Best Tent Camping near Macatawa, MI

We had a wonderful time at Holland State Park. We stayed for 5 nights. You must book early for the summer because sites fill up fast! We tent camped and stayed along Lake Macatawa. I would not recommend tent camping at Lake Michigan due to it is very sandy and not many trees. The bathrooms and showers were clean. The park also does very nice nature programs with the kids. We learned about the sand and did sand art. The campground is very nice for biking and is very close to Lake Michigan with little shops along the way.

The area is very nice in the summer due to the low humidity and nice beaches to go swimming or boating. We will stay here again!

We camped at Holland State Park for the 4th of July. This was our second time camping here. There are two campgrounds - Lake Macatawa & Beach. We were at the Lake Macatawa Campground. It's right across the street from Macatawa and about a 10 minute walk from a great Lake Michigan beach. Most sites were plenty big enough to fit two vehicles, two tents, and still have room to cook & play yard games. There are campsites along the main campground road that are wooded and have some privacy. The rest are pretty wide open, so you won't have anything separating you from your neighbors. I'm pretty sure all campsites had electrical hookup - Ours had 50A... not sure about the others.

The restrooms & showers were clean and functioning properly, and even though the campground was completely booked, we never had to wait for either. Ice & firewood is sold at the campground office for a reasonable price.

Alcohol is prohibited at the campground, but there's a great local restaurant & bar about 100 feet from the entrance with a good beer selection & GREAT lake perch. Right across the street is a little beach area on Lake Macatawa with parking & easy access to launch a canoe or kayak. The Lake Michigan beach is a short bike ride or walk away. This is where the park's Beach Campground is, and it is only about 100 yards from the beach.

There's a paved bike trail that goes all the way from the beach to downtown Holland. It's about 15 minutes in a car, so be prepared if you plan on biking it.

Overall a great campground for the summer months, and I know for sure we will be returning in the future.

no overnight stays or tent sites. 7 night minimum stay.

Tent sites are all in one cleared area that is a short walk from the parking spots. I had the place to myself as it was Labor Day Monday night. Showers and bathrooms were clean. Pool looked nice. Best part is that it’s a 3 minute drive to a public beach with great swimming and a beautiful sunset. Owners and staff are kind and I think there’s a little store and bar on site. $20 per tent site.

Went tent camped with electricity for 2 nights. Bathrooms and showers are nice. The park is safe enough for kids to bike around. The beach is clean and fun. We will definitely plan another visit!

Nice rustic campground with a beautiful lake view. Nice big fire rings. Vault toilet and water pump nearby. Some what level site but in the small side. Perfect for tent camping or a teardrop. Definitely nothing over 15'. Was able to park across from my site to maximize space.

Gorgeous little lake town just 8 miles away has a full grocery store and restaurants.

Campsites border the Deep Lake trail.

We went in March so the weather was cold but doable. 20 degrees at night but with electricity hookups we put a space heater in our tent. Campsites are nice no running water at that time of year & only primitive outhouses. Great beaches the sand was so soft & the dunes are perfect.

Hidden Ridge is a modern RV resort within 8 minutes of Gun Lake and sandwiched between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. There is no tent camping available at this location.

All sites include a concrete pad, fire ring and full hook-up. 120/150 amp

Lots of activities for the whole family. There is a pool, hot tub, bounce pillow, splash pad. Children’s activities are planned throughout the week and adult activities, as well.

Gun Lake is crystal clear meaning you can see the sand/pebble bottom. There is fun to be had on this nice-sized Lake.

Not far from Hidden Ridge is a race track that is busy each weekend with all manner of race cars.

Although this campground has great amenities, a pool, clean showers, and good sites/cabins, it is hard to book. If you know you are going to come to this area and camp, you need to book it a while in advance. I have used a pop-up and there was good space between campers. When I tent camped, we had a great spot near the cafe, the showers are amazing over there, they are more secluded. Our tent spot had electric, water, picnic table and fire ring. We camped on the grass and there is gravel to park your car. This campground is a perfect place to stay when visiting surrounding towns and going to the beach.

Don’t forget to go to Sherman’s!!

There was a forecast or rain, don’t mind the tarp

This is a modern campground with full hook-ups and cement parking areas. It is a newer campground, so there is not an old-growth canopy shading the sites. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. Some sites are pull-throughs. Tent camping is allowed, but most campers have RVs.

