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Tyler Creek Campground and Wabasis Lake County Park accept pets with access to hiking trails, water recreation, and full-service campsite amenities. Both locations feature cabin options alongside tent and RV sites, offering versatile accommodations for pet owners. Campers reference The Dyrt for top tips on camping near Lowell, Michigan. Many sites provide water and electric hookups, with most allowing dogs to join at standard campsites. Ionia State Recreation Area maintains pet-friendly policies throughout their established campground areas and hiking paths, though some reviewers note the bathrooms need updating despite the beautiful surroundings.
Dogs enjoy off-leash exercise areas at several campgrounds within 20 miles of Lowell, with trails connecting to larger recreation systems ideal for morning walks. The Ionia State Recreation Area offers particularly nice water access for dogs with a no-wake lake perfect for swimming and fishing opportunities. When temperatures rise in summer months, early morning or evening walks provide comfortable conditions for pets. Seasonal availability varies by location, with most campgrounds operating from April through October, though some like Indian Valley Campground remain open year-round. Wildlife encounters require keeping pets leashed on trails, especially in wooded areas where deer and small animals are common.
"There is a disc golf course, mountain bike trail, equestrian trails, hiking trails, a beautiful no wake lake perfect for swimming, kayaking, or fishing. "
"First let me say the rustic area is walk-in only. I was unaware of this until we arrived."
from $24 / night
Check Availability"Lots of kids and dogs. You can rent golf carts by the day to play with in the campground. Bathrooms were newly redone. Looking allot better then previous years."
"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 Availability"There are a few downsides:
- 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."
"However, we were able to get a hold of the staff the next day, we were refunded for our first night, and had a great second night at Wabasis Lake staying in the camper cabins."
"3rd night here in mid September and it's very peaceful, there is a nearby gun range but you can barley hear."
"Relatively close to town if you need to purchase food or other gear. Bugs (mosquitoes) can get pretty bad, bring lots of bug spray!"
from $15 / night
Check Availability"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)."
from $10 - $179 / night
Check Availability"It is close to a town to get take out food if it rains. There are some larger vacation lodges to rent that ars nestled away in the woods, and a bunkhouse with rentals."
"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!"
"Dog friendly, kid friendly, quite relaxing fun tim.. cant wait to go back"
"Close to home but feels “up north”. They offer both rustic and water and electric sites. This is a family campground and my kids loved the playground!"
from $35 - $45 / night
Check Availability"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."
TravelerDefinitely the best camp ground in West Michigan! Clean sites, friendly staff, and many amenities. Camp store, laundry, showers and bathrooms, huge pool, hot tub, pickle ball courts, kids play ground, bikes, scooters, and kayaks for rent (with a kayak launch) and boat slips on the water. They have access to a dog park as well. Home away from home!
TravelerWas a decent place to camp- lots are very close though! Luckily in the fall it wasn’t very busy. Nice little lake on property. Fire pits in odd spot near the road. No pets allowed-not even a cat that stays inside in your camper! Also- there is a $7 a day fee for out of the county. Even when you arrive late at night.
LegendHolland State Park is popular for its expansive sandy beach along Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa where swimming, sun bathing, fishing, and boating are popular activities. Holland SP has two campgrounds – the Lake Macatawa Unit and the Beach Campground (which is where we stayed and the focus of this review). The Beach Campground is essentially a parking lot as the sites, patios and roads are paved with little grass among them. It is nestled between dunes which adds to the scenic value and blocks the strong winds coming off of Lake Michigan. The Lake Unit campground is much larger (211 campsites) than the Beach Campground and has more of a state park feel with trees, grass, and fire pits.
Site description:
The Beach Campground has 98 RV sites of which 31 are 50 amp full hook-up and two camper cabins. Some sites towards the northern section of the park have great views of Lake Michigan but be warned that strong winds can come off the lake and really shake your RV. When we were there in early May the winds were very strong with blowing sand which made us really glad we were not near the water.
Campsites are plenty wide to fit your RV with slide outs and car next to it without feeling cramped. Utilities are at the very back of the site so you may need an extension for your sewer hose. All sites were level. Every site has a picnic table. There are no fire pits at individual sites but community ones are located near the beach and you are permitted to use your own fire pit if you have one.
We were able to get nearly two dozen television stations with our antenna and had no problem locking into a satellite with our roof-mounted dish. Verizon phone and hotspot worked well.
So is this park big rig-friendly? In general, yes. Our site was certainly long (and wide) enough to fit our RV and the tow car next to it. However, we did have the back five feet overhanging the sand at the back of the site. This was no problem for us because our stabilizing jacks are in between our back tires. We were also there at a time when the park was fairly empty so backing in and pulling out was no problem. The sites are all set at an angle to the main road which makes backing easier.
Campground amenities:
By far the beach is the biggest draw to the campground. The wide beach lures sunbathers out in warm weather and is popular for a walk at sunset. There is a playground, picnic area, community fire pits, dump station, boat launch and concession stand. There is one restroom/shower house that was very clean but no laundry facilities.
What we liked:
We loved that fact that this campground was so close to water and the nice paved path for walking and hiking trails in the main part of the campground. Within 50 yards from our site we could be walking along Lake Macatawa or along the sandy shores of Lake Michigan. The beach is wide and expansive and is the place to be for awesome sunsets. When we were there the beach was not crowded because it was cold and windy but it would be a great place to enjoy a good book under an umbrella. Definitely liked the fact that this was a full hook-up state park with level sites.
What we didn’t like:
The park is essentially a parking lot with little grass and trees. What really surprised us was how many cars drove through the campground that were not staying there. There apparently are no restrictions on who drives through the park so many day-use visitors came by just for a look resulting in unnecessary traffic.
