Best Glamping near Chatham, MI

Campground Review: Indian Lake State Park, South Shore, has become my favorite State Park in Michigan! This was my first visit, and I'm in love. Great location, well maintained. 5 minutes from Kitchitikipi, or the Big Springs, 5 minutes from Lake Michigan. Lovely lakeside spacious sites.

Gear Review: La Siesta Travel Hammock- very cool, compact hammock! My first ever hammock/hammock experience, and it was a huge success! Easy up, easy down, the rigging was easy and simple to figure out. Tips and hints about where to locate your hammock, hammock angling, etc. would be appreciated in the instructions. Overal a great product though.

unable to find a site at Pictured Rocks we were directed to this state forest campground. it was our first stay at a SF campground in Michigan and since we have sought them out and stayed in many. gorgeous lake surrounded by dense forest. sites are secluded, some are on the lake. perfect place if you’re looking to get away from it all. we were there in September after labor day only one other site was occupied.

Super popular first come, first served campground. We checked out all the sites online (there are even pictures of each site!) and had planned which ones were favorites. Sites are all near the beach or amongst the dunes. Sites were large and some shaded but not super secluded, but the views and ambiance made it a favorite camping trip. The drawback, as in many Upper Michigan campgrounds and parks, were black (biting) flies :( So try to plan your trip before they are too bad!

Set up your tent on the sands of Lake Superior and take in the view. That makes this the most amazing campground in Michigan. Period. The views are magnificent. We were able to cook dinner over the fire while watching some of the finest sunsets in Pictured Rocks. The vault toilets are surprisingly clean and there is drinking water available. There are also bear proof bins available for hikers who might not have a vehicle.

The downside is the secret about this place has gotten out and the 36 sites pretty much stay filled all year round. It's a first come, first serve campground.

Twelvemile Beach sits along a foredune of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, an intensely remote stretch of shoreline with Grand Marais to the east and the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to the west.

As you pull in, you find the entrance road winds through a white birch forest. I've been to Twelvemile in the spring, summer and autumn and find the forest enchanting with every season. The road takes an abrupt left turn and runs parallel to the Lake, unseen until now. This begins the loop that is Twelvemile Beach Campground.

There are pros and cons to both lakeside sites ($16/night) and the wooded sites ($14/night) across the road. Bugs, wind, and the freshwater gales ol' Gitche Gumee likes to toss up should all be taken into account when choosing a site, but it's safe to say that a lakeside site is always preferred in my book. They run along the dune ridge with sweeping views of Lake Superior and the constant breeze helps keeps bugs at bay (usually).

Sites are generous in size and quite private, especially if you visit in spring and autumn. Access to the beach is plentiful and the North Country Trail actually cuts straight through the campground. Poison ivy has never been an issue for me here. Sites are first come, first served.

If you're visiting during the summer season, get there early and catch sites in the morning as people leave. It sounds extreme but it's well worth the effort (you'll thank me when you're swinging in your hammock as the poor souls who arrive in the afternoon drive through, again and again, hoping for an opening.) I can't recommend Twelvemile Beach enough. Getting there is a journey, but the destination will become one of your favorite places on earth.

When we pulled into this campground we couldn’t believe how empty it was. Compared to all the other campgrounds we had been to in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and seeing as it was still the busy summer camping season we were shocked. We were wondering what was “wrong” but nothing really surfaced. It could just have been that we were there during the week and the weekend rush hadn’t come yet. 

There are 96 campsites that sit on 74 acres so there was plenty of room for us to walk our dog and not feel like we were going in circles. Campsites are the usual mix of pull thrus and back-ins, rustic tent and water/electric. None of the sites have sewer but some have 20/30/50 amp electric with water and others are rustic tent sites. The electric and water sites long enough for any size RV but leveling may be difficult in some of the sites (which are grass). Picnic tables and fire pits accompany every sites. Some sites have their fire pits located at the back of the sites which makes for a big line of fire pits which was kind of weird. There are some large pine trees that provide some shade but this is not a wooded campground by any means. 

For a county-run park there are plenty of amenities including WiFi which was slow and depends on where you are located in the park.  The showers and flush toilets were clean but a little on the old side. A store sells ice, firewood, soda, snacks and ice cream. There is a really nice picnic pavilion that would be great if you had a lot of people in your group. It is covered with a “kitchen” area and lots of picnic tables. Since the park is on the Escanaba River there is a boat launch (albeit not really suitable for large boats with deep draft) and you can fish from the bank. Disco golf fans will love the 27-hole course that winds through the woods and property. For the kids, a playground area is large with lots of things for them to climb and play on. 

