Looking for tent camping near Kawkawlin? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Kawkawlin, Michigan's most popular destinations.
$18 - $32 / night
This property is nestled between West Branch and East Tawas with a 90-acre private lake! There are multiple tent sites as well as renovated cabins situated on or off the lake. Several amenities are included such as firepits and BBQ grills. The main lodge has a men's and women's restroom with showers. There is also a commercial kitchen available to cook your favorite meals. There are two docks for fishing as well as kayaks, row boats and a peddle boat to enjoy the beautiful lake.
$50 - $300 / night
Explore Deerfield Nature Park while hiking the beautiful 8 miles of trails. This Isabella County Park has trails perfect for hiking and biking on over 591 acres of land. Some of the trails run along side of the Chippewa River, with crossings at four bridges which include two swinging bridges, Lewis Pontiac Bridge and the Fisher Annex Covered Bridge. While exploring Deerfield, toss a disc or two around at one of the two 18 hole, state of the art, Disc Golf Courses. Bring along your camping gear for a rustic camping experience your family and friends will enjoy.
$20 - $25 / night
Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into state parks and recreation areas, state boat launches, state forest campgrounds and state trail parking lots. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79134_79210---,00.html
$15 / night
Owning a campground has been a dream of ours, and my family wanted to make this dream a reality. Our family has reached a new phase of our life. When we came across "Lost Haven" in 2013, we knew this was the right place for us. This campground offers a perfect beginning for us to develop the same kind of camping experience we enjoyed as a family.
This campground was established in 1975 and closed in 2012. Our hope is to reestablish this campground and grow with our present and future guests to come. We hope you enjoy your stay as much as we will enjoy having you.
Scout
Went later September on a Saturday and it was perfect. Good mix of tents and rv’s. Everyone was respectful and the whole campground was pretty quiet despite being essentially full. Bathrooms were clean, stocked, with plenty of hot water. Didn’t shower there but there is a ton of showers. Beach was a crazy close walk and really impressive. Even a pet friendly beach too. Camp host had fun activities for the kids (my kids claim this was the best time of the trip) as well as tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. Staff was incredibly friendly
Scout
Nice place some spots look small.
Traveler
Alright camp ground, it’s a members only. Few grouchy people that seem more miserable than into relaxing. It’s definitely an interesting atmosphere compared to other campgrounds. Staff are hit or miss, seems like the pleasant ones take layoff and move on. Small improvements are made year over year, which is nice.
Scout
The campground seemed nice into Sat. Night came. They started Blasting loud music that drowned our or campfire conversation from 1000ft away. We end our night early and still couldn't sleep, because the music was so loud inside of our camper, a hard side camper. We called the camp store and they said they couldn't do smoothing about it. We won't be back.
Traveler
This place was fantastic. We stayed in the Lakeside cabins. Amazing views! We went kayaking, mountain biking, hiking and fishing. The wildlife is plentiful and the lake is full of fish. The staff are fantastic. If we needed anything, they were there in minutes. Always courteous and friendly. Will definitely be back
Traveler
Beach, trails and children's solace pad, just an easy walk across the road. Newer bathhouse. Shady sandy campsite. Be sure and visit downtown Bay City, lots of great restaurants, a Riverwalk on both sides of the river, concerts in the park. Great atmosphere.
GuideMost sites are good, though some have slopes to them. Choose carefully. Great newer playscape and splash pad (!) for the kids, across State Park Rd from the main campground. Nice newly opened visitor/nature center. Campground usually clean and patrolled. Showers/restrooms are good, cleaned twice a day. Friendly staff.
Some of the best campground hosts are here.
Groceries, restaurants & laundromats are a short drive away.
TV reception was ok, and T-Mobile worked well enough.
Ranger
Our site was averaged out to $82.71 a night with the weekly rate discount.
We were in Site# 306 (a deluxe plus RV site - be aware that some of these are back-ins and not clearly labeled on the site map - we had to change sites to a pull-thru). We had Full hook- up with a gravel pull-through.
We travel towing a 14 foot trailer and were able to fit both in our pull through site along with my jeep.
