We camped in the west loop area of the state park with our dog and it was an awesome trip! The campsites were tidy, the bathrooms were exceptionally clean, and the location to the beach was perfect. The road was a little noisy but when you had some music going it wasn’t too bad. The stars were crystal clear at night and all the campers were respectful and quiet. If you need any essentials there’s a convenience store right around the corner from the campground and there’s cute downtown Caseville only a couple minute drive away. The beach was pretty empty and the dog beach was a huge plus for us as our dog loves to swim. For sure will come back!
This campground is the best one in their fleet. It is super dog friendly as well. This is our “go to” spot for sure. Love it here and the staff are great.
We stayed here over a weekend. Biggest disappointment was you need to bring your own fire pit! Or they have some at the front of the park you can use, which we did as we were planning on cooking hotdogs. The pool was nice. We did full hookup and were tight to the campers next to us, like 6’ away. People working were nice.
Very nice and quiet campground, the managers take pride in what they do and it shows. Not a lot to do for children but great if you like it quiet.
By far this is our favorite park this year. Surrounded by water on all sides, sunrise and sunsets are gorgeous. Plenary of beach for everyone including a dog beach!!! Bathrooms are well kept and clean. Kayak rentals are available as well.
Close to Munising and Pictured Rocks.
We’ve been going here for many years, we love access to the plenty of pools and kayaking amenities that are included in our stay!
Stayed there again over Labor Day weekend and had awesome time. Horseshoe and cornhole tournament was the best.
Nice place with a ton of activities. My only complaint would be that bathrooms and showers could be cleaner. Went in right after they mopped and it looked like they just slid the dirt around.
The sites are good size, very shaded. Bathrooms are clean. Lots of thing to do here as you are right across the street from the beach. The near by nature preserve is a great place to take a hike or bike ride. There are a couple restaurants right outside the park entrance.
This is one of the best campgrounds for kids that I've ever visited!!!
The campground itself is beautifully laid out and maintained. It features roughly a 150 some odd sites ranging from tent sites to RV and cabins. Each site has a cement fire ring and electric hookup. There are communal water spickets generously scattered around the grounds. The bathrooms and showers are very clean. They are closed an hour a day for thourgho cleaning and restocked and wiped down in the late evening. They have one large group camp area, but it is for organizational reservations only (as most of them are). Howeve, there is a cul-de-sac of 5 or 6 (I can't remember) sites off by itself. Those sites are very large (except the one on the end, which of course we had reserved for the weekend) and have huge space between them. There is also an additional parking pad there for overflow. Though they're not a sanctioned group site these would be perfect for it. We've already planned to reserve these sites next year for our large (35+people) family camp weekend. The drive around the campground is all paved and very long, so be sure to bring your bikes!!
Now for the amusements and conveniences. . . . . There is a small playground in the campground, but you have to cut through campsites to reach it. There are trails for hiking around the wider state park area as well as a few that lead across the street to the swim area and day park. Take a 2 min walk from the camp office across to the day park and you'll find the Spray by the Bay splash pad, a huge timber playground, beautiful sandy beach along Lake Huron, sandy swim area, geocaching, pavilions, well kept bathrooms and changing rooms. We spent all day at the park with 4 kids 6yrs and under and not a single on of them complained of being bored.
They have campground hosts that facilitate free activities organized by the park. We did a kids craft and enjoyed hot cocoa or coffee Saturday morning and then returned after dinner for Back-to-School bingo and popcorn. See pic of the August schedule for a better idea of what was offered.
They sold ice and wood at the camp office and there was an ice cream place next door to the park. It's a 5 min walk from the park office.
We didn't have to leave the park once all weekend. It was so relaxing to have everything we needed on hand and not have to run out for things.
One final note: there were quite a few May Flies. According to the park office they're pretty much there all summer. They weren't bad at the campground except at night around the bathrooms. We walked over to the day park before breakfast one morning and the playground was covered with them. As the day got hotter and the playground got busier there were hardly any, but that morning visit was rough. We actually abandoned the playground till later in the day.
We decided very last minute to camp this weekend! Use the APP The Dryt to find out campground. I was able to book same day. We live 2.5 hours away and didn't get to the campground until 10 PM! They stayed open until we go there and they had a guy waiting for a to take us to our site on a golf cart! The sites are pretty big, even tho our camper is only 21 ft long. The campground offered slot of things to do another of seasonal sites, well cleaned and maintained. They had activities for everyone that weekend. The only thing we noticed when we were leaving was there wasn't a dump station. But other then that we would stay at this campground again!
