Sand Lake Campground in Manistee National Forest provides rustic camping with sites 1-30 featuring good spacing and vegetation between sites. Located approximately 15 miles from Luther, this campground operates seasonally from mid-May through mid-September. The surrounding area sees summer temperatures averaging 75-85°F, making it ideal for water activities on nearby lakes and rivers.
What to do
Fishing at Tippy Dam Recreation Area: Trails lead directly to the Tippy Dam Backwater with convenient boat launching access. "Good fishing. When we were there the toilets were in need of a pump out desperately," notes one camper at Tippy Dam State Recreation Area.
ATV trail access: Several campgrounds offer direct access to popular off-road trails. "Nice private campground with good access to ATV trails as well as good proximity to big M for mountain biking. Sites are nice and spaced out as well," reports a visitor at Twin Oaks RV Campground.
Swimming and beach activities: Multiple campgrounds feature lake access with swimming areas. At Northern Exposure Campground, visitors enjoy "large campground, with very clean restrooms and showers. Beach, boat launch, childrens playground, fish cleaning station, store, pizza place, and nice hiking trails."
Hiking nearby trails: The region offers various hiking options from easy to moderate difficulty. "The nearby NCT connector is great for dogs and walking/running in general. The road back to the campground is dirt and also nice for walking," says a camper at Highbank Lake Campground.
What campers like
Clean facilities: Many campgrounds maintain well-kept shower and bathroom facilities. "Absolutely the cleanest campground we have ever stayed in. Office, pool, bathroom, showers and laundry facilities are spotless," reports a visitor to Irons RV Park & Campground.
Spacious sites: Campers appreciate sites that offer privacy and room to spread out. At Sand Lake Campground, visitors note "the campground is rustic with sites 1-30 being well spaced with vegetation between most sites and quite spacious."
Family-friendly amenities: Many locations offer activities specifically for children. "Northern Exposure Campground has great site for first time campers or when you want to just get away quickly without having to take lots of equipment and supplies. Nice little camp store and pizza restaurant on site. Great playground, evening activities," one reviewer mentions.
Proximity to water: Most highly-rated campgrounds offer easy water access. "Campsites along the lake are high overlook campsites with narrow trails down to the water. Minimal swimming area but ours had a small sand bottom," notes a Tippy Dam visitor.
What you should know
Reservation requirements: Some campgrounds require advance booking while others operate on first-come-first-served basis. At Highbank Lake Campground, visitors report "spent a few nights here with some friends over the weekend, but the funny thing is we ended up here on accident. Got in late around 9:30 at night, but was able to find the last camp site."
Seasonal availability: Most campgrounds near Luther operate from May through October, with limited winter options. Twin Oaks RV Campground and Cabins operates from April 3 to November 29.
Site limitations: Some locations have restrictions on RV size or specific site configurations. At Cadillac Woods Campground, "While you can book online, I would call the office and talk to the owners because not all sites are easy to maneuver a camper into and may not be a good choice for your size camper."
Limited cell service: Coverage varies significantly throughout the region. "There is little internet access with Verizon service," reports one Sand Lake Campground visitor.
Tips for camping with families
Select campgrounds with designated children's areas: Northern Exposure offers "great place to take a camper with family. The campground offers clean facilities, general store, rentals for the lake, and camp events like movie night. With sites right on the water remember to bring your kayak!"
Consider noise levels: Some campgrounds enforce quiet hours better than others. A visitor to Tippy Dam notes "Several new campers rolled in at 10pm and proceeded to throw an absolute rager of a party until 4am - on Labor Day weekend. So overall a great campground but I wish there had been enforcement of quiet time."
Look for glamping close to Luther, Michigan: Several locations offer elevated camping experiences for those not wanting to rough it. Glamping options within 25 miles of Luther include luxury tent accommodations at Twin Oaks RV Campground and Cabins, where visitors report "Absolutely LOVED it! We stayed here in June of 2020 and it was definitely my favorite campground, we will be returning in 2021."
Tips from RVers
Check site leveling before booking: Some campgrounds have sloped sites requiring additional equipment. One camper reports about Sand Lake Campground: "There are paved pads for each site although some are sloped. Also, the orientation of the paving for a lot of sites is not correct for a travel trailer, i.e. the door to the trailer is not facing the fire pit and picnic table."
Consider hookup options: Campgrounds offer varying levels of services. At Cadillac Woods Campground, "The pull through sites were great for the two 28' fifth wheels and 30 ft bumper pull in our group. There are a lot of trees but the new owners have worked hard to make sure the sites are cleared enough to park in."
Security precautions: Be aware of valuables when camping. At Sand Lake, one camper reported an incident: "Our neighbor in site 29 had put his generator under the trailer and locked it with a steel cable. It was visible from the road. At some point during the day someone cut the cable and stole the generator."
