Best Glamping near Empire, MI

We had a chilly Memorial Day weekend but were very impressed with the campground. Great mix of activities for the kids. Big park but felt small, no problems with traffic and golf carts like we have experienced at other “resort” style campgrounds. All sites are full hookup and there are just enough cabins, cottages, and yurts for our non-camping family to tag along! Staff was very friendly.

This is a very busy and large campground that is typically full in the summertime. It’s great for elementary and middle grade kids, with a ton of activities available. They have a pool, small lake/beach, jumping pillow, bike trails, dodgeball, etc. it’s right next to a dirt bike/atv trail. They have tc and tent fires along with yurts and all kinds of cabins. There is a nice mix of about 1/3 seasonal, rest short term. Definitely not a natural/rustic experience, but fun for active families. Also, it’s a good base fir exploring the traverse city area.

If you are looking for a camping getaway, this may not be the place for you. It is always bustling with action, but can be lots of fun! I would definitely say this is geared more towards children and families than an escape into nature. There is a camp store, turbo bikes, a variety of family activities, a pool, playground, bike park, equipment and rentals, laundry facility, cabins, cottages, and yurts for rent. This is also a pet friendly campground, so there are many dogs. Probably one of my favorite parts was dodgeball... and the multiple bike trails that connect to the VASA trail system.

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.

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

Clean park with beautiful views of Lake Michigan. Unfortunately no access to beach because of erosion. Typical site sizes for Michigan State Park. Walk across the road for a 2 mile hike in the woods.

Large open spaces, partially shaded Nice breeze off the Lake Michigan Great sunsets

Quiet, 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

It was amazing staying here! It was my first time camping in 10 years! I plan on staying again! So close to Lake Michigan

Pretty standard Michigan State Park campground. Nice staff. Park maintenance is currently building a wood fence to keep folks away from steep bluff edge. Views of Lake Michigan fairly limited. If these were improved, this would be a much more popular park. I was very disappointed that their stairs to beach had been eroded near its base so you could no longer access beach but had to drive to one of two local beaches. I stayed one night and unfortunately had to camp next to a group who had a very barky, anxious large dog. Some folks need to leave their poorly trained dogs at home.

Not much to do other than looking at the beautiful Lake Michigan. Rocking as well. Off of a busy road. Great campground for landing along a route.

older campground high above beach, couple camper cabins. beautiful views of lake michigan. can get to beach by stairs or short drive to beach without climbing stairs

Camp Ground was clean and friendly. Sites were pretty close together. Great view of Lake Michigan. No beach access. No WiFi or Cell service. No pool or store.

No hookups, No problem! Very quiet campground on the Shores of Lake Michigan. Sites are large and private with large fire rings and picnic tables. Vault toilets only but they are kept very clean.

This campground is in some lower ground, with a beautiful river running though it. It's fairly wide open, with trees around, but this was great as it made stargazing easy. We were here for a night as we were traveling on the Michigan Shore to Shore Trail, the overall experience was excellent!

We stayed at sites 5 and 27 one weekend in September, and it was picture perfect. There are very few places where you can stay right on Lake Michigan, and the views can't beat. We love Northport and the surrounding areas, and hope this place stays kept secret as long as possible.

I love driving down M22 to this state park. It’s rustic with beautiful views of Lake Michigan. There are a few sites which are right on the sand which I recommend if you don’t mind a little sand in your tent. definitely check out all of the quaint little towns in the area, especially Glen Arbor and Sutton’s Bay!