Rifle River offered a nice variety of camp sites. There is a cluster of quiet sites, a track of sites tucked away in some pines, and then the modern sites. The campground itself is large and has a couple lakes to go fishing in. There is no camp store on the grounds, but there is a nice one across the street from the entrance to the park.
Friendly clean and nice beach… we will comeback and recommend Oak Beach too friends…
Came here on Father’s Day weekend, the campground was really nice and a ton of fun! If you book at the right time, you can get a spot right by the river which is super appealing.
Stayed there over the 4th of July and the place was nice and service was great.
Probably one of the most popular state parks in Michigan, and for good reason. Most of the park is located on the water and the views are pretty gorgeous. The sites are small, so we usually book two. The grounds offer bathrooms and showers, as well as electric and water for RVs. No rustic options available, so all sites are $35 per night. The campground is located only a few short minutes from the launch site for Turnip Rock, so it’s become very popular for weekend trips.
We enjoy the water and the lighthouse. Lots of room to ride your bike. We also like to hit up the public beach. Sites are meh.
Family goes there every year. Campground offers many amenities and with the river right on site there is so much to do. We always go tubing and kayaking. Bathrooms and showers are decent for a campground. Also love that there are a lot of trees to provide shade during the hot days.
This park is in a great location—The Thumb felt quite isolated. There are some pretty rad sites right on Lake Huron—unfortunately, we were on site 41 which buts right up against a main road and it got quite loud at times (especially on the weekends). Bathrooms were good for a state park. The beach was a little small, but water levels are high this year. DNR staff were pleasant, helpful and good at being present. Firewood is for sale at the gate for $5 a bundle. This campground is close to Caseville, Bad Axe and Port Austin where I would recommend renting a kayak and checking out Turnip Rock (only accessible by H2O). This park didn’t get a full 5 stars because of the proximity to the road (which wasn’t really that bad…). Great Park!
Overall, very nice place IF you request a quiet/private site (I had requested this upon my phone call reservation… once arriving at the campground, I saw the site they were assigned to and it was tight and overly populated!) Once I spoke up, we were given a wonderful site on the lake in a very quiet area! Clean bathrooms/showers.
Nice campground, lake, pool, playground and entertainment.
Lots of sand and golf cart gangs
This is a really good family campground in the middle of Michigan. Campsites are spacious and wooded. There is a lake for swimming ability to fish and put in a kayak. Sites have electric with shared water. Campground registration is efficient and friendly. Wood can be purchased at the campground. The small town of Clare is nearby with groceries, ice cream, restaurants and gas.
This is a fun camp with lots of stuff to do. Nothing like grabbing a tube a flowing down the river with friends. Camp sits are close and the bathrooms are cleanish
Lots to do if your if your into exploring. Lots of hiking trails, bike trails. Lots of lakes, great beach areas!
Nice family campground with a beach, swimming area, and boat launch. Lake is supposed to be great for walleye fishing, even if it a tad shallow. Campground is well maintained with picnic tables, and fire rings. On holiday weekends it is heavily used, so you may want to call ahead before you go.
The campsite was very clean and enjoyable! It had individual showers with locks. Many campsites to choose from and they were big so could accommodate many. The fire pit is very nice as well. Only downside is you need to pay for the campsite as well as a day pass for their beach, so it’s a little more expensive than some campsites, but worth it to stay there.
Tawas Bay is an awesome area to visit in the summer, and this state park is about the best camping you can get in the area. We stayed on site 70, and while it was crowded, we didn’t mind. We were close by to the boat launch, and just a short walk to the bathroom; not too far and not too close either. The bathrooms were clean, stocked, and had hot water for the showers whenever we needed it. On the opposite side of the bathroom, there’s even a full dishwashing sink, something I have yet to see at another campground. The ranger station has firewood and ice for sale, as well as maps and activity lists. As far as things to do at the campground, there are plenty of trails, including one leading to the lighthouse at the end of the point, as well as kayaks for rent at the boat launch. One thing I have to recommend it waking up early to catch the sunrise over Lake Huron. It is amazing! If you’re more of a night owl, sunsets are equally as great looking over the bay.
Locally there are tons of places to eat and things to do. Catch a sailboat race through the bay, head to any of the many beaches, or even walk through the small downtown. If you have a sweet tooth like me, there’s a super good chocolate shop called the Village Chocolatier, and an amazing place for ice cream called Marion’s. Totally recommend visiting Tawas, and staying at Tawas Point State Park!