Best Tent Camping near Eastport, MI
Looking for the best Eastport tent camping? Find the best tent camping sites near Eastport. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Michigan tent camping excursion.
Looking for the best Eastport tent camping? Find the best tent camping sites near Eastport. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Michigan tent camping excursion.
We host a rural very private camping spot with 3 camp sites, perfect for tent camping. And pet, firearms and cannabis friendly. Camp on a state national resident private hemp farm.
$25 - $35 / 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
$15 / night
There are 10 campsites on Power/Bassett Island. These sites are not assigned, they are 1st come, 1st serve. Please use the fire pit area that is established on the site. Each site has it's own picnic table, cooking grill and campfire circle. There are maintained restrooms servicing the island.
Power Island - Bassett Island Fun Facts
Power Island is approximately 200 acres with over 3 miles of waterfront and over 5 miles of hiking trails
Bassett Island is connected to Power Island via isthmus.
Power Island has 5 rustic campsites.
Bassett Island is 1 acre in size with 5 rustic campsites.
It's a 6.5 mile boat ride from clinch Park Marina and 3.5 mile boat ride from Bower's Harbor Marina.
Power Island and Bassett Island are dedicated as quiet, nature preserves.
South Manitou Group Campground is a tent-only backcountry facility on South Manitou Island in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan. Campers must take a 1.5-hour Manitou Island Transit Ferry trip or boat ride to reach it, and must backpack their gear into the campground from the dock. **Booking for individual sites on South Manitou Island are made on a first come/first served basis directly through Manitou Island Transit .**This facility is comprised of three reservable group sites at Bay Campground and three others at Weather Station Campground. Each site is open to groups of nine to 20 people only. Smaller parties must plan to occupy multiple first-come, first-served individual sites at Popple, Bay or Weather Station Campgrounds on the island. Bay is the closest campground to the dock (less than a mile/1.6 km) and a short walk from the beach. Weather Station overlooks Lake Michigan from the bluffs on the south side of the island; the hike from the ferry is about 1.3 miles (2 km). If group sites are full, your group may be able to split up into multiple individual campsites. Be sure to book reservations on the Manitou Island Transit website or call (231) 256-9061 for transportation to the island. Or contact Sleeping Bear Dunes for more information at (231) 326-4700 ext 5010.Summer temperatures range from the upper 70s to 90 degrees F (25 to 32 C) during the day, and from the 50s to 70 degrees F (10 to 25 C) at night. Winters are cold, with daytime highs from 20 to 30 F (-7 to -1 C) and lows in the 10s and 20s F (-12 to -7 C). Snow is usually on the ground from late November through March.
There is no shortage of activities on South Manitou Island. Visitors can hike around the 10-mile perimeter of the island via pebble beaches, take a tour of the South Manitou Island Lighthouse during summer months, view the 1960 shipwreck of the Francisco Morazanon or go on a motorized tour to learn the history of the island. Visitors can also hike day-long excursions to unique sand dune formations and old growth cedar forests. Both campgrounds have beach access where campers can beachcomb and swim; group sites are closer to the beach at Bay Campground than at Weather Station.
South Manitou Island is part of an island chain in Lake Michigan that extends north to the Straits of Mackinac. The island consists of a ridge of tilted layers of limestone, buried under a blanket of glacial debris. It features unique sand dune formations, 10 miles of pebble beaches and a grove of old growth white cedars that date back over 500 years. The campgrounds lie on sandy soils among younger forests.
For local information, please call (231) 326-4700 or call (877) 444-6777 for general information.
$30 / night
Camping on North Manitou Island offers solitude and a wild beauty and nights listening to lapping waves. The small Village Campground contains eight designated campsites, two fire rings and one outhouse. There is a limit of two tents and four people per site. Fires are permitted in the community fire rings at the Village Campground. Camping is allowed in the wilderness area, but open fires are prohibited. Use gas or alcohol stoves i the wilderness. Backcountry Camping Regulations are in effect on North Manitou Island. A backcountry permit and fee payment must be completed before camping. Permits are available on the island and on the mainland. Groups are limited to a maximum of 10 people.
