Best Tent Camping near Kawkawlin, MI

Recent Tent Reviews near Kawkawlin, Michigan

235 Reviews of 13 Kawkawlin Campgrounds

• 

  Mark H.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 22, 2016

  Riverbend Campground & Canoe Rental

  Cheap sites, lots of extras!

  The campsites are purely for tent camping and are around 20'x40'. We went with a group and fit four tents on one site with a picnic table and fire pit for less than $10 each. There is a large bath house with showers, a pavilion/picnic area, where they sometimes have a DJ at night. And there's a really nice open area and playground for the kids. The front store /check-in desk has some supplies for while you're there, and they also offer canoe/tubing/kayak trips with transport, directly from the grounds. We had a great time and plan on going back again.

• 

  Kitty B.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 27, 2020

  Outdoor Adventures Rifle River Resort Campground

  Terrible Excuse for a “Resort”

  They charge per person, so I paid $75 for my boyfriend and I to tent camp on the river for the 2 night minimum required. They are money grubbers who charge per person then put multiple parties on one site. Firewood available on site is soaking wet so had a lot of issues getting a fire started. Not much to do at the campground unless you want to pay an arm and a leg to rent one of their watercraft. Staff is incredibly rude and unhelpful. Everything they offer is an extra charge. Will not be returning here ever again.

• 

  Walker L.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 28, 2018

  Evergreen Park Campground

  Evergreen Park (one of Sanilac county Parks)

  This is a very nice county Park, I have been here numerous times and have had a great experience each and every time, I come back every year for our families annual pig roast..The first year I came, I rented a rustic tent site and it was great we all had a great time, however the last three years, I have rented a cabin and there amish style cabins are absolutely amazing..Keep in mind they only have two cabins so if you want one better reserve is as soon as you know you want it...

• 

  Tammy P.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 18, 2020

  Crystal Creek Christian Campground

  Family oriented

  Quite the establishment! Almost 150 sites including rustic, full hook up, cabins and even just over a handful of park model units to reserve for your family to come stay and enjoy all the amenities they offer. Amenities including but not limited to horse shoes, swimming ( man dug pond) hiking, basketball, volleyball and etc. No alcohol allowed as this is a Christian campground but for all the amenities it is extremely affordable! $30 a night 30/50 amp full hook up ... don’t need 30+ amp but want sewer as well only $25 a night 15 amp full hook up or as low as $20 for 15 amp water n electric only! Want the full camping ambiance $15 a night for rustic tent camping! Great place to take the family even several times a season on a budget!

• J

  Julia H.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  Frankenmuth Jellystone Park

  Fun RV park and very close to downtown

  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.

• 

  Sarah S.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 26, 2019

  Bay City State Park Campground

  Amazing weekend for the kids!

  This is one of the best campgrounds for kids that I've ever visited!!!

  The campground itself is beautifully laid out and maintained. It features roughly a 150 some odd sites ranging from tent sites to RV and cabins. Each site has a cement fire ring and electric hookup. There are communal water spickets generously scattered around the grounds. The bathrooms and showers are very clean. They are closed an hour a day for thourgho cleaning and restocked and wiped down in the late evening. They have one large group camp area, but it is for organizational reservations only (as most of them are). Howeve, there is a cul-de-sac of 5 or 6 (I can't remember) sites off by itself. Those sites are very large (except the one on the end, which of course we had reserved for the weekend) and have huge space between them. There is also an additional parking pad there for overflow. Though they're not a sanctioned group site these would be perfect for it. We've already planned to reserve these sites next year for our large (35+people) family camp weekend. The drive around the campground is all paved and very long, so be sure to bring your bikes!!

  Now for the amusements and conveniences. . . . . There is a small playground in the campground, but you have to cut through campsites to reach it. There are trails for hiking around the wider state park area as well as a few that lead across the street to the swim area and day park. Take a 2 min walk from the camp office across to the day park and you'll find the Spray by the Bay splash pad, a huge timber playground, beautiful sandy beach along Lake Huron, sandy swim area, geocaching, pavilions, well kept bathrooms and changing rooms. We spent all day at the park with 4 kids 6yrs and under and not a single on of them complained of being bored.

