For those who want to experience Carp Lake, but still want the creature comforts of home, consider glamping for your trip. Glamping is not only a fun alternative to traditional tent camping, but also allows you to pack more or less gear as you see fit. You're sure to find glamping for your Michigan camping adventure.
Mackinac Island is the most spectacular destination in Michigan, and this KOA is a perfect location to stay. KOA offers great camping near Mackinac Island and Free shuttles to island ferries available. Mackinaw Campgrounds nature trail connects to a paved trail into Mackinaw City, where you can explore Colonial Michilimackinac and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. Or continue on the North Western State Trail for miles of hiking/biking. Rent a bike from KOA or bring your own. Use this KOA as a base camp for an easy trip across the Mackinac Bridge to Tahquamenon Falls, Soo Locks and Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on Lake Superior. Take a scenic drive through Tunnel of Trees. You're less than 2 miles from a Lake Michigan beach. After sightseeing, head back to KOA to enjoy the heated pool and a campfire. There are sites for everyone: pull thrus/full hookups, pop-ups, tents and Cabins. Cable TV/Wi-Fi available at sites. Pool: Memorial Weekend - Labor Day Weekend. Max pull thru: 70 feet.
A family-owned private campground overlooking the Straits of Mackinac with spectacular views of the Mighty Mackinac Bridge, Mackinac Island, and Great Lakes Freighter traffic. We are just minutes from Mackinac Island Ferries, downtown Mackinaw City, public Beaches and Dunes, Dining, Shopping, State Historical Attractions, the retired Ice Breaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum, area Golf Courses, The Headlands International Dark Sky Park, and area Casinos.
Day trips are easily planned to Mackinac Island, The Soo Locks, Tahquamenon Falls, Whitefish Point (Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum), Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Oswald's Bear Ranch and much more.
$34 - $52 / 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
$30 - $34 / night
$28 - $42 / night
Brevoort Lake Campground stretches along the western shore of its namesake in the Hiawatha National Forest. This popular fishing destination is situated on a peninsula that juts into the lake and Beodne Bay. Visitors to the campground enjoy the easy access to the pristine sandy beaches.
The 4,233-acre Brevoort Lake provides ample opportunities for recreation. Boat access is available from the center of the campground on Boedne Bay. In 1985, the Forest Service completed the construction of a walleye spawning reef in Brevoort Lake, providing plentiful fishing in the area. Anglers can also expect healthy populations of pike, bass, perch and a variety of other fish. Hiking is also a popular pastime of visitors to the campground. The Ridge, Sand Dunes Cross Country and North Country National Scenic trails pass near the campground. A 10-minute ferry ride to Mackinac Island makes for an interesting day trip. The 3.8-acre island offers hiking, biking, horseback riding and shopping, as well as access to historical sites and museums, among other activities.
Campsites are somewhat secluded, surrounded by huge pine, hemlock and oak trees and low, shrubby vegetation. Beach grass grows along the lake shore, sometimes buried in light sand.
St. Ignace, Michigan, about 20 miles east of the campground, offers historical and tourist attractions as well as grocery and gas services.
For facility specific information, please call (906) 373-2272.
Please cancel 7 days in advance if you need to cancel your reservation. Reservation sites cannot be traded for walk-up sites.
$26 - $48 / night
This spectacular KOA is located in beautiful Northwest Michigan. The park is rated #1 in Michigan by Trailer Life and it is among the highest rated RV Parks in North America. Lake Michigan and sand dunes are just minutes away and the refreshing breezes rustle through the cedar, pine and maple trees at the resort. The romantic "million dollar" sunsets will give you goose bumps as you watch the sun sink into the lake. The unique park layout weaves sites into the natural landscape. Flowers and landscaping adorn every corner of the tranquil 30 acre setting. Each of our spacious 160 RV sites has a level paved parking area and large, clean concrete patio for relaxing with your family. The resort's cozy log Camping cabins are nestled among the trees. We also offer deluxe camping cottages, lodges and studios, which include bathroom and kitchen amenities. We offer a full slate of activities including educational nature events, movies, bingo and Saturday breakfast in our Cafe. Within minutes lie local golf, restaurants, beaches, bike trails and shopping. Easy day trips include the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Lighthouse Museum, Mackinac Island and many more nearby destinations. Our outstanding staff takes pride in offering service to our visitors that is second to none. The Rose Family invites you to visit the Petoskey KOA. "For a place you will always remember and a vacation you will never forget."