There is a bath house with good showers.

The park also has a lake with a beach, although I have never been in it.

This campground has a great location for people who want to visit Kalamazoo. One downside is that there are train tracks that run near the campground and sometimes the engines idle for extended periods at night.

If you want seclusion away from the parking lot atmosphere down the road at Yankee Springs this is your place. There is much more space at each campsite and lots of old growth trees. The sites over looking Deep Lake are wonderful if you can snag one. This is a rustic campground and they have NO electricity or water and many are smaller tent sites. But the peace and quiet is great. You are just a short drive away from Yankee Springs and Gun Lake with the huge beach, plus you are basically right on the NCT and have access to miles of hiking and biking trails. This is a great campground if you don’t mind “roughing it”.

This was a nice campground right on the Kal Haven Trail - about 4 miles from South Haven. The RV camping is in a circle in the center of the campground near the bathhouse with cabins and tent camping on the perimeter. There were some very nice woods with paths leading to the Kal Haven and around the campground. 

It was so convenient to be able to bike ride, hike, or run on the trail that I hesitate to offer any critique - but I will. The sites and the roads in the campground are all dirt so while we were there it was exceptionally dusty. I could imagine that when they have a lot of rain, it is exceptionally muddy. 

Check out the blue stairs beach at Lake Michigan (accessible in South Haven), Barden's Market for fresh baked goods and vegetables, the Depot for sandwiches, wine and beer, and 3 Blonds Brewery - good food and beer.  In addition to the Kal Haven, you can access the Van Buren State Park Trail in South Haven. It is a 4-mile paved trail running from South Haven to the Van Buren State Park.

This is a  membership campground.  It is a few miles from Kalamazoo MI and it a beautiful area.  Really does need to be updated.  Not all campsites are full hook ups.  If you are looking for a great tent area around the lake this is it.  You can fish, play and just enjoy yourself.  They have areas for the kids to play and for adults to relax.  

The Facilities need to be updated, no laundry and no internet.  The campsites are a good size but those we found are not very level.  I love the option of walking around the campground as there are up and down and one really big huge hill.  They need to fix there entry parking lot or you will get lost in the huge pot hole.  I would go back as it is a Coast to Coast and it is OK for $10 a night. 

The area the campsite is located is a great country area and is very wooded.  

If you have a family and like to fish it is a great place for you.  If you like tent camping go for it.  If you like amenties like laundry and level sites find another one.

A group of us bike from Kalamazoo to South Haven every year using the Kal-Haven trail. We usually tent camp but tried a cabin here this year. It was the perfect option as the campground is right off the trail. They provide linens and have basic supplies (including firewood that they will deliver to your cabin) right at the general store. We also met a group that had hiked in to the primative sites and were using the trail to train for the Appalachian Trail. Everything is well-made and maintained, and the staff is friendly and helpful (they even let us check-in early when we biked in ahead of schedule). Highly recommend for those looking for a place close to the trail and to South Haven. The cabins have three queen beds and a sofa sleeper so they can comfortably hold up to eight people (we had five in our group and I never felt crowded). There's a large table inside and two chairs on the porch. There's also a large picnic table outside, a fire pit, and a grill. They are hoping to expand and add cabins sized for couples in the near future.

The Allendale KOA is a perfect spot for GR residents looking to have a nice camping getaway without having to drive out too far. The owner and his family are wonderful, and they’ve got a decent shop set up for anything you need while there.

Office hours have a split between open times so the family can have dinner together, but we had no issue checking in late while they were temporarily closed(I’d just recommend calling ahead so they’re aware).

We do not have kids, but we noticed a ton of activities for them so parents will love this place!

Tent sites are perfectly spacious and it’s a nice wooded area to just sit and look at the stars at night. Firewood is available for purchase at a reasonable price.

My singular complaint (and it isn’t even a huge gripe) is the bathrooms. The women’s stalls have no locks on them (not a huge deal as they aren’t typically busy), and the toilet paper is so thin it tears as soon as you grab a piece. I assume this is likely to keep it septic friendly, but I definitely recommend bringing some wipes and a trash bag instead for your own comfort.

Overall we love it here and plan on being frequent visitors!