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Dog-Friendly Camping near Champion, MI

60 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.

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    Van Riper State Park Campground accommodates dogs throughout its 147 modern and 40 rustic sites, where pets must be leashed and attended at all times. Both campground sections provide tent, RV, and cabin options with spacious sites that allow room for pets to relax without disturbing neighbors. The park's beach area does not permit dogs, though numerous trails on the north side of the park welcome leashed pets for hiking and exploration. Families with dogs particularly appreciate the large sites that offer enough space for pet gear alongside camping equipment. Campers note that park staff strictly enforce pet policies, including the rule that dogs cannot be left unattended at campsites.

    Craig Lake State Park and Michigamme Shores both welcome pets at their campgrounds while offering contrasting experiences for campers with dogs. Craig Lake's remote setting provides wilderness trails ideal for leashed dogs who enjoy hiking, though facilities are minimal with vault toilets and no showers. The sites are clean and spacious enough for pets to settle comfortably without crowding neighboring campers. Michigamme Shores features more amenities including showers and electric hookups for RV campers with pets. Several hiking trails connect to the campgrounds, allowing morning dog walks with lake views. During summer months, early morning and evening walks are recommended due to mosquitoes and flies that can bother both humans and pets. Campers should pack plenty of waste bags as some areas have limited disposal facilities.

    Best Dog-Friendly Campgrounds near Champion (60)

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      1. Van Riper State Park Campground

      4.3(28)1mi from ChampionRVs, Tents, Cabins

      "Dogs are not allowed on the beach but also cannot be left unattended in your site. The rules are heavily enforced in this park."

      "We took a week long trip and toured Michigan. We spent 2 nights at Van Riper, the other campers were nice, the playset was large, and the beach was nice."

      from $20 - $34 / night

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      2. Michigamme Shores Campground

      4.2(6)2mi from ChampionRVs, Tents, Cabins, Glamping

      "My family and I took a 3 week vacation to visit Michigan. We stayed at a few different campgrounds, and did lots of hiking."

      "Beautiful lake, great swimming area, secure, full hook ups. Very helpful we came in late night- they left reservation info in the mail box for us."

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      3. Country Village RV Park

      3.9(8)14mi from ChampionRVs, Tents, Cabins

      "It is located off US-41 which is a major Upper Peninsula thoroughfare but set back about ½ miles so you don’t get road noise but it is still convenient.  "

      "This is our 2nd time staying & both were because of its convenience to ‘civilization’ not to get away from it."

      from $35 - $51 / night

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      4. Moose Rapids Campground

      5.0(2)7mi from ChampionRVs, Tents

      "Best campground I’ve been too near the Marquette area! The porta potty’s were super clean!"

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      5. Beaufort Lake State Forest Campground

      3.2(5)11mi from ChampionRVs, Tents

      "What you would expect of a Michigan SF campground: vault toilets, no hookups, hand pump, no reservations, $20/night. The outhouses are new and the sites are right on Beaufort Lake."

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      6. Craig Lake State Park Campground

      5.0(3)12mi from ChampionTents, Cabins, Glamping

      "Access is from 41 turn on the gravel road outside Michigamme coming from the East."

      "This is my absolute favorite place to camp, hike, kayak, fish, and just get away from it all."

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      7. Rippling Rivers RV Resort

      4.4(21)26mi from ChampionRVs, Tents, Cabins

      "Rippling River is a really nice campground, very close to downtown Marquette and right in/on a huge mountain bike park."

      "Nice new place, located next to bike trails, orv trails, and the ski hill. Good location."

      from $40 - $50 / night

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      8. Marquette Tourist Park Campground

      4.1(24)27mi from ChampionRVs, Tents

      "Stayed on our drive from Mackinac to see the pictured rocks lake shore. The campground is surrounded by 18 miles of trails. No camp store, but a convenience store is a quarter mile away."

      "This campground is in Marquette, near Northern Michigan University. But once you're camped there, you won't feel like you're in one of the largest cities in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. "

      from $20 - $40 / night

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      9. Perkins Park & Campground

      4.2(12)23mi from ChampionRVs, Tents, Cabins, Glamping

      "It’s a County Park in Big Bay on beautiful Lake Independence. They have full hook up sites to primitive sites."

      "Laundry facility is outside the camp (private) but worth noting. Close to Lake Superior, just off of the Circle Tour. Marquette is within 30 min."

