Best Campgrounds near Chelsea, MI

So I checked in today to stay for a week and noticed that there is no one here. I must have ended up at the wrong campground, because I usually camp around other nomadic campers and I was having bad anxiety being the only person there.  The people run this decided to play games with me.

First I told them i am leaving and they had the audacity to try and say they will charge me 30 bucks for plugging my wifi in so I can text my friend with my phone since it only runs off wifi and an argument ensued.

They suggested I use their office wifi.

I walked up to it after I unplugged my damn wifi trying to text my friend, there was no password on their office window. It wasnt free. So i walked back to my camper, plugged my wifi back in, texted the idiot who runs the place demanding the password so i can text my friend and they didnt respond, so its like they were trying to entrap me into paying them 30 bucks just for using my wifi. I told them there will be a problem. So I got in touch with my friend, my friend arrives and I made sure they gave me my full refund back. I was gonna lose it if they kept trying to interfere with me trying to reach my friend.

I do not recommend this campground. It is more like a storage unit for campers. 

Still trying to find where all the nomadic people are camping right now.

What an absolute gem of a state park. Almost every site is private, with a few exceptions. Nice trails, well built picnic tables, and huge fire pits. Overall a fantastic experience.

This campground used to be all about family and friends.  Camping friends that became family.  40+ years camping there, generation after generation.  So many wonderful people.  But the new owner has changed that camping experience for a lot of people.  Seasonals and reoccurring weekenders.  In fact over the last 2 years he has lost over 40+ seasonal families.  Many who have been there 10,20 even 30yrs.  He has done some much needed improvements but for what he is trying to charge people it’s ridiculous.  Believe all the bad reviews.  And the good reviews, well he pays for those by offering discounts for good reviews or free Wibit passes. The so called lake that he advertises is a nasty little pond that I’m sure is swimming with ecoli .  , the Wibit is small and priced outrageously at more than $35 on most days and is riddled with holes and barely filled with air in most days. Which also makes it dangerous.  The store does not have much to offer and what they do have is priced ridiculous.  There is one bathhouse and a couple nasty outhouses.  The owner also lies so much and thinks everyone else are fools.  He doesn’t live in MI so you won’t ever see him either.  Spend your money somewhere else.  For what he is charging it is not worth it.

We camped at Way Back campground llc in Michigan for three seasons, initially building strong friendships with the owners and their grandchildren. Our kids would eagerly await our weekly arrivals during the summers, often chatting and playing video games during the off-season. The campground initially offered family-friendly activities like hayrides and crafts.. these dwindled to events that included only our children and the owners' grandchildren, often overshadowed by drunken behavior unsuitable for kids. By the second season, that sense of community soured when the owners' friends/family began uninvited weekend parties on our campsite. Groups would show up, using our firewood and partying late into the night while our kids struggled to sleep, often leaving only after we became assertive and telling them to leave so we could go to bed. This disregard for our family's needs, compounded by other unsettling issues made it clearly evident that Way Back is not a family friendly campground. Our campsite being littered with debris from a previous burned, condemned camper on our lot, promises of cleanup that went unfulfilled for 3 seasons. Obscene drunken adult behaviors in front of children that went unaddressed, only created a growing sense of disappointment. We also faced safety concerns, such as homeless individuals using drugs and living in the campgrounds. Convicted sexual offenders and known drug addicts in the park. Hostile fighting and commotion usually provoked by and instigated by the owners. A lingering presence of inappropriate adults around children at the park. Despite our initial rapport and giving the owners multiple chances to make improvements, issues only escalated, leading us to strongly advise against this campground. (Photos from last day. The glass and Debris has been collected like that every weekend for the last 3 years)

This park will accommodate any size travel trailer? Fifth wheel camper of any kind, the pull throughs are huge. The park is enormous with lots of fishing activities. Great water, the only downfall is there's no shade. Showers and restrooms are updated and always clean.

