Best Tent Camping near Marine City, MI

CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

Tent camping options near Marine City, Michigan include several established campgrounds within driving distance. P.L. Graham Park & Campground, formerly a Boy Scout camp, offers 12 rustic tent sites along the Black River with basic amenities. Port Huron KOA, located in nearby Kimball, provides tent sites with more developed facilities including showers, drinking water, and picnic tables.

Most tent sites at P.L. Graham Park require walk-in access from the parking area, with campers unloading gear before parking in a designated lot. The campground provides drinking water, fire pits surrounded by rocks, and basic toilet facilities. Firewood is available for purchase from the on-site caretaker, as outside wood is prohibited. The campground operates on a first-come, first-served basis with a $15 nightly fee. A review mentioned that "not every site has a picnic table, so I'd suggest bringing a tiny table for food prep/surface to work on."

Tent campers at P.L. Graham Park enjoy waterfront access to the Black River with fishing opportunities and natural surroundings. The sites vary between open areas near the water and more secluded spots nestled in the woods. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, the campground offers a peaceful experience with "ample space between campgrounds" and a helpful caretaker who maintains the grounds. Cell service is limited, making it suitable for disconnecting. While hiking trails within the park are limited, the campground serves as a good base for exploring other nearby outdoor recreation areas. The park also includes a small shelter with bunk beds in case of rain, a pavilion, and a playground for children.

Best Tent Sites Near Marine City, Michigan (5)

    1. Port Huron KOA

    12 Reviews
    Clyde, MI
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (810) 987-4070

    "Got to watch out for kids buzzing around on banana bikes and golf carts cruising around. We stayed a couple times this summer."

    "This is probably the best campground in Michigan. Lots of activities to do. Swimming pools, bicycles for rent, playgrounds, pizza, children's train, etc."

    2. P.L. Graham Park & Campground (Formerly known as Chicagami Boy Scout Camp)

    8 Reviews
    Sandusky, MI
    41 miles
    +1 (810) 712-2867

    $15 / night

    "You drive up the entrance of the park, and on your right there'll be a trailer with a sign that says parking. You will park your car there over night/during the day."

    "Tent sites with water acces. Very nice caretaker!!"

    3. Camp Agawam

    2 Reviews
    Auburn Hills, MI
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (248) 391-0304

    $20 - $30 / night

    "I come down to Detroit from Windsor every year to camp in Michigan with friends and this year we went to this very nice campsite in Orion Twp and I loved it."

    4. D-bar-A Scout Ranch (Boy Scout Use Only)

    1 Review
    Metamora, MI
    42 miles
    Website

    "This is another great scout ing campground with cabins, rustic camping, tent sites, lakes, horses to ride, this is one HUGE camp ground for scouts to enjoy and learn.."

    5. Hilltop Campgrounds

    2 Reviews
    Lapeer, MI
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (810) 664-2782
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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Marine City, MI

6 Photos of 5 Marine City Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near Marine City, MI

141 Reviews of 5 Marine City Campgrounds


  • Rodger M.
    Sep. 19, 2021

    Ridgewood Campground

    An Quick Camping Escape

    We were warmly greeted by the attendee and the camp host. Firewood, snacks, camp essentials, and ice available on site. Nice touch having firewood delivered to our site. The gentleman could not have been kinder and offered assistance with us setting up. The site was a larger site (#12) tucked nicely away in a corner.

    Picnic Table and Nice Fire Ring onsite. Port-a-potty, dumpster near site.

    Fair warning, the staff aren’t the only ones ready to greet you! Bugs, Mosquitoes, bees, and even raccoons (if food left out - which we did not). We have been to sites before that must have sprayed for pests because we have never experienced the amount of mosquitoes we did here. Thankfully we had Off Area Camp Spray, our Thermacell, and citronella burning and it helped dramatically reduce the pests.

    The noise level was very “citified.” Traffic could be heard throughout the evening and early morning. That’s what we get for camping so close to civilization. Also, beware of Poison Oak and Ivy! The entire site was bordered with it.

    Lastly, make sure that if you car camp or SUV Camp, you let them know. They have a policy of making you park your car/SUV in the lot after setting up your tent (if tent camping).

