For those who want to get away from civilization for a weekend, but still want the comforts of home, consider renting a cabin for your Kinross camping trip. The Dyrt is the ultimate place to find cabins for your next outdoor adventure near Kinross. When you're looking for a quiet location in nature, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect cabin rental.
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
The Rivermouth Modern Campground is wooded and features two loops with a variety of sites, including some accessible, paved and pull-though sites. Campers enjoy walking along the river among blueberries and wildflowers underneath massive red pines. Bicycling is a popular way to travel around the campground, to the playground and to the accessible fishing platform in the adjacent Rivermouth Pines Campground. There is a 30-amp service available on each site, with some 50-amp sites available. There is a nearby boat launch, and kayaks are available to rent, first come, first served, from the Rivermouth Campground office. A sanitation station and recycling are available.
$20 - $23 / night
Wilderness State Park, located just 11 miles west of Mackinaw City, is home to 26 miles of beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, 20-plus miles of trails, a designated swimming and pet-friendly beach and unique camping opportunities. The park is also a designated dark sky preserve offering stellar views of the sky and is just 9 miles from Headlands Dark Sky Park (an Emmet County park).
The Lower Falls Modern Campground features two campground loops, Hemlock and Portage. All sites have 30-amp service, and some 50-amp sites are available. A sanitation station is available seasonally, and recycling is available.
The Hemlock campground loop is located about a mile from the Lower Falls and is open year-round. The campground is generally more shaded than the Portage campground loop, with access to the park’s hiking trail system. The campground is the best place in the Lower Falls for cellphone service. In winter, portions are reservable for semi-modern camping.
The Portage campground loop is located near the river, about a quarter-mile from the Lower Falls. This campground loop features an ADA-accessible modern toilet and shower building and some accessible campsites. A few sites have river views, and the campground loop is generally sunnier and more open than the Hemlock campground Loop. There is North Country Trail access from the campground. In winter, the campground loop is open for hike-in camping.
$28 - $32 / night
Mackinac Island is the most spectacular destination in Michigan, and this KOA is a perfect location to stay. KOA offers great camping near Mackinac Island and Free shuttles to island ferries available. Mackinaw Campgrounds nature trail connects to a paved trail into Mackinaw City, where you can explore Colonial Michilimackinac and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. Or continue on the North Western State Trail for miles of hiking/biking. Rent a bike from KOA or bring your own. Use this KOA as a base camp for an easy trip across the Mackinac Bridge to Tahquamenon Falls, Soo Locks and Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on Lake Superior. Take a scenic drive through Tunnel of Trees. You're less than 2 miles from a Lake Michigan beach. After sightseeing, head back to KOA to enjoy the heated pool and a campfire. There are sites for everyone: pull thrus/full hookups, pop-ups, tents and Cabins. Cable TV/Wi-Fi available at sites. Pool: Memorial Weekend - Labor Day Weekend. Max pull thru: 70 feet.
$15 - $17 / 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
$27 / night
Mackinaw Mill Creek Camping features cabins and sites for all types of campers. From modest supersaver sites (for those on a budget) up to large RV sites (sewer, water & 50 amp electric), Mill Creek campground has it all. From beautiful basic cabins, up to 3-bedroom, 2-story loft cabins with bathrooms. Over 200 acres of woods and a mile of shoreline, viewing the Straits of Mackinac and the Mackinac Bridge. Voted one of Michigan's top family friendly destinations by the Detroit News. A favorite vacation spot for thousands of summer visitors to the Mackinaw area for over 50 years!
$16 - $50 / night
Traveler
We booked site 118 for the third week in October and really enjoyed our stay! A few things to note:
- The showers and camp office were both closed when we arrived (10/23/24). I asked a park ranger and he said they typically close around the first week in October. If this is the case when you arrive too, you check in at the camp office using the phone in the yellow box which will direct you to a park employee. You will need your reservation number and license plate number ready.
- Don't forget to purchase your Michigan parks vehicle pass, which is separate from your camp reservation.
- Surprisingly, the potable water spigot near our campsite (just a short walk away) was still on! I know there was another review on here that said it was off already by mid-October, but it was on for us!
- You are a stones throw away from your parking spot, although some spots do align directly with their site most are not actually on their site, but still very close.
- Pets are not allowed on the beach during piping plover nesting season (April I believe.)
The beach front sites like ours are really really neat. You have a pretty good view of the water and your own private path right down to the beach. Keep in mind, you are likely to experience high winds. There were a couple days where our tent was getting buffeted around and starting a fire was challenging.
I know a lot of the reviews say it's a pretty loud, busy campground, which I'm sure is the case in the warmer months. When we were here it was a virtual ghost town. All the RV spots next to us were completely closed for the season and we had no neighbors at all until Friday night. When neighbors did arrive they were quiet--but that's always luck of the draw!
