Best Tent Camping near Ishpeming, MI

Recent Tent Reviews near Ishpeming, Michigan

424 Reviews of 31 Ishpeming Campgrounds

• m

  mike S.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 12, 2023

  Chocolay River RV & Campgrounds

  Nice campground

  I noticed some real negative comments about this place, and at this time I think this is a pretty decent place to stay. There are no trees for shade, but this is Marquette Michigan, where it’s unusual to get into the 80s during the summertime. The tent sites are down close to the river in or not even visible from the main RV area. If you want to tent camp here, I think those sites would be excellent because they provide a good amount of privacy. I found the lady in the office who registered me to be very pleasant, and I did not notice a bunch of “junk”around the office building.  The water, sewer, drain pipe, and electric hook ups are all in very good condition.  additionally, there is no longer any exposed dirt like you see in some of the pictures on this particular camping app. The grass has grown in just fine.  I would definitely stay here again. 

• 

  Stacia R.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 26, 2019

  Marquette Tourist Park Campground

  Busy & crowded park

  This is a very busy campground that tends to attract mostly RV campers. It is very close to town which is convenient, and has a lot of activities within the campground. There is a playground, swimming beach, firewood for sale, picnic areas, and located on a bike path. For the most part, the park was full of families in RVs that seemed to park in every which way they found convenient. There are a few walk-in tent sites as well. We tent camp, and scored a nice site (#1) right on the water which felt a little bit separated from the mess of large RVs all over the place. The bathhouse was fairly clean, but the showers were always busy. Our site was a little on the small side and trash was left in the fire pit from previous campers. I enjoyed being right on the water, and it was a convenient location as there are not a lot of campgrounds in the nearby area. Unfortunately the park had a very hectic and crowded feeling to it than I usually prefer.

• 

  Erika P.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 21, 2020

  Paint River Hills Campground

  Quiet campground right by town and ORV trails.

  Great little campground. It's small, clean and quiet. You self register for check-in, there's a bathroom building with 3 stalls and two showers(women) and hot water. We purchased an RV site($20) even though we were camping in a tent so our truck and trailer would fit and it comes with water and electricity at the camp site. Each campsite comes with a picnic table and fire ring. The ORV Route is right outside the campground entrance and you can ride to the trail. You can also get ice and gas at the gas station in town by taking the alley. We stayed again in 2020 in Our RV. They have 4 pull through sites with full hook-ups;$25 a night. 50/20 amps, high water pressure.

• K

  Kyle P.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 17, 2019

  Perkins Park & Campground

  Nice place

  Tent camped here one night, nice quiet place

• 

  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!

• A

  Austin

  Traveler

  

  May. 31, 2024

  Carney Lake State Forest Campground

  Quiet campground

  Tent camped here on may 30th. Very quiet with some sites right on the lake. About a 7 mile gravel road to get here from the main road.

• 

  Zachary T.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 26, 2020

  Otter Lake Campground & Lodge

  Was a great jumping point.

  Went on a week long trip through the U.P. This was our first stop coming from Detroit. We had a tent site. Showers and bathrooms were clean. Was about 5 minutes outside Munising. Great place to stay if your planning on visiting pictured rocks. It’s right on the lake too with boat rentals if you just want to hang around your campsite. Friendly staff. Laundry facilities. Only thing we didn’t care for was tent sites were kinda right on top of each other. But had larger sites for RVs and electric hook ups. Again just stayed for the one night to jump to the porcupine mountains.

• 

  Buck R.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 27, 2018

  Otter Lake Campground & Lodge

  Family Friendly

  This campground is more for families. There are RV sites and tent sites. Laundry is available as well as as all store. The management is wonderful, friendly, and the showers always have hot water.

• 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.

• 

  Nikki P.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 1, 2022

  Munising Tourist Park Campground

  What's not to like?

  Friendly staff, gorgeous sunsets from Lake Superior's shore, water + electric sites, dump station, hot showers. There are some tent sites along the shore that look amazing. Next time we'll be paddling to Grand Island. We stayed at the end of September.

• T

  Tim L.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 28, 2022

  Rippling Rivers RV Resort

  Love Rippling River

  Great campground with a variety of options to stay. Full hook up, luxury cabins, rustic cabins, electric sites, walk in tent sites. Location is perfect. Only wish would be that they add more bathrooms/shower rooms. Can be long waits in the morning/evenings.

• S

  Steph

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 23, 2020

  Munising Tourist Park Campground

  Wide Open RV Park

  Nice RV park but just not our cup of tea. Sites are really open to one another although the lakefront sites have great beach access to Lake Superior. Even at the “rustic tent sites”, you will see your neighbor clearly. Bathrooms and showers were clean, friendly staff. Just wish there were more trees or sites were spread out more

• 

  Amie L.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 6, 2020

  Rippling Rivers RV Resort

  An Okay Place for Modern Camping

  Rippling Rivers Resort is new addition to an area that lacked a decent campground.