  They have campground hosts that facilitate free activities organized by the park. We did a kids craft and enjoyed hot cocoa or coffee Saturday morning and then returned after dinner for Back-to-School bingo and popcorn. See pic of the August schedule for a better idea of what was offered.

  They sold ice and wood at the camp office and there was an ice cream place next door to the park. It's a 5 min walk from the park office.

  We didn't have to leave the park once all weekend. It was so relaxing to have everything we needed on hand and not have to run out for things.

  One final note: there were quite a few May Flies. According to the park office they're pretty much there all summer. They weren't bad at the campground except at night around the bathrooms. We walked over to the day park before breakfast one morning and the playground was covered with them. As the day got hotter and the playground got busier there were hardly any, but that morning visit was rough. We actually abandoned the playground till later in the day.

• M

  MJA

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 13, 2022

  Tawas Point State Park Campground

  Tale of Two Campgrounds

  Location is excellent.  This is a well maintained park, fantastic beaches and nice trails.  I arrived on a Thursday and left Sunday.  The sites are on the small side without any barriers, which was fine midweek.  On the weekend, overcrowding was the norm.  This was my first experience at a Michigan state park, and I do not know if others have designated spaces based on the size of the RV or tent.  This would make a more pleasant experience for campers.  My guess is the park was designed long before people hauled around a 30 foot camper.  No park rangers facilitated parking that I could see, and clearly you should book your spot as early as possible.

  Midweek 5 stars, Weekend 1

• 

  Gary D.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 20, 2022

  Ogemaw County Park West Branch RV Park

  Pulled off road for a quick overnight

  Needed a tent sight for 3 pup tents motorcycle camping. Nice quiet secluded campground in the woods. Nice clean baths and showers. $25 for tent $35 RVs pull threw.

• b

  bailey

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 15, 2023

  Bay City State Park Campground

  Loved this location

  Campground was perfect for tenting. Right by bathrooms and they were very clean. Short walk to the beach!

• m

  malachi

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 30, 2021

  Holts RV Sites and Mobile Home Court

  Lovely campsite

  Lovely tent and more

• 

  Brittany B.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 13, 2018

  Bay City State Park Campground

  RV heavy, busier area, good walking trails and kid friendly

  Not a great place to tent. Great place to stay with a small camper or RV if passing through Bay City or going to an event. Beach is not the most sanitary.

• w

  wanda

  Scout

  

  Sep. 3, 2021

  Trout Lake

  Peaceful

  Pure Michigan

• D

  Dawn W.

  Traveler

  

  May. 20, 2024

  Pine Ridge RV Campground

  Great location to Frankenmouth

  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.

• 

  Stephanie C.

  Ranger

  

  May. 11, 2017

  Bay City State Park Campground

  Nice and big

  I have camped here for years and really like it. The park is huge and there are lots of places to ride your bike. It's a typical Michigan state campground, not much different. Nice bathrooms and big lots.

• 

  Nona A.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 30, 2017

  Sleeper State Park Campground

  A nice campground for a weekend by the water

  Sleeper State Park Campground is located a few miles north of Caseville, MI. This is a modern campground, and has 226 camp sites, and 1 mini cabin. The campground sits right off of M25, so I recommend getting a site towards the back. We unfortunately were only able to get sites at the front and the road noise was obnoxious, 3 a.m. cars and trucks flying by. Campground, bathrooms, and showers were all kept very clean. Most sites are set up for trailers, and RV’s, and tents. There are a few sites that are tent only sites. Each site has a picnic table, fire pit and electric hook up. There is firewood available at the park office for $5 a bundle, they also rent kayaks $10 for 2 hours or $40 for the day. The campgrounds host site has coffee, tea, and hot chocolate available in the mornings. They also offer activities in the afternoon. Across M25 and part of Sleeper State Park is the beach, and picnic area. There is a walkway overpass that goes over M25 making for a safe walk from camp to the beach. The beach area has a bathroom and drinking water. There are charcoal grills, and picnic tables in the picnic area around the parking lot. The beach is a lovely stretch of shoreline along the Saginaw bay.

• 

  Joshua W.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 20, 2021

  Outdoor Adventures Lake Shore Resort

  Membership Advantages

  First off, you'll need a membership to stay. Or at least sign up for a trial and stay up to 14 days free. I've been a never of Outside Adventures for 4 years now. Well worth the expense. This place has plenty of camping options from tents up to 50 foot Class A. Indoor pool and jacuzzi, outdoor pools, large lake for swimming, paddle boats, paddle boards, Beach volleyball, putt putt, shuffleboard, kids playground areas, basketball and more. Very friendly service and the parks are clean.

