Best Campgrounds near Ellsworth, MI

Get ready, Gaylord! Alpen Bluffs is shaping up to be an incredible new resort destination in Otsego County, set to open its doors in May 2025. With a whopping 271 sites, including a fantastic mix of 30 cabins and 14 yurts, there's something for everyone. RV enthusiasts will appreciate the full hookups, convenient concrete pads, and versatile 30/50/20 electric outlets. But Alpen Bluffs isn't just for RVers– the whole family will be thrilled with the impressive list of amenities already planned, including pickleball, a dedicated bark park for furry friends, the exciting Inukshuk Shores aquatic playground, gem mining, and mini golf, with promises of even more to come! While we eagerly anticipate the late 2025 opening of The Bluff Club with its resort pool and unique container bar with a smoker, the initial offerings alone make Alpen Bluffs a must-watch and likely a must-visit for a fantastic family getaway in Northern Michigan.

This review is probably useless for anyone, but my parents brought my sister and I here more than 50 years ago. The park was terrific. The fishing from our 14’ boat was lively every day. The fresh donuts made at the store were delicious. I am so happy that they are still in business. Thank you Aloha for several years of wonderful memories.

We looked forward to our stay at this campground so close to Mackinaw City. We arrived just before 5 pm behind another camper. Walter was having difficulty handling both of our check-ins: he couldn’t find the other camper’s reservation (apparently not a one-off) and then his computer kept freezing while processing ours. The process to get both of us checked in took almost 30 minutes. 

The advertised group gathering gazebo seemed to have been taken over by the office; I saw no other covered gazebo. And the fire pit was horrible! It spewed toxic smoke the entire time we were checking in (I had to keep stepping outside). As Becky’s review mentioned, there was junk surrounding the “office” and close by area. 

The RV sites did not have any separation/privacy between them. We had reserved a water/electric site but in the end, chose one of the tent sites that faced the lake. We didn’t even see a number indicating what site it was– it was mostly a large grassy area. 

The mosquitos were horrible (I realize this is not the fault of the campground although the grass was a bit tall). 

Although I’ve seen worse, the restrooms were just passable. The floor was wet. At least there was soap and paper towels. Did not use the shower so cannot comment on that.

The best part of this campground is the view of Lake Huron. As advertised, there is a (far-off) view of the Mackinaw Bridge from the beach, but you have to look through the wall of mosquitoes. 

It’s my understanding this is a city-run campground and if that is correct, we expected better. In order for me to give this more than two stars, it would have to:

• cost less ($50 was way too much money to pay for this campground),

• have a more efficient check-in system, and

• be cleaned up of all the junk lying around. 

If we would not have lost all our money, we would have ditched and looked elsewhere. We didn’t even cook in our van, opting instead to eat in town. We were up and out early the next morning.

The KOA campground is close to Petoskey, but outside town enough to be a bit quiet.  A short drive to breweries, wineries, and dinner. 

There are amenities that would be good for a family and also big enough for a peaceful weekend for couples.  There is a stream that runs through the  middle of the cabins for a peaceful setting.

stayed at campsite #2 twice in October. Behind the site is a full-size mattress, clothes, shoes, and a remnant of a tent - it looks like it has been there for a while. On the second visit to the same site, I found two 5-gallon pails off to the left in the brush, more trash, and a bottle with liquid in it. Also, the stump that someone left to be used as an additional table was missing. I usually pick up trash and leave the site better than I found it, but I did not dare touch the buckets or the bottle with the suspicious liquid in it. French Farm Lake Road is a beautiful area with the North Country Trail running through it but it seems some folks don't appreciate it. The other sites might be better "kept" (site #3 is sandy and looks like an RV was dragged out). Might go again because it is a nice secluded area.

We’ve stayed at Mackinac Millcreek a few times. Awesome campground, definitely need to know the campground a little bit IF you’re planning on bringing a very large RV. But if not, call the office they’ll put you in a good spot. Our first time to the campground was pretty funny, the whole camp ground was sold out. But they squeezed us in by the rally building and apologized about it being by the maintenance area. Turn out to be one of the best spots we’ve camped. There was a lot of partying, so it was perfect for us. But the rest of the campground is pretty chill.

This Campground was very family-friendly. There is easy access to the beach with wide stairs. Many people enjoying rock collecting and watching the sunrise and sunset. The park was very clean and well kept with multiple bath houses.

The campground was well maintained. The sites had adequate privacy and space. I really enjoyed the trails through Cedar Forest along Lake Charlevoix. More unique experience than just hiking through the woods.

David and Gail were so friendly and welcoming, especially for the inconvenience of a last minute stay on Labor Day weekend! I had questions during the booking process and messaged them- I had a response in minutes. We had a quiet spot and were able to get some uninterrupted sleep after a long afternoon at the beach. 

There are several places nearby with beach access (the turquoise water of Lake Michigan is beautiful), and lakes under 5 minutes away for fishing. For rockhounding, check out the beaches near Old Mission Lighthouse. Should we find ourselves back on the road to the UP, we'll be sure stop back in. Thanks again for being so accommodating!

Full hookup sites, cabins were nice. Many recent upgrades to the campground

Stayed at site 3. It was a relatively easy hike until you hit a hilly spot towards the campground. Mid July was very buggy.

Site 3 has easy access to an overlook which we made use of for photos of a storm that rolled in over North Manitou Island, our original destination. There was one vault toilet at the opposite end of the campground.

Like at Weatherstation, it was easy enough to get down to the beach for swimming and refilling our Grayls but to get back up was a bit of a challenge that grew old after a few trips.

Our last night, we stayed at the Bay campground which was nice. Fire rings are available and getting to and from the water was much easier. I'd recommend the Bay for people who want a more leisurely experience and one of the other campgrounds if you want to get some miles and get more rustic.

Our time at this campground has been exceptional. The grounds are kept very clean and tidy, the camp store had what we needed, and the atmosphere is very quiet and calming. Everything on our full hookup site worked good and our site itself was level.

Our weather wasn’t very good, 66 and rainy, but we made the best of our time by going downtown Bellaire and visiting Shorts Brewing. The little town has some cute shops and is only 8 minutes from the campground.

We had a wonderful time and can’t wait to book again next year.

This was a great campground, quiet and peaceful in the cherry orchard area of west Michigan, near Glen Arbor and Traverse City.

Our site, #20, had an improved gravel parking area for camper with a finished concrete pad with a picnic table.

Site, and whole campground was clean and well maintained. Our site was a full hookup but had one small issue where the drain dump was slightly uphill from the camper, so we had to work with the drain hose to empty tanks.

Only other negative is that there are no trees for the majority of sites for shade cover.

This was a good spot for a two night stay as it’s close to the Sleeping Bear National Dunes and also many local wineries.

Have fun!

Very clean and very well ran and organized! Great staff will probably come back to this one

First timers. Very pleased with our stay. Reservation system is awesome, and easy to follow. Bathhouse was clean and fresh smelling. Even with all the rain we had during the stay, the bathhouse never got overly soiled. Water has a very heavy sulphor smell, but that's the way it goes with Michigan well water. Our Tear drop camper had fresh water on-board, so we were good to go. We've stayed at Young State Park across the way. Given what I know now, Whiting Park will be our"go to" park in the future. Again, Very Pleased.

Great location, right on the lake and awesome views. Also very convenient to North country Trail to ride or run up and down the Lakeshore on a paved path! Very close to town to walk in and see the sites. Stayed by the water treatment plant and I wouldn’t recommend the West End as you could smell the treatments. Bathrooms were clean and convenient location. Spaces were extremely close together! Many people stayed for the whole summer. It seemed like.