  Amenities include bathhouses and shows (which have code locks on them), shared water access, picnic tables, fire pits, campstore with bar, and access to an outdoor pool and hot tub.

  We stayed at one of the walk-in tent sites and also had the pleasure of enjoying the Carp River. The river was about 10 fee away from our site.

  The staff is extremely friendly, to both people and dogs. I was very impressed with how dog friendly this location is. Even the other campers were respectful of each other.

  Our tent location was entirely shaded and made it feel as though we were camping in a forest. 

  The downsides. The tent sites were too small and not level. We had a very hard time finding a place to put our tent.  The sites were also very close together. Our neighbors were backed right up to use. 

  As mentioned above, the shower/bathhouse requires a code to access it. It was kind of weird. And made it a challenge if you had to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. 

  Parking was very limited. Not a problem if you have only one vehicle, but we had two. One of us had to park on the other side of the campground, which became an inconvenience.

• D

  Daniel S.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 5, 2016

  Bay Furnace Campground

  Bay Furnace Campground

  Bay Furnace Campground in the Hiawatha National Forest is what you expect from a NF campground. Sites are very secluded in a well wooded area with a few sites right on the Lake Superior shore with a view of Grand Island. Most sites are very level and good for tent camping. Non-electric sites gives the campground a rustic feel. The shoreline is excellent for walking the beach and looking at the beautiful washed stones, but there are no sanding areas to swim (if you could even brave the cold water).

• 

  Jenni C.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 18, 2024

  Farquar-Metsa Tourist Park

  Well Kept Campground

  This reservation only campground was well kept and close to amenities in Gwinn like their city park and diners. The full hookup sites were well marked but not a lot of shade and septic hook up was far back. There is a dump site on premise so we utilized that. Tent sites are well shaded and secluded from each other. Tenants were amazing and hiking trails were beautiful. The weather was too cold to swim but the beach area would be nice with warmer weather.

• 

  Davyd E.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 30, 2021

  Boney Falls Basin Campground

  It's nice if....

  You don't mind fireworks all the time and compressed camping with the people that use it for partying all night. There's pedophiles and meth cooks that take over part the grounds for a majority of the summer because it's free to camp. So BE MINDFUL OF YOUR CHILDREN (reason for the review)! You'll definitely get what you pay for in the upper peninsula and if you don't pay you'll hang out in a gypsy camp most likely. Tent camping is a bad idea (too noisy all hours). Otherwise when it's not like that there's decent fishing and water sports to do. If it's empty it's very nice.

• D

  Devora D.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 30, 2021

  Bewabic State Park Campground

  A great campground!

  We left another campground for this one. We loved it here. Great buffers between most sites. Loop C have pull though sites and a very nice and roomy. Loops A and B have a variety of sizes. Some really nice tent sites and smaller campers. We have a 25ft and found several great spots. We also have a dog that needs room. Our site gave him that. Our site was clean. Vault toilets on every loop and 2 shower/flush toilet houses near loops C & B, and one near B & A. They were very clean. We had spotty reception but did receive calls and text. We only had 2 neighbors while We were there. The last 2 nighr we were alone. We were there late September. It was beautiful. By far one of the best state parks in Michigan we have camped at. Would definitely be back!

• 

  Melissa M.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 28, 2021

  Superior Times

  Lots of kiddos

  We only stayed here one night but the kids had a lot of fun, they have a lot of outdoor toys. There were kids everywhere.

  Outhouse and showers were clean

  Electric hook up

  Filled water at dump station We stayed in site 10 it was quiet and away from the core of the noise

  Friendly staff Seasonals were a little wild and loud, I like to have fun so it didn’t bother me much but they didn’t always watch the kids, only complaint.

  6 minutes back into the town near the River is a little gas station / general store —- best Pasties!

  Cabins available Rustic tent sites available

  $48 after tax site 10 electric travel trailer site.

• 

  Dustin D.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 29, 2019

  Munising Tourist Park Campground

  Serene and Movie Like

  Positioned at a good distance from the town of Munising, meaning far enough so you feel disconnected, but still close enough to were you can quickly reach the town, this campground is easily one of the best in the area and one of my favorites.  Complete with entities such as showers, this campground overlooks Grand Island and various other smaller islands, resting in Lake Superior, it really makes you feel like you are in a movie.  One of the hidden gems of this campground is the rustic tent sites, which allow you to camp on the beach, have fires on the beach under the stars, and wake up to the sound of gently crashing waves.  It also is a good size campground, creating the family neighborhood atmosphere and with the way it is designed and the view it gives, it helps make connect with nature and fellow campers in a cool way.  If you want to explore Pictured Rocks, and camping is your thing, this is the place to go.