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
$27 / night
Ranger
Packed like sardines. Stones get picked over early but still the best I’ve found. Sandy Beach just down the road. board walk great for biking and jogging. More of a Glamping Park, with little shade.
Traveler
We decided to splurge on a yurt for our first camping trip of the summer. Well worth it! We stayed in"Kai" one of the newest yurts. It's at the end of what we came to call"the yurt village". Complete with electricity, indoor and outdoor string lights, two deck chairs, a heater, a queen sized bed, and an electric kettle with pour over coffee supplies, it was truly a treat! The bathroom and shower building is about.1 miles each way according to my fitness tracker, but it's doable. Downside: the firepit is small(about the size of a small charcoal grill) and shallow, so it's not really suitable for cooking. Bring a propane stove or some no-cook foods, or go enjoy some of the area restaurants! The site is still a diamond in the rough with cut downed wood and sawdust scattered about, and the ground is uneven. With time, though, it will probably turn out beautifully! We were there for three weeknights and rarely even heard other campers. A quiet and peaceful retreat.
Traveler
Close to Leggs restaurant. Mackinac Island. Tunnel of Trees. Upper peninsula Michigan. All this and a great campground.
Traveler
Beautiful campground on Lake Michigan. Most of our time was spent on the sand beach. Beautiful sunsets and great swimming. Big sites and clean campground.
Traveler
Great campground. Just outside of town. Right on Lake Huron. Tucked away. Great location. Nice hiking trails everywhere. Id definitely recommend and return!! If you're looking for a "Northern Michigan" experience. This is a must.
Scout
This is a typical Michigan State Park. The facilities are well maintained and clean. On a nice lake with a good swim area. We stayed because of the location to Copper Harbor and the Porcupine Mountains.
RangerTypical KOA! It was really nice, clean, and the people were helpful! The pool was great for swimming, and mackinaw city is a great place to walk around and explore! Also recommend visiting the Headlands Dark Sky Park about 10 mins away, awesome views of the stars over Lake Michigan 🙂
Traveler
The location makes this campground. Stayed 6 nights as it was so relaxing.
Pros:
Cons:
Would stay here again.
Guide
Less than half full. Good non motorized boat launch. Nice forest, most sites well screened. 4 sites with great lake view, on little lake. kayaked around lake. No real navigable access to the larger Bevoort Lake or Lake Michigan. Quiet, no highway noise.
Guide
Made a quick overnight stop while road tripping with beautiful wife. Very nice lakeside campsites. Little on the pricey side for me. Edging a little bit towards the style of the Michigan state parks, which isn't my scene. None the less, sites were nice and facilities were clean.
Legend
Absolutely loved this island! If you like nature and want to get away, this is the place for you! Campsites are huge and very private, also have cottages for rent. The views here are great and so are the beautiful starry skies. These islands in Michigan are so great, not a lot of tourists here so feels very relaxing.
RangerI have visited Magnus Park several times, it's a beautiful little campground in downtown Petoskey MI. The park as a full array of sites, but mostly caters to RV's, I paid the same rate to pitch a tent as it would have costed to park a large RV. The campground has a perfect location, along the Lake Michigan Shore, and about 4 blocks from downtown Petoskey.
LegendThis park has some strong positives that outweigh the negatives so depending on what really annoys you about a campground determines whether you may or may not like this place. The park is run by the City of Petoskey and sits on 21 acres in downtown Petoskey overlooking Lake Michigan. Petoskey has a really cool downtown with great restaurants (we liked Beard’s Brewery, Palette Bistro, and Grand Traverse Pie Company), shopping, a free art center (Crooked Tree), parks, and a pretty marina with a scenic breakwater lighthouse. If you have never been to this part of Michigan, you should definitely come for a visit.
The campground is very popular because of the price and location with about 1/3 of the park occupied by seasonal or monthly rentals of people that have been coming for many years. There are 71 sites which can be used for RVs or tents. Roads are paved and sites are grass/sand. There are fire pits and picnic tables at each site and a nice large grassy area in the front of the park near Lake Michigan with multiple picnic tables in a common space.
There are many positive attributes of this park. The location of this park could not be better and the price of $30/night (water, sewer, 30 amp electric; $28 for electric and water only) is a great deal. (Especially because other private campgrounds in the area are easily $60+/night in the summer season.) They have free wifi that worked well and we were able to get over-the-air antenna television channels. You are really in a prime location with Lake Michigan in front of you. Many of the sites in this park have a great view of the lake (especially sites 1-16). Running through the park is the Little Traverse Wheelway which is a paved bike path spanning from the cute towns of Charlevoix to Harbor Springs. (If you don’t have a bike with you there are plenty of rental places nearby.)