The site was easy to level.
Our site was not shaded with zero trees. We weren’t able to sit outside because of the direct sun until after 8:30pm.
This was a smaller lot with our neighbors fairly close.
The deluxe plus lot comes without a concrete patio but with a picnic table and fire ring. They do sell firewood and will deliver to your site.
There is free WiFi. They do not offer Cable TV but there are quite a few channel options.
There is not a community outdoor kitchen or community fire pit.
They do not provide garbage service at your site so you must walk to garbage dumpster.
You are allowed to ride personal golf carts. They also allow you to rent pedal bikes. They do not provide golf cart rentals.
They do have a heated indoor and heated outdoor Swimming pool and one hot tub.
There is a Playground. They also offer Gaga ball, basketball sport court, and volleyball courts. There is a Game room for kids. They have a Putt putt course and Jumping pad.
They have a great general store.
There is a separate Activity Center for kids.
There are tons of scheduled activities for kids like wagon rides, arts & crafts, scavenger hunts, obstacle courses, etc. Activities are scheduled all day from 9am to 8pm.
There is a snack bar on site from 4pm-9:30pm where you can get hot dogs, brats, pretzels, nachos, ice cream, etc.
The streets are mostly paved and good for riding bikes.
This is an RV park with cabins to rent also. Tent camping is also allowed.
They have two shower houses. The shower house has the typical stalls. There is a great area to hang clothes and store your toiletries in the shower stall. These are kept very clean.
There is a laundry facility. It is a cash only facility, but they have a change machine in the arcade room. There are approximately 4washers and 4 dryers. It is approximately $2.75 to wash and $0.75 to dry a load.
They do not have a fenced in dog park. There are areas to walk dogs though.
Flies were an issue and bug spray was needed.
There were no trails to hike off of the campground.
Some fun things to do outside of the campground are Frankenmuth FunShips (chocolate & wine tasting), the Golden Ticket Trolley, the Bavarian Belle (popcorn & sodas) River Place Shops, wineries, and Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland store. This RV park is less than a mile to downtown/River Place Shops where there is tons of shopping.
ScoutThis campground was disappointing to say the least. Bathrooms were nasty with fruit flies no toilet paper either. The dump station was in poor condition. The non potable water didn’t even work. Our electric box didn’t work we had to use the box next to us. The bugs were awful! There was raw sewage there as well. It smelled so bad. You’re also in a trailer park with condemned trailers! The park was in bad shape as well. The site we reserved wasn’t even vacant!
Guide
Nice park. Can feel a little tight on some spaces, especially if your neighbor sprawls over the lines. Restrooms could use a little improvement (like replacing the crappy doors leading into the building) and some maintenance, but are clean. Being on a point between Lake Huron & Tawas Bay, there's almost always some breeze. There's beaches on both sides of the point. Staff friendly. Like most MI State Park sites, it's electric only. Tawas has no (as of this review) FHU sites. There's the Tawas Point Lighthouse here, which you can climb for a few bucks. Nice little gift shop next to it. It can get really packed here on weekends, and the day use gets closed because of being too full.
Big rigs, note that the roads can be tight, especially when inconsiderate campers crowd the road, cause you know... It's all about them.
All in all, it's one of our favorite state parks.
Hit Klenow's Market in town. They do great sandwiches!
Scout
5 dollars per day, or if you are staying with family take your card to camp store to get a card that will last the time you will be. They don't tell this at the gate.
5mph speed limit. Kidds are out of control on bicycles and walking they will dart right in front of you no desiplane.
Can take a long time getting in and getting to your campsite GOOD LUCK.
Traveler
The only complaint about the week I spent was they didn’t cut the grass, other than that I had an amazing birthday week at Rifle River Campground, we found amazing flowers blooming like yellow and pink lady slippers I even found Agates, fossils if you’re a rock hunter and when you climb up the tower there’s a extremely large eagles nest.
The fishing wasn’t very successful I only caught a small one but the water was warm and clear you could see the sand doons.
