Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Hillsdale, MI

Recent Dog-Friendly Reviews in Hillsdale

418 Reviews of 102 Hillsdale Campgrounds

• 

  Wendy F.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 14, 2024

  Lake Hudson Recreation Area

  Spacious sites

  What an absolute gem of a state park. Almost every site is private, with a few exceptions. Nice trails, well built picnic tables, and huge fire pits. Overall a fantastic experience.

• 

  Adrienne N.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 12, 2024

  Way Back In Campground

  Do not recommend

  We camped at Way Back campground llc in Michigan for three seasons, initially building strong friendships with the owners and their grandchildren. Our kids would eagerly await our weekly arrivals during the summers, often chatting and playing video games during the off-season. The campground initially offered family-friendly activities like hayrides and crafts.. these dwindled to events that included only our children and the owners' grandchildren, often overshadowed by drunken behavior unsuitable for kids. By the second season, that sense of community soured when the owners' friends/family began uninvited weekend parties on our campsite. Groups would show up, using our firewood and partying late into the night while our kids struggled to sleep, often leaving only after we became assertive and telling them to leave so we could go to bed. This disregard for our family's needs, compounded by other unsettling issues made it clearly evident that Way Back is not a family friendly campground. Our campsite being littered with debris from a previous burned, condemned camper on our lot, promises of cleanup that went unfulfilled for 3 seasons. Obscene drunken adult behaviors in front of children that went unaddressed, only created a growing sense of disappointment. We also faced safety concerns, such as homeless individuals using drugs and living in the campgrounds. Convicted sexual offenders and known drug addicts in the park. Hostile fighting and commotion usually provoked by and instigated by the owners. A lingering presence of inappropriate adults around children at the park. Despite our initial rapport and giving the owners multiple chances to make improvements, issues only escalated, leading us to strongly advise against this campground. (Photos from last day. The glass and Debris has been collected like that every weekend for the last 3 years)

• 

  BluePitMom O.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 7, 2024

  Sauder Village Campground

  History Lovers Heaven

  There's so much to do at the village! What a wonderful place for history lovers and/or kids. In addition to the village, there is a splash pad, a pool (in the nearby inn), and a couple of hiking trails.

  We stayed in Site 23. The sites are sizable, level, and well maintained. The shower house and restrooms were extremely clean.

  The campground was peaceful. It was full during our stay, and the other campers were very courteous. Nobody was loud and obnoxious.

  We were able to catch the Northern Lights!

• 

  Mano P.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 28, 2024

  W. J. Hayes State Park Campground

  Travel Trailers

  If your longer than 40ft be aware most sites will not work for you here, they do have some but the wood line, privacy and nature is great. Lots of activities for the family by camp staff. Water sports and lots of trails

• D

  Djakata S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 23, 2024

  Indian Creek Camp & Conference Center

  Super friendly staff

  I only stayed one night. I am a tent camper and where I was, it was only me in a fenced in area. I was right next to a cow field. The cows did not moo all night and there was no foul order. I needed no amenities so I can't vouch for that

• 

  Michelle A.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 1, 2024

  Stickley Family Farms

  Down load of map went great

  I'm going soon I will update as I go.

• 

  Shannon G.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 24, 2024

  Harrison Lake State Park Campground

  Great site!

  Our first time at this park and got lucky with our site. The pad was a little unlevel but easy to fix. The fire ring was fantastic and had pea gravel around it so if it rained it wasn’t a muddy mess. Great site with grass for tents and no one behind us besides a cornfield. We had a sidewalk next to us to the bathroom but there were so many bathrooms we didn’t have very many people pass by. It had pretty decent shade but unfortunately a sweet gum tree nearby so watch out if you’re barefoot. The shower house was nice but no benches in the stall and only had curtains. They were very clean and the camp hosts were friendly. We are headed back in September!

• N

  Nick M.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 15, 2024

  Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Barton Lake

  Great Family Campground

  We brought down 2 30’ campers and we had 4 adults 3 children and two dogs and stay right next to the craft barn. It is a really nice camp ground with lots and lots for the kids to do. My son had a blast and said this was the best campground he has ever been to. My only complaint is that it is quite costly to stay.

• 

  Rachel P.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 5, 2024

  Fort Custer Recreation Area

  Well Wooded but Buggy

  We just camped at the park this weekend, which was the opening weekend after the rebuild of the bath houses and some other improvements. First, we loved how wooded and beautiful the campground was. The spots were nice and secluded, and the whole place was very beautiful. There were a few things that we didn't enjoy. First, it was EXTREMELY buggy. If you weren't covered in Deep Woods bug spray the whole time, you were getting bit. Second, I don't feel that there were enough showers. There were 5 showers in each bathhouse, making 10 showers total for the entire campground. I found myself waiting in a line every time I wanted a shower. Lastly, I wish there was a walking trail that was more accessible from the campground itself.