• 

  Maria L.

  Guide

  

  May. 31, 2018

  Genes Pond State Forest Campground

  A nice, remote rustic campground away from everything!

  This campground in Felch is a rustic campground, with two outhouses and a water pump for potable water that sits on Gene's Pond. It’s a gorgeous campground, with a boat ramp and fishing dock on the lake. We’ve camped here twice now, and love the remote location — it’s pretty far back in the woods and ideal for anyone who really wants that northern Michigan/remote experience. At night, you can sometimes hear wolves in the distance. We had the campground to ourselves the first time, and th second time there was only one other camper. We tent camped, and while the outhouses were clean, the one nearest our campsite was out of toilet paper. Luckily we had our own. There are only a handful of campsites. Maybe 12 or 15 total? And all of them are well shaded with good privacy, a picnic table, and a fire pit. The only downside to this campground is the horrid water. It comes from a cistern (I imagine) and has a hand pump. The water is awful. Cloudy and foul tasting, stale and full of minerals. The second time we camped there we made sure to bring our own water. The fishing was great in Gene's Pond. My hubby caught some bluegill in the lake that we cooked up for dinner. It’s really a beautiful spot, not far from Felch or Sagola for supplies, and near some great brook trout fishing on the Ford River. We'll definitely go back.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Jan. 21, 2025

  Marquette Tourist Park Campground

  A variety of sites in a city-run park

  General: A variety of different options ranging from rustic tent sites (10) to electric hookup only (57) to water and electric (4) to full hookup (39). 

  Site Quality: Varies. Only the FHU sites on the perimeter have paved camper pads, all others are either dirt, grass, or a combo. The electric sites closest to the Dead River are, although wide and fairly deep, still in an open grassy area with very few trees so don’t count on shade (this is especially true for sites 1-3, 6, and 11). The FHU sites are mostly very close together with some trees but otherwise not much privacy/separation. IMO, the best sites are the electric sites opposite the FHU sites – they are very wooded, and this provides some amount of privacy between sites. 

  Bath/Shower: Clean with soap and paper towels. Didn’t use the shower so cannot comment on it other than it looked clean. 

  Activities/Amenities: There is a beach with what looked like a swimming area; although we understood there was a lifeguard on duty, we did not see one. We saw a boat go by, but I did not see a boat launch. There is somewhat dated playground. Free WiFi. 

  We had originally planned to spend two nights here but ended up heading down the road the next day.

• 

  Ari A.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 2, 2020

  Marquette Tourist Park Campground

  Great municipal camping oasis

  This campground is in Marquette, near Northern Michigan University. But once you're camped there, you won't feel like you're in one of the largest cities in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. 

  The sites are generally spacious and they have a lot of options to choose from based on what rig you have and how you like to camp. They have tent sites that are non-electric, about 100 RV sites with just electric, and another 38 sites that have water and sewer hookups. They even have some sites that are pull-through. They also offer a dump station and potable water for folks that don't have the full hookup sites. 

  The campground is adjacent to a municipal park that has a beach. The campground also offers sites that overlook Dead River Basin. The sites aren't paved, so rainy days could lead to some mud to deal with, but the nice stand of trees and the basin view can make up for it. There also are some sites that are tucked into the trees quite a bit for additional privacy. Because you're near a major UP city, you have access to plenty of shopping and services if you need them, plus there is great (Verizon) cellular service in the campground. The park wifi is a bit weak depending on where you are at in relation to the office, but we used our wifi booster and had smooth sailing for our jobs all day long. 

  The bathroom and shower facilities seem older but also appeared to be clean and functioned well. There weren't very many showers, so if you need to use one you may need to wait for it. 

  All-in-all a decent campground that serves as a perfect oasis in an area where there aren't any state parks to choose from. We also liked that when they close the office at night, they print out a map with all the reserved sites, so if you show up without a reservation, you can quickly check the map to find an open site. Then you just get some rest and register at the office in the morning.

• 

  Nancy W.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 22, 2017

  Marquette Tourist Park Campground

  Good Location

  One great thing about this park is the location and how close it is to downtown Marquette and Lake Superior. The campground can tend to feel a bit crowded in the summer and on weekends but there are not many campgrounds in town so you may have to put up with crowds for convenience. We didn’t have reservations and could not get a spot for the weekend but sites did open up during the week. The park offers great water access for fishing, swimming and paddling plus there are many other amenities like a playground, ball fields, trails, picnic areas, etc. Another plus is the paved bike path that runs by the campground and leads downtown (about a 10-minute bike ride) and along the waterfront. 