Now for the negatives. The bathroom/shower houses are old and tired but were clean. The park sits between a hospital and water treatment plant, one of which can be smelly on warm days the other of which has a very loud HVAC system generating lots of noise. The park is located close to the busy road M-31 so there is a bit of road noise. The sites are very close together so there is not much privacy. The park is open to day-use and has a heavily used bike path running right through it so there are lots of people coming and going.
Guide
We stayed here at the end of October. The campground was pretty empty. There are camp sites along Black Lake, which is the 7th largest lake in Michigan. The lake side campsites are very close together but you are right by the water's edge. There is a playground area with swings, sand pit and jungle bars. There is also a boat launch and small beach.
Traveler
Very clean and nice campground o. Lake Huron. Clean bathrooms. Some of the sites are not as deep as others. The lower numbered sites are closer to beach access. Great activities for kids, nice bike paths and hiking trails. Close to the only Falls in lower Michigan that are a must see!
TravelerI really enjoyed this campground. It was a last minute choice after a long day of driving and it was absolutely perfect. Sites are not super private but the sites on the lake side had a small walk to the gorgeous beach. That was private and quiet. From the beach the sunset and moonrise were beautiful and we couldn’t hear the road over Lake Michigan. We did wake up to highway noise but the view we got to look at all day/night was worth it!!
Guide
This first come, first served rustic state campground is perfect for the nature enthusiast. Butting up to Tomahawk Lake and surrounded by the Atlanta State Forest Area, you are close to Oqueoc Falls, hiking trails, and other natural wonders northern Michigan has to offer. Chipmunks are fearless, so keep an eye on your food. Ticks are abundant so check yourself and your group frequently.
Scout
I just saw a review from another camper who experienced the same as me; generators everywhere, no peace and quiet, no rangers to tell people to turn down their music, no one to police the crazy orv drivers who treated the 10 mph roads as race tracks. Do not go here if you're looking for a nice time. This campground is horrible, loud, dirty, and not managed. It’s full of drunk yahoos who use it as a cheap place to stay in northern Michigan.
TravelerThe nice thing about Michigan State Parks is that you can make a reservation, which is nice reassurance if you’re traveling on a busy summer weekend. The downside is that they can feel really crowded. Even though the sites are close together, there is a lot of greenery to give you a valuable sense of privacy, and electrical outlets are a nice luxury. One drawback to all that green, this campground is pretty damp. Bring a few extra towels and bug repellent. Lots of cool frogs to see, though, and a lovely accessible beach right in the campground. Oh, and racks on the beach for your padddleboards and kayaks! Bring an extra padlock to take advantage.
ScoutLove being shaded by full mature trees everywhere yet the campgrounds are very well cared for inside and out. We’ve chosen to rent a cabin. Simple yet clean. I’m a bit fussy about having a firm mattress; no problem, I brought a firm air mattress to put over their marine covered like mattress. My brother put his 38’ trailer on a pad with full hookups. We wanted to follow figure out the best scenic bike route to get into Petoskey and beyond toward Charlevoix to go along the shorelines as much as possible. Customer service is amazing and they printed of a map for us as well. Lake Michigan beach is about a 5 minutes drive.
ScoutLocated on Michigan’s sunrise side, Hoeft State Park offers a unite getaway for tent campers and RV campers alike. Many trees for hammocking! Short trek across sandy dunes brings you to the beach of Lake Huron. Shallow in parts for the kids but deep enough to snorkel for pudding stones. Rock hounds will slight in the fossil, Petoskeys and puddings along the shoreline. Excellent paved bike trail takes you to town or north to the lighthouse. Campground has excellent activities for the kids. Firewood for ale. Currently updating the electric and bathhouses.
ScoutMake reservations early! This is a beautiful state park with the best of pure Michigan woods and Lake Huron sandy dunes and beaches . Very family and pet friendly but also quiet and peaceful for couples who just wanna get away . Only drawback is low signal cell service but hey getting off the grid is what’s its all about. Unplug and recharge yourself. Electric hook up availability 20/30 amp . Hiking and biking paths , a cute play ground , sandy beach with volleyball area all walking distance from campsites! Friendly staff , we love this park !
LegendGeneral: Nestled in between Lake Michigan, a waste-water treatment plant and a hospital is Magnus Park, a public city park and campground. 77 sites, 36 with full hookups, and the remainder with electric hookups. There is also one cabin.
