7mi from Brethren

      "I hear it’s darn near impossible to find an open site During June-August. Sites are large with fantastic views. Walking trails, bike trails and ORV trails a d routes are in close proximity."

      "Is a bathroom within walking distance of a few sites. No water fountain/pump that I was able to located but there were easy walkways down to pond."

      7. Manistee River Trail Dispersed Camping

      4.7(7)11mi from BrethrenTents

      "Although this is listed as "dispersed" camping, the camping on the Manistee River Trail side of this loop is mostly at designated sites. Most sites seemed to be able to accommodate large groups."

      "I've hiked and kayaked this trail on a few occasions and I can confidently say this is one of my favorite trails in all of Michigan."

      8. Sand Lake Campground — Manistee National Forest

      4.5(6)10mi from Brethren44 sitesRVs, Tents

      "Sand Lake is a really nice, well kept campground. Beautiful area, nice beach on a clean lake, and spacious campsites."

      "Sand Lake is a quiet wooded campground. Most of the sites have a good amount of trees between them, but there is a loop with fewer trees that is ideal for a group/family camp trip."

      from $40 - $105 / night

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      9. Platte River Campground — Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

      4.8(63)29mi from Brethren179 sitesRVs, Tents

      "Hiking to Lake Michigan, bike trails, Sleeping Bear Dunes just a short drive away. For those with dogs, Esch Beach, at the end of Esch Road, is about 10 minutes by car and dog friendly."

      "One of my Favorite places in Michigan to camp. Out of the way without being out of the way. The walk in sites are a very short walk and well away from the other sites."

      from $22 - $50 / night

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      10. Matson's Big Manistee River Campground

      4.5(4)7mi from BrethrenRVs, Tents, Cabins

      from $24 - $40 / night

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    Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Brethren, MI

    1092 Reviews of 190 Brethren Campgrounds


    • Nancy W.The Dyrt PRO User
      Jun. 8, 2017

      Traverse City State Park Campground

      Great Proximity to Downtown, Beach, and Breweries.

      The location of this campground is great and it's best feature in my opinion! This park is just two miles to downtown Traverse City (one of Michigan’s most popular resort towns), a quarter mile from a pretty beach and the beautiful blue waters of Lake Michigan, and it sits along the TART Trail which is a 10.5-mile bicycle trail running through the city.

      While the park is small at just 47 acres, it holds pretty many campsites – approximately 350 (and two cabins). Campsites are set among tall pine trees so there is a bit of shade but that also means that they are sandy with little grass. Roads are paved and narrow if you are trying to maneuver with a large (40+ RV) and you may have difficulty backing into your site with the numerous trees lining the road. All sites are back-in with electric. Sites and patios are sandy with varying degrees of levelness. There is a dump station and water spigots are scattered throughout the campground. Picnic tables and fire pits are at each site. Sites are $31/night ($49/night for the cabins) and reserveable online.

      This park is right on US-31/M-72 which means there is easy access in and out but it can be noisy if your campsite is close to the road. Expect the campground to be very busy on weekends and in the summer and tightly packed.

      Amenities include: picnic area, beach, fishing, hiking/bicycling trail, three bathhouses, playground area, camp store, pet walk (no off-leash dog park).

      Outside of the park there is a lot to do in Traverse City. Early July is the ever-popular Cherry Festival which lasts for a week. But you better book your campsite early if you want to enjoy all the festivities (which happen to be close to the park). The summer farmers market is great and held every Wednesday and Saturday. Early in the season, asparagus is plentiful and locally-grown asparagus is the best you will ever have being super sweet, tender, and inexpensive. For beer drinkers, consider paddling the beer trail that takes you from Boardman Lake to Lake Michigan and past numerous breweries where you pull over for a pint. If it's ice cream you want, you have come to the right place. There are multiple creameries with Moomer's being our favorite and for some reason eating it right at the farm stand was the best.

