Searching for the best camping near Hale, MI? Hale is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Hale. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
"The site was easy to find, spacious, and had adequate distancing from other campers. It included a fire pit and picnic table too.
The lake was serene in the early mornings and evenings."
"This here is one of my favorite campgrounds in Michigan. The facilities are clean and kept up. All access to trails, lakes and the river are close and easy to get to."
$20 - $50 / night
"It is an important stopping point for the migratory pattern of warblers in the spring, and has a very nice nature walk."
"We stayed on site 70, and while it was crowded, we didn’t mind. We were close by to the boat launch, and just a short walk to the bathroom; not too far and not too close either."
"We were in the lower unit and stayed on site 3. The lake is absolutely gorgeous and is paddle only, no motors of any kind."
"The day use beach bathroom was our first stop...not the cleanest. But the beach was nice as were the trails. Once in the camp itself, we loved how much better it was than Tawas."
"I wish I would have picked a different spot as I was right next to the bathroom but it was fine. Plenty of fire wood around the collect with access to trials and the river."
"Sites are reasonably priced around$25-30/night.
The park is very dog-friendly, which we appreciated.
Nice large, woodsy, level lots. Many are waterfront. "
"Very family and pet friendly. It has a playground and a small beach. There are many options to stay here! Highly recommend"
$40 - $100 / night
"Bathroom was clean, site was large surrounded by tall pine trees. Picnic table was HC accessible. Fire pit ring. I'm a motocamper and suited my needs. No trash, so take what you brought in plus some."
$40 - $50 / night
"It’s sits on the Au Gres River trail to the river with seating, picnic table and fire pit. The grounds are immaculate. Very peaceful setting."
$15 / night
"Relatively quiet and secluded, Jewell Lake campground resides in the Huron-manistee National Forest."
"Gorgeous area right on Jewell lake. Walking distance from Barton City. Sites have nice privacy between them. Utilized the grill on the fire ring alot Privy was well kept."
"Campground offers many amenities and with the river right on site there is so much to do. We always go tubing and kayaking. Bathrooms and showers are decent for a campground."
"It sits along the Rifle River next to Rifle River Campground and Whites Campground.
The campground is huge and offers so much!"
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.
GuideNice and clean. I’m in the inner loop though and the sites are very close together. If I came back I would definitely try to stay out the outer loop. Electric, fire pit, and picnic table on site. No grate. Showers and bathrooms available.
GuideWe were greeted at the gate by an extremely helpful and knowledgeable gentleman. He provided good directions, and helped us with our Rec Pass.
The site was easy to find, spacious, and had adequate distancing from other campers. It included a fire pit and picnic table too.
The lake was serene in the early mornings and evenings. Listen for the woeful call of the loons. What a treat!
Word of caution, the raccoons start partying as soon as you bed down. Make sure your food and trash is adequately covered/contained.
Campground has vault toilets. We never used them but good to know they have them.
LegendOne nite stay in cabin. Cabin had electricity, mini fridge, electricity and bunk beds. Only complaint was cabin was close to fairly busy road.
TravelerThis place is gorgeous. Owners have done a great job with the property. Pine trees left intact. It’s sits on the Au Gres River trail to the river with seating, picnic table and fire pit. The grounds are immaculate. Very peaceful setting.
TravelerWe stayed for a quick overnight and wish we could have stayed longer. If we stayed again - we’d pick site 101. Little more privacy than the rest. We stayed at 137 which backed up to the woods which was lovely. This is a very bustling and full campground with lots of groups and families. Lot’s of kids on bikes. We were surprised to see a group with a full bar right out front on their site. We’re used to Texas parks where that would NOT fly😆 But everyone respected the quiet hours so we had no noise issues at night. Easy access to the water from everywhere thanks to groomed paths. Nice long but narrow sandy beach great for the kids to swim. Busy but very fun place to camp!
TravelerBathroom was clean, site was large surrounded by tall pine trees. Picnic table was HC accessible. Fire pit ring. I'm a motocamper and suited my needs. No trash, so take what you brought in plus some.
LegendGeneral: A real hodgepodge of options: paved sites, sandy sites, some with electric, hammock sites, several different types of cabins, and domes. Our stay was in 2023, and this review is based on that, but the campground was closed for the 2024 season for upgrades.
Site Quality: Varies greatly. We were able to secure two different sites for our two-night stay. Upon arrival, however, we doubted we would be able to navigate our 18-foot camper van into Site 58– it was sandy, narrow with trees, and cars were parked alongside the narrow access road, making backing in very difficult to impossible. We were able to switch to Site 69 for the first night. The second night we were in site 56 and enjoyed listening to the waves lapping up against the shore. Not all sites are level. Little privacy/separation between sites but if you can score a waterfront site, then it’s all good. Sites 93, 95, 95A, 98, 99A, 101, 103, 105, and 107 back up to the old river channel and the water was very stagnant and green. The beachfront sites mostly have nice views of Saginaw Bay/Lake Huron but be cautious when selecting: some are sand and not level. You will hear road noise from M25 on the 19 sites that back up to the road (and also some of the sites opposite these).
Bath/Shower: Two bathhouses (east and west) plus a couple of vault toilets. The East Bathhouse was very modern and clean. The West Bathhouse looked to be a bit older but still seemed fine.
Activities/Amenities: Beach access, fishing, swimming, and an observation platform for bird watching or night sky viewing (the weather did not cooperate to check these out). There are nearby hiking trails, a playground, a basketball hoop, and a horseshoe pit. There is a dump station. Kudos to Michigan for extensive recycling!
We arrived late at night, and I was able to get in a nice walk around the campground before the rain started, dampening our options for the rest of the day. Obviously, our stay here would have been better with better weather, but I caution you to be careful when reserving your sites based on your type of camping. Despite the abundance of mayflies (gross but not biting) and the muddy sand-covered road from all the rain, we’d stay here again if we could get a beachfront site. We enjoyed our time here and would love to see what improvements were made when the campground was closed (although I thought it was very nice before).
GuideRelatively quiet and secluded, Jewell Lake campground resides in the Huron-manistee National Forest. Our campsite was great with plenty of room to house three tents as well as a fire pit and picnic table. There is access to Jewell Lake from the campground where there is a small beach, dock, and boat launch. Beware, there are no park rangers on duty 24/7 at the campground or a camp store, however Barton city is only a few minutes away where they have a quaint general store.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Hale, MI is Devoe Lake Rustic Campround — Rifle River Recreation Area with a 4.5-star rating from 11 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 25 glamping camping locations near Hale, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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