If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Elberta, look no further. Find the best information on tent camping near Elberta, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Elberta's most popular destinations.
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
This camp has 6 sites and is located about 2 miles from the Trail's End Road trailhead on the Platte Plains hiking trail south of Empire just off of M-22 and is about 1/2 mile from the Lake Michigan shore where you can obtain fresh water. There is no well water at White Pine, so if you use water from Lake Michigan, it must be treated before drinking it.
The campground is under township management
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.
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 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
$25 / night
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.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.
Water is only available in the Village area. Group campsites are secluded and set apart from one another. Each site has a fire pit for open fires (firewood must be purchased or collected in the park). Wooden pit toilets are provided, however campers must bring their own toilet paper.
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
Legend
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:
Scout
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.
ScoutCanoe in tent camping only. Nice spot to fish or take a cool dip.
Traveler
This campground had a beautiful white sand Lake Michigan beach with turquoise water and very few people swimming. They let you have fires on the beach as well, but they don’t sell firewood. The tent sites were all quite open, but under a nice canopy of shade. You can hear the lake but you can’t see it. The bathrooms were clean and the showers were 25 cents for 5 minutes.
The tent sites did not have electricity and had a soft dirt base that would have been trouble in rain. We didn’t get rain, we spent the majority of our time there at the beach and it’s a 90 minutes drive to Sleeping Bear Dunes which are spectacular.
Guide
Ludington offers sand dunes and several miles of beaches along Lake Michigan with many trails and forested areas. Most camp lots are large and sandy with electric and water hookups. There are also mini cabins for rent if you are not into tent camping. Very well maintained park considering how popular it is.
Guide
Campground was privately owned and seemed to have a mix of weekend campers and full timers living in trailers. The only good part about this campground was how close it was to Ludington and Lake Michigan. Small tent site with water and electric was $35 a night. Small bath house with one shower per male/female.
Scout
We stayed here in June of 2020 and it was definitely my favorite campground, we will be returning in 2021. We tent camped and loved how our site was surrounded by trees. The owners were wonderful as well!
Ranger
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!
RangerGreat 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.
Scout
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.
Guide
Nice quiet campground when I was there (week after labor day). $27 per tent site. Sites are nice and clean. Bathrooms were basic and clean enough. Short walk to a beautiful beach that you could walk on for miles. There is free, dispersed camping off of different roads around here.
GuideGreat 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).
Ranger
This is a very well kept up, clean, family campground. It has cabins, RV sites, and tent sites. It’s right by the Pere Marquette River for great fishing, and the campground has a really nice pool if you’re not into swimming in the lakes or river. Very modern, good for parties, events, etc.
Traveler
Nice campground with well maintained restroom/shower facilities. The owners were really great hosts! Some tent sites have electric hookups, which is always a must for us. There is a paved trail that runs by the campground, and it's less than a 3 mile walk/bike ride to downtown Frankfort and the lakeshore, which has a ton of things to do.
Scout
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.
Scout
Tent sites are right on the river, they have a boat launch with rentals for boats, kayaks, and even a little fishing charter type deal if you'd like. Manistee river is very nice to kayak and go fishing. Great atmosphere, relaxed, everyone seemed to be on the same page while camping there. I look forward to going back here for sure!!!
Ranger
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.
Traveler
Great site for first time campers or when you want to just get away quickly without having to take lots of equipment and supplies. Nice little camp store and pizza restaurant on site. Great playground, evening activities. Nice mix of electric hook up, R.V. and tent sites. Boat rentals, etc. Great place for a group of families to come camp together. Staff at the campground are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.
Guide
We stayed at the Peterson bridge as part of a kayak trip down the pine river. The tent sites near the river have pit toilets and a water pump available. Up near the camper sites there are flushing toilets and bathrooms with sinks but no showers. During our stay a bear wandered through the camp.
I can’t speak into much about the RV campsite but they looked nice; they had concrete slabs to park on.
Guide
We booked three neighboring sites on the interior of the loop for some group tent camping. The sites were generous, clean, grassy, with moderate tree cover. Theres an awesome grass avenue that runs down the middle of the sites in the inner loop, marked off so there are no tents in the area, but it gives you great removal from the campers behind you, and allows for all manner of games (KanJam, cornhole, ladders, etc).
The bathrooms are kept beautifully, there are great pavilions to gather under when it rains (which it did for an entire day of our trip), and the beach is stunning (small, but stunning).
GuideOverall 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.
Ranger
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.
Guide
We tent camped and were able to park our car right at the site. There were few forested areas available, and it was also difficult to find a flatter piece of land. Felt pretty close to nearby neighbors, and the space was pretty open without any dividing trees to even set up hammocks. There is a nice trail walk through a residential area that empties you into downtown Ludington. However, I've camped in better places (Buttersville Campground) in Ludington, and since this place is pretty removed from the beach, I would say to seek out a better campground.
GuideIt’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!
Guidelots of options here from full hookup to walk in tent sites. we prefer the non electric loop which tends to be much more quiet. took a star off for the reservation system which was put in place a few years ago. sites have to be reserved now, no showing up and being assigned a site. because of this people book them up “just incase” making it’s very hard to get a site and resulting in a lot of empty sites. it’s very frustrating. we used to stay here once a year but have since started staying at one of the state forest campgrounds nearby.
Scout
We tent camped here for a week, we are people who love the quiet the rustic and the simple when it comes to camping and this place checked those boxes. centrally located for hiking in the national forest or fishing and not far for a beach day, the $24 a night felt well spent.
The little manistee river is down a small ridge along the backside of the campground, by the group site there is kayak and canoe launch. Vault toilets clean and serviced daily and seriously the silence at night when there was strangely no wind, no bugs, pure silence outside, was amazingly eerie. We also heard a wolf pack howling multiple nights.
Absolutely would stay again. If you want to throw down and be loud or need a lot of amenities this isnt for you
Guide
This is a very large campground that is usually full during the summer. There is no shortage of activities here: a small pond/beach, pool, jumping pillow, dodgeball, bike trails, ATV trails, crafts, parades, etc. It's great for the active family, particularly those with elementary & middle school age kids. It can be rather loud at times. There are some seasonal sites, a small "village" of tiny houses, yurts, and a lot of RV/tent sites. The location is good, as it can be a good jumping off point to explore Traverse City and the surrounding area. This definitely isn't a campground for people who like quiet and solitude, but if this is your style of camping, it's a great place.
Elberta, Michigan, offers a variety of tent camping experiences surrounded by stunning natural beauty. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, you'll find plenty of options nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Elberta, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Elberta, MI is South Manitou Island Group with a 4.8-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Elberta, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 33 tent camping locations near Elberta, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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