G
Glen B.
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GuideCampout at Hostel SoHa
Back in the saddle
Nice concept... still finding they're legs. Staff member didn't seem to want to help with the much too laborious and personal check-in process. Fees have gone up. And there are showers.
Camping near Kentwood, MI
151 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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Campgrounds surrounding Kentwood, Michigan provide a mix of developed facilities and waterfront recreation within easy reach of Grand Rapids metro area. Woodchip Campground in Byron Center and Steamboat Park Campground in Jenison serve as popular bases for exploring the region, with most offering full hookup RV sites, tent camping areas, and in some cases, cabin rentals. Several campgrounds like Hungry Horse Campground feature family-oriented amenities including swimming pools, playgrounds, and seasonal activities, while maintaining proximity to urban conveniences.
Camping options remain most plentiful from May through October when seasonal campgrounds operate at full capacity. Most developed campgrounds in the area require reservations, particularly for summer weekends and holiday periods. The majority of campgrounds near Kentwood provide electric hookups, water access, and sanitary facilities, though specific amenities vary by location. Campers choosing sites near the Thornapple River can expect varying water levels depending on season. While the region has numerous private campgrounds, options for primitive or dispersed camping on public lands are limited. A recent visitor noted, "While it is near a regional airport, there is close to no air traffic and no commercial traffic I noticed. Overall, probably one of the top 5 campgrounds I have encountered."
Family-friendly experiences dominate the camping scene around Kentwood, with several campgrounds specifically designed for children's activities. Woodchip Campground receives consistently positive reviews for its playground facilities, bounce pillow, and organized activities. One camper shared, "We love this as an easy getaway close to home. There are campsites in a circle around the playground, so you can sit at your site and watch the kids play." Steamboat Park Campground offers river views and boat cruises directly from the property, making it popular for fishing and water activities. Sites along waterways tend to fill quickest, particularly those with full hookups for RVs. Most mixed-use campgrounds in the area maintain clean facilities with modern amenities like showers, flush toilets, and in some cases, laundry services, though site sizes and privacy levels vary considerably between properties.
Best Campgrounds near Kentwood (151)
1. Woodchip Campground
"We love this as an easy getaway close to home. I wouldn’t call it a beautiful campground... but it is clean, and has a ton to do for kids!"
"Great trees surrounding the property. Tons of kids - great activities for them! Campground is clean, and staff friendly."
2. Steamboat Park Campground
"Nice and secluded yet close to town and easy access to the highway"
"Year round parks are so hard to find in Michigan. This one is awesome. Great spots in the trees and also back in spots right on the river."
from $45 - $85 / night
Check Availability3. Deep Lake Rustic Campground — Yankee Springs Recreation Area
"First time in central Michigan and it was absolutely beautiful. The campground has a great location and lots of mountain bike and hiking trails."
"This is a campground in Yankee Spring Recreational Area in Mid-Michigan. This is a nice rustic campground near the NCT(North Country Trail)."
4. Hungry Horse Campground
"Cute little campground in a small town in Dorr, Michigan. Lots of activities, swimming, wagon rides, jump pad, and more. Facilities were fairly clean and easily accessible."
"Multiple playgrounds, toddler pool and regular pool, jump pad, and lots of room to run around."
5. Tyler Creek
"Recently, I inherited a pop up camper and chose this place to be my first location to try it out. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Our site was nice with electric and water hookups."
from $28 - $50 / night
Check Availability6. Indian Valley Campground & Canoe Livery
"A small onsite store, but not to far of a drive if you need a grocery store or other amenities. They are also very affordable for canoe and kayak rental. Great place to go!"
7. Gun Lake Campground — Yankee Springs Recreation Area
"This is also a short drive away from tons of beautiful walking paths."
"You can walk the trail to the state park beach and store. Bathrooms are clean."
8. Allendale-West Grand Rapids KOA
"We did venture out to a brewery 5-10 mins away in Allendale and Grand Haven is about 20-25 minutes away if you want to cruise out to Lake Michigan. The pool was clean and we had a lot on the pond."
"Very easy drive to the lighthouse, too!"
