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Best Campgrounds near Sand Lake, MI

390 Reviews

Camping options near Sand Lake in Michigan span from fully developed state parks to rustic forest campgrounds and private RV parks, with sites distributed along Lake Huron's coastline and the inland Au Sable River corridor. The Tawas Point State Park Campground offers tent, RV, cabin, and glamping accommodations on the Lake Huron shoreline, while Monument Campground and Lumberman's Monument provide more rustic experiences along the Au Sable River. Northern Bear Paw RV Park represents the private camping sector with 57 full-hookup sites available year-round. The region includes multiple accommodation types ranging from tent-only sites to full RV hookups.

Most campgrounds in the Sand Lake area operate seasonally, with peak season running May through September when temperatures are moderate and amenities fully operational. "We come here every summer for our annual Au Sable kayak trip! The campground is nice and clean with a good amount of space between sites," reported one visitor about Rollways Campground. Weather conditions remain favorable through fall, though water access at certain facilities like East Tawas City Park becomes limited in mid-October when water systems are winterized. Several campgrounds including Monument and Rollways operate on a mixed reservation system with some sites bookable in advance and others available first-come, first-served. Road access to most developed campgrounds is suitable for standard vehicles, though larger RVs may face challenges at some of the more rustic forest sites.

Campers consistently highlight water access as a primary attraction in the Sand Lake region. The Au Sable River provides paddling opportunities with several campgrounds positioned strategically for river trips. According to reviews, Rollways Campground even offers kayak transportation services for an additional fee, eliminating the need for self-shuttling. Tawas Point receives praise for its multiple beach options, including separate swimming areas on both the Lake Huron and Tawas Bay sides, plus a designated dog-friendly beach. Several visitors mentioned clean facilities at the forest service campgrounds despite their rustic nature, with one noting that Monument Campground features "quiet and spacious sites" near recreation opportunities at Lumberman's Monument. Mixed-use campgrounds throughout the region accommodate various camping styles, with both peaceful forest settings and lakefront experiences available within short driving distances.

Map showing campgrounds near Sand Lake, MichiganExplore the Map

Best Camping Sites Near Sand Lake, Michigan (135)

    1. Tawas Point State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    Tawas City, MI
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (989) 362-5041

    $20 - $50 / night

    "There's some walking trails here, the lighthouse is a close walk/bike from anywhere in the park. Getting to town is a few minute drive, or a very long bike ride on the road."

    "Always packed, very little cover, but surrounded by memorable beaches, walking trails, and not far from town (if you feel the need to be a tourist)."

    2. Lumberman's Monument Visitor Center

    5 Reviews
    Sand Lake, MI
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (989) 362-8961

    $15 - $30 / night

    "Hike to the nearby monument and attend one of their educational programs, visit the museum, take the steps down to the floating shanty, or visit the small store."

    "This is a nice campground that butts up with the Lumberman’s Memorial park with a trail leading to the AuSable sand dune. Campsites are paved with fire pits and picnic tables."

    3. Northern Bear Paw RV Park

    3 Reviews
    Sand Lake, MI
    4 miles
    Website
    +989362800009

    $40 - $50 / night

    "With a soothing creek whispering in the background of our campsite, we set our camper up for a two week adventure in this northwestern part of Michigan."

    "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."

    4. Old Orchard Park Campground

    8 Reviews
    Oscoda, MI
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (989) 739-7814

    "The large campground is crowded in summer months and you have to buy tokens to take a shower, but the views and access to the River are spectacular."

    "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. "

    5. Monument Campground

    4 Reviews
    Sand Lake, MI
    8 miles
    Website

    $15 - $30 / night

    "Large sites with easy access to water and vault toilets. $15 a night. Not many people and half the sites are first come first served (easy to get a site in the middle of the week)."

    "Near a lot of recreation, including Lumbermans Monument, the paddlers memorial, and the lovely Ausable River. Minutes away from Oscoda and Lake Huron."

    6. Rollways Campground

    5 Reviews
    Hale, MI
    11 miles
    Website

    $15 / night

    "This is one of my favorite campgrounds in Michigan. The sites are big, most are well shaded."

    "We brought our own kayaks and spent the day at on loud lake which was about a 15 min drive away. There were plenty of vault toilets which were very clean and water stations."

    7. Devoe Lake Rustic Campround — Rifle River Recreation Area

    12 Reviews
    Lupton, MI
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (989) 473-2258

    "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."

    "Rifle River Recreation Area is located directly east of Houghton Lake within the AuSable State Forest, near the city of Lupton. The RRRA offers several camping areas within its borders."

    8. Round Lake

    1 Review
    Sand Lake, MI
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (989) 739-0728

    $14 / night

    9. East Tawas City Park

    2 Reviews
    Tawas City, MI
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (989) 362-5562

    "You can walk to downtown and eat at several restaurants, go to the movies, walk to Walmart and get ice cream from 3 different locations."