Be advised there is a “no alcohol” policy in the park and campground and you have to sign a piece of paper saying you will abide by that rule. The rule states that “Possessing or consuming alcohol is prohibited in all areas of the park throughout the entire year” even inside your RV.
In order to enter the state park you must have a Michigan Recreation Passport which costs $32 for an annual non-resident OR you have to pay $11/day to enter the park even if you are camped there.
Pet:
There are plenty of places to walk dogs here and access points to water if your dog likes to swim. Unfortunately, they are not allowed on the beach but there is a long walking path and within the main part of the park are miles of hiking trails and a nice overlook. This park does not have an unleashed dog park; however, there is one within five miles at the fairgrounds.
GuideI grew up coming here and they had expanded a lot on it in the last few years. You will never be bored and it is a true resort feeling, you will forget your camping! They have themed weekends filled with activities for both adults and children and have a pool, pizza and ice cream, jumping pillow, clubhouse, fishing, playground, dog park, and so much more!
ScoutThe staff is very friendly and helpful. There are activities for young and old and everyone in between. The showers are clean and spacious. They have campsites to meet everyone's desires. Pets are welcome here with two fenced dog runs and trails to keep the owners exercised. I love this place and have made it a regular stop.
GuideGreat family campground - Paired with the area offers many options!
With mostly modern sites situated in hardwoods, pines, or a mixture, we stayed in the hardwoods area; however, my kids would have enjoyed the pines better for it appeared to have hammock hanging at almost every site. Well-maintained and clean restrooms had soda vending machines.
Children's play area with equipment and activity field, where several kites were hoisted high into the air, were great. Gillette Visitor Center in the State Park area about 1/4 mile away offers Explorer and interpretive programs Tuesday through Saturday, with topics ranging from nature history/preservation to information on wildlife. We enjoyed the spider and bear presentations most, but maybe that is because I have all boys! The campground beach, only a 5 - 10 minute walk from any site, was awesome! While there wasn't a lifeguard, I appreciated the "flag system" advising how safe the water is each day. Unfortunately, a red flag was flying on our visit, so we only waded at the water's edge- but - still cool to lay out on the sugar-like sand and walk its 3 mile length! I do regret not making it back to the beach for sunset as our camping neighbors RAVED about it the following morning!
My favorite part of this campground was the trails. In addition to several trails within the campground (the one along the creek was especially loved!), many more can be accessed in the state park, which contains over ten miles of trails in its 1,200 acres. Trails to dunes, beach, and other parks as well as dune preserve: all well-marked and vary in difficulty, weaving through pine and hardwood forests nestled among dunes. Plus, the adjoining North Ottawa Dune Preserve offers an additional ten miles of trails! OMG - what a phenomenal place for a walk in the woods or trail running! One of our walks was up a 5-story staircase near the nature center, leading to an observation platform with expansive views of majestic dunes and Lake Michigan. I was impressed that a portion was barrier-free.
Some family ventured into nearby towns of Muskegon, Spring Lake, and Grand Haven to experience what they had to offer: shops, museums, World War II boats, piers to walk, and several craft breweries - all 15 minutes away! Our dogs enjoyed the visit to the unleashed dog park at Coast Guard Park that is a ten-minute drive or a five-mile walk through the trails.
Logistics to note: Campground sells ice - $2/7# bag and wood/$5.50 a bundle. We quickly realized that residences outside the park sold it at $5 for larger bundles. Area grocery stores include a Meijer superstore and Leppinks grocery. We preferred Leppinks for the quick trip and Meijer for items beyond groceries, such as that forgotten bathing suit or a propane tank for the grill. While we don't have a big rig, I did notice the backup of campers at the two campground dump stations Sunday before 1pm checkout. Being a state park, Hoffmaster requires vehicles have a recreation passport to enter ($11/year -residents and $32/year -non-residents or a daily rate of $9). No alcoholic beverages between April 15 and Labor Day.
I talked to a ranger about coming back later this year, and he told me it is best to book months ahead for weekends because they fill up at the beginning of summer; however, cancellations are not uncommon, so watch the DNR site for openings. Weekdays usually have availability, especially the first half of the summer. He added that a great time to visit would be the weekend before Halloween as they encourage people to decorate their sites, wear costumes, and participate in trick or treating on Saturday night.
Guide29 campsites pretty close together with old growth trees interspersed around the campground. Fishing pier and boating, playground area, and beach. No longer has primitive camping. Some hiking trails...short. is next to a busy road, so traffic all night. Staff was great! Showers and bathrooms cleaned multiple times a day. Pet friendly. Would stay here again!
ScoutThis is always my go to campground! All natural camping with plenty of nice people! One word of advise is to bring your own tp though lol they seem to always run out on Sunday mornings lol but are back up and running by mid afternoon. No showers and just outhouses but that's REAL camping right!!!? No power motor lake but there is another lake close by that is. We take the canoe with a trolling motor and hit that as well. Pet friendly. They have horse campsites and trails. Walking trails around the lake that offer nature at it's purest! I have been coming to this lake to camp for over 40 years and I hope I have 40 more years left!!!
ScoutPretty nice sites. Pool and game room as well as a store. There are trails that lead to the river and also to an area where bald eagles have a nest. Pets are allowed . Nice little playground for the kiddos.
If you're looking for pet-friendly camping options near Lowell, Michigan, there are several great spots where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Lowell, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Lowell, MI is Ionia State Recreation Area with a 4.1-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Lowell, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 113 dog-friendly camping locations near Lowell, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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