9. Crooked Lake Campground and RV Park
"I had a great spot overlooking the lake and next to the boat launch. Campsites are spacious, there are two vault toilets and a water pump."
10. Sharp Park Campground
"Stayed at 113 on the small lake. Narrow spot but behind is a fire pit and small dock to drop in a canoe/kayak. Bathrooms and shower was spotless."
"property, recently renovated. ( one still finishing renovations as of 4/16/22) Beach area for swimming
Two playgrounds
Field for play, basketball net, volleyball court, and state park trailers near by"
from $34 - $115 / night
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Drive Time
- 8 min from Grand Rapids, MI
- 45 min from Muskegon, MI
- 48 min from Kalamazoo, MI
- 1 hr 3 min from Battle Creek, MI
Recent Camping Photos near Kentwood, MI
189 Photos of 151 Kentwood Campgrounds
Andrea B.
Woodchip Campground
Courtney A.
Steamboat Park Campground
Melissa B.
Crooked Lake Campground and RV Park
cheyanne P.
Bazan Baldwin Oaks Family Campground
Brent C.
Wabasis Lake County Park
Korrie H.
Gun Lake Campground — Yankee Springs Recreation Area
Dan W.
Allendale-West Grand Rapids KOA
Ryan F.
Deep Lake Rustic Campground — Yankee Springs Recreation Area
Joie V.
Welcome Woods Family Campground
Zach J.
Hidden Ridge RV Resort, A Sun RV Resort
Jenna M.
Ionia State Recreation Area
Recent Reviews near Kentwood, MI
760 Reviews of 151 Kentwood Campgrounds
Gary G.GuideOutdoor Adventures Kalamazoo Resort
Membership? No thanks
Roads are seem to be dirt/gravel here (but most is really just crumbling asphalt), so even though most vehicles respect the 5mph speed limit (which is nice), you can still expect some dust everywhere. Oh, and some golf carts often seem to think 5mph doesn't apply to them.
Kalamazoo Speedway is only 2.5 miles away, so if there's racing at night, you're going to hear it. It's not terrible, but...
Many golf carts here, some with thumping music or ooh-gah horns going by in the evening. While before official "quiet time", it's still really annoying at 9 or 10pm. Be nice if they adopted a "your noise/music should stay on your site" idea like other places. ESPECIALLY the loud, music-blasting golf carts.
Calling this a "resort" is kind of a stretch. The "lakes" (more like ponds) are in need of weed control. Sites along the main lake are often muddy, sinking campers into it. There's one playground there. A small beach, pool (was freezing on the Mem Day weekend), a mini-golf that needs some TLC and a somewhat pricey camp store. Not much different than your average, most basic KOA, except KOA doesn't require a $17K lifetime membership.
They say there's trails you can walk, but I didn't see a single sign or map indicating where these were. Pointless without that.
Stayed Memorial Day weekend. Roads could really, really use a grading or repaving. Lots of bumps, holes and dips. Makes it somewhat dangerous for evening bike rides. The idiots staying in site 158 with their kids singing (bad) karaoke was super annoying. Staffsecurity should have told them to turn it down no matter the time. (two nights, from about 8:30pm until 10:45pm.). I thought they had a rule about this? Their security car went by at least twice during this unwanted show, so why didn't they say something? I tried to call about it, but got no answer.
The mini golf is a nice touch... it'd just be nice to see it maintained a lot better. It's pretty rough.
This is a membership-only place. We had a promotional stay, but I have to say, I really didn't see enough value to want to buy in. Even if it was just a regular campground, we weren't all that impressed enough that we'd make a special trip just to stay here. I'd rate it as "ok", but there was no real "wow factor" here for us.
I have to say the woman they assigned to us for the tour and sales meeting was very nice, pleasant, and no annoying hard sell. But then they send in the closer, and there's where the flurries of offers and discounts start, but once you get the discounts, you lose other options that you'd probably want. Is Outdoor Adventures worth it? Not to us, sorry to say. We like to camp all over, not just at a handful of specific campgrounds under the Outdoor Adventures umbrella.
