Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Mears, MI has a lot to offer. Mears is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Mears. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
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
$25 - $65 / 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
Muskegon State Park is home to 3 miles of breathtaking shoreline (2 miles along Lake Michigan and 1 mile on Muskegon Lake), Snug Harbor, forested dunes, two campgrounds, picnic areas, multiple trails, and more. One of the park's popular features is the blockhouse that was originally built by the CCC in the 1930s to provide opportunities for visitors to see in all directions. It sits on the highest point in Muskegon County.
Located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, Hoffmaster State Park is 1,200 acres of wooded sand dunes and 3 miles of sandy beach. The park is named for P.J. Hoffmaster, considered to be the founder of Michigan’s state parks system. Located just a few miles south of Muskegon, and 40 miles west of Grand Rapids, this park offers an outdoor reprieve where you can swing in your hammock under shady pine and hardwood forest, and enjoy pleasant lakeside strolls while peeping for migrating sparrows and hawks. One of the park’s must-do activities is climbing the winding wooden stairway to the Dunes Overlook for great views over the lake, and the fascinating dunes that have developed along the lakeshore.
Open from April to October, the campground at Hoffmaster State Park offers nearly 300 wooded tent and RV campsites on either side of Little Black Creek. Sites are equipped with electrical hookups, picnic tables, and fire pits; restrooms and water faucets are located throughout the campground area. Sites can accommodate trailers and RVs up to 50 feet; a dump station is available near the campground entrance. A kids’ playground is located near the creek, between the two camp areas, and there are two trailheads for accessing the beach. There are also several picnic areas and a concession stand inside the park. Dogs are permitted in the campground area and on the trails, but must remain leashed; they are not permitted on the swim beaches. Campsite rates range from $25–$37/night.
If you need a break from sunning and swimming on the beaches at Hoffmaster, you can visit the Gillette Visitor Center. You can learn about the park’s sand dune ecosystem, see exhibits about the park’s flora and fauna, or attend a nature program about native birds, bugs or beasts. The center also offers guided, interpretive bird walks, dune hikes and night prowls. If you’re ready to strike out on your own, pick up a trail map and start roaming the park’s 5 miles of hiking trails. On the 1-mile Dune Overlook Trail you can climb 100 stairs into the park’s “quiet area” for a panoramic view over the dunes and Lake Michigan. Bring your birding guide with you, as the park is known for a wide variety of residential and migrant songbirds and raptors.
$38 - $42 / night
$14 - $27 / night
Dunes Harbor Family Camp is a premier Family Campground located on the shores of Lake Holiday, right down the road from the Silver Lake Sand Dunes.
This faith-based environment gives your family a chance to get away from the busyness of life. Dunes Harbor has Full Hook-Up, Water/Electric campsites, RVs to rent, and Cabins. There are also group sites where your whole family, groups of friends, church groups, school groups, and community organizations can camp together at.
The staff, facilities, and activities are exceptional. Dunes Harbor features a Camp Store, Ice Cream Shop, Splash Pad pool and Waterslide, Children’s Playground, Volleyball, Basketball, Laundry facilities, two Pavilions, large athletic field, Wagon Rides, Horseback Riding, hiking trails, Themed Weekends and much more!
Each campsite comes with a firepit and picnic table. All Full Hook-Up sites also feature a cement pad. The water/electric Group Sites feature 8 sites per group site, a convenient bathhouse close by, grills for cookouts, and a central firepit area for everyone to gather around.
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
Lake Michigan Campground is perched on the shores of Lake Michigan, 15 miles south of Manistee. The area creates an incredible setting with a scenic overlook of the lake and a sandy swimming beach. This family campground provides an array of hiking and biking trails, plus swimming, fishing and kayaking.
A hardwood forest gives way to a beautiful sandy beach at the shores of the lake with a playground for younger campers. Trout fishing in Lake Michigan is another big draw. Bird watchers delight in seeing unique species like the piping plover and prairie warbler. The Arrowhead Trail, a short loop trail created by Boy Scouts, forms a loop between the campground and the beach. A trailhead for the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is also within the recreation area.
The recreation area sits on the eastern banks of Lake Michigan along Porter Creek, due north of Hamlin Lake. As the second largest of the five Great Lakes, Lake Michigan provides stunning views and limitless options for water recreation. It covers a whopping 22,400 square miles and ranks as the fifth largest lake in the world. The Huron-Manistee National Forests encompass nearly a million acres of public protected land. Nearly 6,000 acres is wetlands that extend over the northern portion of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
The nearby Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area has abundant trails for hiking and backpacking.
$27 - $32 / night
$40 - $160 / 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
$25 - $65 / 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
Muskegon State Park is home to 3 miles of breathtaking shoreline (2 miles along Lake Michigan and 1 mile on Muskegon Lake), Snug Harbor, forested dunes, two campgrounds, picnic areas, multiple trails, and more. One of the park's popular features is the blockhouse that was originally built by the CCC in the 1930s to provide opportunities for visitors to see in all directions. It sits on the highest point in Muskegon County.
