Best Tent Camping near Houghton, MI

Recent Tent Reviews near Houghton, Michigan

236 Reviews of 10 Houghton Campgrounds

• 

  Dalton B.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 5, 2018

  McLain State Park Campground

  Great Campground, Awsome Views

  Located in the heart of the Keweenaw with nice sites that have a great view of the lake if you get one of the sites near the shore. Big park area, beach with both sandy and rocky places, a ice shop, and not far from Houghton/Hancock.

• 

  Mindi M.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 31, 2019

  Village Park

  Thoroughly enjoyed our stay here!

  Lake Linden Village Campground is a fairly small, but nice campground. They have a lower portion that's made more for trailers or motorhomes, and an upper rustic portion for tents. We stayed on a tent site, which was huge! It easily fit our 14 person tent and a 6 person tent. Most of the other tent sites were smaller though. There was one shared water spigot for all the tent sites, and a very nice port a potty. And it was just a walk down the hill to the showers, which were also very nice. It was quiet and nice. I'd definitely stay there again if I'm ever back in the area!

• K

  Kyle P.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 17, 2019

  Perkins Park & Campground

  Nice place

  Tent camped here one night, nice quiet place

• 

  Tyler S.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 24, 2019

  Sunset Bay RV Resort and Campground

  Lake side camping at its best

  Tent camping right on the lake. Camper camping right next to it.

• A

  Adam

  Guide

  

  Feb. 20, 2021

  Emily Lake State Forest Campground

  Super secluded

  Several great sites to tent camp. Caught some blue gills. Good times

• J

  John E.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 8, 2023

  Hancock Recreation Area Beach & Campground

  Hancock recreation

  Nice campground, bathrooms aren’t the best. Tent camping sites are nice some are spacious, some are close to each other.

• 

  Paige H.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 18, 2019

  Perkins Park & Campground

  Nice!

  This campground was really nice! I’ve tent camped here and camped in a hammock. Both were so fun!

• 

  Audra F.

  Scout

  

  May. 6, 2018

  Courtney Lake Campground

  Love this place

  Out of the way. Very private. Camped all the way in the back with only a few others in the campground. Would definitely be back to tent camp here.

• 

  Anna A.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 6, 2018

  Fanny Hooe Resort & Campground

  Pricy and Packed

  We went to try and get a tent camping spot here and they told us it would be$35 a night! just for a tent! That paired with the campground being packed with loud people, we decided to go somewhere else.

• H

  Hudson G.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 5, 2023

  McLain State Park Campground

  Awesome Spot!!

  The bathrooms and showers were awesome and made for an easy experience even if tent camping. The view only 200 feet in front of the site was crazy and amazing. The pics are all from right out front of the site. Excellent campground!!

• R

  RJ W.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 31, 2020

  Sunset Bay RV Resort and Campground

  Our Happy Place

  We discovered this campground 6 years ago when my nephew wanted to camp as far north in Michigan as we could. Since then we've spent 2 weeks each August tent camping on the shores of Lake Superior. The facilities are well maintained and the owner and camp host are the some of the most down to earth people we have met. There's a camp store that has limited supplies but have the essentials. Everything is based on the honor system

• 

  Melanie R.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 5, 2016

  Hancock Recreation Area Beach & Campground

  Feels like backwoods camping

  We like camping in the woods, but this has some of the same feel. The tent sites have lots of trees that makes it seem like you are roughin' it. It is nice to have access to real bathrooms though.

• T

  Tim L.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 28, 2022

  Perkins Park & Campground

  Great for Tents

  Good campground for tenting. Our no electric tent site was right on the water which was great for a quick cool off in the hot weather. Bathrooms were clean. Full hook up sites looked to be pretty uneven so be sure to bring options to help with leveling.

• 

  Shawnee ..

  Guide

  

  Feb. 7, 2022

  Ontonagon Township Park Campground

  Close to Lake Superior

  We stayed for a night while road-tripping north, and the proximity to Lake Superior was a wonderful surprise. Snagged a tent site day-of on the loop across the road. Cold morning swim at the beach down the road to wake up.

• 

  Stephen L.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 14, 2024

  Sunset Bay RV Resort and Campground

  Just awesome

  This place is way off the beaten path. Long dirt road to get back here. There are tent sites all along the beach front to watch the sunset and pick rocks. Most sites are fairly level. I feel like we got one of the only ones that wasn't but I'm not real picky. @ramblinsmurf

• 

  Dan N.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 29, 2016

  Bob Lake Campground

  Very private & green along the lake

  This is a small simple campground with lovely lakeside tent sites among rather dense trees. If you walk east you’ll find a sandy beach to splash in. You can also find a long nature trail and a connection to the interstate North Country Trail. Excellent birding, including sandhill cranes, and wildlife. Pit toilets and seasonal water is provided. There are no reservations but you should be able to get a spot year-round.

