Best Campgrounds near Essexville, MI

We tent camped in site #56. I will say the sites are on the smaller side, but you can make do. The lake is soooo beautiful and you can rent kayaks $7/hour or a 2 person small boat for $10/hour. Laundry facility is nice and cheap, with a great sink to wash dishes. Bathrooms are poorly vented and gets so hot & humid, but I will say the showers are in-home quality for a campground! The owners are so nice and friendly. ORV trail butts up to the campground so bring your dirt bikes! We had a small trailer and they had no issue with us at all. Very good swimming beach with tons of places to take in the peaceful views. Playground is large and nice with a new basketball court and Gaga ball. Bring your bug spray and get ready to enjoy serene nature. Oh and I love how affordable it is :)

I have been staying here since I was a child. Twenty plus years later; this is still my choice of campgrounds in Michigan. The park is always clean. The Park Rangers are nice and helpful. The lot sizes are quite large. Each one has a firepit and a picnic table. The restrooms are close and always cleaned promptly. The lake and beach are also the best here; sandy and not full of rocks like other campgrounds. It's safe too. I have no problem with the kids going to the playground or riding their bikes and skateboards around the park. It really is a nice place to relax and get away from screens and the city life. 🌈😎

We’ve camped at Pine Ridge Campground for the past five years. Over that time, we’ve chosen to overlook some ongoing issues — including a strong and persistent natural gas smell, ant infestations, loud music from a nearby bar, and no real amenities for families. The playground is extremely outdated and rarely used — it’s telling that you almost never see kids riding bikes or playing in the park. Still, we returned each year, hoping for a peaceful stay.

Unfortunately, this year changed everything.

Managers Joe and Susan falsely accused us of having our dog off-leash (which he never was). We always keep him leashed and use an e-collar to help manage barking. Joe even admitted that no other campers had complained, and we’ve never had any dog-related issues at any other campground. Despite this, they continued circling our site in their golf cart, closely watching us, and bullying to the point of telling us we were no longer welcome—threatening to call the police for no valid reason. Joe even made a comment about noticing my dog was standing on our dinette table - so he was peering outside our window??? No wonder my dog barked at him. We closed all our shades the remainder of the weekend to avoid feeling like we were living in a fishbowl.

This kind of targeting isn’t new — last year, Joe also rushed over in his golf cart to confront us about a visitor pass we had already paid for, showing a lack of trust and an overly aggressive approach. So yet another instance of over-the-top behavior that seems to define their management style.

Additionally, communication at this campground is poor — it’s often hard to reach someone to even make a reservation, there’s no automation and poor responsiveness.

On what should have been a bustling, beautiful summer weekend, the park was nearly empty, which speaks volumes.

After years of being respectful, loyal guests, we’ve decided it’s time to move on. If you’re looking for a welcoming, dog- or family-friendly campground with basic hospitality and amenities, we suggest looking elsewhere.