• t

  tyler H.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 24, 2024

  Sleeper State Park Campground

  Late summer peace

  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

• J

  Judy

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 11, 2021

  Black Creek State Forest Campground

  Rustic State Forest Campground

  Black Creek State Forest Campground has huge sites with shade and sun; clean vault toilets with hand sanitizer; creek views and is very quiet despite a little road noise.  Definitely recommend for someone looking for a mid-Michigan get-away.  

  The Chippewa Nature Center is about 10 miles away and has great trails; excellent visitor center and reconstructed 19th century homestead.

• 

  Tammy P.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 9, 2020

  Genesee Otter Lake Campground

  Family Fun Campgrounds

  Have stayed several times and always have a great time! Plenty of activities planned and structured thru the grounds to keep the whole family entertained including PUTT PUTT Golf, Arcade, Saturday Night Adult Bingo weekly, and tons more!! You can stay as simply in a tent rustic style, accommodations for almost any style camper along with (2) Cottages for rent as well! Forget to pack something?! No Worries...they have you covered at their general store anywhere from a toothbrush, table cloth, soda, Lg homemade Pizzas, Subs and the best Ice Cream ever in their homemade waffle cones!! Nice get away far enough away but also close enough as well! Unplug and enjoy!

• S

  Sue B.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 10, 2019

  Herrick Recreation Area

  Great stay

  This is a really good family campground in the middle of Michigan. Campsites are spacious and wooded. There is a lake for swimming ability to fish and put in a kayak. Sites have electric with shared water. Campground registration is efficient and friendly. Wood can be purchased at the campground. The small town of Clare is nearby with groceries, ice cream, restaurants and gas.

• 

  Mark H.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 22, 2016

  Tawas Point State Park Campground

  Nice place on the bay

  We went on a family trip to the Tawas Pointe State Park. It is an important stopping point for the migratory pattern of warblers in the spring, and has a very nice nature walk. The nature walk leads out to the lighthouse by the bay, and comes up to the beach. The camp grounds have electrical and water access for RVs and campers, but people also camp out in their tents, and everything in between. There is a small playground that my daughter enjoyed, and a paved pathway through the grounds to Rollerblade/bike on. Most sites come with a fire pit. There is also a large dumpster near the entrance for waster disposal.

• 

  Gary G.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 28, 2021

  Tawas Point State Park Campground

  Great park with a lighthouse

  East Tawas is a place I've visited most of my adult life. 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.

  Like most Michigan State Parks, your site has electric (30/50) only. Water spigots are located in various spots throughout the park. I advise you fill your freshwater tank at home, or when you arrive, at the dump station.

  There's a few ADA sites with concrete pads, all others are grass. Comfort stations are in good shape.

  Beaches are, like most in Michigan, eroded due to high water levels, but still useable.

  You can watch sunrise on the Lake Huron side, sunsets over Tawas Bay.

  I've never really interacted with staff here, but never needed to. Park is clean. There can be lineups at the dump station.

  A few sites are pull thru. Most back-in.

  If you have a vehicle, there's many places to see in the area, like Lumberman's Monument. Tawas has a nice farmers market, worth a visit for fresh veg and other items.

• 

  Bob M.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 20, 2023

  Sleeper State Park Campground

  Disappointing

  Sorry, 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.

• 

  Erica K.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 20, 2018

  Bay City State Park Campground

  Family Friendly

  I used to work at this state park for two years and really enjoyed my time there. I spent many nights there with family and coworkers. The staff is very friendly and they patrol all through the night to ensure safety and noise control. The sites vary from close together, to secluded. It is easy to camp in a group with sites all close to each other, or to be off on your own. the bathrooms on the campground side are very clean. They are newer and updated and are cleaned 2-3 times a day or more as needed. The visitor side has less updated bathrooms, making them appear more dirty, but they are cleaned 4-6 times a day at the least. These bathrooms are also close to the beach, so sand makes it seem dirty as well. Sites vary in size, allowing tents or large rvs to be in most spaces. This campground does get very full most weekends Memorial Day through Labor Day, especially around the 4th of July. Bay city has lots to do and the visitor side has plenty of interesting programs for kids to do. swimming is iffy, as the city closes the beach depending on bacteria in the water and which way the wind is blowing it on a given day. The water is not clean (not the parks fault). there is a splash pad for younger children to enjoy though. There are no water sites. you must cross a relatively busy road to get to the visitor side where the beach/splash pad/visitor center is.