• 

  Art S.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 15, 2022

  McLain State Park Campground

  A busy spot but enjoyable

  A short drive from Houghton brings you to the shore of Lake Superior. McLain sprawls along the shore giving almost every campsite a beautiful view. Our site has a picnic table and even a couple wooden deck chairs looking towards the sunset. Every site has electric with water available at a few locations. There is a dump station near the trash bins. With the park stretching a couple miles you can get in a good walk along the paved camp road. There are a few extra trails to add some adventure. We found some that parallel the road and head to the beach - there’s even a dog beach! There are plenty of shelters and benches to find some personal space. Humans can walk down to the sand and sit by the beach (no dogs for most of it). Some folks put their kayaks in to paddle a bit. One drawback is the sparse restrooms. A centralized shower house is by the entrance. Vault toilets are around but you could have a bit of a walk. Tips: the entrance is earlier than google will take you so keep an eye open. Another camper told us to stop by the Jam Pot in the way north along 26. The monks make and sell a variety of things but Greg kept raving about the cupcakes. It’s nearJacob falls. We are stopping by on our way out tomorrow.

• 

  Michael V.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 10, 2022

  McLain State Park Campground

  Revisiting McLain after 7 years.

  The wife and I are about to return to McLain after stumbling across it 7 years ago. We stayed in one of the cabins last time, this year we will be in a tent. Campground has beautiful sunsets, the lake is a stones throw away from anywhere you camp here. Showers were clean. Lots to see on the Keweenaw.

  I’ll do another review after my next trip end of August.

• J

  Jen

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 18, 2021

  Baraga State Park Campground

  Centralized spot

  We are on site 22. Very spacious have room for our 20ft TT and could have put up a large screen tent but there is a big dip in the site which caused a huge puddle where we would have placed it. Nice view of the lake can see at least part of it from almost anywhere in the camp. Picnic table and fire ring on every site. There are several full hook up sites (water sewer electric). There are a few pull through sites. Some of the sites (the ones a crossed from us) have a huge dip right at the edge of the site to get in out of the site that can cause some issues with low sitting vehicles. Hosts were very friendly and informative, offered some scheduled programs through out the week and free coffee and doughnuts Saturday morning at the host site. DNR staff almost always available. Serves as a great base point to see probably hundreds of water falls. Some are located just down the street from the campground. Mordern shower clean and had hot water and restroom, clean but toilets are a little tricky to flush...doesn't seem to have enough flushing power. Verizon phone works great... hotspot from Verizon phone works great as well. there is also some WiFi available from somewhere that works but doesn't work(cuts in and out) not sure if it is the parks or a nearby place. The roads in the campground are narrrow but manageable. The park is located on a main highway (41) so you get the noise from the traffic on the road...sometimes this noise can make it hard to have a quiet conversation with those in your camping party....it quiets down some at night but still a lot of noise. Also train tracks runs along the back of the campground which can be quite noisy. We've been here almost a week and have heard only one train(we aren't here a lot during the day we are out exploring). Nice day park across the road from the campground. Located about 30 min. From Houghton (and a Walmart) and about an hour drive to the porcupine mountains.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 4, 2022

  Ontonagon Township Park and Campground

  Take a chance that you can get a spot

  General: 76 site (including five tent sites) campground stretched out on both sides of Lakeshore Drive. 50 sites are on the lakeside of the road with the remainder on the other side. Some have 50-amp electric, and some have 30-amp. No reservations are taken, and the campground appeared full when we were there on a Tuesday in September. It is located adjacent to the town park/playground/picnic area. The office is open 8 am– 8 pm and if you arrive after hours and are lucky enough to find a site, you use the pay station. 

  Site Quality: Sites 65-70, located directly on Lake Superior are considered Premium. There are 12 other lakefront sites (not considered premium). Sites 39-44 are located directly on the road so road noise will be an issue if that bothers you. Sites are close together with no physical separation between them. 

  Bathhouse: Was clean and well-lighted. Two pay showers were available.

  Activities/Amenities: Wilderness trail (approx. ¾ mile), basketball hoops, disk golf, the beach, playground at the adjacent park plus a playground in the campsites across the street. 

  We had stopped at the picnic area next to the campground, so I checked it out for a possible future stay. As long as we don’t get one of the roadside spots, it would be good for passing through. Probably would not stay here more than one night as we prefer campgrounds with more privacy. Also, not sure why ATVs would be welcome here – for us, the noise would be an issue.

• M

  Michael B.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 2, 2023

  Lake Linden Village Campground

  Wonderful Campground

  Campground is well laid out. Location is on Torch Lake in the town of Lake Linden MI. Well maintained and friendly campers all around.

  The college town of Houghton, home of Michigan Tech is nearby as well.

• t

  thomas V.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 22, 2023

  Hancock Recreation Area Beach & Campground

  Kind of cramped,

  Very convenient to Houghton and rest of Keweenaw Peninsula. But spots are practically on top of one another. Great if you’re camping with kids and friends, but no so great if you’re looking for some quiet.

