Best Glamping near Grand Marais, MI

Abundant beauty in the UP. Hike a little or a lot. Ride on a boat or paddle a kayak. So many ways to enjoy the beauty. There are several short (less than a mile) walks to gorgeous waterfalls. If you are more ambitious and able hike the Chapel Falls Loop. Feeling lazy, sit on the beach at Grand Marais and walk the little town and grab ice cream. The NTC runs 42 miles through the National Lakeshore if you are up for a multi day backpack. Lodging in Munising and Grand Marais, primitive camping in between.

Gorgeous primitive sites in Pictured Rocks. No cell service for many miles. We stayed at site 19 lake side. A large private site with many trees. A short walk behind our site lead to a gorgeous overlook of Lake Superior. Great location near all of the beauty of Pictured Rocks. Campground had pit toilets, water, and lots of bear safe trash cans. There is no shower so bring your camp soap and shower or wash up in the lake. We picked up wood near Grand Marais, but you can find it for sale coming in from Munising too. Summer south winds may bring the stable flies. We had real problems when hiking and they were annoying at our site as well. If you have a screened in pop up, bring it. Be sure to check out the natural wonders but also the adorable town of Grand Marais. We hope to be back in fall when the flies may leave us alone.

Twelvemile Beach sits along a foredune of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, an intensely remote stretch of shoreline with Grand Marais to the east and the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to the west.

As you pull in, you find the entrance road winds through a white birch forest. I've been to Twelvemile in the spring, summer and autumn and find the forest enchanting with every season. The road takes an abrupt left turn and runs parallel to the Lake, unseen until now. This begins the loop that is Twelvemile Beach Campground.

There are pros and cons to both lakeside sites ($16/night) and the wooded sites ($14/night) across the road. Bugs, wind, and the freshwater gales ol' Gitche Gumee likes to toss up should all be taken into account when choosing a site, but it's safe to say that a lakeside site is always preferred in my book. They run along the dune ridge with sweeping views of Lake Superior and the constant breeze helps keeps bugs at bay (usually).

Sites are generous in size and quite private, especially if you visit in spring and autumn. Access to the beach is plentiful and the North Country Trail actually cuts straight through the campground. Poison ivy has never been an issue for me here. Sites are first come, first served.

If you're visiting during the summer season, get there early and catch sites in the morning as people leave. It sounds extreme but it's well worth the effort (you'll thank me when you're swinging in your hammock as the poor souls who arrive in the afternoon drive through, again and again, hoping for an opening.) I can't recommend Twelvemile Beach enough. Getting there is a journey, but the destination will become one of your favorite places on earth.

Awesome base camp to explore the UP of Michigan. Clean facilities, level sites, well spaced out, and beautiful scenery

A must if you live in Michigan. Portage camp is a walk from the lower falls. Brand new and clean bathrooms. Sewage dump is a mile at hemlock camp. Get water there before you go to your site.

unable to find a site at Pictured Rocks we were directed to this state forest campground. it was our first stay at a SF campground in Michigan and since we have sought them out and stayed in many. gorgeous lake surrounded by dense forest. sites are secluded, some are on the lake. perfect place if you’re looking to get away from it all. we were there in September after labor day only one other site was occupied.

Super popular first come, first served campground. We checked out all the sites online (there are even pictures of each site!) and had planned which ones were favorites. Sites are all near the beach or amongst the dunes. Sites were large and some shaded but not super secluded, but the views and ambiance made it a favorite camping trip. The drawback, as in many Upper Michigan campgrounds and parks, were black (biting) flies :( So try to plan your trip before they are too bad!

As a lifelong Michigander it’s always been on my bucket list to travel up to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and visit Tahquamenon Falls. This campsite was taken care of, had great facilities, electricity, quiet by 10pm and was a 6 mile hike to the Upper Falls from camp.

Only reason why I’m giving it a 4 instead of 5 was because the toilets were backing up semi-frequently.

This is one of my favorite campsites in Michigan. We happen to stumble upon it after endlessly searching for a spot at Pictured Rocks. There is a beautiful sand bottomed lake for swimming on many sites are right on the lake. The lake also connects to several other small lakes in the area. You can kayak or canoe to each lake during the day. The sites are large and from what I remember they have vault toilets. No showers. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table and some firendly chipmunks.

Set up your tent on the sands of Lake Superior and take in the view. That makes this the most amazing campground in Michigan. Period. The views are magnificent. We were able to cook dinner over the fire while watching some of the finest sunsets in Pictured Rocks. The vault toilets are surprisingly clean and there is drinking water available. There are also bear proof bins available for hikers who might not have a vehicle.

The downside is the secret about this place has gotten out and the 36 sites pretty much stay filled all year round. It's a first come, first serve campground.

We stayed here on the very last night they were open this season. The staff was very friendly and they actually had campsites that were more private then almost all the Michigan state parks we have stayed at. It was a bit pricey for camping $40 for a pop up truck camper with only electric and water. 

They have hot showers that were clean and looked taken care of. They have a  playground, playroom and a pool. None of this was open during our visit but I imagine in the summer it is all going strong and the kids have a blast. My one complaint was it is pretty close to the road and during a heavy tourist season it could probably be pretty loud.