  • Kate K.
    Aug. 24, 2019

    Ortonville Equestrian Campground — Ortonville Recreation Area

    2 Great Lakes & A Horse Camp

    The campground here is actually a quite popular equestrian campground. There is a campground and a staging area. Rustic vault toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings. The campground itself isn’t really much to write home about (unless you have horses that is). The lakes and launches are however very nice and there are some great trail systems through the area.

  • Mary H.
    Jul. 14, 2019

    Pontiac Lake Recreation Area

    Quick get away

    Wonderful place for a quick get away. Park is clean. Beach is a 1.8 mile hike from the East loop in the campground but is well worth the walk. (Trail is not stroller/wagon friendly) If you are hoping to hook up to electrical, bring extension cords; some hook ups are exceptionally far away from the designated RV parking pad. Extensive mountain biking trails and the lake is open to boating, kayaking, and other water sports. Park offers lots of private sites! We stayed in site 118 and could not see neighboring sites! The site was very spacious and offered picnic table, fire ring, paved pad, and electrical hook up. (hook up in this specific site was considerably far away.)

  • Dan N.
    Aug. 31, 2016

    Algonac State Park Campground

    Escape from Detroit

    Lots of different landscapes to explore. Great wildlife and views of the river. We were only here in winter when it was empty, I imagine it’d be pretty busy in summer. No showers but vault toilets and some powered sites. There are two camp site areas here, and one section is just for tents (but that one’s not on the river, so you have some tradeoffs). We were disappointed by all the shooting noises from the range.

  • Kate K.
    Mar. 20, 2021

    Oakland County Addison Oaks

    Great Local Campground and Trails

    Addison Oaks is a campground that features hiking and mountain biking trails, campground, cabins, disc golf course, and a lake for boating. The campground is RV and tent friendly and offers fire pits/ picnic tables. The trails are well maintained and heavily trafficked.

  • K
    Apr. 30, 2022

    Pontiac Lake Recreation Area

    Nice Michigan State Park

    Camped here opening weekend of 2022 (April 29). Nice park with several sites for our bigger rig. Leveling would be more of the challenge. But, we eventually got to 145 which was pretty good and very doable from leveling Stand point. Large well kept grassy site. Nice fire ring. No water or sewer at site but fill and dump available in park. Our Verizon WiFi coverage was good as was our TMobile. Staff was very accommodating and helpful. Seemed there to serve. We experienced no issues with our 30 amp (20 & 30 only available). Didn’t need air conditioning but electric heat was our main heat source and worked fine.

  • Steve & Ashley  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 28, 2019

    Lakeport State Park Campground

    State Park Near Port Huron

    This was one of my least favorite state parks. Like many Michigan State Parks, the facilities are old and the campgrounds are overcrowded in the summer with local campers. We stay here one night on the way Ontario. The border crossing at Sarnia is about 20 miles south of the campsite. The sites are on top of each other with no privacy. The beach on the east side of the camp borders Lake Huron. It’s not much to look at with limited views and just a thin rocky shoreline. The beach is just a few hundred yards from the camp through a line of trees. The restroom facilities were outdated and in need of repair. This may be ok for a one night stop but would not recommend beyond a short stay.

  • Stephanie C.
    May. 11, 2017

    Lakeport State Park Campground

    Rock Pickers unite!!!

    Lakeport is one of the hidden gems in Michigan. We all have heard that you can find Petoskey Stones in Northern Michigan, well.... look no further!!!!! I have found the most beautiful Petoskey Stones at Lakeport. I have also found a large pudding stone. My husband brings his chair down to the water and I walk the short for hours and hours looking for rocks. The campground itself is awesome as well. There are two parts to the campground. We like to reserve our site at the North side of the campground as it is more wooded than the southern section. The sites are much larger in the north side and closer to the areas where rocks can be found! This campground is amazing. My suggestion is to book six months in advance because it is extremely hard to get into this campground on the weekends.

  • Jessica S.
    Jul. 20, 2018

    Lakeport State Park Campground

    Clean, friendly and sunny campsites. Nice beach and close to town

    Most sites are full sun, local trails for biking and walking nice beach. Make sure to bring water shoes as the first few feet of the water is very rocky, but the beach area is large and clean, kids played in the sand all day.