• 

  Gary G.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 28, 2021

  Sleeper State Park Campground

  Good state park

  Like most Michigan State Parks, you get electric (50/30) at your site, period. There's public water available at various spots, but not at your site. Rangers are a good bunch here, friendly, helpful and work to keep things in line.

  Most sites are very sandy (the whole place is ancient dunes), but dries pretty fast after rain. Dunno what one review is talking about, this place has tons of trees & shade in probably 90% of the park.

  Beach is across the highway with a pedestrian bridge. Water levels have eroded most MSP beaches, but this one is still usable.

  There's a couple concrete ADA sites, often occupied by non-ADA campers. ADA sites are pull thru.

  Bathhouses are ok. Nothing fancy, but have been clean in my experiences.

  Can get a little loud on weekends and holidays, but during the week it's mostly peaceful.

  We stayed 3 times last year, and have already booked again this year.

• 

  Janine P.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 11, 2017

  Rifle River Campground

  Decent views, unhelpful staff and difficult sites

  This campground offers sites for tents and RVs, has water and electrical hookups available, and has bathhouses (if you can call them that). You can also rent canoes, kayaks, and inner tubes to traverse the river with; they drop you off upstream and you bank right at the campground for them to collect the various watercraft. There are fire pits placed periodically around the camp, however, they do not correspond to specific sites and are communal with whatever sites are nearby.

  While the views of the river are great from the majority of sites, the entire campground is on a hill. There are few - if any - level areas to camp, and very few hammock-friendly trees. The staff are crotchety and disorganized; they will give you one answer one hour and a different answer the next; they add charges on for every little thing (including showers & firewood - you cannot bring in your own), while the cost to rent a site is exorbitantly expensive (compared to other, comparable sites) to begin with. We attempted to rent kayaks; they were out and told us that we would have had to reserve a year and a half in advance, while others of our group managed to rent them with no problem. The times for the bus to take us upstream were constantly changing with no notification Standard policies such as amounts necessary to rent a site, security deposits, minimum nights required, and how many people were allowed per site were also fluctuating depending on who you inquired with and when you did so. It must be said that when we camped there the camp was far from full, so an overwhelming number of campers could not be to blame at the time.

  I would not recommend this campsite or canoe livery to anyone.

• 

  Jamie H.

  Traveler

  

  May. 12, 2019

  Holiday Shores RV Park

  Disclosure: This review is from a newbie RVer's perspective with a 32ft. Travel Trailer!

  Holiday Shores has a good website that gives great info, however there is no booking online so you have to call. Which was super easy! The lady on the phone was very nice and completely understanding of our total lack of experience. We planned to golf during our stay so she thoughtfully put us in lot 511 which is relatively close to the pro shop!

  This place is conveniently located off M13 in Durand. The roads are in good condition which made for smooth travel... this is Michigan! We arrived after the office was closed but our paperwork was waiting for us just as promised. The park itself has nice roads as well. Making for easy navigation and maneuvering. Our lot had a cement pad which required no leveling. The electrical, water and sewer connections were all easy to access and each lot had a picnic table and fire ring!

  Holiday Shores has several ponds both large and small, which might make for good fishing but we never gave it a try. There is a swim beach and it's available after Memorial Day! You will also find several nicely paved paths up to 3 miles long. These were walking only which was sort of disappointing because we brought our bikes, however they were very nice to walk or go for a run! The attached 9 hole golf course was well maintained and had some tricky holes. There were changes in elevation and multiple water hazards... we may have lost some balls. The only negative is they currently do not have their liquor license but the new owners are working on it. Overall it was a fun, mostly challenging round of golf that is worth checking out!

  Breaking camp and checkout were easy as pie! The bottom line we can't wait to go back it was great time, with better people. We made new friends the first night there that truly made our stay memorable. Thank you again for all the hospitality!!!