Located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, Hoffmaster State Park is 1,200 acres of wooded sand dunes and 3 miles of sandy beach. The park is named for P.J. Hoffmaster, considered to be the founder of Michigan’s state parks system. Located just a few miles south of Muskegon, and 40 miles west of Grand Rapids, this park offers an outdoor reprieve where you can swing in your hammock under shady pine and hardwood forest, and enjoy pleasant lakeside strolls while peeping for migrating sparrows and hawks. One of the park’s must-do activities is climbing the winding wooden stairway to the Dunes Overlook for great views over the lake, and the fascinating dunes that have developed along the lakeshore.
Open from April to October, the campground at Hoffmaster State Park offers nearly 300 wooded tent and RV campsites on either side of Little Black Creek. Sites are equipped with electrical hookups, picnic tables, and fire pits; restrooms and water faucets are located throughout the campground area. Sites can accommodate trailers and RVs up to 50 feet; a dump station is available near the campground entrance. A kids’ playground is located near the creek, between the two camp areas, and there are two trailheads for accessing the beach. There are also several picnic areas and a concession stand inside the park. Dogs are permitted in the campground area and on the trails, but must remain leashed; they are not permitted on the swim beaches. Campsite rates range from $25–$37/night.
If you need a break from sunning and swimming on the beaches at Hoffmaster, you can visit the Gillette Visitor Center. You can learn about the park’s sand dune ecosystem, see exhibits about the park’s flora and fauna, or attend a nature program about native birds, bugs or beasts. The center also offers guided, interpretive bird walks, dune hikes and night prowls. If you’re ready to strike out on your own, pick up a trail map and start roaming the park’s 5 miles of hiking trails. On the 1-mile Dune Overlook Trail you can climb 100 stairs into the park’s “quiet area” for a panoramic view over the dunes and Lake Michigan. Bring your birding guide with you, as the park is known for a wide variety of residential and migrant songbirds and raptors.
$38 - $42 / night
Dunes Harbor Family Camp is a premier Family Campground located on the shores of Lake Holiday, right down the road from the Silver Lake Sand Dunes.
This faith-based environment gives your family a chance to get away from the busyness of life. Dunes Harbor has Full Hook-Up, Water/Electric campsites, RVs to rent, and Cabins. There are also group sites where your whole family, groups of friends, church groups, school groups, and community organizations can camp together at.
The staff, facilities, and activities are exceptional. Dunes Harbor features a Camp Store, Ice Cream Shop, Splash Pad pool and Waterslide, Children’s Playground, Volleyball, Basketball, Laundry facilities, two Pavilions, large athletic field, Wagon Rides, Horseback Riding, hiking trails, Themed Weekends and much more!
Each campsite comes with a firepit and picnic table. All Full Hook-Up sites also feature a cement pad. The water/electric Group Sites feature 8 sites per group site, a convenient bathhouse close by, grills for cookouts, and a central firepit area for everyone to gather around.
Scout
We stayed there 3 years ago and I wish I had seen this site sooner. The morning of July 4th we were woke up by people yelling at 7:15 am. Them at 8:15 someone in a riding lawn mower came within 2 ft of out pop up and woke us up again. Then a sprinkler was started and it was getting our canvas wet, so I turned it down a little. The guy on the mower yelled at me to keep my hands off of the sprinkler! My family were staying one more night so I left them our easy up. Later that evening we came back to watch the fireworks. Afterwards my husband, who is a disabled vet, could not out to our car due to neuropathy in both legs. I decided to go in to pick him up. I waited until v the gate opened and drove in. The speed limit is 10 miles per hour, which I did follow. Then a man come flying up the road and started yelling at my family! I tried to explain that my husband was having a hard time walking out to the parking lot. He cursed at us and then said we would not be allowed back to this campground. This had been the 4 th year we had stayed there over the July 4th holiday. Sad that he treated not only a disabled vet but also a 90 year old woman. Would recommend.
Traveler
Was a quiet. Simple.. Just with nature...Site was clean, across street you can buy firewood ...Was a pleasant 2 night's....From site to the nearest store 15-20 min away..If needed...Had no issues...Be back Thanksgiving 2024..
Traveler
Access road is an unmarked two track that is not suitable for all vehicles. Campground is free and only six sites. Free and no registration attracts lowlifes who appear to have been there a significant amount of time or the whole season. If you have a leaky trailer that needs a tarp over the top, love having your pitbulls run wild, and firing up your generator, this may be the perfect spot for you. Not sure how the folks dragged the trailers into camp. Turned around and went elsewhere. Could have been a nice spot but...
Traveler
Conveniently located but proximity to the road makes it noisy. Locals drag racing on the nearby road subsided around midnight. Campsites were clean and spacious. I stayed at one of the two sites down the road by the boat launch. I stopped here after my first campground stop was full. This site will definitely get the job done but don't make this a featured stop.
Guide
After a decent ruck in, you have some immediate camped spots and can travel further for even more. Summer time is busy so get there early for a spot. Have been multiple times with bigger groups and have always found a spot for tents and hammocks. Enjoy hikes down the best for a distance view of the dunes and enjoy fires with lake views at night.
