Best Tent Camping near Eckerman, MI

I have been visiting this campground since the early 90s with my family. My Dad used to come here when he was young. It does not have all the modern “glamping” amenities - no water/electric hookups here! No showers or running water! Outhouses only! And that’s just how it should stay. Half of the campsites have direct private lake access for swimming or boating purposes. The other half cozy up against the deep woods. All campsites are decently private, with a fair amount of foliage and woods separating all of them, unlike some places where you pitch a tent ten feet from your neighbors. There is a boat launch and a fish cleaning table, and every site has a picnic table and a metal ringed fire pit. This is perfect for the true rustic tent camper. I spent five days here in early July 2020 with nothing but my motorcycle and a two person tent, and it was all bird songs and wildlife. The only downsides are that there’s only one location to dispose of trash, so you could have a decent hike to do so, and the fact that there’s no electric hookups means glampers tend to run generators which can be a little annoying. But this is a wonderful place and it holds many good memories for me!

Stayed here in early June and had the pleasure of having the whole campground to ourselves. Sites are close to one another and has vaulted toilets. This is a beautiful campground with access to the water via boat launch but not easy access from a few sites. Most sites are wooded and provide great shade and wind protection. Can be quite buggy. We kayaked and enjoyed beautiful sunrises and sunsets to escape the bugs. I did come back later in the season, early August, and sites were packed with multiple tents per site, and kids were riding their bikes around the loop all evening. I like to camp more secluded and this was just too busy and loud for my liking. I ended up leaving and staying at hog island state forest campground that trip.

We camped here two nights in July. The campground is very easy to find and is an incredible location if you want to ferry over to Mackinac Island. It is convenient to groceries, restaurants and other amenities if interested. The park appears well maintained with three separate camping areas. We tent camp, and had one of the best sites in the park (in my opinion). Site 1A is in the lower East section of the campground. The site is only a tent site & it is HUGE! It was much more private than the other sites, located on the shore of Lake Huron & has a fantastic view of the Mackinac Bridge. There is a small beach area within the park, a one mile trail to a viewing platform of the bridge, and a playground. The bathrooms were clean. Our campsite had a standard picnic table and fire ring. Campsites were moderately priced, but a Michigan Recreation Pass is also required, as in all MI state parks, so it gets a little more pricey. If I was returning to the area, I would camp here again.

This 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.