• 

  Ronald B.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  Hell Creek Ranch & Campground

  Great Campground

  Great out of the way campground. It was nice and quiet. Bathrooms were clean and well kept. The gentleman that checked us in moved things around so we could all be together not on different sites well away frome each other. Would definitely go there again.

• 

  Tony T.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 22, 2024

  Harrison Lake State Park Campground

  Great Campground

  The sites in the tent-only section were well sized and shady. We were on the lake side and were able to get some nice views of Harrison Lake. There were families on either side of us with little kids who were well behaved, albeit a little noisy (i.e a really young child was screaming for about 2 minutes straight non-stop at 9 am until finally the parents said something). Bathroom facilities (single occupancy with shower) were about a 3 minute walk and were clean. Good stay!

• 

  Miranda J.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 15, 2024

  W. J. Hayes State Park Campground

  Hayes State Park

  We stayed in a tent on site 32, this was a very nice campground, peaceful, with trails and ample shade. Campsites were decently sized, fire pits were big, $5 per bundle of dry wood, showers were private with hot water, and there were activities and a beach/playground for kids. Checkin/out was simple, and coffee/hot coco was provided by the campsite each morning. Will be returning to this campsite again. I suggest sites 93-96 for more private/shaded sites.

• 

  Wendy F.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 15, 2024

  Hideaway RV Park

  Great 1st camping experience

  This was our 1st ever camping trip and it was a delight. Pull thru spot, super easy to get to, full hookup. Spots had plenty of room, some had grass others had concrete. Quiet, very chill RV park, small beach on a pond for fishing playground for kids and plenty of room for our small dog. Linda (owner) was amazing, very helpful and easy to use venmo for payment and for firewood use. Overall a great experience , would definitely visit again. Plenty to do around town, lakes everywhere just have to choose which one to go to.

• 

  Gary G.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 12, 2024

  Bruin Lake Campground — Pinckney Recreation Area

  Great staff, good hosts, not bad

  Camped here thru the 4th of July weekend. The staff kept noise and other stupidity tamped down. They say quiet time is all the time, and I love that.

  Typical MI state park, sites are electric (30a and/or 50a) only.

  No real beach, but there is a swimming area. Picked up Detroit TV stations easily, good for the rainy mornings we had.

  With T-Mobile, Internet service was practically non-existent. Phone calls & texts worked. The camper across from us said it was the same for Verizon.

  One section is mostly paved & ADA sites, the "upper" section is grassy and/or dirt. Both restroom/shower buildings were fine, I just wish they had posted times when they'll be closed for cleaning.

  All in all, we'd have no problem returning here.

• 

  Kyla T.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 27, 2024

  Twin Pines Campground & Canoe Livery

  Quaint, pretty, and fun!

  I visited this campground last summer! It was a smaller campground, but very woodsy (just how I like it)! They have kayak/canoeing, a playground area for the kids, and good site sizes. The only thing that wasn’t pleasant was the beach area (too small and muddy), and the fact that my boyfriend’s mother had to pull off leeches various different times after being in the water!

• 

  ABBI S.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 17, 2024

  Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Barton Lake

  Primitive camping right by a busy highway

  This was my husbands, and my 2 small babies first camping trip. We chose Jellystone in Fremont Indiana because it was only an hour from our home and has so many fun family activities. We wanted to do something close by in case things went awry, I am Glad we did that. We got to the site and we had booked primitive camping. From the map online you could not tell it was directly next to an extremely busy highway. So instead of the sound of nature we heard blaring 16 wheelers for hours on end. Our campsite was not labeled with our site number so we had to guess what site we had booked. The camp sites were on a slight hill and my youngest isn’t even 2 and is accident prone. This was dangerous given the fact that the picnic table was sloped right by the fire ring for a dangerous combination. Our chairs were unsteady and sitting around the fire in general was dangerous. We couldn’t relax at all and had to continuously be cautious of my 1.5 year old falling into the fire! It is currently June and the temps are high which we expected but the heat combined with the highway traffic at night led to no sleep for our children or us. Not to mention at 10:30 construction vehicles pulled up right next to the campsite and began their work. By 11:15 we had had enough. We decided to go home. It was the worst 7 hour experience of our vacation history. We called the next day and relayed our experience to the registration cabin and paid to have a cabin. The point of this thread is, I personally Feel like I paid to be homeless next to a highway for the week. I am Angry, camping should not be next to a busy highway. The entrance needs to be relocated to where the primitive camping is and the camping needs to be in a more secluded area. People are paying for this experience and it was the most chaotic/ anxious trip I have ever been on. We have not experiencedthe fun activities yet because we have had such a horrible time at the actual campsite we drove home and are coming back the next day so we could actually get some sleep. When we paid for a cabin and relaid our experience the woman working registration did not even apologize for our bad experience. We were not met with any form of compassion or understanding for the chaos we paid for. If you are going to keep booking primitive camping next to a busy highway, inform your guests! Be aware of construction schedules! Know what is happening in your area for the sake of your guests and their quality experience! Do not let your park become a thing of the past because you are neglecting to remember our experiences keep us coming back!