Scout
Very loud, lots of children, kids will be kids, but the loud music until very late and the dogs barking all hours not necessary! At least I know most of Tom Pettys songs now from listening to them all night!
Guide
We had a large group of families with varying ages and abilities. We used multiple different styles of cabins and a few RV sites, as well as various buildings for activities. All in all, it was an incredible time and I highly recommend it. Staff was helpful with activities such as archery but, seldom seen if not directly helping with things. It was nice to feel like we had the run of the place but, still know that help was available if we needed it. The location is pretty great, off the beaten path but, within 30 minutes of major stores and conveniences.
Laundry facilities would have been awesome since we were staying a full week but, there was a laundromat only about 15 minutes away.
The food selection was about what you'd expect in a public school cafeteria and resulted in health-minded guests needing to make their own meals in the cabins and meals were VERY rushed, only allowing 30 minutes for our large group to get their food, eat and be out of the building.
The grounds were well maintained for a rustic campground but, bathrooms and meeting buildings were adequately upgraded and offered pleasant amenities, such as a game room, large gym and decent air conditioning.
We had a great time here and look forward to returning one day!
Traveler
We love this campground. It’s quiet and well maintained. The owners are friendly and willing to help. Wood bundles are available for purchase and they deliver to your site. No tents allowed but pop-up are welcome. The bathrooms are key for me and are very clean. There shower are private and are quarter operated. This is our go-to when in the area.
ScoutWe stayed here 2 years ago. The office where payment is made is a few miles away from the actual campground.
There is a dump station and water at the fairgrounds. Along the left side near the dump / water station as you enter are huge grassy sites marked by electrical outlets at the rear of the sites. The rest of the fairgrounds are set up like a traditional campground on a "loop" style. It looks like almost all the sites will accommodate a 40 footer easily.
There were 2 or 3 campers who appeared to be long term seasonal guests but it did not distract from our overall stay.
We pull an Imagine 2500RL pulled by a Ford F-150 max trailer package.
We stayed 4 nights and spent the days traveling around Bay City.
Founds a great BBQ that had been shared by MI PLAYGROUND --- Meaty's Roadhouse BBQ& Sausage Shack Bay City.
We are planning our Summer 2024 travels and will; be stopping at the Bay County Fairgrounds again this summer.
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.
Traveler
Campsites are pretty close together and you can hear traffic nearby most of the day. Sites are well kept and toilets were nice and clean. Easy to get in and out but doesn't really feel like camping with all the traffic noise.
RangerSorry, I hate writing negative reviews, but this place deserves it.
Pros- the beach is fantastic, staff is excellent.
Cons- looks like they tried to cram in as many sites as possible, even on unlevel terrain. I can't imagine how ugly it would get during rainstorms with the mud.
$34/night is way too high. I've seen way better dry camping spots. This was our 3rd Michigan SP on our long trip, & we are really disappointed in this one.
TravelerCampground maintenance. Electrical hookups are too far away from the site. They jam a lot of campers in here. The beach is across the street and caseville is next door which helps up the reviews. I would prefer to stay at the caseville county park instead.
ScoutSince 1966 I visit, often just back packing. Clean enough & refreshing enough & still something pre-historic, particularly the beach, & the roads to it.
GuideCampground is one of Outdoor Adventures membership campgrounds, way overpriced, check FB Marketplace for resellers.
Campground is rustic, but clean, sites are relatively cramped, but lots of trees. Staff seemed nice.
GuideNice Jellystone, very nice staff, lots of planned activities for kids. Most sites are relatively cramped, a few are spacious. Not all sites have fire rings, so ask when reserving if you need to bring your own portable fire pit.
GuideMembership campground, membership fees are WAY overpriced, check FB Marketplace for folks selling their membership.
Campground is huge, with more than 700 sites. Most sites are very cramped and right up against you're neighbors, but there are some nicer spots scattered throughout the campground. Tons of activities, several outdoor pools, indoor pool with hot tub, game room, splash park, lazy river, kayak and paddleboats rentals.
