Best Tent Camping near Essexville, MI

The campsites are purely for tent camping and are around 20'x40'. We went with a group and fit four tents on one site with a picnic table and fire pit for less than $10 each. There is a large bath house with showers, a pavilion/picnic area, where they sometimes have a DJ at night. And there's a really nice open area and playground for the kids. The front store /check-in desk has some supplies for while you're there, and they also offer canoe/tubing/kayak trips with transport, directly from the grounds. We had a great time and plan on going back again.

They charge per person, so I paid $75 for my boyfriend and I to tent camp on the river for the 2 night minimum required. They are money grubbers who charge per person then put multiple parties on one site. Firewood available on site is soaking wet so had a lot of issues getting a fire started. Not much to do at the campground unless you want to pay an arm and a leg to rent one of their watercraft. Staff is incredibly rude and unhelpful. Everything they offer is an extra charge. Will not be returning here ever again.

This is a very nice county Park, I have been here numerous times and have had a great experience each and every time, I come back every year for our families annual pig roast..The first year I came, I rented a rustic tent site and it was great we all had a great time, however the last three years, I have rented a cabin and there amish style cabins are absolutely amazing..Keep in mind they only have two cabins so if you want one better reserve is as soon as you know you want it...

Quite the establishment! Almost 150 sites including rustic, full hook up, cabins and even just over a handful of park model units to reserve for your family to come stay and enjoy all the amenities they offer. Amenities including but not limited to horse shoes, swimming ( man dug pond) hiking, basketball, volleyball and etc. No alcohol allowed as this is a Christian campground but for all the amenities it is extremely affordable! $30 a night 30/50 amp full hook up ... don’t need 30+ amp but want sewer as well only $25 a night 15 amp full hook up or as low as $20 for 15 amp water n electric only! Want the full camping ambiance $15 a night for rustic tent camping! Great place to take the family even several times a season on a budget!

Our 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.

We got lucky for a spur of the moment weekend get away and scored the perfect site at a campground we had never been to before. It's a busy campground.. but this site made us feel like we were in our own little world. The lake was only a few yards from our tent. There is also a dark sky preserve there which worked out perfectly for the meteor shower that was going on that weekend. One of my favorite camping trips ever... it was just gorgeous. I booked online through the michigan parks website. There must have been a cancelation that I got lucky and grabbed. It really was the perfect camp site.

Location is excellent.  This is a well maintained park, fantastic beaches and nice trails.  I arrived on a Thursday and left Sunday.  The sites are on the small side without any barriers, which was fine midweek.  On the weekend, overcrowding was the norm.  This was my first experience at a Michigan state park, and I do not know if others have designated spaces based on the size of the RV or tent.  This would make a more pleasant experience for campers.  My guess is the park was designed long before people hauled around a 30 foot camper.  No park rangers facilitated parking that I could see, and clearly you should book your spot as early as possible.

Midweek 5 stars, Weekend 1

Needed a tent sight for 3 pup tents motorcycle camping. Nice quiet secluded campground in the woods. Nice clean baths and showers. $25 for tent $35 RVs pull threw.

Lovely tent and more

Not a great place to tent. Great place to stay with a small camper or RV if passing through Bay City or going to an event. Beach is not the most sanitary.

Narrow and tight, lots of tents, pop ups and sand. Nicely treed area though and of course next to the lake

This has been an annual destination for my family. We would camp here 2 weeks every summer with all of our relatives and basically turn this little place into home. There are nice clean sites, facilities, and easy access to town (Pt. Austin) if you want to go explore. I highly recommend Grindstone's Ice Cream place in Grindstone City. During summer months, it books up 6 months in advance. So learn their online reservation system and be quick at it if you have a specific site in mind. The sites on the front row by the water are the best in my opinion. Amazing sunset views and quick access to the beach. When storms come it, make sure you have everything put away and your tent staked down reeeeeal good, cause I've definitely seen 60mph+ winds and tents end up in the trees.

We love this campground. It’s quiet and well maintained. The owners are friendly and willing to help. Wood bundles are available for purchase and they deliver to your site. No tents allowed but pop-up are welcome. The bathrooms are key for me and are very clean. There shower are private and are quarter operated. This is our go-to when in the area.