Site 118 is within view of the vault toilet, which supports around 6 sites so if it had been busier there would have been quite a few people coming and going in front of our site. I think if we went again while the showers and camp office were open we would maybe go for a different site slightly farther from the bathroom and with a bit more tree cover (122 looked quite nice if I remember correctly.)
We had no issues at all with wildlife.
There is a little store called Cecil's Trading Post 5 min drive away from the campground where they have an honor system for firewood--cash only, of course. The store itself was closed while we were there, but we bought firewood from them. It looked like you could maybe also get ice on the honor system.
Mackinaw city is quick to get to and there were plenty of restaurants and attractions still open when we were there even though it was right on the cusp of the off season. If you want to drive over the bridge into the UP, it's a 4 buck toll each way for cars FYI.
We stopped at a local brewery very close to the campground called Biere de Mac, which I highly recommend--great beer, good food, big open grassy outdoor area that allows dogs, and super friendly.
Happy camping!
Traveler
We’ve stayed at Mackinac Millcreek a few times. Awesome campground, definitely need to know the campground a little bit IF you’re planning on bringing a very large RV. But if not, call the office they’ll put you in a good spot. Our first time to the campground was pretty funny, the whole camp ground was sold out. But they squeezed us in by the rally building and apologized about it being by the maintenance area. Turn out to be one of the best spots we’ve camped. There was a lot of partying, so it was perfect for us. But the rest of the campground is pretty chill.
Ranger
Our first visit to this park and first stay at campground, and it was absolute bliss! Absolutely worth the drive to enjoy all the peace, quiet, space, views, amenities, trails and of course the waterfalls. Words cannot really explain the beauty all around. The recent upgrades to this park can easily be seen and appreciated in the well kept grounds, available amenities, picnic areas, pavilions , fully functional accessible bathrooms and large personal shower rooms. Not a detail was missed! And yes, the restaurant is a plus! We enjoyed delicious bison burgers and beer. The campground was full of guests but quiet, clean, clean restrooms, self serve firewood machine that accepts cards! We were surprised to find out that you will need to pay for state park pass even with camping reservations. The $40 annual pass is the best value if visiting for longer than 3 days. We stayed for 4 nights with 34’ camper on site 188, which is at the very beginning of loop but still very quiet, no road noise. Outer sites are very spacious, inner sites are much smaller. Convenient trails connect Lower and upper falls, 4 miles. One mile trail to reach lower falls from campground. the lower falls alone will give you plenty to explore. We spent two days there, one kayaking around the lower falls and river where you can launch your own kayak from lower falls, next to picnic area and paddle up to the falls and down river. but be mindful, you will paddle upstream heading back. Some areas are low but doable. The park offers canoe rental but only to lower fall and back. We spent another full day just walking around taking everything in, and cooling off in the falls of course. The upper fall area is just as lovely but you can only view from view points. We enjoyed an evening walk to upper falls when hardly no one was there. The park is roughly 30 mins to nearby lighthouses, 90 mins to western points like Munising and pictured rocks. No need to second guess this place, just go and enjoy responsibly! And please be respectful of this beautiful park.
Scout
Waterfront campsite are very nice... Some are a bit small but overall very comfortable... Awesome friendly people run the place!
This is our 3rd time staying here and will be back.
TravelerDon’t try to arrive early and get in. They don’t allow early entry. Check in is 3 pm period. Not real friendly, not rude either. Give the trading post 5 stars super nice well stocked. Lots of fire wood bundles to choose from. Has snack propane bottles
TravelerVery clean and very well ran and organized! Great staff will probably come back to this one
Guide
Cheboygan State Park is a must do for all campers! This is a hidden gem. Many of the campsites walk out to Lake Huron and there’s a perfect breeze from the water to the campsite to keep all of the bugs away. Very peaceful and the campsites are very private and quiet. Happily surprised and will be back! Very dog friendly, great hiking trails, and the beach is very sandy!
Guide
Lucky to get a site along the beach. Bathhouses are new, in great shape. Sites along lake are small. Big campground, not a lot of screening between sites. Tends to fill up, even midweek in July.
Ranger
Our site was $99.89 night.
We were in Site# 98. 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 limited trees (many were shaded though). This was a smaller lot with our neighbors fairly close.
This lot (a premium lot) comes with a concrete patio with a round table with four chairs, two Adirondack chairs and a fire pit and a charcoal box grill.
It is an easy access to the campground from highway -(approximately 1 mile from highway).
There is free WiFi. They offer Cable TV and there are many channels.
There is not a community outdoor kitchen or community fire pit.