The small Village Campground contains eight first-come, first-served designated campsites, two fire rings and one outhouse. There is a limit of two tents and four people per site. Fires are permitted in the community fire rings at the Village Campground.
The Popple Campground is the furthest from the dock (about 3.5 miles), so you are likely to have fewer people camping there. The campground is close to the beach on the northern tip of the island. Bring water filtration equipment since there is no source of purified drinking water. There are 7 individual sites
The Weather Station campground overlooks Lake Michigan on the island's south side, about a mile beyond the lighthouse. The campsites are located within a forested area and are pretty well secluded from each other. This location affords inspiring views of the Manitou Passage and Sleeping Bear Dunes on the mainland. The lighthouse, Lake Florence, the Morazan, and Giant Cedars are all within easy walking distance. Follow the signs to take a pleasant walk along a woodland path, past the lighthouse to this campsite, or follow Burdick Road, turning left at Ohio Road for a less scenic but more leisurely walk. Bring water filtration equipment because there is no source of purified drinking water.
There are 20 individual sites (maximum of 4 people or two tents per site) and 3 group sites (maximum of 20 people or ten tents per site). There are several fire rings in the campground that can be shared by campers.
Tent camping on the water, it does not get any more beautiful than this!
Close to town Fire pits No hook up at the tent sites
Campground Review:
Nestled in a private spot on the Leelanau Peninsula on the 45th north parallel and just a couple miles from Lake Leelanau (west) and Suttons Bay (east) beach, marina, and village is this quiet RV and tent campground.
While trees line the perimeter and are speckled throughout the campground, all of the RV sites are completely open to the sun, making it an RV parking lot with grass. Each RV site comes with water and electrical hook-ups and many with sewer hook-ups as well. While most RV campgrounds have centralized bathrooms with flush toilets, sinks, and showers, this one is lacking those amenities.
The tent camping area has 10 sites, is nestled in the trees, with a picnic table and fire ring at each site. In addition, there are 2 rustic cabins and 1 yurt nestled among the tent sites for those who aren’t interested in roughing it as much. There is a one pit toilet, a unique “tent shower,” and a central fresh water spigot for campers and those staying in the cabins.
There are 2 man-made ponds in the middle of the RV section of the campground, which sadly act more as mosquito breeding grounds than they do for water activities as they are quite small. There is also a new driving range above the campground for the golfers in the group.
The best part of this campground is its location. It is just a couple miles from either Suttons Bay and Lake Leelanau, and within walking/biking distance of 2 local wineries (Forty-Five North and Aurora), nice restaurants, and great backroads that are off the beaten path and away from nearly all traffic. The Forty-Five North Vineyard and Winery has a great walking/mountain biking trail in addition to a nice selection of very accessible wines, a great atmosphere, and super friendly staff! Hang out on their porch or play cornhole and bocce ball while you enjoy a glass of wine and a cheese plate.
Product Review: As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I was able to test the Rapid & Backwoods sunglasses by Optic Nerve. After a day of cycling and wine tasting, we took our sea kayaks out to Suttons Bay and spent the day kayaking around the bay.
What I like most about these glasses:
· Lightweight (poly carbonate materials) but seem very durable.
· Great price for high quality glasses. I usually buy cheap glasses because I tend to lose them or break them, but these are well-worth the extra $10-15 for quality glasses.
· Polarized lenses with 100% UVA/UVB protection. Perfect for water sports such as sea kayaking, sailing, etc.
· Different shapes/lines work well for various sports or simply for everyday. I chose the Rapid sunglasses for use on the water and the Backwoods style for cycling/running.
· Lifetime warranty!
Some of the things I wish these glasses had:
· It would be great if these came with a protective case with the Optic Nerve logo.
Product Link:
https://www.opticnerve.com/collections/mens/products/rapid
https://www.opticnerve.com/collections/mens/products/backwoods
Product Video:
I stayed at one of the new tent sites over Labor Day and this quickly became one of my favorite Michigan parks! The tent sites are large and very private and right on the water. Don’t be freaked out that they are called hike in sites because the walk wasn’t any longer than from any other site to the car. The best thing for me is that these sites are so removed from the rest of the park that it didn’t even feel like a holiday weekend. It was very calm and quiet and I recommend the tent sites to anyone who enjoys unplugging in camp!