• C

  Carol J.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 5, 2021

  L'Anse Township Park & Campground

  l’ance township

  Nice camp site to stay at with great view of the bay. We drove to Houghton and took a hike. Restroom and showers not close however. The dump station was so easy since small campground. Very good price.

• 

  Wendy L.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 8, 2020

  McLain State Park Campground

  Beautiful Michigan park

  Nice sites either blacktop, gravel or grass. Majority of sites have lake superior views. Has beachs. One for humans and one for canines. Great for bicycling, hiking, lazy days at the beach. Lake superior water is cold! Has jetty near beach with lighthouse. Great for fishing. Canal to Houghton/Hancock empties into lake next to beach. On western side of keeweenaw peninsula. Has very beautiful sunsets.

• C

  Carol W.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 19, 2018

  City of Houghton RV Park

  Great Waterside City Park

  A bit tricky to maneuver but once you are set up this is a great city waterfront park! The sites are close but the view and proximity to outdoor walking make this a campground we will return to visit.

  The campground host is helpful and if you get a chance, purchase a book he wrote to enjoy a coming of age in the Upper Pennisula story!

  Love Houghton and exploring the history and geology of the area.

  We camped for a week in our 42 ft motor home with jeep. We walked the water view trail daily with our four legged camper. There is a city beach/park adjacent to the campground and although there are no restrooms or showers at the campground, there are restrooms at the adjacent beach area.

  We were able to access the campground WiFi and our satellite had a good signal. ATT coverage was good.

• 

  Nancy W.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 4, 2017

  City of Houghton RV Park

  Nice park, great location

  Loved this park. Despite the sites being pretty close, you have great water views, within walking distance to downtown and a short car ride away from lots of things to do and places to visit. 

  All the sites are designed to be back-in but we asked if we could pull in forward so the view of the river was out our front window and our door opened right onto the patio. Luckily they didn’t have a problem with that so we had a great view. The patio is a wooden deck that hangs over the river bank and was suck a perfect to sit after a long day of exploring and enjoy a glass of wine. There is a picnic table, bench, BBQ grill, and fire pit and the patio providing nice shade during the day. The park is divided into two tiers and we were lucky enough to be in the lower one that was directly on the water. The upper tier has a view of the water too and the same patios but you are overlooking other RVs.  All sites are paved (as are the roads) with 20/30/50 amp electric, cable with 16 channels, and Wi-Fi. A nice feature about this park is that they do allow washing vehicles and your RV for a nominal fee.

  The park is small with just 25 sites so book early if you are coming during the summer and they do have seasonal stays with good rates. We called with just a couple weeks notice but scored a site because someone cancelled. Added bonus is that this park is next door to a large waterfront park which is great for kids with lots of things for them to play on (just know dogs are not allowed). There are also picnic areas, sandy beach, and a boat launch. Continuing past the park is a four-mile paved, non-motorized pathway leading to downtown. 

  There are no bathrooms or showers in the park so you must have a self-contained RV meaning pop-up campers and tents are not allowed. There are flush toilets in the waterfront park just outside the campground but were used heavily and not always clean if the park was very busy.

  Loved that fact that you could walk to town. We strolled into the Keewenaw Brewery for a beer a couple of afternoons, checked out a museum that pays homage to the birthplace of American hockey (which started in Houghton), did a little window shopping, and ate the best pasties at Roy’s Pasties and Bakery. It is well worth the time to venture up the Keewenaw Peninsula to explore the other towns like Copper Harbor and Calumet. Calumet is an old copper mining town and there are lots of museums and interesting sites to see there including a very nice National Park Service visitor center. We toured the Quincy Mine and really enjoyed that. 

  Pros:

  ·        Great water view

  ·        Nice patio with picnic table and bench

  ·        Within walking distance of town

  ·        Nice walking path

  ·        Lots to do and see in the area

  ·        Paved sites and roads

  ·        Full hook-up with cable and good WiFi

  Cons:

  ·        Must have a self-contained RV

  ·        Sites are close to each other with very little privacy

  ·        Most sites have no shade

  ·        May be hard to get a site if you don’t book early

• 

  Richie C.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 26, 2020

  Baraga State Park Campground

  Why would anyone pay to stay here..

  I will be totally transparent and say I definitely prefer rustic or dispersed campsites.. however, I always give state parks an honest chance.

  Baraga State Park... I have tried. Ohh, have I tried to like you over the years.

  However, this is the WORST example of what a Michigan DNR campground can be. They squeezed in WAY too many sites in this place. You can hear the campers next to you fart in their sleep.

  Not even a stones throw from US-41 makes for constant road noise... and sites that have been submerged in water a day following rainfall. You always see campers here moving their tents, RV’s, etc... to drier portions of their sites.

  The only reason I give this TWO stars is because of the well-kept and nice bathhouse.

  I stop here solely to shower during my travels. I will stay on the side of the road before I set up camp here again.