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      10. King Lake State Forest Campground

      4.6(7)21mi from ChampionRVs, Tents

      "They seem to fill up because it is fairly close to Canyon Falls. We had just come straight from the falls and talked to some campers who were going the next day. The lake was very quiet a peaceful."

      "Arrived around 5 pm on a Tuesday and there were two sites left. We got site 6 which has a good view of the lake, with site 5 in between. We brought a camper trailer but everyone else was renting."

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    Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Champion, MI

    24 Photos of 60 Champion Campgrounds

    Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Champion, MI

    349 Reviews of 60 Champion Campgrounds

    • Kim E.
      Aug. 13, 2024

      L'Anse Township Park & Campground

      Peaceful getaway for us and the dogs.

      We come up every year for the meteor shower, and every stay is a great one. New shower rooms, and huge dog park are awesome!

    • Debra R.
      Jun. 29, 2020

      L'Anse Township Park & Campground

      Hidden Gem

      Beautiful & clean. Great site overlooking Lake Superior. Need to walk over highway to get to water. Very orderly and great Park Manager. Family & pet friendly with awesome playground.

    • L
      Oct. 4, 2022

      Rivers Bend Campground

      Happy Camper

      We enjoyed our stay very much. Pretty campground, extremely friendly and helpful staff, nice neighbors all around. The shower area could use some updating, but was fairly clean. It is a dog friendly place and for the most part they were well behaved pets. We planned on staying four nights and are staying six instead. Taking advantage of the last nice days of the season. I would highly recommend trying this park.

    • Nancy W.The Dyrt PRO User
      Oct. 24, 2017

      Country Village RV Park

      Nice Place to Stay

      This park is located about 15 minutes from the town of Marquette and is a great alternative if you can’t get a site in the Marquette Tourist Park (which is closer to town and very popular in the summer). It is located off US-41 which is a major Upper Peninsula thoroughfare but set back about ½ miles so you don’t get road noise but it is still convenient.  The campground is located behind (and within walking distance of) a shopping area that has a meat market, grocery, gas station, movie theater, bowling alley, a few restaurants and a brewery (which has good, inexpensive beer and food). It is also located next to an RV dealer/service center/camp store which is convenient if you need anything. Nearby are some interesting museums including the National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and the Michigan Iron Museum.  You are only about 20 minutes from the town of Marquette which is worth a visit. 

      The park and facilities are well-maintained. The restrooms were super clean as was the pool and all the grounds. The people in the office were super nice in helping us pick a site and with information about the area. The park has over 105 RV sites with varying services and some being held by seasonal people. There are lots of amenities (which we did not use) including swimming pool, hot tub, playground, basketball courts, and more. The pool was super crowded and noisy so if you don’t want to hear kids screaming, stay away from sites close to the pool. The park does not take online reservations so you must call them directly. 

      We were assigned site #104 but could tell our motorhome was not going to get level in the site so we had to straddle the site and park partly in the adjacent grassy area. Luckily, the ground was dry to we didn’t make any deep ruts. Our site did have a nice shade tree on the patio which was welcomed because of the hot weather. The WiFi never worked at our site. We were able to get a clear view of the sky for our satellite television.

    • S
      Jul. 21, 2021

      Van Riper State Park Campground

      Van Riper State Park

      We stayed at Van Riper State Park three times during June and July. The park is always clean and well-maintained. The bathrooms and showers and generally always nicely maintained as well, and there are plenty of both. The bathrooms do tend to run out of soap and toilet paper at busy times. Dogs are not allowed on the beach but also cannot be left unattended in your site. The rules are heavily enforced in this park. Park staff will ask you to move vehicles if you have more than two, and you will be asked to turn music completely off upon quiet hours. This is not the place to go if you want to party.

      Sites 15 and 17, as well as several other sites along that side of that loop, now have a wooden fence at the back of them, so they are not as large as they appear in the photos online.

      We have stayed in sites 14, 90 and 93. We travel with a 34’ trailer.

      Site 14 is narrow but manageable. It is well-shaded by large pine trees on the site. Site is entirely dirt. There are trees to hang hammocks or clotheslines in.

      Site 90 is on a corner by the propane tanks. It is a large site. It does have some roots and low spots. It is partial grass. It has nice shade and is adjacent to the bathrooms. There are trees to hang hammocks or clotheslines.