They have a really nice area whether it’s fishing or swimming, playground or just plain camping, etc. the only negative thing is the tent camping spots DO NOT have PLUGS which was really irritating because tent camping you’re definitely gonna need an outlet.
We enjoyed our tent camping 4-day experience at this wonderful, clean, & friendly place.
love this campground. when tent camping prepare for windscreen when cooking. beautiful sunsets amazing night skys
Wilderness was great, not what you are looking for if you are tent camping more of an RV park. Beautiful views though
This is our favorite rustic campground, Surrounded by woods and on the water edge.
Tent camping - rustic waterfront, fire pit
RV camping - electric/ water, fire pit
Open your door and you are on the water!
Quiet campground with sites quite close to one another. This campground butts up to the heritage trail, which is 20 miles of hiking, biking, walking, or skiing fun. A short walk will get you to Lake Michigan and it’s sandy beach. Each site has a nice picnic table, a designated tent pad (if it’s a tent site) and a fire ring with a grill top. Firewood is available on site for $5/bundle, vault toilets are also available. No shower facilities. Lots and lots of poison ivy! Stay on the paths!! And tIcks! Stay in trails and out of tall grass or weeds. The tent pad is very compacted ground, definitely need a hammer or decent sized rock to pound in the tent stakes, and also definitely bring a sleeping pad or air mat. Tent sites are only $20/night, but you also need a National Park Pass, which is $20/1 week or $40/ 1 year, so be aware of that! Stayed at site 88, seemed to be a slightly more “roomy” site than others, as there were no neighbors behind us. PLUS thIs Is located very near to thw sleepIng bear dunes and natIonal lake shore!
Great access to dunes, beautiful state and national park. Sites are leveled, cleared and overall very well kept. I liked the tent sites best. Wooded in between most sites.
Tent camped in site 441 right on the lake. Wide open spots (mostly campers in this loop but was fine for 2 tents), fairly close together but the views, the beach/water, the nearby activities entirely make up for that. Nice, clean bathrooms. Surprisingly no issues with bugs at all in early June!
We’re tent camping this spot and it’s really nice, multiple trails and a private beach. I would advise to book a spot early because the bad spots are all in a line on an open lot which isn’t really ideal for my situation, but overall it’s a nice place.
This is a good campground. To me, it didn’t stand out that much from others I have been to, but they have a bathhouse with showers and toilets, which is nice. It’s also right next to a nice lake with sand volleyball pits. Good area for hammocking and tent camping.
Nice little metro park for tent camping. Most sites are dispersed. You can pull your car up to the site for unpacking.
Modern bathrooms and a snack shop on site.
Park offers kayak, canoe, and row boat rentals. Also paddle boards.
Disc golf and regular golf available.
Nice sandy beaches.
I tent camped here with my parents, and came back often with my own children. Far enough from Mackinaw City for peace and quiet, near enough to visit all the attractions during the day. Tall trees and a beautiful beach. It,s a great vacation destination. One of the best state park campgrounds in a state full of beauties.
Great campsite with spacious sites not too close to each other. Sites are close to the beach (3-5 min walk). Vault toilets are to be expected. Quiet at night when I was there. Easy access to hiking trails and Glen Arbor. Would stay again! $20 for basic tent site (non-electric).
Had a great time staying at this Campground! Well maintained/clean, 50 yards from the Lakeshore of Lake Michigan, and the staff are super friendly. The campground uses a service where you can digitally reserve your desired campground in real time! This can be found on the Campgrounds website and very intuitive to use. I was never planning to go to this Campground but after reading the reviews on the Dyrt App and realizing you can book digitally, it was a no brainer. The only downside of this campground is that it’s very expensive! I paid $36 a night to tent camp, and in my experienced opinion, that is absurd! Nevertheless had a great time here!