The park is located off HWY 2 so access is easy but there is a bit of road noise. Plus, when we visited there was road construction going on that produced traffic backups and more noise. But the real problem is the train tracks that runs alongside the campground and seemed busy 24/7. It is not so bad in the front of the park but back where the tent section is must be pretty bad if you are in a tent.

I snagged a spot here for my work week and for opportunities to explore Pictured Rocks.

The staff and other campers were super friendly and I loved enjoying a nice hot shower every evening.

They had ice and firewood available, a small beach and dock for launching or tying up boats, and lots of yard games for the kids.

There were also a couple nice public boat launches for the Au Train River right down the street!

We really enjoyed our stay at Superior Times. The campground is on Au Train Lake and the campground offers jet skis, boats, and kayaks for rent. They were in the midst of grading the area leading down to the Lake so it was pretty dirty/dusty in that section; however,once that is done it will be really nice. The shower/bathrooms were very small but worked out fine.

We enjoyed our time at Superior Times. The owners are working to improve the resort and keep guests happy and have made several updates. We stayed in a cabin with a newly remodeled bathroom, which was very nice. The beds were comfortable and the bedding was nice too. 

Kids fished, rode Sea Doos - rented them for $60/hour, played basketball, and had a great time. We sat around our own firepit and had a chance to unwind and relax.  We will be back in the early fall to see the colors change. 

Great location to the Au Train falls and other waterfalls as well as Pictured Rocks.

4 spots with fire rings and tables. One larger spot with nothing.

You can drive to the sites, but not much room for a car and camping gear. Camper trucks, vans and RTTs would work.

No cell signal.

Couple of miles off main road and no cell service. Not marked with camp signage until you get there.

Road is washboard but not difficult.

Port a potty.

Lake, boat ramp and hiking trails close by.

Looks very lightly used.

Upon arrival we thought this might be a cramped campground, but that was not the case. Despite being in a spot right at the intersection of the only two roads through the site, we found this to be a relaxed and tranquil site. The name suggests otherwise, but the amount of RVs, at least the weekend we were there, was far lower than the amount of tent campers (a rarity for those of us who prefer to actually camp). Ever site has stunning views of the water, though the low ground level did allow some minor flooding on our site after a squall ripped through. On that note, make sure your tent is staked VERY firmly, we lost one of our tents to a storm that rolled through off of Superior while we were out hiking!

The staff is very friendly and accommodating, the bathrooms were clean, and the site and beach were pristine. The beach is a HUGE draw for this site, running just off the main road and close to town we were shocked at how remote and untouched it felt. We had stunning sunset views every night, even when a creepy mist rolled through the site (see pictures).

There is super easy access to Marquette's dining and hiking - we were able to get out and hike Hogsback. Even easier access to hiking in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, which was the point of our trip.

I can also highly recommend not only the Pictured Rocks boat tours, but the shipwreck tours. Because of the cold water most wrecks are very well preserved.

All in all this campsite has tons to offer, not only in the site itself but in location. (One lost star simply because our fire pit was flooded out so easily)

Booked this trip with the sole purpose of kayaking the Pictured Rocks National Park. Camp site was great, had a great walk in site which was right in the beach of Lake Superior.

The facilities of the campground were great. The shower and bathroom facilities were clean, and easily accessible. Drinking water was readily available, as was fire wood for purchase.

Overall a great location and experience.

Hands down the people that work here are wonderful. They bring you right to your site and help you back in. They even loaned me an extra power cord and helped hold up my awning when I put it up.

It’s a lovely quiet waterfront and easily accessible. Wish we would have snagged a site with a view but the public access points are just fine.

Cons - not much shade or privacy. Playground is falling apart (slide and swings)

Stayed in a rustic tent spot. Short walk to your site from where you can park. Rustic tent spots are mostly sand right on the beach. We experienced quite some rain one of our nights. We had a tarp set up but it collected a lot of water. Nice clean campground. Wish we had been more prepared for weather.

This is a nice spacious campsite. The sites have plenty of room s for multiple cars to park. The view of Lake Superior is fantastic in the evening. Hot showers with plenty of shower rooms were nice too

This place is very clean and a lot of spots, some big some Not. It’s very beautiful there!