      Site 93 is a large site that backs up to a small grass/tree buffer. It is across the road from the bathrooms. It has nice shade. There is a place to hang a clothesline but not hammocks.

      Pros: Clean, well-maintained park

      Quiet

      Lots of playground equipment

      Bike/scooter pump track

      Excellent beach area

      Lots of green space

      Hiking trails

      Wood and ice available for purchase at the entrance

      Laundry is available; one washer and two dryers

      Very kid and pet friendly

      Cons: Park website has out of date information, specifically that there is no longer a store on the beach, nor are there kayaks/SUPs to rent

      The Water Warrior Island is no longer in the lake

      There are very few sites with buffers between

      It is sort of far to the beach and laundry from the modern campsites

      No non-reservable sites available

    • Jessica P.
      Aug. 14, 2022

      Country Village RV Park

      A nice in town campground

      Our dd was excited that she could see the McDonald’s golden arches from our site! The campground is clean & well maintained. It was easy for us to park our 35 ft trailer because the sites are large & level, but also because there weren’t any trees along the campground roads. Our kids loved that there is a pool, hot tub & bouncy pillow! This is our 2nd time staying & both were because of its convenience to ‘civilization’ not to get away from it. This time we took the opportunity to enjoy the afternoon shopping in Marquette before heading to the eastern UP the next day for a week’s stay there. It is located in town, near a Camping World & just behind some restaurants, shops, a brewpub & a hotel, but the other sides of the campground are surrounded by trees/forest because it is the UP. A great campground if you want to explore the area’s history or natural beauty, shop in Marquette or if you are checking out Northern Michigan University’s campus (about 20 minutes away). Most sites are full hookup, they also have rustic cabins & a dog play area. I’m sure we will stay here again, as it’s a short trip for us, the kids love the amenities & I’d like to explore the area for more than our usual day trips.

    • Rino S.
      Aug. 5, 2021

      Marquette Tourist Park Campground

      Endless bike trails

      Stayed on our drive from Mackinac to see the pictured rocks lake shore. The campground is surrounded by 18 miles of trails. No camp store, but a convenience store is a quarter mile away. Northern Michigan university is at the door step as well. Lake superior is 1 mile away. We biked there and fished at the campground beach. Lots of Brook trout there.

    • Amie L.
      Feb. 6, 2020

      Rippling Rivers RV Resort

      An Okay Place for Modern Camping

      Rippling Rivers Resort is new addition to an area that lacked a decent campground.

      Amenities include bathhouses and shows (which have code locks on them), shared water access, picnic tables, fire pits, campstore with bar, and access to an outdoor pool and hot tub.

      We stayed at one of the walk-in tent sites and also had the pleasure of enjoying the Carp River. The river was about 10 fee away from our site.

      The staff is extremely friendly, to both people and dogs. I was very impressed with how dog friendly this location is. Even the other campers were respectful of each other.

      Our tent location was entirely shaded and made it feel as though we were camping in a forest. 

      The downsides. The tent sites were too small and not level. We had a very hard time finding a place to put our tent.  The sites were also very close together. Our neighbors were backed right up to use. 

      As mentioned above, the shower/bathhouse requires a code to access it. It was kind of weird. And made it a challenge if you had to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. 

      Parking was very limited. Not a problem if you have only one vehicle, but we had two. One of us had to park on the other side of the campground, which became an inconvenience.

    • S
      Jul. 22, 2021

      Bewabic State Park Campground

      Bewabic State Park

      We stayed at Bewabic State Park in a 34’ trailer. We stayed in site 61 which is a narrow site at the bottom of a small hill and on a corner, which made backing in tricky. The site was very nice and had buffers all around, with only a neighbor to one side. We chose 61 because on the map it appeared close to the bathrooms and park. It is close, but only if you walk through a fairly grown in path. The only park we saw consisted of a swing set and a slide. Loops A and B have some hills and tight corners, making them more convenient for tents or smaller trailers. Loop C would be best for larger units. The park has many C-shaped pull-through sites.

      It is a fair distance to the beach from the campsites, and most people seemed to drive there, as the road is decently hilly. The beach was very small, with a large grassy hill behind it. The hill was unfortunately COVERED in goose poop, which was disgusting. You cannot have dogs on this beach, but the Canada gooses sure are allowed. The bottom of the lake was kind of slimy in places. We did not get cell service at our campsite. You could get sparse service at the bathrooms at the start of loops A and B, or at the entry.