They sell wood for $7 a bundle.
They pickup your garbage at your site daily.
You are allowed to ride personal golf carts. They also allow you to rent regular bicycles and e-bikes. They do not provide golf cart rentals. There is really not a need to have a Golf cart because it is a smaller campground.
They do have a Swimming pool. There is a Playground. They also offer Gaga ball,horseshoe, and corn hole. There is a Reading lending library and board games to borrow.
They have a great general store. There is an electric car charging station. They sell propane.
There is not a snack bar/restaurant on site.
The streets are gravel so not great for riding bikes.
There are great places to ride bikes outside of campground. From the campground, there is a nature trail that you can take your bike that leads you to the. North Western State Trail.
They have cabins for rent and tent areas.
They have one shower house. The shower house has individual showers. Toilets with sinks are in a shared bathroom. These are kept very clean.
There is a laundry facility. It is a cash only facility. There are approximately 5 washers and 5 dryers. It is approximately $2.50 to wash and $1.50 to dry a load.
They have a fenced in dog park.
Bugs (mosquitoes/flies)did not seem to be an issue.
There were trails to hike off of the campground.
Some fun things to do outside of the campground are go to the beach (1 mile away); visit Mackinac Island (both major ferries will transport you for free - this KOA provides you information for Shepler’s Ferry). Both ferries offer packages that include horse drawn carriage rides, Fort Mackinac admission, Island Hotel Admission, Butterfly House admission, Mystery Town admission, and Parking options). There is a Jack Pine Lumberjack show.
Guide
We have stayed here many times, but on the rustic side (same entrance as modern). Beautiful campground, clean, with incredible views. Vault style outhouse, you may also use the showers at the modern campground via a trail that connects the 2. Kayak rentals on site. Friendly staff. Quiet get away.
Near: Paradise, MI with gas, groceries and souvenirs. Whitefish Point Museum. Whitefish Point Senic Byway- nice drive with awesome indigenous history. ~1hr from Sue St Marie. 25mins from the actual Tahquamenon falls.
TravelerAbsolutely beautiful campground! Stayed there for a week and loved every minute of it. Very peaceful, big, and a beautiful lake view. Will be making this campground a stop every year now.
ScoutMy family and I have camped here several times in the summer. We very much enjoy the river and access and kayaking to Lake Superior. The facilities are well kept and the bath house is clean.
Close to Whitefish Point and its museum, Close to the falls and not too far from Soo if you want to go see the locks.
GuideWe stayed in the Pines campground (not the Modern campground). This has the same entrance as the Modern campground but is a road to the left that follows the river bank. It is rustic campground and no generators are allowed. (You can walk to the Modern campground to use the showers in about 7-10 minutes). The sites are located under tall Pines. The view of the river was beautiful.
GuideThe modern campground is a pretty nice campground. There are trees behind which hide the loop behind you. There are a few trees between the camp sites, but these don't offer any privacy. All the sites have electricity in the Modern campground. The campground is about 17 miles from the lower falls.
ScoutThey gave us a bogus charge of 50$ several days after we left, for smoking in a cabin. Myself, my wife and our 4 year old son do not smoke. Never have never will. The bogus charge is being disputed but that’s not the point. Warning to others to find somewhere else to camp, at least if you’re renting a cabin. What a scam operation.
GuideThis was a really nice spot with clean bathrooms and showers, quiet, and close to some nice hiking and scenery. The sites are fairly small and close together, but overall the campground was pretty quiet. If traveling with a group you could get some sites together and it would work out really nice.
LegendBook early to get a campsite on the beach! There are 3 campgrounds in total, the two on the water are amazing. The one on other side of the road from the beach is okay. The beach was beautiful, the water clear, and just a short drive from Mackinaw city!
Scoutthe site was well maintained and the bathrooms were clean (enough).
checked in late and got to our site. the photos on DNRs website were relatively deceptive as site 594 seemed a little far from the other sites. the spots were pretty much on top of one another and the crowd that this park attracts (emphasis on crowd) blatantly ignores quiet time rules. if you like to party and be loud with other campers, this is your place. not for those who enjoy getting away from the busy areas.
Traveler
Been here twice now. Always a quiet and beautiful stay. There's a playground a pool for kids. Large wooded sites and friendly staff
RangerReally enjoyed our stay here. Our site wasn't the greatest, corner lot, but we enjoyed the scenery, solitude, & trails. The whole area is fantastic, I'd like to visit again.
The primitive sites here are even better than the modern ones FYI. I wouldn't hesitate to grab one of those for a couple nights.