We loved this campground. The proximity to the beach was phenomenal. Our site, 95A was along the old river channel which made for nice views of water fowl. I will say though, the Canada Geese were extremely active…even at late hours of the night and early morning (expected). Lake Huron did not disappoint. We enjoyed some sunsets, weathered driftwood, more geese, sea gulls, and sand pipers.

The weather started out decent and very fall like, but come late Friday night, sustained 20 mph winds and unrelenting downpours ensued. Did I mention we were in a tent?! Fortunately, I truly did “batten down the hatches” so to speak. This is not a tent review, but the Sam’s Club 9’ x 14’ tent never leaked, never ripped, and held its own!

Flies out did mosquitoes, and bees were in full pollination mode. We did fog our site and used Thermacells which helped within Mosquitoes. Chipmunks ruled the campground. They were busy everywhere. Also a local woodpecker was going to town at a site next to us. We didn’t see any raccoons or deer…did I mention geese?!?

Site had 120v and 30 amp service, a picnic table, and fire ring. It was directly across the street from the restrooms and showers.

Site Size was approx 33’ x 50’

Shower facilities were a bit dated but functional. Restrooms were clean with nice hot water and high powered hand driers.

We’re planning another trip and hoping to make it to the sites closer to the lake.

Great campground at the top of Michigan's thumb. Close to fishing, kayaking and a great beach.

Sleeper State Park Campground is located a few miles north of Caseville, MI. This is a modern campground, and has 226 camp sites, and 1 mini cabin. The campground sits right off of M25, so I recommend getting a site towards the back. We unfortunately were only able to get sites at the front and the road noise was obnoxious, 3 a.m. cars and trucks flying by. Campground, bathrooms, and showers were all kept very clean. Most sites are set up for trailers, and RV’s, and tents. There are a few sites that are tent only sites. Each site has a picnic table, fire pit and electric hook up. There is firewood available at the park office for $5 a bundle, they also rent kayaks $10 for 2 hours or $40 for the day. The campgrounds host site has coffee, tea, and hot chocolate available in the mornings. They also offer activities in the afternoon. Across M25 and part of Sleeper State Park is the beach, and picnic area. There is a walkway overpass that goes over M25 making for a safe walk from camp to the beach. The beach area has a bathroom and drinking water. There are charcoal grills, and picnic tables in the picnic area around the parking lot. The beach is a lovely stretch of shoreline along the Saginaw bay.

First off, you'll need a membership to stay. Or at least sign up for a trial and stay up to 14 days free. I've been a never of Outside Adventures for 4 years now. Well worth the expense. This place has plenty of camping options from tents up to 50 foot Class A. Indoor pool and jacuzzi, outdoor pools, large lake for swimming, paddle boats, paddle boards, Beach volleyball, putt putt, shuffleboard, kids playground areas, basketball and more. Very friendly service and the parks are clean.

Never have been to Port Austin, wanted to check it out for myself. My boyfriend and I had our first date traveling there. I had heard there was an old ghost town around there, check it out. We put up a tent, talked under the stars it was absolutely gorgeous. Can not wait to come back and stay again for our anniversary! Camp ground is quiet, very large spots, from what I remember they have bathrooms! Very cheap!

Black Creek State Forest Campground has huge sites with shade and sun; clean vault toilets with hand sanitizer; creek views and is very quiet despite a little road noise.  Definitely recommend for someone looking for a mid-Michigan get-away.  

The Chippewa Nature Center is about 10 miles away and has great trails; excellent visitor center and reconstructed 19th century homestead.

Port Crescent is a clean and comfortable campground with great lake views even from sites not on the water. It's also an extremely busy campground so not a place to find silence and solitude, nevertheless with Michigan's state park booking system it's a great option!

We went on a family trip to the Tawas Pointe State Park. It is an important stopping point for the migratory pattern of warblers in the spring, and has a very nice nature walk. The nature walk leads out to the lighthouse by the bay, and comes up to the beach. The camp grounds have electrical and water access for RVs and campers, but people also camp out in their tents, and everything in between. There is a small playground that my daughter enjoyed, and a paved pathway through the grounds to Rollerblade/bike on. Most sites come with a fire pit. There is also a large dumpster near the entrance for waster disposal.