Looking to go glamping near Mackinac Island and enjoy a rustic retreat into nature? Glamping is not only a fun alternative to traditional tent camping, but also allows you to pack more or less gear as you see fit. You're sure to find glamping for your Mackinac Island camping adventure.
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.
A family-owned private campground overlooking the Straits of Mackinac with spectacular views of the Mighty Mackinac Bridge, Mackinac Island, and Great Lakes Freighter traffic. We are just minutes from Mackinac Island Ferries, downtown Mackinaw City, public Beaches and Dunes, Dining, Shopping, State Historical Attractions, the retired Ice Breaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum, area Golf Courses, The Headlands International Dark Sky Park, and area Casinos.
Day trips are easily planned to Mackinac Island, The Soo Locks, Tahquamenon Falls, Whitefish Point (Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum), Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Oswald's Bear Ranch and much more.
$34 - $52 / night
Brevoort Lake Campground stretches along the western shore of its namesake in the Hiawatha National Forest. This popular fishing destination is situated on a peninsula that juts into the lake and Beodne Bay. Visitors to the campground enjoy the easy access to the pristine sandy beaches.
The 4,233-acre Brevoort Lake provides ample opportunities for recreation. Boat access is available from the center of the campground on Boedne Bay. In 1985, the Forest Service completed the construction of a walleye spawning reef in Brevoort Lake, providing plentiful fishing in the area. Anglers can also expect healthy populations of pike, bass, perch and a variety of other fish. Hiking is also a popular pastime of visitors to the campground. The Ridge, Sand Dunes Cross Country and North Country National Scenic trails pass near the campground. A 10-minute ferry ride to Mackinac Island makes for an interesting day trip. The 3.8-acre island offers hiking, biking, horseback riding and shopping, as well as access to historical sites and museums, among other activities.
Campsites are somewhat secluded, surrounded by huge pine, hemlock and oak trees and low, shrubby vegetation. Beach grass grows along the lake shore, sometimes buried in light sand.
St. Ignace, Michigan, about 20 miles east of the campground, offers historical and tourist attractions as well as grocery and gas services.
For facility specific information, please call (906) 373-2272.
Please cancel 7 days in advance if you need to cancel your reservation. Reservation sites cannot be traded for walk-up sites.
$26 - $48 / night
$28 - $42 / 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
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
$30 - $34 / 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/buy-and-apply/rec-pp
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
Lake Michigan Campground at St. Ignace provides great views and unlimited access to Lake Michigan. The area has excellent trails, winding hikers through ancient sand dunes, windswept foundations and a variety of vegetation.
The campsites are located between 20- to 30-foot high sand dunes and are just steps away from great body-surfing waves, that crash onto the lake's sandy beaches during commonly high winds. Lake Michigan does offer fishing, but anglers tend to prefer Brevort Lake better, for its catches of walleye, pike, bass, perch and crappie. Campers at Lake Michigan have access to the popular Sand Dunes Cross-Country Ski Trail, as well as the North Country National Scenic Trail, which connects a host of natural areas, from valleys to hilltops, prairies to forests and everything in between. Both trails offer miles of terrain, keeping hikers busy for as long as they choose.
The campground stretches along a bluff between the highway and the lake. Dunes, waves, sand and wind are the primary environmental factors present. Visitors enjoy watching shorebirds, like the Spotted Sandpiper, which can often be seen running up and down the beaches throughout the day.
Brevort Lake is about five miles from the campground. St. Ignace is about 18 miles from the campground and is the closest town.
For facility specific information, please call (906) 373-2272.
Please cancel 7 days in advance if you need to cancel your reservation. Reservation sites cannot be traded for walk up sites.
$26 / night
Ranger
It is a municipal campground so we didn't expect much but the access to the Little Traverse Wheelway and views of Lake Michigan were awesome - and full hook ups for the price was great. It has a small bathhouse and the sites are pull-though with back to back setup (so utilities are at the same post as one of your neighbors) but we scored that the 2 sites in front of us cancelled (it was wet, cold, windy and in general miserable weather but we lucked out day 2 and got a bike ride in to Petoskey State Park and a stop at Burnt Marshmallow Brewing before rain rolled back in) so we had a big open space for the kids to bike around on and allowed a view of the lake.
link on The Dyrt doesn't work - try this:
https://www.petoskey.us/departments/parks\_and\_recreation/campground.php
PROS: was really quiet, our neighbor is a regular and was extremely friendly and helpful. The bike path to Petoskey State Park is right in front of the campground and takes you by the harbor and can branch off into town too. Really close to downtown (which we did not explore but looks really nice). We originally planned on staying at the state park but the campsite was half closed due to construction (so it will probably be really nice next year) but this worked out great. Full hook ups on long pull thru sites for the price was great. Firewood was available at the check-in kiosk and there is a playground on site. Bathhouse with showers. Less than 1 hour from Mackinac Island. I read mentions of the hospital noise and while trucks unloading during the day was noticeable during the day, we didn't hear anything from there at night - the camp ground did have a transformer that was loud the first night but it was fixed by the next night.
