2 campgrounds with availability next weekend
Portage Bay State Forest Campground welcomes campers with pets along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Garden, Michigan. The rustic campground features 25 sites where dogs can accompany their owners through wooded areas leading directly to sandy beaches. Sites remain spacious with plenty of room between most campsites, allowing pets adequate space to settle without disturbing neighbors. Bayridge RV Park also accommodates pets with full hookup sites in a clean, well-maintained setting featuring large gravel sites and mature shade trees. Campgrounds throughout the Garden area maintain standard leash requirements, though no specific dog parks exist within the facilities themselves. Clean campgrounds with direct beach access give pets plenty of outdoor exploration opportunities. Camping with pets requires bringing all necessary supplies as the nearest pet services are located several miles away in larger communities.
The shoreline access at these pet-friendly campgrounds creates ideal recreation opportunities for dogs who enjoy water. Multiple reviewers note the quiet, peaceful setting at Portage Bay provides excellent swimming and shoreline walking for both people and pets. Most Garden-area campsites maintain traditional pet policies requiring leashes and proper waste cleanup, with no specific breed restrictions mentioned. The secluded nature of these campgrounds means minimal traffic concerns for pet owners, though wildlife awareness remains important. The remote location requires preparation - Portage Bay sits approximately 7 miles down a road that quickly becomes single-lane dirt and gravel, making larger RVs potentially challenging to maneuver. Fayette State Park Campground nearby offers a more developed alternative with electric hookups while still welcoming pets, featuring interconnecting hiking trails that provide additional exercise opportunities for dogs while allowing owners to explore the historic ghost town.
"Portage Bay State Forest Campground sits on a little peninsula just outside the Shingleton State Forest Area south of HWY 2 in the Michigan Upper Peninsula."
"Nice small quiet camp ground on lake Michigan. Bring your own TP"
from $15 / night
"Isolated, quiet park on Lake Michigan. Nicely spaced and shaded sites. Some level, many not so great. Big fire rings. Picnic tables. Electric hookups only."
"Site 53 and 54. 53 is nearly at the top of the horseshoe and has trail access to Lake MI. Site 54 starts a series of smaller, back in slot type sites."
"General: 41-site campground on a peninsula in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. All sites are FHU, and no tents are allowed. The campground is open May-October. "
"Beautiful views of lake Michigan. There is a restaurant there, but unfortunately it wasn't open. We were looking forward to trying it out. The campground also has spots to dock your boat."
from $50 - $65 / night
"This is a great lakeside campsite just outside of Manistique. There is a main bathroom area with showers. Good shallow water to swim (and watch the beautiful sunset) but a little difficult to fish."
"Campground Review: Indian Lake State Park, South Shore, has become my favorite State Park in Michigan! This was my first visit, and I'm in love."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $27 - $60 / night
"But the jewel are the lake front campsites. We literally walked out our door to the sand beach."
"On Lake Michigan. Large, private cement pad sites. Spotlessly clean. Full hookups. Bath and laundry facilities are some of the nicest I have ever seen. Staff is friendly and welcoming."
from $36 - $85 / night
"Great open sky site, next to the water. High winds, but local beach trail and historic town a short walk away with additional trails."
"Sites do appear to be close to each other and might be tight during the summer."
from $30 - $196 / night
"This is a cool little retro campground with full hookup sites and lake access. It's close to a bunch of the UP attractions and the rates are very reasonable."
"Every site is close to the lake. We were there for 8 days and would stay there again. Didn’t use the bathrooms or the showers but they looked clean when I checked them out."
Campground full next weekend
from $24 - $50 / night
"Just yards from Lake Michigan. This is beech access nice shade, fire rings picnic tables. We were here a week in our 36 ft moterhome and tow Plenty of room 30A electric and water."
"Woodstar campground is right on the shore of Lake Michigan. It is a kid-friendly place with a long sandy beach and a large sandbar in the lake makes it a good shallow place to play in the water."
"We stayed at site 72, which was nice and flat and a quick walk to the water and bathrooms. Our site was so peaceful and we slept well. "
"We first checked out the ‘South CG’ and although it was on the lake, it was waaay too crowded for us. So we moved on to the west shore CG and it was def more our style. Quiet and rustic."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $27 / night
"There are over 20 sites, about half of which are located lake side (not directly on the lake, but there are little paths that lead you there and you can somewhat see the water from these sites.)"
"P.S. it is really close to Kitch-Iti-Kipi! Go see these phenomenon; it is special. This campground has everything you need and is a good central location if you want to set it as your base."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $26 - $80 / night
TravelerBest campground in Door County. Best big rig campground option in Door County. We’ve stayed here twice now, June 2026, and August 2025. This is our favorite door county campground. It’s not the cheapest but it’s one of the few I’ve seen that can accommodate big rigs. We will be back again!
ScoutQuiet and clean.
ScoutGreat spot, easy to get to. Could only find two pull off spots which are both relatively small, and only one has a fire pit in good condition so you’d need to build back up the other a bit. Very convenient spot that met all my needs
GuideThis campground is located directly on Lake Superior and operated by the city of Munising. It has 100 RV sites and 22 tent sites. About 1/4 of the RV sites provide water, sewer, and 50/30/20 electrical hookups. The rest of the RV sites provide shared water spigots (with both line pressure and with pressure reducers) and shared 30/20 electrical pedestals. Depending on the site, the water or electrical hookups may require an extension cord or another hose length to reach your RV. The campground is quite open, only the tent sites have any privacy. Do to lack of obstructions, I saw several starlink antennas on rigs..... The campground offers decent wifi and two very nice bath houses with flush toilets and showers. It also offers a dump station on site with tank flush and potable water fill stations. A beautiful sandy beach fronts the campground. One negative is that Michigan Hwy 28 runs past the campground and it has plenty of traffic at all hours.