RangerThe campground itself is nice enough, although some of the sites are small with absolutely no privacy. What made this the least favorite of our campgrounds on our 10 day circle tour was the attitude of the park employees, esp the ones at the entrances. When we arrived, it was 2:10, and check-in started at 3:00. Any other park we’ve been to in our many years of camping lets you go ahead to the site if the previous party has vacated. We were met with “Do you realize that you’re early? Check- in is at 3, and it’s only 2:10!!” We asked if we needed to come back and she barked “No”. Well, if it isn’t a problem, then WHY bring it up? This attitude happened each time we had to go through a gate. Also, the showers were cold at 10 PM. As for visiting the falls, it was a warm sunny day, and the lower falls was SO crowded with people in the water everywhere, that it was one of those “expectation vs. reality” moments. Went back the next morning after 2” of rain, and it was a totally different experience. The best part of the park was the brewery and restaurant at the upper falls.
Traveler
Super quiet campground. Not much for amenities and no pool. But we loved it here because of how simple and quiet it was.
TravelerRight on the River which makes it amazing and a blast. The campground just overall needs maintenance with proper drainage when it rains. We always have a good time here. Definitely look forward to coming back.
GuideThis was nice place with great facilities. It was clean throughout, great responsive staff. Lots of activités for the kids and a shuttle to the ferry.
LegendIf you've camped at a KOA before, then you know what you're getting here. Easy on, easy off I-75. It's close to the interstate, but the noise was never intrusive. Mostly because of the stiff wind blowing out of the North.
The sites are tight, particularly the inside pull throughs. The back in sites are more spacious, though that's relative. Site 7 is a very spacious back in site. 1-6 are by Trails End Road, but it isn't really that busy or noisy. I would get a back in site, especially if you can get away with 30 Amp service. 16-20F are back in sites with 50 Amp. There are some deluxe pull throughs with patio & grill on site. There are some extra long pull through sites.
There are the usual KOA amenities like a heated pool, playground, a game area & bike rental. There's a nice hiking trail in the back. It takes you to the bike trail, so back track back to the campground unless you want to walk on the bike trail/road.
What makes KOAs & this KOA special are the clean bathrooms & showers. It's always a pleasure to know that a shower will be KOA clean!
Staff was courteous & efficient. They delivered ice & wood to your site.
This is a good base camp for the area. I would stay again if in Mackinaw City!
ScoutWe stayed at the Hemlock campground near the Lower Falls. The campsites are so close to one another, with absolutely no privacy/buffer. I am used to camping at parks in Wisconsin, where there is generally more brush and understory plants and sites are better spaced out. We were there on Saturday and Sunday nights, and the campsite was packed with people; an army of kids riding bikes and scooters, and some teenagers driving an RC car all over. Lots of dogs, but thankfully they all seemed well-behaved. I was shocked with how quiet it was after sundown. I was expecting there to be some loud and obnoxious people, but everyone seemed to be respectful volume-wise.
Aside from the awkwardness of being so close to other campers, the site itself was nice; flat, pine needle/dirt base.
The bathrooms were alright. Showers were limited to 3 and always busy. Water fluctuated between warm and mostly cold. I did read that the bathroom/shower building is going to be replaced next year, which will be wonderful for future campers.
We bought firewood from the park's dispenser near the entry building. It seemed wet and did not burn very well. The second night we purchased our firewood from Gene's Tahquamenon General Store, just down the road, and it seemed to be better quality. The general store looked nice inside, with all kinds of useful items for sale.
While we stayed at Tahquamenon Falls SP, we visited both waterfalls, which were beautiful and easy to get to. Bathrooms at both falls were large and clean.
We also made a day trip to Whitefish Bay to see the Shipwreck Museum and hang out at the beach.
We wanted to get dinner in Paradise our second night, but the two food trucks that we originally wanted to check out were closed. (Sub shop in town was also closed when we tried to stop by at lunch time) We considered eating at one of the two sit-down restaurants in Paradise or driving to the brewery by the Upper Falls, but we didn't want to wait very long or spend that much money. We ended up going to Eddy's food truck across from the Wheelhouse. Food was alright, prices were fair for a food truck, owner was super friendly, and there was a nice little seating area off to the side.
Overall our camping experience at this VERY popular park was good. If I were to camp there in the future, I would be sure to make my reservations much further in advance in order to get a site on the outer edge (or try out the rustic campsites).
TravelerI camped in the area around the falls as a kid, and have fond memories of it. Nothing prepared me for camping near the river mouth. You want the old part of the campground, right on the river, with no electricity. The sunsets are magical, and are happening right in front of you. Simply the best experience short of backpacking. It is a short walk to the newer part of the campground where there are flush toilets. That just keeps everything in the old part very quiet.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Kinross, MI is Brimley State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 22 reviews.
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