CONS: it is no-frills and could be packed in during summer, but that should be acceptable for the price if you are looking for an easy base camp with access to everything in Petoskey. The bathhouse was clean but dated. The campsites look like they did not get a lot of cleanup - I filled a grocery bag full of trash from our site and the 3 open ones next to us.
Ideal site would probably be as close to the lake as possible - the road in front is not travelled much since it dead ends at the campground. There was a city facility at the end but it was not open on the weekend and we were told is pretty quiet when it is open.
NOTE: This was our first MI campground as part of out trip from GA to MN via TN-KY-IN-MI-WI-northern MN before staying in MSP for a week, then return via MN-IA-MO-IL-KY-TN-Home.
Traveler
Close to Leggs restaurant. Mackinac Island. Tunnel of Trees. Upper peninsula Michigan. All this and a great campground.
Ranger
Packed like sardines. Stones get picked over early but still the best I’ve found. Sandy Beach just down the road. board walk great for biking and jogging. More of a Glamping Park, with little shade.
Guide
Nice family owned campground on Lake Huron. Very nice view of the Mackinac Bridge, very clean bathrooms and showers, perfect for families. Conveniently located to Mackinaw City and the shuttle boats to Mackinac Island.
Traveler
This is a pretty decent campground. It met our needs for a day trip to Mackinac Island. It’s within biking distance to the Shepler’s Ferry dock which is super nice of you’re planning to take bikes along. Most of the sites are partially shaded and fairly spacious. We stayed in site 32 which worked out perfectly for our 36’ trailer. We definitely enjoyed our stay here.
Scout
Half of the camp ground was under water. We booked three sites together over the phone. When we got there we were not together. When we asked about it we were told that they had to move people around and this is the best they can do. The pool was green and not useable. They did offer a shuttle to the ferry’s to Mackinac island. So that was nice.
GuideWe stayed here on a trip up to visit the Mackinac Island. It was great for that as they offer a shuttle service to the ferries. Site was small and awkwardly set up. But a goo place for the home base of the day trips we took. We had fun playing the mini golf that was offered there. The staff I talked to was helpful with the questions I had.
RangerIt’s what I expect at a KOA. Nice level pull though spots, good amount of space between campsites, very clean facilities and plenty for kids to do(pool/mini golf). The only weird thing about the sites was the water hook ups were shared (which is tough for a pull through) so we needed three hoses to hook up. Not a huge deal just a tip. Super close to the docks for a trip to Mackinac Island which was great.
GuideThis is a great location to camp if you are looking for proximity to Mackinac Island. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. They have electric and water but no sewer. There is a dump on the way out. The spots are very tight to navigate into and took some extra work for my fifth wheel. Tent camping or smaller campers would enjoy this site. The town nearby is cool, includes a nice bakery and a great RV/hardware store. Wifi is hit and miss. You can walk up to the water to get a nice view of the bridge.
TravelerOur stay was enjoyable but think the campground would best be represented without the Holiday classification. Pros: staff friendly, informative and helpful. Gave us a loaner 20ft of sewer hose when our 20ft would not reach. Also accommodated us with a extra day without moving sites so we could visit the island( heavy rain) on the planned day. Location great for visiting Mackinac Island . Con: unlevel site front to back, too many trees (for us). Electrical , water, sewer laid out oddly. No concrete patio or paved roads. WiFi didn’t work. The park apologized for the inconveniences on the sewer and will be making corrections on that .
GuideSpent four nights here while we explored the surrounding area. Took two trips out to Mackinac Island - the ferry sompanies have free pick up at the KOA. The tour of Soo Locks is only an hour north, and was another great experience.
The campground had a nice pool and mini golf was well maintained. It rained most of one night which caused some muddy spots but not terrible.
Our party was in sites 28, 14, and 15. This gave us an almost private campfire area at site 15, shielded from all other campers. The bug open field behind 15 was a great place to exercise the dogs.
GuideOur family camped at this KOA in June 2018. They had a small playground for the kids. There was also a nice heated pool for them to swim in. Camping spots are shady. Most are pull through. This campground was easy to drive our camper through and easy to find. It’s in a great location and there is a shuttle that will pick you up if you want to go to Mackinac Island. The shuttle will take you directly to the ferry. The campground has laundry facilities that are clean. The employees are very friendly and helpful. We did not use bathhouses here as we had full hook ups.
RangerWe liked this campground a lot. Our site was very shady and plenty big enough. The campground had a pool and laundry room. They were building another section that looked amazing! The campground is convenient to Petoskey, the Little Traverse Wheelway and the Northwestern State Trail. We enjoyed being able to access the bike trails from the campground. We also rode through the Tunnel of Trees, took the ferry with our bikes in tow to Mackinac Island, and browsed the shops in Petoskey. Also the Petoskey Brewery has excellent food and beer. It is located just off the Little Traverse Wheelway, not far from the campground.