    Guide to Champion

    Van Riper State Park Campground spans 147 modern and 40 rustic sites near Champion, Michigan, located along the shores of Lake Michigamme at an elevation of 1,565 feet. The park features two different camping sections with varying amenities to accommodate different camping preferences. Water activities are popular during summer months when temperatures typically range from 65-75°F.

    What to do

    Hiking and biking trails: At Van Riper State Park Campground, visitors can access trails directly from their sites. "There is great canoeing, kayaking, and some decent hiking trails," notes Richard H., who enjoyed tent camping at the park despite most sites being designed for RVs with hookups.

    Water recreation: The park provides numerous water-based activities during summer. "The park offers areas for boating, kayaking, and jet skiing, and fishing," shares Nona A., adding that kayak rentals are reasonably priced at "$10 for a 2 hour kayak rental." Visitors can also enjoy the inflatable water feature at the beach area.

    Wildlife viewing: The surrounding forests and lakes provide opportunities for wildlife observation. According to Tracie S., campers should "ask the rangers where to go to look for moose," as the area is home to various wildlife species unique to Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

    What campers like

    Waterfront activities: Perkins Park & Campground offers excellent lake access and water recreation. "A nice swimming beach, and great fishing," Rebecca B. comments about the park's facilities on Lake Independence, which provides a peaceful alternative to busier locations.

    Winter camping options: Some area campgrounds remain open year-round for winter recreation. According to one camper at Craig Lake State Park Campground, the park is "my absolute favorite place to camp, hike, kayak, fish, and just get away from it all," with Jeff P. noting the availability of "2 rustic cabins and 2 yurts for rent" that make excellent winter accommodations.

    Clean facilities: Campgrounds in the area generally maintain well-kept facilities. At Country Village RV Park, Pete D. reports "bathroom and showers are super clean. Plenty of hot water," which is especially important for families and longer-term campers needing reliable facilities.

    What you should know

    Site selection considerations: Different campgrounds offer varying levels of privacy. "Sites are very open and non private" at Van Riper, while at King Lake State Forest Campground, David B. found it "nice and quiet" with sights that "are all easily accessible and kept clean and in good condition."

    Reservation requirements: Many campgrounds require advance booking during peak season. As Shari G. notes about Perkins Park, "This is a reservation only type of place (with a $3 nominal fee), but the website allows you to book for the same day, and there is decent cell service at the campground."

    Seasonal considerations: Camping in Michigan's Upper Peninsula varies significantly by season. Worth hauling water," Andrea B. notes about Van Riper, adding that while "a floating course was available this summer but remember it is the UP plan on cooler weather."

    Tips for camping with families

    Kid-friendly amenities: Several campgrounds offer features specifically for children. At Marquette Tourist Park Campground, families appreciate that "there is a beach with what looked like a swimming area" and "a somewhat dated playground," according to Lee D.

    Camping activities: Families can find plenty of organized and informal activities. Ashley L. shares that Van Riper worked well for special occasions: "Had my son's 6th birthday party here. We were able to grill our food at our camp site then brought it over closer to the beach where we set up in the grassy area."

    Beach access: Several dog friendly campgrounds near Champion offer sandy beaches suitable for children. Jenny G. notes that at Van Riper, "My kids made some of their best memories ever camping here... Swam and paddled on Lake Michigamme for hours. Huge beach with volleyball net."

    Tips from RVers

    Hookup options: Michigamme Shores Campground provides full hookup sites for RVs. Randall J. describes it as "right off the highway with full hook-up available and a great roadside bbq joint on site," making it convenient for travelers with larger rigs.

    Site levelness: RVers should check site specifications when booking. Nancy W. describes one experience: "We were assigned site #104 but could tell our motorhome was not going to get level in the site so we had to straddle the site and park partly in the adjacent grassy area."

    Seasonal closures: Many campgrounds have limited seasons. Michigamme Shores operates from "May to Oct 15," while Country Village RV Park is available from "May 15 to October 15," requiring RVers to plan accordingly for Upper Peninsula camping trips.

    Frequently Asked Questions

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

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Champion, MI is Van Riper State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 28 reviews.

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