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Bay City State Park Campground welcomes pets throughout its spacious, shaded campsites with both tent and RV accommodations. The park features electric hookups, fire rings, and picnic tables at each site, with clean restrooms and showers available. Finn Road Park in Essexville offers concrete pad sites with full hookups (water, electric, and sewer) for RV campers traveling with dogs. Nearby Bay County Fairgrounds provides more basic pet-friendly camping with electric hookups and toilet facilities. Most campgrounds in the area require pets to remain leashed at all times, though specific designated pet areas may vary by location. The campground is not directly on the water but provides easy access to pet-friendly trails across the road. Campers browse The Dyrt when exploring the best sites near Essexville, Michigan.
Tobico Marsh trails and observation towers near Bay City State Park offer excellent opportunities for leashed dogs to explore nature with their owners. The day-use area across from the campground includes a beach, picnic areas, and fishing opportunities where well-behaved pets can join family outings. When staying at Finn Road Park, campers note the concrete pads are level and mostly shaded, making them comfortable for pets in warmer weather. Bay City itself provides numerous pet-friendly amenities including restaurants with outdoor seating and parks. The campgrounds generally maintain quiet hours for both human and pet occupants, helping to ensure peaceful stays. During summer months, insect control measures at Bay City State Park help reduce mosquito populations, making evening walks with dogs more comfortable even during August heat.
"It's a typical Michigan state campground, not much different. Nice bathrooms and big lots."
"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."
from $32 - $80 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $28 - $30 / night
Check Availability"The office where payment is made is a few miles away from the actual campground. There is a dump station and water at the fairgrounds. "
from $15 / night
Check Availability"Nice campground with great access to the Saginaw Bay for boaters/kayakers/etc with a small beach. Some campsites are better than others, like most campgrounds but all have some perks."
"Lots of fisherman.water and electric only.great access to Saginaw Bay."
"We weren’t able to sit outside because of the direct sun until after 8:30pm.
This was a smaller lot with our neighbors fairly close."
"Went in right after they mopped and it looked like they just slid the dirt around."
"we live close to this campground and we love swimming in the pond on hot summer days. The halloween trick or treating was a blast along with their haunted woods."
from $32 - $152 / night
Check Availability"Nice place to stay,it’s sitting just off of the river,and the lake is next to it,if you like fishing you’re going to love it.the site is a little tight but you can pull through,overall it’s really quiet"
from $15 / night
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TravelerGreat opportunities for winter sports. Pools, lakes, mini golf. Designed for young families. Pet friendly but has restrictions on the type of dog.
TravelerIt is very nice and extremely clean. However it is kind of cramped. Sites feel close and everyone was very nosey. Pet beach is nice. Water is beautiful. Convenient location. People didn't listen to rules such as quiet hour and let their badly behaved dogs run loose. Bath house is extremely nice! All in all, I would camp here on an off day/season.
TravelerThe park is very clean. Some sites are small, some are larger. Have visited many times. Fun interpretive programs for adults and kids. Beautiful beach to spend the day on. Located close to town. Lots of areas to walk as well. Not pet friendly though, they are allowed at the sites, but not on the beach.
GuideThis is a beautiful and picturesque park. The bathrooms are clean and well maintained.
Sites are large in general with plenty of room for activities.
The pet friendly beach is fantastic for dogs as the water is very shallow and let's them be active.
The access roads on the loop are narrow, so you may need to take some care of if you have a large vehicle.
There's also a kids playground and volleyball court.
ScoutA nice campground with two loops. Can be tricky getting a large RV in especially during bigger holidays but the sites are large and you can park you camper a few different ways. Decent trails. Beach access across the road. There is a pet friendly section of the beach. Lots of pets here. The bathrooms in the east loop are older and not that great but the other loop has a nice modern bathroom. Sites are mostly flat more so on the eastern loop. We had a nice visit.
RangerSmall but sweet campground. If given the choice get a site in the pine loops. It's more of a walk from the lake but the other loops have no shade and seem more crowded together. We had site #24 and it was fairly ideal and very roomy. There is the Pier- Marquette Rail trail about 1.5 miles from the campground, great for biking, running etc. Electric hook up was fine. Bathrooms are cleaned 3 x a day. Showers were warm and clean. This is Amish country and the campground has horse hitching posts near the fishing lakes. We saw a horse and buggy hitched up there. But I imagine anyone could ride their horse there then hitch up while they fish or wade in the water. Beach is across the road from the park and no pets/dogs allowed in that side of the park. Other campers there were courteous and respectful of quite hours. I would stay there again if I had another event bring me to this area.