    "The lake is Lake Huron. US 23 divides this park from the city and there is a train track and active train on the opposite side but it only goes through once a day at about 10 o’clock at night."

    10. Alcona Park

    9 Reviews
    Glennie, MI
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (989) 735-3881

    $16 - $30 / night

    "I had cabin #3, very beautiful on the lake. Wish they had a grate to cook some things, however I failed to bring my own. It made do with what I had."

    "This is a great campground and very close to canoe rentals. They pick up trash right at your site! Also, buy the wood from the people driving around."

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Recent Camping Photos near Sand Lake, MI

180 Photos of 135 Sand Lake Campgrounds

Recent Reviews near Sand Lake, MI

390 Reviews of 135 Sand Lake Campgrounds

  • Peyton
    Oct. 19, 2025

    Rollways Campground

    Spacious

    Decent amount of road and ORV noise, great spot to get things on the MI shore to shore trail.

  • Peyton
    Oct. 19, 2025

    Cathedral Pines Campground

    Hidden gem

    Very quiet and remote, if you go as a hiker pick times when the water conditions are poor. This is primarily a paddling campground.

    Toilet has no TP, lots of hidden sites if you venture off trail

  • alicianlv The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 4, 2025

    Au Sable Loop Campground — Huron Manistee National Forests

    Au Sable Loop #3

    We were passing through and didn't have time to explore campground arriving around 7p & road tired.
    Site # 3 was without metal fire ring as shown to have in reservation picture. In its place was a hole and pile of ash with a hardened ash plug as if it was dug out of ground and thrown near bushes, strange. We were only campers there but heard faint voices outdoors after turning in to sleep, kinda creepy.

    Pictures taken just before leaving early morning. Heard there might be poison ivy around camp so only took basic photos but stayed clear of foliage around site.

  • Jonathan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 31, 2025

    Au Sable River Primitive Camping

    Primitive camping, but too close to the road/airport

    The site was truly rustic. About 1/4 mile to the next site. Nice clearing with multiple spots you could maneuver a small camper back into if you are a good enough driver. If not, there is a nice clearing by the road that also works. Had a fire ring with a flip over grill. Trails run back into woods to potential cat hole locations. For water, you can head up the road a few miles to the lumberman monument park, and they have a fauset by the parking lot. Also, about 1/8 mile down the road is an established path down to the Au Sable River to get water to extinguish your campfire but not for drinking (this stretch of the river is not safe to drink). During the day and sometimes at night you can hear a lot of road traffic and also jet engine noise from the local airport. Good openings for solar if you are using movable panels or can get your camper back far enough, but not so good in the default parking spot. Verizon = 3-4 bars 5G.

  • K
    Aug. 25, 2025

    Au Sable Loop Campground — Huron Manistee National Forests

    Spacious Private Sites

    We camped on the ausable river camping on alcona pond. The sites are very secluded from one another, no bathrooms, no water available, but its quiet, private, and had access right to the river. Lots of poison ivy in July, so be aware. Lots of campers across the river that you can see, but nothing overly noisy or distracting. Our site had room for 3 families with tents. Some walking paths, but we didn’t wander too far. Short drives to beautiful overlooks, or the dam for fishing. We wanted 006 site originally. its level with the river and right on a winding bend! Sites seem to reserve fast, so be ready!

  • Edward C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 24, 2025

    Port Crescent State Park Campground

    Beautiful views

    Beautiful, newly renovated park with a great beach and beach access.

    Be advised that the sites closer to the beach are very sandy. Larger campers may get stuck, especially after a rainstorm.

  • Edward C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 17, 2025

    Tawas Point State Park Campground

    Terrific location

    This is a beautiful and picturesque park. The bathrooms are clean and well maintained.

    Sites are large in general with plenty of room for activities.

    The pet friendly beach is fantastic for dogs as the water is very shallow and let's them be active.

    The access roads on the loop are narrow, so you may need to take some care of if you have a large vehicle.

    There's also a kids playground and volleyball court.

  • Melissa H.
    Aug. 17, 2025

    Bay City State Park Campground

    Bustling, clean and friendly

    Easy friendly check-in. Firewood prices are cheaper than on roads in. Small and large bags of ice at a good price. Great for families. Clean facilities. They do spray for mosquitoes, so that wasn't too bad at all even in the heat of August. We stayed at 106, the description was on point, level and shaded. Campers were super friendly. We had no complaints about the campground itself but it would be nice if there was an RV lights out policy at night. It's really hard to sleep in a tent when your neighbors RV "porch" light is on literally all night shining in the tent while your neighbors are sound asleep in RV. We had to ask our neighbors politely to turn their outside LED light strips off the second night. They were great about it but, didn't seem to realize it would bother tent campers next to them.