    • Jill B.
      Apr. 21, 2019

      Traverse Bay RV Resort

      Very high-end class A Resort

      We have spent six weeks at this park for the last 6 years. We attend a horse show circuit near by. It is the creme de la creme of RV parks. The sites are individually owned (and leased out) and many of the owners have made their lots very nice. The park is limited to Class A, Fifth Wheels and Class C only. This park is dominated by big, very nice class A's.

      We have a 5th wheel and have appreciated the amenities very much. Great wifi, curbside garbage pickup, trails, dog park, and many others. You are limited to 2 dogs, and they are very strict about leashes and picking up poop. But, that keeps the place looking nice.

      We enjoy it very much and it is so close to the horse show, it cannot be beat. Because they are such a popular place to stay during the show (July - mid August), they sites book up a year in advance.

    • Nancy W.The Dyrt PRO User
      Nov. 1, 2017

      Poncho's Pond RV Park

      Loved It!

      This park is a very nice RV park. All 257 sites are full hook-up (with cable), level, and have paved patios and for a $2 up charge you can get a paved site. Our site was super long (over 100’) and had a nice view of the large pond. There is pretty good separation between sites and on one side of us were large bushes that added privacy from our neighbors and the adjacent pathway. There are tent sites set off along one area of the park near the bathrooms. There are a few trees among the tent sites but they are not very private and located near the garbage dumpsters/recycle bins and on a main exit thoroughfare. There are also three “haciendas” for rent. 

      One of my favorite features of the campground was the fitness center. Poncho and his wife are triathletes so the facility is top notch with weight machines, free weights, cycles, treadmills, elliptical, medicine balls, and lots of bands. There are three heated pool on the property – two outdoor and one indoor with and two spas. Since we were there in mid-October the outdoor pools were closed but the indoor hot tub and pool were open (albeit, super crowded on the weekend with kids). There are two laundry rooms and three bathrooms that are very modern and clean. One of the cable television stations displays security camera footage around the property which was nice because I could see how full the laundry was before carrying all my stuff there. There is a game room for kids, playground, shuffleboard, and a clubhouse. There is a stocked pond on the property but it is only for kids (17 and under) to fish in. Cable television yielded 55 channels and WiFi was available at our site with a decent signal. The campground is very well-maintained with nicely mowed grass. The grounds crew was always working but they were not annoying with constant loud machines. There is a railroad track that runs behind the park but it does not get a lot of use so the noise was not too bad. If you don’t want to be near the tracks, ask for a site away from the south side of the park. There is an off-leash dog park but it really is too small and narrow for big dogs. 

      The campground is very convenient to lots of shopping and restaurants and within walking distance of a McDonalds, fruit market, drug store and grocery. Downtown Ludington is only about five minutes away which has a cute downtown with shopping, galleries, and restaurants. Ludington State Park is about 15 minutes away and has miles and miles of hiking trails and beach access. There is also a city park downtown which is along Lake Michigan with beach access and lots of room for a nice walk (but dogs are not allowed). The office staff was super helpful pointed out places to hike and things to do for the weekend. Also loved that they gave us a choice of sites and let us drive around the campground (in their golf cart) and pick out the one we wanted. 

      We camped here in an RV and really couldn’t find anything we didn’t like about it. New customers get a 10% discount and during our stay we fell into low season and nightly rates were discounted 50%. So for $28/night we got a really nice site with lots of amenities in a great location. If you are looking for a nice RV park at a great price near a nice coastal Michigan town, give this place a try.

    • N
      Jun. 23, 2022

      D.H. Day Campground — Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

      D.H. Day Campground

      Overall the campground has a very pleasant and rustic charm. The foliage helps create privacy but the campsites are close in proximity overall. The one warning that should be more clearly indicated is that there is poison ivy surrounding every single site so please be aware if you have pets and small children. The fact that there was so much poison ivy is the only reason I gave it four stars. Lake Michigan is a short walk away and you are able to walk to sleeping bear dunes along the beach. For those who would like convenience Glen Arbor is only five minutes down the main road and has a ton of restaurants, parks and a nice grocery store.