To Outdoor Adventures... you should really arrange it so campers can try out two or three of your campgrounds FIRST before trying to sell them. No way we'd join after only seeing/staying in one. Especially just Kalamazoo.
BTW, their rental cabins (especially the largest ones) were really nice. I'll give them that.
That's my honest review of the place as we found it.
Mike J.
TravelerSteamboat Park Campground
Great spot!
A hidden gem with a lot of history. A paddle wheel boat on the Grand river?! Nice and secluded yet close to town and easy access to the highway
Amanda L.
ScoutWolf Lake Resort & Campground
Wolf Lake Campground and resort
Wolf Lake Campground & Resort is a family-owned, family-run place where the owners take the time to get to know their guests. The restrooms are recently updated and well maintained. There is a small visitor fee for extra guests, but otherwise it’s a peaceful, quiet spot to relax.
- vvalerieTraveler
Lake Macatawa Campground — Holland State Park
Nice park. Lots are fairly spacious
Lots of great biking in the area. Beach is nearby. Hiking trails as well.
Derek J.TravelerBeach Campground — Holland State Park
Good clean and accessible
Campground is good clean and accessible. The sites are like diagonal parking spots. So we suggest you jump out real quick and oriente yourself with your spot before pulling in. There are spots with sewer and water for $60 and spots with just electric for $45 as of May 2026. Bathhouse and restrooms were clean and accessible with baby changing stations in both men's and women's bathrooms. You do have to check in at the first campground. So make sure to listen and follow directions to that campground first. The sign isn't huge, so keep your eyes peeled.
- SSukie P.Guide
Nature's Chain of Lakes Campground
Family Fun
Beautiful grounds with wonderful staff and lots of great activities for everyone. Free fishing poles, free bikes, lots of beach toys and floaties so no need to pack them. Want to rent Kayaks and canoes, they have you covered!!!
Gerard E.
RangerLake Macatawa Campground — Holland State Park
Summer of 24
8-24 thru 8-27-24
Check in, seamless, no line at 3:15pm on a Saturday. Water fill stations at the double dump station. Water is city water and not well water.
Site 46, just large enough for 21’ Apex Nano and truck. 30a and 20a electric. Protection read open circuit but no problem w power. Mostly dirt, flat except for the pine roots T-Mobile 5Gvc 3 bars Lots of pine trees and a fair amount of sun.
Restrooms and showers are new, individual shower rooms separate from the shitters.
A very small and tight campground. More of an urban setting. Close to the beach and town. Good trails for walking.
- DDaniel D.Scout
Double RR Ranch RV Resort
Plenty to do here
Kayak/canoe, tubing, horseback riding, golf. They have plenty do do here but they just seem to float along. This is not a camp ground that uplifts there game to make it better and be a rising star. No full hook up site other than seasonal. Campstore is very limited, but good for the kids. Alway enjoy staying here but just think they could be more. They do put on a good fireworks on July 4th
Guide to Kentwood
Camping accommodations near Kentwood, Michigan typically operate within a 30-minute radius of Grand Rapids, offering a mix of rustic and modern experiences. Most sites in the region experience peak water levels in spring, with the Thornapple River fluctuating significantly through summer months. Winter camping options remain limited to select locations with year-round facilities, though some campgrounds like Tyler Creek maintain seasonal operation from April through mid-October.
What to do
Paddling experiences: The Thornapple River provides popular kayaking and tubing opportunities at Indian Valley Campground & Canoe Livery, where campers can rent equipment on-site. "They are also very affordable for canoe and kayak rental," notes one visitor, adding that the river "runs through the campground and is beautiful."
Hiking trails: The Yankee Springs Recreation Area contains extensive trail networks surrounding multiple camping areas. A camper at Deep Lake Rustic Campground observed there are "tons of hiking trails" with "some sites on cliffs like it's Oregon!"
Golf course camping: Tyler Creek offers a unique experience with campsites adjacent to their golf course. "It's on a golf course which is something new and exciting," reports one visitor, adding that weekend entertainment includes "live band there on Saturday night, they were AMAZING!"