  There are a mix of sites from those fitting the largest of RVs to tent sites. Lots of tall trees provide shade but this can make for some crazy maneuvering with large rigs.  Be aware if you are a large RV with tow car that many sites are not long enough so be specific how long you are when you reserve a site. The park is dated and in need of some work so there are potholes in the roads and not all sites are level. Many sites in the RV hookup areas are sandy/dirt especially when campers put our patio mats and park vehicles wherever they want.  The hook-ups are not laid out conveniently on some sites which requires extra hoses and electric cords. There is WiFi in the campground but does not pick up well in all areas of the park – it just depends where you are but works well at the office. Our television antenna picked up a dozen or so channels including the major networks. Verizon 4G was strong and our hotspot worked great. 

  There was a sign posted mentioning there were reported break-ins and people should lock up their belongings. We found this a little disturbing because you normally don’t see this in campgrounds. It also appeared that some campers were not well-versed on camping etiquette throwing trash in fire pits, walking through others campsites, and leaving garbage all over their sites.

• J

  Jade G.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 27, 2020

  Au Train Lake Campground

  Great location in proximity to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, adequate

  This is very close to the Munising/Pictured Rocks/ Christmas Michigan areas.

  The campground is adequate, but not the most awesome bathrooms.  

  There was a great trail near our campsite that had signs and info about the birds in the area (great for young ones especially).  

  Adequate place for pitching a tent and going to the bathroom (and having some lake fun) and being near Munising.

• 

  Nona A.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 6, 2017

  Van Riper State Park Campground

  Awesome State Campground located along US Hwy 41 in Michigan's U.P.

  Along our travels in Michigan's Upper Peninsula from the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore west to the Porcupine Mountains, we stayed at Van Riper State Park campground.  We found this campground located along U.S. Hwy 41 about 40 minutes west of Marquette MI. The Park sits on the west shores of Lake Michigamme.   Van Riper State park has both a Modern and Rustic campgrounds along, with hiking, biking and ATV trails.  There is a fine sandy beach, and playground.  At the beach there is a concession stand.  The park offers areas for boating, kayaking, and jet skiing, and fishing.  To book or check into either campground you must stop at the park office.  A Resident Recreational Passport is required or a charge of $11 will apply for each vehicle without one.  The park office also has firewood, ice and even ice cream for sale. I recommend to get your firewood from another local area, the bundles are $5 but are very small bundles like 3 or 4 pieces.  They also offer kayak rentals the price on those was decent.  $10 for a 2 hour kayak rental.

  We stayed in the Modern campground.  There are 147 sites and 2 Mini Cabins.  Sites are equipped for tents, trailers and RV’s up to 50’.  There are free wifi by the restrooms, flush toilets, showers, drinking water, sanitation station, electric hookups at each site along with a fire pit and picnic table.  The daily price of sites is $22 - $24 and $49 for a Mini Cabin.  We stayed in site 92 that is located right next to the restroom/showers. Which was great having young children with us who seem to need to visit the restroom numerous times. This site is more for a trailer or a RV being the ground is hard and full of rocks.  We all used air mattresses so that wasn’t much of an issue.  We did take the time to remove any sharp rocks from where our tent was being placed to make sure no holes were made in the tent or mattresses.  Sites are very open and non private.  There is a host site that has information on activities around the park and neighboring areas.  They also offer activities for children to do.  

  A short distance from the modern campground is the rustic campground.  There are 40 sites and a Camper's Cabin available. This campground offers vault toilets, and drinking water.  I did find out that for $2 per person for a day you can have access to the showers at the modern campground.  The daily price of these sites is $13, and $86 for the Camper’s Cabin.  These sites are equipped for tents, trailers and RV’s up to 30’.  There is no electric hook ups.  

  During your visit to the park there are lot’s of scenic, historic, and recreational sites to visit.  A few miles from the park is the location of where Iron ore was first found in the Lake Superior region.  There is a Iron Industry Museum.  Lake Michigamme offers lot’s of activities for those visiting.  If you are really looking for a awesome adventure not too far from camp, you can drive an ½ hour west on Hwy 41 to the “Grand Canyon” of Michigan, this gorge and waterfalls are located along the Sturgeon River.  There is access to the North Country Trail here as well.  The Canyon Waterfall and Gorge are just breathtaking.  It is a 10 minute hike along the river from the parking area to the Canyon falls and gorge.  You can hike further in if you wish and discover the rapids area along the river.  We did not venture this far having small children with us.  Can’t wait to return on a adult trip to hike further along the river.  

  I give this Campground a 5 star review, it is a great place to take the family on vacation.

• 

  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.

• 

  EmmaLee H.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 29, 2018

  Munising Tourist Park Campground

  Secluded and nice, be prepared for weather

  Stayed in a rustic tent spot. Short walk to your site from where you can park. Rustic tent spots are mostly sand right on the beach. We experienced quite some rain one of our nights. We had a tarp set up but it collected a lot of water. Nice clean campground. Wish we had been more prepared for weather.