RangerOur site was averaged out to $82.71 a night with the weekly rate discount.
We were in Site# 306 (a deluxe plus RV site - be aware that some of these are back-ins and not clearly labeled on the site map - we had to change sites to a pull-thru). 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 zero trees. We weren’t able to sit outside because of the direct sun until after 8:30pm.
This was a smaller lot with our neighbors fairly close.
The deluxe plus lot comes without a concrete patio but with a picnic table and fire ring. They do sell firewood and will deliver to your site.
There is free WiFi. They do not offer Cable TV but there are quite a few channel options.
There is not a community outdoor kitchen or community fire pit.
They do not provide garbage service at your site so you must walk to garbage dumpster.
You are allowed to ride personal golf carts. They also allow you to rent pedal bikes. They do not provide golf cart rentals.
They do have a heated indoor and heated outdoor Swimming pool and one hot tub.
There is a Playground. They also offer Gaga ball, basketball sport court, and volleyball courts. There is a Game room for kids. They have a Putt putt course and Jumping pad.
They have a great general store.
There is a separate Activity Center for kids.
There are tons of scheduled activities for kids like wagon rides, arts & crafts, scavenger hunts, obstacle courses, etc. Activities are scheduled all day from 9am to 8pm.
There is a snack bar on site from 4pm-9:30pm where you can get hot dogs, brats, pretzels, nachos, ice cream, etc.
The streets are mostly paved and good for riding bikes.
This is an RV park with cabins to rent also. Tent camping is also allowed.
They have two shower houses. The shower house has the typical stalls. There is a great area to hang clothes and store your toiletries in the shower stall. These are kept very clean.
There is a laundry facility. It is a cash only facility, but they have a change machine in the arcade room. There are approximately 4washers and 4 dryers. It is approximately $2.75 to wash and $0.75 to dry a load.
They do not have a fenced in dog park. There are areas to walk dogs though.
Flies were an issue and bug spray was needed.
There were no trails to hike off of the campground.
Some fun things to do outside of the campground are Frankenmuth FunShips (chocolate & wine tasting), the Golden Ticket Trolley, the Bavarian Belle (popcorn & sodas) River Place Shops, wineries, and Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland store. This RV park is less than a mile to downtown/River Place Shops where there is tons of shopping.
ScoutWent later September on a Saturday and it was perfect. Good mix of tents and rv’s. Everyone was respectful and the whole campground was pretty quiet despite being essentially full. Bathrooms were clean, stocked, with plenty of hot water. Didn’t shower there but there is a ton of showers. Beach was a crazy close walk and really impressive. Even a pet friendly beach too. Camp host had fun activities for the kids (my kids claim this was the best time of the trip) as well as tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. Staff was incredibly friendly
GuideNice little county campground, under the canopy of trimmed pine trees. Lots were large, no issues with backing in our 36’ TT with 2 slides (make sure to clean your slides from the pine needles before you go). Fire pits were small And installed in ground, electrical was up to 30amp, and sites were all dirt for most part. They do have sites in front of the park (outside the loops) that is grass but in full sun. It is pet friendly. They have a few spots for fishing, but if you would Luke to swim, you will have to go across the street to the day use (still included with your stay) beach. Only real issues we had (just me) was starting around 9:30-10, the rangers would drive around the loops every 10-15 minutes until midnight (probably longer, but that’s when we turned in) and their lights from the pickup would blind us. In the back end of the park there was 4-5 loops and the loops are the size of a roundabout. So every time the truck would go into any of the loops it would constantly shine in your eyes when you are trying to enjoy the fire.
The Saginaw Bay region near Essexville experiences hot summers with average July temperatures around 82°F and cold winters reaching 15°F. Most campgrounds operate seasonally from May through October, with a few open year-round. Insect activity peaks in July and August, particularly near water bodies.
Cycling through nature trails: Bay City State Park Campground features extensive paved biking paths throughout the grounds. "The park is huge and there are lots of places to ride your bike," notes Stephanie C. The trail system connects to observation areas offering wildlife viewing opportunities.
