If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Ellsworth, look no further. The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Ellsworth's most popular destinations.
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.
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
$20 / night
Traveler
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.
Scout
This campground is centrally located to everything that’s going on, on the west side of the state. Whether it’s trail riding, Traverse City Cherry festival or hanging in the town of Manton. There is always something going on. Spacious, super clean bath house and on Saturday nights listen to live music right at your campsite!
Traveler
We booked site 118 for the third week in October and really enjoyed our stay! A few things to note:
- The showers and camp office were both closed when we arrived (10/23/24). I asked a park ranger and he said they typically close around the first week in October. If this is the case when you arrive too, you check in at the camp office using the phone in the yellow box which will direct you to a park employee. You will need your reservation number and license plate number ready.
- Don't forget to purchase your Michigan parks vehicle pass, which is separate from your camp reservation.
- Surprisingly, the potable water spigot near our campsite (just a short walk away) was still on! I know there was another review on here that said it was off already by mid-October, but it was on for us!
- You are a stones throw away from your parking spot, although some spots do align directly with their site most are not actually on their site, but still very close.
- Pets are not allowed on the beach during piping plover nesting season (April I believe.)
The beach front sites like ours are really really neat. You have a pretty good view of the water and your own private path right down to the beach. Keep in mind, you are likely to experience high winds. There were a couple days where our tent was getting buffeted around and starting a fire was challenging.
I know a lot of the reviews say it's a pretty loud, busy campground, which I'm sure is the case in the warmer months. When we were here it was a virtual ghost town. All the RV spots next to us were completely closed for the season and we had no neighbors at all until Friday night. When neighbors did arrive they were quiet--but that's always luck of the draw!
Site 118 is within view of the vault toilet, which supports around 6 sites so if it had been busier there would have been quite a few people coming and going in front of our site. I think if we went again while the showers and camp office were open we would maybe go for a different site slightly farther from the bathroom and with a bit more tree cover (122 looked quite nice if I remember correctly.)
We had no issues at all with wildlife.
There is a little store called Cecil's Trading Post 5 min drive away from the campground where they have an honor system for firewood--cash only, of course. The store itself was closed while we were there, but we bought firewood from them. It looked like you could maybe also get ice on the honor system.
Mackinaw city is quick to get to and there were plenty of restaurants and attractions still open when we were there even though it was right on the cusp of the off season. If you want to drive over the bridge into the UP, it's a 4 buck toll each way for cars FYI.
We stopped at a local brewery very close to the campground called Biere de Mac, which I highly recommend--great beer, good food, big open grassy outdoor area that allows dogs, and super friendly.
Happy camping!
Scout
Very nice park, walkway to the public beach, paved path behind the grounds. Modern, clean bathhouse. Not a lot of privacy between spots, big mature trees all through the grounds. Right by municipal airport with lots of flight activity.
Traveler
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.
Scout
This campground is right on the north central bike path and I came to this here for that easy access. However, it is right next to the road and there is a lot of road noise during the day and early evening. It did quiet down overnight. Being next to the road also gives easy access to nearby attractions like Indian River. If you're looking for a camp site to sit around and relax during the day, this is probably not the place for you.The camp sites are spread out and many offer complete privacy. Most are shaded. The campground is only 2 miles from I 75 and is an excellent spot if you need a campsite just to stop over.
Traveler
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.
Traveler
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.
Scout
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!
Guide
Nice state park big sites on the lake
Traveler
Full hookup sites, cabins were nice. Many recent upgrades to the campground
ScoutStayed here Labor Day weekend. It was my first time staying at a State Forest campground; it has the basics like a hand pump for water, pit toilets and a dumpster. Site 12 had a spot for my hammock. Watch out for poison ivy. The only downside is that other campers don't know how to behave at night. They think karaoke and screaming at their domestic partner at 1:42 am is acceptable.
Ranger
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.
