Best Tent Camping near Elmira, MI

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:

https://youtu.be/2FKJU4reiXs

love this campground. when tent camping prepare for windscreen when cooking. beautiful sunsets amazing night skys

We visited this campsite for a long weekend in October, looking for that autumn experience. Our site was right on the lake, and had a great view of the river and the trees changing. Our site was very large, especially for tent camping, and that seemed to be the trend. Others were camping with campers and tents, but there was pretty of room to spread out in the late fall.

Short backpacking walk to this no-reservations rustic campsite. You need a backcountry permit and there’s usually a small fee. Lovely forested secluded tent sites. There’s only one or two fire pits, but going there is a nice way to meet your neighbors (only 2 other groups when I was there in April). Sites aren’t too sandy and are pretty shady. Follow bear rules!!

The campground itself was gorgeous, well maintained and spacious. (Tent) Camping there was the worst experience I’ve ever had. I pick rustic campgrounds for a reason. This one was full of RVs & 5th wheels all running on generators. There is no peace here. If you’re looking for quiet- it’s quieter at home than this place. Trying to sleep with an entire campground humming to the sounds of motors running all night was impossible. Ppl leaving their generators running even when they weren’t there. I would love to revisit this campground, but I won’t.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

This campground has tiny campsites that are very uneven. We camp in a tent so that was not ideal. There are about 8 lake side sites which are right across the road from the lake. Those were the best sites for size and view. The lake is really large so it is great for boating. The boat launch is right in the campground and it has two launches so it makes for quick access. You can anchor your boat in the water if you choose. If you have a boat you can access the Indian River which takes you to Mullett lake. Also you can take the crooked river to crooked lake but you have to pay a $10 fee for the locks. The water has leeches which was a pain with my 2 year old. She got one every time she went in the water. The campground does not have a host and dnr only came in the morning to check tags. The week we were here we had fireworks and a lot of noisy campers well past midnight.

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.