Birding at Pinconning Park: Pinconning County Park offers miles of boardwalk with observation decks perfect for birdwatching. "We saw white egrets blue heron, sand pipers and their babies. There is a long paved bike path we had a dear pass within 6 feet of us and enjoyed hiking out to the watch towers," reports Jennifer H.
Family activities at Frankenmuth: Frankenmuth Jellystone Park provides scheduled children's activities throughout the day. "They have tons of scheduled activities for kids like wagon rides, arts & crafts, scavenger hunts, obstacle courses, etc. Activities are scheduled all day from 9am to 8pm," shares Julia H.
Water recreation: Several campgrounds offer boat and water access. "The beach is shallow and great for young kids, we camped over memorial weekend and water was nice even then. They have nice beach chairs to use for free and kayaks you can rent," writes Jayne W. about Pinconning County Park.
Concrete camping pads: Finn Road Park receives praise for its level sites. "Campground is very nice sites are concrete pads and level! Sites are mostly shaded," notes Dave P. This feature is particularly valued during wet weather conditions.
Affordable firewood and ice: Bay City State Recreation Area keeps supplies reasonably priced. "Firewood prices are cheaper than on roads in. Small and large bags of ice at a good price," reports Melissa H.
Clean facilities: Bay County Fairgrounds maintains well-kept grounds despite hosting long-term visitors. "There were 2 or 3 campers who appeared to be long term seasonal guests but it did not distract from our overall stay," shares Tim J. The fairgrounds feature spacious sites that can accommodate large RVs easily.
Late arrival accommodation: Many campgrounds offer flexible check-in options. "We came in late for just a place to rest before heading further north. Drop box available after 10pm(summer). Between 8p-10p there is a yellow phone to check in with," writes Tanner G. about Bay City State Park.
Pet restrictions vary: While most campgrounds near Essexville welcome pets, rules differ by location. Wesleyan Woods Camp is a dog friendly campground near Essexville with specific leash requirements. The alcohol-free environment makes it "a great place for families" according to Nicole W.
Mosquito management: Some campgrounds actively control insect populations. "They do spray for mosquitoes, so that wasn't too bad at all even in the heat of August," notes Melissa H. about Bay City State Park.
Site selection matters: Request specific sites when making reservations. "After have making a prior request for a quiet site during an advanced reservation, we were squeezed into a tight site between inconsiderate campers who had sprawled their belongings all over our site. We insisted on a different site and were placed across the bridge on a beautiful huge site on the lake," explains Lisa D.
Hookup variations: Not all sites provide the same amenities. "Sites are electric only. Recommend to have extension cord for some sites, as plug in can be far," advises Tanner G. about Bay City State Park.
Splash pad access: Krystal Lake Campground provides water recreation options beyond swimming. "There is a pool and a beach, a small store, putt putt, Kayaks. Not my favorite type of camping, but great for a family," reports Nicole D.
Playground facilities: Many pet-friendly campgrounds near Essexville feature play areas. "The beach is nice with picnic tables and lots of playgrounds," notes Danielle C. about Pinconning Park.
Activity schedules: Check for organized events when booking. "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," explains Sarah S.
Educational opportunities: Berwagana Campground offers enrichment activities for children. "They have a little library which is stock full of books, primarily for kids but they have adult books too. This is a good campground to spend Time with the kids," shares Leah V.
Extension cord needs: Prepare for variable hookup placements. "The sites near the entrance are very crowded together and filled with large loud groups. Make sure to come with an extension cord - one member of our party had their power halfway into their neighbor's site through a bunch of bushes," cautions Deb M.
Lighting considerations: Be mindful of outdoor lighting impacts. "It's really hard to sleep in a tent when your neighbors RV 'porch' light is on literally all night shining in the tent while your neighbors are sound asleep in RV," reports Melissa H.
Seasonal differences: Spring camping offers benefits. "Had to move due to electrical issue but connection at a better site! Fit a 20' camper van well and was an easy overnight stay. Clean, quiet, and comfortable," shares Jeanna A. about early spring camping at Pinconning Park.
Dump station locations: Not all campgrounds offer this service. "The only thing we noticed when we were leaving was there wasn't a dump station," notes Katilyn P. Plan accordingly when choosing pet-friendly RV campgrounds near Essexville.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Essexville, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Essexville, MI is Bay City State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 22 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Essexville, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 85 dog-friendly camping locations near Essexville, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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