TravelerDon’t try to arrive early and get in. They don’t allow early entry. Check in is 3 pm period. Not real friendly, not rude either. Give the trading post 5 stars super nice well stocked. Lots of fire wood bundles to choose from. Has snack propane bottles
TravelerOur 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.
Guide
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!
TravelerVery clean and very well ran and organized! Great staff will probably come back to this one
ScoutQuiet, large sites, like new bath house, 7th nite free, rate$35, good location for northwestern Michigan sites Water on all outside sites. interior sites share water hookups
Scout
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.
Guide
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.
ScoutGreat campground. Booked two nights and had to request a third it was so perfect. We went up because it advertised orv access right from campsite. It’s really handy to not have to trailer over to the trsilheads. Quiet, bug spaces, huge bathhouse. We will be going back!
Scout
To many people and yelling kids but breath taking for sure
Scout
Updating this information. We live 3 miles from this camp. All MI State Forest Campgrounds are nor $20/night.
There is not a RV dump or hookup of any kind in this campground. One could easily bring a 30 ft trailer but sites this size are limited.
This camp is on the Betsie River and the Grass Lake Flooding. There is a gravel/sand ramp to launch smaller fishing boats. Great area to kayak and float tube. 1000's of acres of State Forest surrounding this spot with miles of trails for atv, cars, trucks and horses. There are no horst facilities at this camp.
Scout
Great spot very close to the lake and downtown Petoskey. Best of both worlds.
Scout
Very nice and well maintained campground. Bath house facilities were very clean, and campsites were fairly spaced, giving decent privacy. There are some activities in the area related to the park. All in all a very nice State Park campground.
Guide
Large campground composed or 5 loops. Many have a trail leading to the water. Hiking and biking paths within the campground along with a nice boat ramp. Trash on sites and dirty outhouses along with lots of generators and after hour noise was a downside.
Ranger
Our site was $99.89 night.
We were in Site# 98. We had Full hook- up with a gravel pull-through.
We travel towing a 14 foot trailer and were able to fit both in our pull through site along with my jeep. The site was easy to level.
Our site was not shaded with limited trees (many were shaded though). This was a smaller lot with our neighbors fairly close.
This lot (a premium lot) comes with a concrete patio with a round table with four chairs, two Adirondack chairs and a fire pit and a charcoal box grill.
It is an easy access to the campground from highway -(approximately 1 mile from highway).
There is free WiFi. They offer Cable TV and there are many channels.
There is not a community outdoor kitchen or community fire pit.
They sell wood for $7 a bundle.
They pickup your garbage at your site daily.
You are allowed to ride personal golf carts. They also allow you to rent regular bicycles and e-bikes. They do not provide golf cart rentals. There is really not a need to have a Golf cart because it is a smaller campground.
They do have a Swimming pool. There is a Playground. They also offer Gaga ball,horseshoe, and corn hole. There is a Reading lending library and board games to borrow.
They have a great general store. There is an electric car charging station. They sell propane.
There is not a snack bar/restaurant on site.
The streets are gravel so not great for riding bikes.
There are great places to ride bikes outside of campground. From the campground, there is a nature trail that you can take your bike that leads you to the. North Western State Trail.
They have cabins for rent and tent areas.
They have one shower house. The shower house has individual showers. Toilets with sinks are in a shared bathroom. These are kept very clean.
There is a laundry facility. It is a cash only facility. There are approximately 5 washers and 5 dryers. It is approximately $2.50 to wash and $1.50 to dry a load.
They have a fenced in dog park.
Bugs (mosquitoes/flies)did not seem to be an issue.
There were trails to hike off of the campground.
Some fun things to do outside of the campground are go to the beach (1 mile away); visit Mackinac Island (both major ferries will transport you for free - this KOA provides you information for Shepler’s Ferry). Both ferries offer packages that include horse drawn carriage rides, Fort Mackinac admission, Island Hotel Admission, Butterfly House admission, Mystery Town admission, and Parking options). There is a Jack Pine Lumberjack show.
Discover the beauty of tent camping near Ellsworth, Michigan, where nature meets adventure in a serene setting.
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