Just a short drive from Mackinac lies a beautiful campground to sink into the quietness of a river setting. I stayed in the rustic portion with campsites right along the river. River access is available for small boats along with a fishing deck. Vault toilets and water merge with large campsites to create a quiet ambiance. Showers and a modern toilet are available in the modern portion of the campground which is a short walk through a playground and separating trees.

My site meant waking up to fog drifting down the river, birds chirping and quiet forest behind me. Walking my dog through the forest was nice as the fallen pine needles created a soft path. My site had plenty of room for the tent as well as tress to hang my hammock on. My dog couldn't wait to jump into the hammock and relax in the cool Michigan air. The campground hosts came through and we had a nice chat (which added to the homey feeling).

This campground is not by the Tahquamenon Falls area so I would make sure to get the correct location. It sits south of Paradise, MI. It was a 20 or so mile drive to get to the falls area with beautiful hiking trails. The remote location of the campground adds to the perfect Northwoods feel. The North Country Trail goes past the campground on the other side of the river. You can hike all the way to the falls area if you are up to it.

This is our favorite campground! We love exploring the beach and hiking down the trails right from the campground. We enjoy the ranger programs that are offered, and the camp hosts are so friendly!!

Get there early! Campsites don’t take reservations so walk in early if you want a chance to find a campsite. There is only 12 campsites + a few handicapped campsites in the area I was in. I was lucky enough to get a campsite right next to the lake and it was absolutely beautiful! Toilets are available but no running water. There is a bubbler/water spout at entrance to campsite. Gorgeous campsite! Gorgeous Park! Will be back sometime!

We had an absolutly gorgeous site that was right on a ridge overlooking the lake. We just had to walk down the ridge to get to the lake. The site had a nice amount of trees to hammock from and a good amount of space for our larger tent. The facilities there were nice. Do note that spots are first come first serve.

There is a backcountry campground not 1/2-mile from the 12-Mile Beach car/RV campground. "Backcountry" is deceptive, as there is a road/parking area about 1/4 mile west of the site.

You'd expect a site close to cars/roads to be clean as it's easy for people to pack trash out to a car, but there was a fair amount of garbage left in fire rings at this campground (we burned what we could and packed the rest out). The plus side was that someone had left a handful of split logs behind, negating the need to gather anything beyond kindling.

Proximity to the drive-in sites provided ready access to potable, running water and flush toilets, although there is a pit toilet at this campground.

Lake Superior is readily accessible from both these sites and the drive-in campground.

No reservations so you need to be early and persistent in finding a campsite. Great lakeside sites with easy beach access and gorgeous views.

What an amazing campground location! Easy access to the beach and the trails along the water :) We lucked out with a GREAT view of Lake Superior.  Sandy sites mean its easy put up and tent and get a good nights rest.  For how busy the campground was it wasn't overly loud or too chaotic. Paths down to the beach for easy access no matter what spot you get, it will not be a disappointment.  (Though still try for the lake view ones ;) )

I would think it's challenging to get a spot here! We stayed our first night at a campground near Munising then got up SUPER early to get a site here.  I believe it's first come, first served but since it's been a couple years that might have changed. 

*Munising is not super close, but it's well worth it for a bit of a drive to go on the Picture Rocks cruise! VERY cool to see the cliffside and the brilliant colors from the water :)

Absolutely breathtaking beach side sites. Came in late June during the week and getting a spot was easy. The sites are close together. but had our own private trail that lead to the beach. Quiet for the most part and campers respected privacy. Found wolf prints not far from our site on the beach. Can’t wait to visit again!

We stayed during the last few nights of walk-up only camping. Pit toilets were rough but did have hand sanitizer. Water available at center point of campground. Easy beach access from nearly all sites. Flies varied from nonexistent to intolerable, depending on the wind. This campground was so quiet and beautiful. On our last night a storm blew in and demolished many of the tents and other structures along the beach side. The sites with the best views were hit harder bc of a lack of trees. Beware. No cell service at campground but is available at the Sable visitor center approximately 20 minutes away.

This place is a gem. 50 minutes from Munising, makes the perfect camping spot for a pictures rocks trip.

Beautiful beach with all the privacy in the world. The best part about camping here was the Beach!

Another really nice amenity was the lantern posts next to the picnic table and the grill grate attached to the fire pit. Can’t recommend this place enough.

Some tips: DO NOT take 721 trail off Adams trail. Apple maps told us to take this route. It’s really only meant for atv’s and specialized off road vehicles. It would have saved 3 minutes off our total drive time. The local tow truck told us he comes here 3 times a week while he towed us out. And there’s no signal. It was pretty scary.

No running water in restroom, so pack some Clorox wipes.

Bugs are pretty bad on the non-lake side so try to get a site near the water.

I have a hard time giving this place a bad review but just as hard as giving it a good one. There is no question this campground is well maintained and looked after by Rangers. Bathrooms are clean and opening few campsites over look Lake Superior. The bad part though is literally dangerous suffocating levels of mosquitoes penetrating back campsites. My dog and I made it 10 hours in site 32 and just had to go. There was no amount of spray or nuclear power that could stop these mosquitoes. I assume sites on water are better with breeze, but higher number sites beware......