Guide
We stayed on site 78. It's slightly sloped but leveling is easy. Biiiig sites here. The first 3 areas you pass on the way in are in sun all day, more or less. (Near the cabins) The rest are in pine stands and really is a nice place to be. As per the normal, pines bring sap, so expect that.
Day use is across the street. Playground, beach, etc. One pond near the camping area. Would like to see a big playground near the camping sites, vs a swing set behind the bathroom house. Probably yell less at the kids if they had one near your campers
One septic station, enter it from the pines side as the hole is on the East side.
We enjoyed our stay, except the inconsiderate, yelling people at site 67. They should have been booted out in my opinion. CONSTANTLY yelling.. seriously... Dog yapping while they just sit there, letting him. Once they piled into that old Winnie, it was a much more pleasant experience. I'm sure everyone in that pod was glad when they stopped the constant yelling.
Wish we had a canoe or kayaks to fart around on the ponds. In lieu of that, we fed the fish some bread. Not exciting, but relaxing.
Staff was great. They make rounds every hour or so, but the loud site clammed up when they heard the Gator coming down the road. Didn't bother us in the least.
They sell wood, $5/bundle on our visit, with delivery. Pretty standard price for this area, with the exception of the gas station nearby, which asks $10+ for the same size bundle (they don't sell much).
Overall, we liked it. Nice, small, fairly quiet campground. Power at the sites and a centrally located water spigot.
For the price ($80 for 3 nights) it's great. Slightly cheaper than Wilson State Park, at $67 (I think, total) for 2 nights. It's a happy mix between boondocking and full on state park.
Guide
As far as the park itself is concerned, it's clean, VERY large spots, power at most spots, communal water in the center of the "pods" of sites.
Staff was great. They come around 3 or 4 times a day, if you need wood, just flag them down and they will deliver it ($5/bundle). We brought our own wood but it was still a bit green, and bought 2 bundles from them, and mixed it in.
Ponds are just that, ponds. Not gonna catch record breaking fish here, but you can kyak around a bit. Electric motors only here.
The first 3 areas you roll thru on the North side of the drive, along the lake, are in almost full sun, take that into account, but easy pond access. The ones beyond that are in a beautiful pine stand, lots of space, and all around comfy area. We were on site 78. It's not level. Many around it aren't, but it's not a real big deal, really. But site 73 should be avoided if rain is forecasted for your time there. 73 sits at the low side of that pod, and gets washed out.
Our time there was RUDELY interrupted by some inconsiderate folks, yelling at their kids non stop, literally every 30 seconds, letting the dogs just bark and bark while they sit there. Zero respect for anyone else there. Constant yelling. Once they retired for the evening, the rest of the campground was VERY considerate and peaceful.
I can't complain about the park itself. Maybe put a bigger playground near the camping sites, so your kids can play and be within eyesight.
Traveler
After following this campground's FB page for years we finally got to visit this summer. It sits along the Rifle River next to Rifle River Campground and Whites Campground.
The campground is huge and offers so much! The store up front had everything you probably forgot at home, plus more.
The bathrooms were always clean when we needed them. The showers were clean, some lacked hanging hooks on the walls. The water was warm immediately, but the push button timer for the shower water made showers kind of annoying (small issue though).
Everyone seemed to abide by the noise curfews around 11 pm and it seemed rather quiet through the night given the amount of campers around. The rustic sites along the river in section "N" were very large and spacious spots. Sections L and M seemed to be tightly packed in.
The Group camping side is considered the "Adult/Party" area. Nobody was crazy out of hand or anything to that nature, just louder music, drinking, etc.
There were numerous playground areas, volleyball, horseshoes, and even an arcade area. Although we didn't stay in the Family area it looked very nice.
We had a great time at the campground and would 100% stay again.
Camping near Kawkawlin, Michigan, offers a variety of experiences for outdoor enthusiasts. From beautiful parks to family-friendly activities, there’s something for everyone in this area.
Camping near Kawkawlin, Michigan, has its perks and quirks. With a little planning, you can enjoy a great outdoor experience!
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Kawkawlin, MI is Russell Canoe Livery & Campground with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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