River cruises: For structured water activities, riverboat excursions depart directly from some campgrounds. At Steamboat Park Campground, a visitor shared that "river cruises that leave directly from the office. These two hours cruises offer drinks and feature live music from local bands for only $16 per person."
What campers like
Water features: Many campgrounds feature swimming pools, splash pads, or lake access. At Hungry Horse Campground, visitors appreciate "multiple playgrounds, toddler pool and regular pool, jump pad, and lots of room to run around."
Indoor pool access: Unusual for Michigan campgrounds, Indian Valley offers a heated indoor pool, making it suitable for early and late season camping. "The indoor pool was great for the preseason camping! Being there in early May, when it was rainy we were happy to have that amenity," one camper mentioned.
Spacious sites: Campgrounds like Wabasis Lake County Park feature larger-than-average sites. As one camper described, "The sites were large enough that it could hold a large camper and two vehicles easily," while adding that "the firewood is cheap! 8 large pieces for $6."
Organized activities: Weekend entertainment forms a major attraction. At Woodchip Campground, campers enjoy seasonal events like "going on wagon ride to find the pumpkins and then decorating them" and "the glow wagon ride."
What you should know
Bathroom quality varies: Facilities range widely across campgrounds. One camper at Allendale-West Grand Rapids KOA noted the "showers are clean and spacious," while a Tyler Creek visitor reported bathrooms are "in terrible shape" and "need major repairs."
Early arrival fees: Some campgrounds charge extra for check-in before official times. At Allendale KOA, campers should "make sure you do not arrive before 2:00PM, as they require a $10 early registration fee."
Lake conditions: Shallow water depths affect swimming quality at several locations. At Gun Lake, a visitor warned "wear aqua shoes lake is rocky," while another noted getting "swimmers itch at this lake as a kid too many times."
Seasonal crowds: Proximity to urban areas means heavy weekend usage. At Wabasis Lake, a camper observed: "Because it's so close to Grand Rapids and some other cities, it typically is full on the weekends. Booking a site can be troublesome."
Tips for camping with families
Playground-adjacent sites: Select campsites with visual access to play areas. At Woodchip Campground, "There are campsites in a circle around the playground, so you can sit at your site and watch the kids play."
Pet-friendly options: For families with dogs, several campgrounds offer dedicated facilities. Allendale KOA includes "two fenced dog runs and trails to keep the owners exercised."
Accessibility considerations: Not all playgrounds accommodate children with mobility challenges. At Steamboat Park, one parent noted, "The playground structure is not very friendly for kids with special needs or very young children... It's wooden with a ladder to access the upper levels, it was hard for our 2 and 4 year old to use it easily."
Off-peak visits: For quieter family experiences, mid-week stays offer less crowded conditions. At Wabasis Lake, a visitor noted it was "nice at night very quiet, during the day it was very busy, the site was very big. The lake access was extremely busy."
Tips from RVers
Site leveling challenges: Some campgrounds have uneven terrain requiring additional equipment. At Wabasis Lake, "Some of the sites are a little uneven (the camper needed wood blocks underneath it so that the wheels weren't off the ground after leveling."
River site considerations: When selecting waterfront sites, be aware of seasonal water changes. At Steamboat Park Campground, a reviewer mentioned they have "sites right on the river" but noted "the only issue we had was the smell of sewer every once in a while."
Year-round accessibility: For extended season camping, limited options exist. One camper highlighted Steamboat Park as "year round. Year round parks are so hard to find in Michigan."
Wi-Fi connectivity: Coverage varies significantly within campgrounds. At Steamboat Park, a camper noted: "I don't have great service from my particular spot which is nestled in the very back of the campground... you can get better service near the front of the park. Just pick your site accordingly."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Kentwood, MI?
What camping is available near Kentwood, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, Kentwood, MI offers a wide range of camping options, with 151 campgrounds and RV parks near Kentwood, MI and 1 free dispersed camping spot.
Which is the most popular campground near Kentwood, MI?
Which is the most popular campground near Kentwood, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Kentwood, MI is Woodchip Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 9 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Kentwood, MI?
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Kentwood, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, there is 1 free dispersed camping spot near Kentwood, MI.
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