Guide to Marine City

Tent campsites near Marine City, Michigan range from waterfront sites with basic amenities to more developed facilities within a 30-mile radius. The region experiences humid continental climate with warm summers averaging 75-85°F and cold winters that often drop below freezing. Most camping locations in this area sit at elevations between 580-650 feet above sea level, with terrain characterized by flat to gently rolling landscapes alongside rivers and inland lakes.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: At P.L. Graham Park & Campground, the Black River provides accessible fishing spots directly from the campground. "You can fish and there is a lot of room for kids to run around," notes camper Braylynn G., who gave the park a perfect rating.

Kayaking and canoeing: The Black River access point at P.L. Graham Park offers convenient water entry. "Compact camp with open sites. Nice place to bring a kayak & canoe. Worn in dock area but still accessible," according to Valerie D., highlighting the water recreation options.

Family recreation: Port Huron KOA offers extensive activities beyond basic camping. As Melissa B. describes, "Jumping pillow, tons of scheduled activities, equipment rentals, trails nearby. There is a movie theater, old one room schoolhouse, camp store, pools, number boats and putt putt."

What campers like

Wooded seclusion: Some tent campers prefer the forest sites at P.L. Graham Park. "Our site was in the woods and just what we needed," shares Elaine K., who appreciated the natural setting and woodland privacy during her stay.

Site spacing: Unlike crowded commercial campgrounds, some Marine City area sites provide adequate separation. At Camp Agawam, campers find "a perfect little park in the middle of suburbia" with "campsites, a playground, swimming, fishing, an outdoor amphitheater (with concerts!), pavilion rentals, and disc golf," according to James P.

Attentive management: The caretaker at P.L. Graham Park receives consistent praise from campers. "Walker was very welcoming and super generous! Walker brought us wood for our fire and it was well worth the fee for the amount he gave us," states Elaine K. in her review.

What you should know

Bathroom conditions: Facilities at some rustic sites may be basic. At P.L. Graham Park, "bathrooms need major cleaning/updates" according to Valerie D., while Walker L. notes they have "updated out house type restrooms, that are very will lit and very bright with white paint and solar lights."

Site selection: Not all campsites have the same amenities or settings. At Hilltop Campgrounds, campers find "mostly seasonal campers but still sites available for those nightly/weekender campers. All sites are 50 amp full hook ups," explains Tammy P.

Outside wood restrictions: Some campgrounds prohibit bringing your own firewood due to invasive species concerns. As one camper at P.L. Graham Park noted, "You can NOT bring your own wood in. The Manager sold us a great bundle of wood for $10!!!"

Tips for camping with families

Activity planning: Family-friendly options abound at certain campgrounds. "There is go karting and more with the connected fun park. Reserve well in advance!" advises Wendy K. about Port Huron KOA, emphasizing the need for early bookings.

Space considerations: Sites vary significantly in size and privacy. For RV families at Port Huron KOA, Alex H. recommends specific sites: "If you're in a camper I'd recommend sites 54,179,180. Those sites have a bit of a backyard to them and more space."

Seasonal events: D-bar-A Scout Ranch offers unique experiences beyond typical camping. Walker L. describes it as "another great scouting campground with cabins, rustic camping, tent sites, lakes, horses to ride, this is one HUGE camp ground for scouts to enjoy and learn."

Tips from RVers

Electrical hookups: For RVers needing power, Hilltop Campgrounds provides full hookup options at reasonable rates. Tammy P. notes, "All sites are 50 amp full hook ups... For a full hook up campground this place is very economically friendly at only $40 a night!"

Connectivity concerns: Cell service and internet vary widely between campgrounds. At Port Huron KOA, Joe S. reports "WiFi is slow but stable. You probably won't be able to watch Netflix. AT&T service is terrible. Our friends have T-Mobile and it is very fast for them."

Site spacing and atmosphere: RVers should research site sizes and proximity. At Port Huron KOA, Dan H. cautions it's "big... So when it's big it's busy.. 3 pools but way too crowed for me. So many cabins feels like you are in a subdivision."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Marine City, MI?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Marine City, MI is Port Huron KOA with a 4.2-star rating from 12 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Marine City, MI?

TheDyrt.com has all 5 tent camping locations near Marine City, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.