We visited with plans to take a Pictured Rocks boat tour, but 3 days of gale force winds scrubbed those plans. The boat tours were canceled.
ScoutPerfect spot to pull off and camp for the night or weekend! Big pull in area where we stayed for the night, there was one other person but we stopped once we noticed the fresh tracks and didn’t go any further back. Perfect overnight spot.
LegendThe first thing we noticed driving in is that the wash house closes today 10/14 at 4 PM for the season, which isn’t an issue for us. Open sites, walkways to a rocky beach, but also trail to a sandy beach. Our site is not level.
GuideMy boyfriend and I spent 3 nights on the island in the beginning of October, this was our favorite site! There is a fully enclosed toilet near by, a day use area where you can drop trash and your right on the beach. It was windy but it's a beach site. However the cell service was spotty for me.
GuideParking off a paved rd, not rough. 1/4 mile walk to the most awesome site on the water. Perfect for boat or canoes.
GuidePaved roads coming in. Huge sites and a lot of trees between em. Took #1 has scenic bench’s on Lake right across the drive with sunset view. 13 miles to Munising
Camping in Garden, Michigan offers direct access to Lake Michigan shoreline and northern hardwood forests. The Garden Peninsula sits at approximately 600 feet above sea level with a humid continental climate that brings warm summer days averaging 75°F and cool evenings dropping to 55°F. Winter camping is limited as most campgrounds close seasonally due to snowfall averaging 120 inches annually across the region.
Paddling adventures: Camp Seven Lake Campground provides excellent water access for kayaking and canoeing. "Great spot for any paddling sports in the warmer months," notes Chris F. from Portage Bay State Forest Campground. The protected bay waters create calm paddling conditions ideal for beginners.
Beach swimming: Indian Lake offers warmer water temperatures than Lake Michigan. "The water is clear and warm (perfect lake for swimming) and there is both sand and grassy areas on the fairly large beach," reports Kerri R. from Camp Seven Lake Campground, which maintains a designated swimming area with picnic tables.
Historical exploration: The restored industrial town at Fayette features self-guided walking tours through 19th century iron smelting buildings. "When you camp here you can visit the townsite at night. I'm a photographer and i love the challenge of taking night pictures!" explains Brianne M., who stayed at Fayette State Park.
Secluded shoreline access: Waterfront sites offer privacy and direct beach entry. "We had the whole cove practically to ourselves. Was planning on only one night but stayed 2 because we enjoyed ourselves so much," shares Meredith J. about her experience at Portage Bay.
Unplugged experience: Limited connectivity creates a true escape. "My wife and I came here for our honeymoon, and there have been zero regrets. We are both working professionals and it's been great to unplug and disconnect from the online world," explains Matt from Portage Bay State Forest Campground.
Clean facilities: Campgrounds maintain high cleanliness standards throughout the region. "Very clean. Nice sites with some drive thru. Some sites are fairly sloped so be sure to level properly. Very well maintained camp site with very clean facilities," reports David B. about BayRidge RV Park.
Remote location challenges: Cell service is minimal to nonexistent at most Garden area campgrounds. "There is zero cell service or plugs (that we noticed) so pre download your music/entire entertainment and have battery backups," advises Matt about camping at Portage Bay.
Limited provisions: Stock up on supplies before arriving as options are sparse. "Bring your own TP," warns Jason L. about Indian Lake State Park South Campground facilities, highlighting the rustic nature of many campgrounds in the region.
Variable site conditions: Be prepared for uneven terrain at some locations. "Some are very level, some are not level at all. We were in spot 32 and 4" laterally and 19" longitudinally out of level to start with," reports Alan B. about BayRidge RV Park, emphasizing the need for leveling equipment.
Beach activities: Lakeshore access provides natural entertainment for children. "The beach was very nice with shallow, warm water. That was the highlight of this Campground," notes Emily M. about Indian Lake State Park.
History lessons: Fayette Historic State Park offers educational opportunities through its ghost town. "The historical site was a great way to spend a couple hours," reports Cory W. about Fayette State Park Campground.
Free recreation options: Some parks offer complimentary equipment. "They had complimentary bikes you could use," mentions Alyssa C. about Manistique Lakeshore Campground, which also features "a sitting area that is separate from the shower" and "a family shower room/bath area" according to Lee D.
Access limitations: Large rigs face challenges on narrow access roads. "Seven miles down a road that quickly shrinks to a one lane dirt and gravel road you will find a beautiful campground stretching out along the lakeshore," warns Art S. about Portage Bay State Forest Campground, noting "larger RVs might have a tough time."
Site selection strategy: Request specific sites based on leveling needs. "Sites are nice and large. There was nice trees for the hammock," reports Tammy D. about Camp Seven Lake Campground, while David B. notes at BayRidge RV Park that "some sites are fairly sloped so be sure to level properly."
Dog friendly campgrounds near Garden: Most campgrounds welcome pets with standard leash policies. "Quiet, big gravel sites. Lots of shade and big trees. Big rig friendly with a view in the distance of the water," reports Hannah about BayRidge RV Park, which accommodates pets with spacious sites that provide adequate room for animals to settle comfortably.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Garden, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Garden, MI is Portage Bay State Forest Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Garden, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 111 dog-friendly camping locations near Garden, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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