Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Grayling, MI
Hartwick Pines State Park Campground welcomes pets at all campsites, offering wooded privacy for dogs and their owners. Campers can choose from tent sites, RV spots with electric hookups, or pet-friendly cabins throughout the park. Most sites feature ample trees for seclusion, creating natural boundaries between campsites that help reduce pet-to-pet interactions. Bathrooms and shower facilities remain consistently clean throughout the camping season. Lake Margrethe State Forest Campground provides another pet-friendly option with sites directly on the water, though interior sites may become swampy after rainfall. Dogs must be kept on leashes no longer than six feet at all Michigan state parks and forest campgrounds, and owners must clean up after their pets. Recreation passports are required for entry to state facilities.
The AuSable River provides excellent opportunities for pet owners to enjoy water activities, with multiple pet-friendly campgrounds positioned along its banks. Dogs can accompany their owners on canoe or kayak trips, with Canoe Harbor State Forest Campground and Upper Manistee River campground serving as popular access points. Both locations feature rustic amenities including vault toilets and drinking water, but no electric hookups or shower facilities. Hiking trails throughout the region allow leashed dogs, with Hartwick Pines offering several walking paths directly from the campground. The old growth forest trail provides a serene environment for dogs and owners to explore together. For campers seeking full hookups with their pets, Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in Grayling and Higgins Lake-Roscommon KOA both welcome pets and offer more extensive amenities including showers, sanitary dump stations, and trash service.