We paid 500.00 for 5 days. At first our sights were so unleveled that we had to go In And request a site change. Looked to rent the bikes as pictured, NOPE they were toddle trikes.. very deceiving! First day kids were in the pool, looked a little dirty. 2nd day , 90 degree weather the

Pool was green! We spoke with staff and they said they were working on it. They were putting little bags of shock in.. REALLY!  The pool ended up closing stating it was related to the weather!!! Rain 3 days prior! No refund offered, site dirty, grass not mowed, dirty unkept campers in the campground, no trash pick up! NEVER EVER AGAIN! Took a ride to other nearby sites… cost less, clean, offered more activities for kid.

Stayed 5 days. Had a FHU site, of which there's a lot here. That all worked fine. Almost no trees here. None of the usual painted lines on the pavement to indicate your site boundaries, which sucks. You have to guess, and hope your neighbor doesn't spread out.

Nothing seems enforced here, and I mean nothing. Rarely saw anyone patrolling the park, never saw any staff checking sites before the next camper came in. My site had dog droppings and cigarette butts in the firepit. Neighbors had FOUR vehicles on site, two more than the rules. Witnessed endless speeding and people going the wrong way on the roads. Without exaggerating, 80% of the cars were going too fast, 75% going the wrong way. No one seems to care or enforces anything. I think the supervisor here should be fired or retrained. I camp in 4 to 8 MI state parks per summer, this is the only one where it felt like no one cares.

They need some "wrong way" signs and "speed limit 10" signs. (15 is too high, cause 15 means 20 to people, 10 means 15... ). Then they need to care.

At least the bathrooms were clean.

You can get TV from Detroit or Toledo, and T-Mobile service was ok.

Groceries and many dining options not far off.

We're 50/50 on staying here ever again.

Great out of the way campground. It was nice and quiet. Bathrooms were clean and well kept. The gentleman that checked us in moved things around so we could all be together not on different sites well away frome each other. Would definitely go there again.

Highly recommend Wilderness State Park Campground on the north western point of lower Michigan! It’s amazing to see the sunset and the sunrise from the same spot and the Mackinaw Bridge! there’s a small dog Beech because of the plover population, but it’s sufficient. trails are amazing. Make sure to have lots of bug spray. Recommend stain closer to the beach rather than the pines. The pines tend to have more mosquitoes in my opinion.

This was our 1st ever camping trip and it was a delight. Pull thru spot, super easy to get to, full hookup. Spots had plenty of room, some had grass others had concrete. Quiet, very chill RV park, small beach on a pond for fishing playground for kids and plenty of room for our small dog. Linda (owner) was amazing, very helpful and easy to use venmo for payment and for firewood use. Overall a great experience , would definitely visit again. Plenty to do around town, lakes everywhere just have to choose which one to go to.

Thank you to EVERYONE who takes time to REVIEW! ….WHEW!! This year seems every place is FULL or Closed for repairs or High polluted numbers. many are struggling finding someplace to go, and People do READ REVIEWS, and this “ OLD HAG”

Really needs a class in “ consumer relations “ I have been in retail for 30 plus years and THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT, there is NO. “ what did you do to deserve to be treated THAT way? GOOD LUCK finding a NEW JOB when you don’t have one because THIS joint gets shut down do ton Bankruptcy….. hahahaha… you may think you’re smart NOW, but when you get served a dose of you’re OWN medicine out in the REAL WORLD.. well, I’d  give anything to see that…

Making people’s lives miserable who just want to have a good time? How fucking miserable are YOU?

First off I can’t even give it a zero star!!! But was going here for 5 years and definitely will be the Last!! Seems office has new rules now you can’t roll your 12 by 15 carpet mats out NOMORE but a 3 by 5 mat!! Who wants that little shit if you have furbabies coming in and out of your camper? Just a lot more dirt on your inside space!!Abssolety NO SERVICE!! You gotta stand in one spot just to hold a conversation on you phone!! No WiFi to check your Home ring camera!! No WiFi even if you try and USE YOUR OWN HOT SPOT!! So not even a fire stick 😩Most off lady in the office very unprofessional!! Ask her for a discount and she got the nerve to say I DONT GOT TIME FIR THIS!!! Excuse me miss grouchy, costumers are always to be satisfied!!! You got time to take our $$$$ at least have a POSITIVE ADDITUDE !!!! This probably why your campground was so EMPTY This year but best luck to you in the future!!! NEVER AGAIN!!