  • Deb M.
    Aug. 16, 2025

    Bay City State Park Campground

    Crowded and inconvenient

    So, this campground looks nice at first, with lots of trees on the sites. However, once you really start looking at them, none have a camping pad, so it’s random parking on the grass. Lots of moving around to get your electric hooked up to the shared and oddly placed power poles. Make sure to come with an extension cord - one member of our party had their power halfway into their neighbor’s site through a bunch of bushes. The sites near the entrance are very crowded together and filled with large loud groups. (please don’t park any extra vehicles hanging out over the road…) And cleaning the bathrooms at 8:30 and 9:30 in the MORNING? Bummer for tenters. It’s ok for a quick stop, but wouldn’t want to stay here too long. I would expect better from a State Park.

Guide to Sand Lake

Camping near Sand Lake, Michigan, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor fun. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.

What to do

  • Explore the beaches: Many campgrounds, like Tawas Point State Park Campground, have stunning beaches. One visitor mentioned, "Two swimming beaches. Dog beach. A few trails to walk on, not many to ride bikes."
  • Hiking and biking: Trails are abundant in the area. A camper at Hartwick Pines State Park Campground noted, "There are many walking trails and bike trails too."
  • Fishing and kayaking: The Au Sable River Primitive Camping area is perfect for fishing and kayaking. One happy camper said, "Kayaking only to get there was SUCH a fun experience!"

What campers like

  • Privacy and space: Campers appreciate the spacious sites at places like Ossineke State Forest Campground. A visitor shared, "Pretty large lots, some have natural blocking from other sites."
  • Clean facilities: Many campgrounds, such as Bay City State Park Campground, are known for their cleanliness. One reviewer mentioned, "Showers/restrooms are good, cleaned twice a day."
  • Friendly staff: Campers often highlight the helpfulness of campground hosts. A visitor at Port Crescent State Park Campground said, "The staff was friendly."

What you should know

Tips for camping with families

  • Choose spacious sites: Look for campgrounds with larger sites, like Albert E. Sleeper State Park Campground. A family shared, "Many sites are wide so they lend themselves to good group camping."
  • Check for kid-friendly amenities: Some campgrounds have playgrounds and splash pads. A visitor at Bay City State Park Campground mentioned, "Great newer playscape and splash pad (!) for the kids."
  • Plan for activities: Make sure to have a list of activities to keep everyone entertained. A camper at North Higgins Lake State Park Campground said, "The lake is amazing and would definitely go back!"

Tips from RVers

  • Look for big rig-friendly sites: Many campgrounds cater to larger RVs. A visitor at Port Crescent State Park Campground noted, "Big rigs, note that the roads can be tight."
  • Bring extension cords: Some sites may require longer cords for hookups. A camper at Bay City State Park Campground mentioned, "Recommend to have extension cord for some sites."
  • Book early: Popular campgrounds fill up fast, especially during peak season. A visitor at South Higgins Lake State Park Campground said, "You will want one of the sites closer to the lake."

Camping near Sand Lake, Michigan, has something for everyone, from families to RV enthusiasts. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the campgrounds near Sand Lake, Michigan?

Several excellent campgrounds are located near Sand Lake, Michigan. Harrisville State Park Campground offers wooded sites along Lake Huron with a beautiful sandy beach and modern facilities. Rifle River Recreation Area provides access to multiple lakes and trails with clean, well-maintained facilities. Other nearby options include Ossineke State Forest Campground and Round Lake Campground near National City. Most campgrounds in this region feature typical amenities like fire rings, picnic tables, and access to water recreation, making the Sand Lake area a popular destination for campers seeking lakeside experiences in northern Michigan.

How close is Sand Lake to National City and Tawas, Michigan?

Sand Lake is approximately 15 miles northwest of National City and about 25 miles from Tawas, Michigan. Tawas Point State Park Campground is located in East Tawas and features electric hookups, walking trails, and a lighthouse that's accessible from anywhere in the park. Getting from Sand Lake to Tawas takes roughly 30 minutes by car. Oscoda-Tawas KOA provides another accommodation option in the area. The Sand Lake-National City-Tawas triangle creates a popular recreation corridor along Michigan's Lake Huron shoreline, with multiple camping options and water activities throughout the region.

What facilities are available at Sand Lake County Park?

Sand Lake County Park offers a range of camping facilities similar to other parks in the region. Typical amenities include designated campsites with fire rings and picnic tables, vault toilets or restroom facilities, and drinking water access. For comparable facilities nearby, Port Crescent State Park Campground features large campsites with fire pits and picnic tables, clean restrooms, and proximity to fishing, kayaking and beaches. Negwegon State Park Campground offers more rustic accommodations with vault toilets, fire rings, and bear poles for food storage. As with most Michigan parks, Sand Lake County Park likely maintains seasonal operations with reduced services during winter months.

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