We have come to this campground every year since 2020 for a week with our travel trailer. We got lucky to find and opening at an electric site in their schedule and once you're in, you can reserve the same site on the same week the following year. We've had family members stay in tent sites nearby and they loved it.
Great park out on a peninsula with sunset views. Hiking on the sand and boardwalks, lighthouse tours, perfect weekend spot---though not particularly close to much. Pretty “rustic” cabins and tent sites near lighthouses and the water---great listening to the shore in our sleeping bags. Most of the sites are pretty private, wooded/shrubby, and large. There’s a gift shop but it doesn’t feel overly touristy. Recommended.
Great access to the Platte River for canoeing and other water activities as well as the Dunes. Friend had to come here for work at the nearby Fish Hatchery so I joined him. You can visit the hatchery (self-guided free tours), which supplies fish for lots of the popular fishing sites here. Lots of different site options, some of the tent sites are really spread out and private.
Great campground only about 15 minutes from mackinaw city. Vault toilets but they are kept clean. Front desk was very nice and helpful. The tent site we stayed at had a good view of the lake and passing ships. Just a short 30 second walk from our site to the beach. Other sites are fairly close by but there is pretty good tree coverage for privacy from other campers.
Location location location! If you're looking for a campground that's just across the street from the beach located on Traverse a City Bay, this is it! While campsites are somewhat cramped, showers and stalls are fairly clean and well kept, as are the sites in general. Very convenient to stores, restaurants and night life downtown. I've never been to a campground that felt like you were in the woods near the beach, was quiet, yet nearly in the middle of a bustling town! Sites for tent camping, partial and full hook up. Walking distance to restaurants and stores.
Overall great campground! Beautiful scenery and well kept. Tent sites had plenty of room on them and lots of privacy. Small walk to your site from where you park but that makes it feel a lot more wild and secluded. They provide a lock box to store food in due to bears in the area. Restroom and shower facility by where you park and those are very nice and well kept to! Plenty outdoor activities to do in the surrounding areas.
This is a smaller wooded campground at the very northern tip of Leelanau Peninsula. It is rustic, with no electricity or modern bathrooms (pit toilet). Most of the sites are wooded and some are a little smaller. Perfect for tent camping and smaller popups. Since it's at the end of the land mass, the waves are stronger and always in the back ground. It's a wonderful way to fall asleep! There is a lighthouse you can tour and a small maritime museum on the property. The beach is a fair size but all rocks (no sand). There are a couple small cabins with bunks, electricity and grills.
the sites are sandy and surrounded by tall pines and ferns. some biting flies, especially near river (late june). multiple vault toilets and one water pump. sites are spacious enough for small campers and walk/boat-in tent sites are great and have their own vault toilets and pump (though they are less shaded and a little more open than the forest sites). there's a river trail to walk and parking for the walk/boat-to sites. there's an ORV trail nearby and the road can get noisy from that. otherwise quiet and cozy.
It’s a well kept campground with plenty of sites. They are RV ready as well as tent camp ready. It may not be right on the water but across the street is close enough; there is a nice bridge to walk over the road so you don’t have to stop for traffic. The restrooms are clean and very capable for busy season. Behind the campground is a wonderful bike trail that goes all the way up the Lelenau Peninsula.
The only issue we had was when I had to get a jump for my car and the DNR staff there was not very helpful. Other than that, it is a wonderful location!
Took our family of four for a long weekend of tent camping. We had scoped it out before, so we had a general idea what spot we wanted, and reserved it online. The spot (304) was nice and big, and we had plenty of room. The park just seems more suited to RVs instead of tents, as do most parks up here. The facilities were nice - super clean bathrooms, great beach for the kids, even a dog beach. (Dogs are supposed to remain on leash on the beach.) There wasn’t really much of a playground for the kids, so they rode their bikes a lot. It was better than some we have stayed at, but not the spot if you’re looking for a little more rustic/private. You will certainly have neighbors.
Tent camping near Eastport, Michigan offers a variety of scenic locations where nature enthusiasts can enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from private campgrounds to public parks, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Eastport, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Eastport, MI is Sand Lakes Quiet Area Backcountry Campsites with a 4.5-star rating from 8 reviews.
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