Site Quality/Facilities: The campground is laid out in typical RV park fashion with zero privacy between sites. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. Although some of the sites have somewhat of a gravel or dirt driveway, mostly it seems like areas where the grass has just worn away. IMO, if you are not able to get Sites 3-16 or Sites A-C which face Lake Michigan, then the best sites would be the ones that back up to the trees. When we reserved many months ago, we were lucky to get one of two available sites, and ours did back up to the trees. Be aware that sites 61-68 back up directly to the hospital. Other than it being imposing and detracting from the feeling of camping, the only thing I found objectionable was more frequent loud sirens of ambulances arriving. On the other end of the campground, there are nine lettered sites (A-I) that are larger but are on a grassy area with no driveways or defined separation. These sites (as well as 18,19, 20, 22) are close to the wastewater treatment plant. When I walked by, I did not notice any offending odor, but other reviewers have said they did. I did, however, hear a humming noise emanating from the plant. By luck of the draw, the site NEXT to ours (51) flooded significantly with heavy rains overnight. Ours did not puddle up too badly.
Bathhouse: Was generally clean considering it is part of a public-use city park. Rarely did I see anyone in there as most of the campers were in RVs and on our second day, it rained so no one was at the beach. The showers were warm with somewhat wimpy but adequate water pressure. They were on the small side, however, and are only available to campers with a code to access (although there was one shower in the restroom that could be used by all).
Activities/Amenities: There is a centrally located playground. Easy access to the bike trail, however, it was closed just south of the campground due to erosion (north is not a problem and a short walk into the town of Petoskey). WiFi is available and you are given the access code upon check-in, although I did not use it so cannot comment on how reliable it was.
Our first thought upon arrival was “yikes, why in the world did we decide to stay here?!” but the proximity to the town of Petoskey (less than a mile walk), and views of Lake Michigan outweigh some of the negatives.
Guide
This is a cute little campground located in Central Lake. Many of the water sites are very close together, but it offers you access to the lake for fishing, paddling and more. There is a little creek that runs through and the playground for kids is actually next to the campground. There is a boat launch conveniently located next to the campground. Bathrooms are decent. Walking distance from a cute little northern Michigan town. Look at the campground map online because there are more sites up on the hill. It’s a very quiet campground.
ScoutThis campground is exactly as it’s named; right on Lake Michigan.
While it is directly off of US-2 and road traffic is noticeable and slightly distracting while sleeping, it’s a perfect spot to set up camp for a day or two!
We reaeved a site on the road side of the grounds but after further exploration, a lake-side site is a must. Most had pathways to the beach, just a short walk to the water from the actual site.
Camp sites each had a fire ring and picnic table and rustic pit toilets were pretty well spaced out through the entire campground.
Would recommend if you’re just looking for a spot for some swimming! Bring earplugs for the trucks and traffic at night.
*** Newberry bear ranch is about 45 mins away and absolutely worth thr drive/money.
TravelerWe decided to stay 5 days here after our original plan fell through. It’s a smaller secluded campground with larger sites. We arrived in the middle of the week so there were a variety of sites available. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. Be prepared to bring enough firewood and supplies as many of the shops nearby close early.
Pros: Little Brevort lake is a great spot for stargazing with good visibility and shooting stars. Large sites, close to Lake Michigan, quiet, secluded, great views, shaded sites, inexpensive, opportunity to listen to native wildlife.
Cons: Sites can be close together but not clustered. Bathrooms are stocked by DNR but were FULL of flies. No individual trash cans, dumpster only. We made the mistake of buying cheap trash bags that ripped on the way to the dumpster.
Ranger
This was a really awesome campground we found kind of last minute when things didn’t work out at the other place we were trying to camp, and we were not upset about it at all. We actually we’re happy our plans fell through, because the site was better than the one we were trying to get at another park. You can’t beat $15 a night, each rustic site is fairly secluded with privacy, and you’re right by Michigan’s only area to view free roaming wild elk! We went and tried, but unfortunately didn’t see any elk. I think it was mostly due to my 7 and 10 year old talking too much, and being too loud, but we’re just glad they enjoy the hike! We’d camp here again, and we recommend it to you, too! You’re also within striking distance of the Call of the Wild museum in Gaylord, which I high recommend, as well!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Carp Lake, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Carp Lake, MI is Mackinaw City / Mackinac Island KOA with a 4.6-star rating from 23 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Carp Lake, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 31 glamping camping locations near Carp Lake, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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