    • M
      Nov. 13, 2022

      Dunes Harbor Family Camp

      Hands down favorite campground!

      This place is FUN!!!

      The campground in itself is a blast. The waterpark, playground, hammock area, swings, biggest sand box ever, all the activities, and can’t forget the ice cream shop!!!

      Then add in ATV access from the campground, waterfront sites to park your jet skis, and horse rides onsite!!

      We never really wanted to leave! The staff were awesome! The grounds are well maintained and they have the best grass. Lol

      My only suggestion would be to put in a fenced in dog park, but other than that, this is a must stop if ever in the Silver Lake area.

    • L
      May. 29, 2019

      Poncho's Pond RV Park

      One of the best campgrounds I've been too!

      The Layout of the campground is great. Perfect to bring your pets. Nice pools and close enough to the state park to go tubing or a beach day at Lake Michigan.  Everything is close so you are not missing anything.

    • Macy M.
      Jul. 5, 2020

      Rvino - Camp Cadillac, LLC

      Great private campground

      Great little campground just on the outskirts of Cadillac. Great rates especially for full hookups. This was our first time at this park, we originally had a site next to the pool, but quickly realized our TT would not fit due to the trees. The front desk quickly changed our site and we were good to go. All sites were well maintained, they had a petting zoo (goats) and a store with a little game room in it. I would definitely come back.

    • Erin H.
      Jul. 22, 2016

      Silver Lake State Park Campground

      Holiday Park Campground

      Silver lake is one of the most beautiful areas you can go in all of Michigan. With dunes of it's own, & a perfect, calm crystal lake - it's great for swimming, kayaking and photography. Holiday Park campground was on the south shore of the lake, had a swim area, boat launch, and was immaculate. Pets were allowed and sites were very level for trailers. All sites had electric hook ups and they are sectioned out by environment, like woods, lakeside, up on the ridge line, and there's even island sites. I prefer the lake and island sites if you can get them. There's something about waking up to that lake that is dreamy!

    • R
      Jul. 30, 2018

      Orchard Beach State Park Campground

      no beach access

      Pretty standard Michigan State Park campground. Nice staff. Park maintenance is currently building a wood fence to keep folks away from steep bluff edge. Views of Lake Michigan fairly limited. If these were improved, this would be a much more popular park. I was very disappointed that their stairs to beach had been eroded near its base so you could no longer access beach but had to drive to one of two local beaches. I stayed one night and unfortunately had to camp next to a group who had a very barky, anxious large dog. Some folks need to leave their poorly trained dogs at home.


    Guide to Brethren

    Government Landing Campground allows pets at its spacious sites along the backwaters of Tippy Dam, providing a peaceful outdoor experience for campers with animals. The site accommodates both tent camping and RVs, featuring well-maintained pit toilets and beautiful views of the water. Local campgrounds are searchable through The Dyrt's listings. Tippy Dam State Recreation Area also welcomes pets at its established campground, offering fire rings, picnic tables, and drinking water. The campsites are large enough to fit multiple tents and provide easy access to nature trails. Many sites are waterfront, though access to the water requires navigating steep trails down to the shoreline.

    Several hiking opportunities exist for campers with dogs along the Manistee River Trail, where dispersed camping is available at no cost. Dogs must be kept on leash while using the trails, with opportunities to cool off in the river during warmer months. Twin Oaks RV Campground and Cabins provides pet-friendly accommodations with electric hookups, drinking water, and shower facilities for longer stays. The sites at Government Landing fill quickly during summer months, making mid-week visits or off-season camping the best option for securing a spot. Sites have fantastic views with walking trails, bike paths, and ORV routes in close proximity, providing ample opportunity for exercise with pets while enjoying northern Michigan's natural setting.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Brethren, MI?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Brethren, MI is Orchard Beach State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 30 reviews.

    What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Brethren, MI?

    TheDyrt.com has all 190 dog-friendly camping locations near Brethren, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.