GuideThe sites are decently sized and come equipped with a fire pit. The showers had decent shower heads and lots of pressure. There are some swings dow by the lake for adults and kids. Everything is nearby (not really walkable) and the shuttle for Mackinac Island ferries will come pick you up. They do not have full hookups, but we got by fine for a week since we have a composting toilet.
There is a small play scape feature by the lake. Plenty of folks tent camping as well as RVs. The campground has been here for quite a while and has mature trees. A small game room at the office features a pool table, air hockey, and a modern pinball machine.
Legend
We had a great site on the lake, an end site with the shoreline in front of us. We had site #48 with water and electric and a great view. Big bath house and laundry room. We went kayaking in the lake it was crystal clear and cool water. Had a great time here at this campground.
Castle rock is across the highway so kayaking and looking back towards the campsite had a good view of castle rock.
In town st. Ignace we bought some local whitefish smoked fish dip that was excellent.
We took the ferry over to mackinac island it was so busy you could barely get down the streets. We did a horse and carriage tour then hit the pink pony for well needed drinks.
GuideThis was by far the nicest and most spacious KOA I've ever stayed at. There were a ton of trees and nicely wooded spots. We had site #16 right near the front, which meant we had some traffic noise and kids running to the adjacent playground, but the spacious lot size made up for it (and having 3 kids of our own, we didn't mind the playground being so close). Big towering pines and a soft bed of needles kept our site shady and cool with plenty of room to set up our camp chairs and hammock. Made for a relaxing place to read. The back campsites looked really nice and were much quieter.
The pool was a little on the older side, but was clean and warm. There was (free) mini golf for the kids - pretty basic and again, older, but the kids didn't care. A couple of old-school playgrounds as well. Laundry facilities were clean with 6 washers and 6 dryers. The "dog run" was pretty laughable, as I'm finding with all KOAs - it was at most 20' x 20' square, so not much room for bigger dogs to actually run around. Wifi provided an excellent signal. The staff was friendly, but not very informative about things to do on Mackinac Island or the surrounding area.
RangerOur 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.
TravelerWe decided to splurge on a yurt for our first camping trip of the summer. Well worth it! We stayed in"Kai" one of the newest yurts. It's at the end of what we came to call"the yurt village". Complete with electricity, indoor and outdoor string lights, two deck chairs, a heater, a queen sized bed, and an electric kettle with pour over coffee supplies, it was truly a treat! The bathroom and shower building is about.1 miles each way according to my fitness tracker, but it's doable. Downside: the firepit is small(about the size of a small charcoal grill) and shallow, so it's not really suitable for cooking. Bring a propane stove or some no-cook foods, or go enjoy some of the area restaurants! The site is still a diamond in the rough with cut downed wood and sawdust scattered about, and the ground is uneven. With time, though, it will probably turn out beautifully! We were there for three weeknights and rarely even heard other campers. A quiet and peaceful retreat.
Guide
Best campground in Michigan. Sites aren’t too close together yet there are bathrooms in a reasonable walking distance from each site. Wonderful camp host and the beach is the best I’ve seen in Michigan.
Traveler
Beautiful campground on Lake Michigan. Most of our time was spent on the sand beach. Beautiful sunsets and great swimming. Big sites and clean campground.
Traveler
Great campground. Just outside of town. Right on Lake Huron. Tucked away. Great location. Nice hiking trails everywhere. Id definitely recommend and return!! If you're looking for a "Northern Michigan" experience. This is a must.
Scout
This is a typical Michigan State Park. The facilities are well maintained and clean. On a nice lake with a good swim area. We stayed because of the location to Copper Harbor and the Porcupine Mountains.
Guide
Less than half full. Good non motorized boat launch. Nice forest, most sites well screened. 4 sites with great lake view, on little lake. kayaked around lake. No real navigable access to the larger Bevoort Lake or Lake Michigan. Quiet, no highway noise.
RangerTypical KOA! It was really nice, clean, and the people were helpful! The pool was great for swimming, and mackinaw city is a great place to walk around and explore! Also recommend visiting the Headlands Dark Sky Park about 10 mins away, awesome views of the stars over Lake Michigan 🙂
Guide
Made a quick overnight stop while road tripping with beautiful wife. Very nice lakeside campsites. Little on the pricey side for me. Edging a little bit towards the style of the Michigan state parks, which isn't my scene. None the less, sites were nice and facilities were clean.
Legend
Absolutely loved this island! If you like nature and want to get away, this is the place for you! Campsites are huge and very private, also have cottages for rent. The views here are great and so are the beautiful starry skies. These islands in Michigan are so great, not a lot of tourists here so feels very relaxing.
TravelerThe location makes this campground. Stayed 6 nights as it was so relaxing.
Pros:
Cons:
Would stay here again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Mackinac Island, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Mackinac Island, MI is Mackinaw City / Mackinac Island KOA with a 4.6-star rating from 23 reviews.
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