• J

  Joni C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 4, 2024

  Happy Acres Campground

  Stay in the Skybox

  We rented site 95 in the “skybox” it’s on the backside of the property. Super clean campground with friendly workers and seasonal residents were so friendly. Enjoyed the pool, pickleball and walking the trails. Has a 9hole disc golf. Very cool place and Angola has a lot to offer.

• 

  Mitchell S.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 4, 2024

  Marble Springs Campground

  More rules then posted refused to update rules.

  Fishing but is catch and release. It is not posted any where in the rules or at the fishing spots. Nore was I told this be fore being warned about it. Cancled season and went to where I could catch and eat.

• H

  Hunter M.

  Scout

  

  May. 30, 2024

  Pokagon State Park Campground

  Super fun

  They have good hiking trails, nice refreshing waters, good food options at certain places

• N

  Nick M.

  Traveler

  

  May. 25, 2024

  Twin Acres Campground

  Good Time and nice place

  Stayed here with my family on memorial weekend. Nice campground with friendly staff. Would come again for sure.

• 

  Gary G.

  Scout

  

  May. 3, 2024

  Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area

  Vicious dogs not on 6-foot leash as required

  The 6-foot leash rules are very clearly stated. There are many campers whose dogs remain the exception and don't abide by the rules. My leashed dod has been threatened by vicious larger unleashed dogs as I walk my dog more than once this month. So the camp host or ranger should , after warning the offending campers once, call the county animal control. This situation is way out of control.

• 

  Tina G.

  Scout

  

  May. 2, 2024

  Happy Acres Campground

  Unexpected gem

  We made an last minute stop here on a Sunday night. The owners were helpful and went out of their way to help us. The campground looks awesome and makes you feel at home. They are also big rig friendly. We will stop back here again.

• N

  Nick M.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 1, 2024

  Sunny's Campground

  Lots of fun

  I took my family there and we had a great time. My 7 year really enjoyed the swimming and riding his bike through the campground. When we stayed the campground had brought in large inflatable water slide which was a great time. They charge for WIFI and it wasn’t very good at all, but that is my only complaint.

• f

  fred F.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 8, 2024

  Crooked Creek Campground and Cabins

  Nice first experience

  We reserved a spot roughly a month in advance and really enjoyed our spot. Had partial shade and picnic table at our site. The bathrooms/showers were large and private (one occupant at a time). River access at this campground so you can kayak about 5 hours to the public access and drive back. Or you can also rent kayaks near the public access and they will transport for you.

• J

  Joann S.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 29, 2024

  Eaton County Fairgrounds

  Wonderful quiet sites.

  My husband and I had a wonderful experience the website was well informed; pull in and pick your own site and the site manager will come by and collect your money for night stayed. In fact, we enjoyed it so much we called to ask for another night, without hesitation, and any disruption to our camping they came by later that evening, and collected for an additional night ( just as the website advised), Charlotte is a wonderful town with wonderful events. This fairground camp area very clean and well organized. Well done Eaton county, see you in May 2024. 💯

• 

  Kevin C.

  Ranger

  

  Feb. 24, 2024

  Waterloo Sugarloaf Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area

  Nice State Park Layout

  This was a campground that we stayed at on our way to the northern part of the state. This for me, was a place that I would like to come back to for a longer stay. The camp sites were nice, there was a nice swimming area in crystal clear water and a beautiful bathhouse. It had a more modern layout that could accommodate many campers. My only complaint, and the reason that I'll have a hard time talking my wife into going back was the mosquitoes were pretty bad the evening that we were there. Other than that I liked it a lot.

• 

  Joel K.

  Guide

  

  Jan. 15, 2024

  Fort Custer Recreation Area

  Really nice state park campground and rec area!

  This was our second trip to this property (1st was Sept 2021), and it was really nice.  We went Aug 25 - 27th (Friday - Sunday).  The property has something like 219 campsites, and that weekend every single one of them was full.  Noisy during the day with a few large groups and a LOT of kids, but they were quiet at night and it was not a problem.  Some of the campsites are very close together and it's hard to determine that from the map or choosing ahead of time.  The showers and bathrooms are fine, and I think they're being upgraded this season so I expect them to be quite nice for 2024 and beyond.  We took full advantage of the mountain bike trails which are very easily accessed from the campground.  We also took a trip into Battle Creek for a quick stop by CVS, so it's close and convenient for lost or forgotten items.   No problems with bugs or mosquitos, other than the normal for being a forested property. 

  On Saturday morning the camp host had coffee and donuts for a $1 donation.  And firewood was easily accessible on site. 

  Would not hesitate to stay here again.