Guide
Beach was big and beautiful but you had to drive to get to it unless you love walking with a bunch of beach stuff in a bathing suit. Hamlin lake is close by and is a good spot for fishing.
Guide
We had one of the sites closest to the beach access which was very nice for us, but since we were there Labor Day weekend(my mistake lol) we had a lot of traffic come through our campsite. We tend to enjoy more peaceful stays with less crowding. The beach had plenty of room for everyone to spread out and was not crowded at all which made up for it. Highly recommend watching the sunset from the beach. We also loved the lost lake trail. The group camping area is shut down.
Traveler
Very cheap and exactly what we needed for a last minute campsite with a great view.
Guide
Great location away from everything. Spacious sites that are spread out. We stayed in the Oak Loop. Only 5 minute easy walk to beach. Quiet. Enough cell reception to send a text but that's it. Pit toilets only in Oak and Violet loops. Flush toilets in hemlock and orchid loop. No showers, but showers available at convenience store down the street during the summer.
TravelerA small gem of a place. Park and pay to be in the National Forest...or disperse camping on Green Rd. We parked and hiked the mile and a half in to the Dunes. Take all your gear that you need if you don't want to trek back. Can not ride bike in or have anything with wheels on the trail. At the end of the Beautiful hike you come to the Dunes. Go to the right and you will see some spots to put a tent up(do not camp on Dunes or beach). To the right is easy walk and find. If you head to the left you will have to walk over some Dunes for a bit but this is where we went and found a perfect spot right where the forest and Dunes meet. Very short walk to the beach and it's AMAZING! We had it all to ourselves for hours. It's like looking at the ocean. Beautiful views, sunsets, night sky's. The water was warm and you could walk out a ways before it got deep. Great for swimming. It was perfect. One of my favorite spots away from the busy crowds. So worth the hike. Make sure you get wood and might have to hike it in. There is little to NO wood out there laying around. If you are willing to put the work in to hike out there then I promise it's worth it.
Traveler
Peggy are host was awesome . It's really clean and a beautiful place and close to the Dunes .
Guide
It’s a little cramped making it a bit overwhelming but the sites are nice and kept.
Traveler
Super close to manistee beach, came in on the weekend mid September, almost all the camp spots were taken. Forest was super eerie but beautiful.
Traveler
The park is beautiful. Lovely nature trails and the Lake was incredible to see. Facilities are clean and the campground was quiet.
Guide
Our site was great, easily fit a 17 foot trailer and a tent. Trails down to the water were appreciated by our kids. Neighbors are pretty close all around but that didn't matter until our last night. 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 or some kind of consequence for such horrible camping manners.
Traveler
Most sites have direct river access. All sites are walk-in, but not far from the parking area. There are two pit toilets for six sites and both were clean. They sites are large, but fairly open, not much between the sites.
Traveler
Elk is a great place to spend the night after a day of paddling or fishing. There are four sites with decent space between them. The pit toilet was decently clean and well away from the sites, so no smell. The only downside is that access is tricky. The landing is a steep bank with large rocks on the river bank.
Traveler
Stayed here to get off the road on the cheap after a long drive. It was Friday but it was quiet nothing out of the ordinary. The girls at the registration helped me find a quiet spot.
Traveler
Small campsites, but nice bathrooms and showers, close to Baldwin
Traveler
Went there to use dump station after camping at the local veterans retreat, nice facilities and staff. 15$ fee to use dump station
ScoutI can't say enough about this place. They where so nice, polite and friendly. We had some R.V. Issues and they where there to help. The camp site was very nice. There bathroom and shower were so clean. We will stay there again.
ScoutThe staff checking us in was amazing, but that’s where it stops. Lots of highway noise. Tiny spots. And worst of all the owner is terrible, argumentative, rude and disrespectful. We were traveling with a group, my husband was moving grills and wood from our site to theirs(we were not as close to our group as we thought) and was parked literally for less than 10 mins to the side of the road…the owners site was right across- he came out without a hello or welcome but right away jumped in“You can’t park there” as we were very clearly unloading… from that point it went downhill- never told us who he was; asked if we wanted to be kicked out and quite frankly was a straight up jerk. It wasn’t until later that night that other campers told us who he was and that’s normal behavior. If that is how the owner treats his customers you can rest assured we will never be back.
Traveler
No running water.
No electricity.
No flush toilets.
No internet.
No phone signal.
Pure heaven.
Rustic campsites. 50-100 yards from the river. Great water from the pump. Nice clean vault toilet. Very quiet at night. Peaceful and beautiful. We've gone ever year for the last 5 years. Going again next year.
Highly recommend a satellite-based GPS unit like Garmin or TomTom in your car. I was serious when I said no phone signal so Google Maps ain't gonna' get you there.
GuideWe loved this park and the atmosphere. So much room for all size campers, bathrooms and showers were clean and spacious. Beach access super close and plenty of roaming for our dog. Fire rings were the nicest we've seen and the park was kept clean and today, the rangers were on top of everything.
Scout
Very small campground with a quiet time at 10:00 am. The host and staff were beyond helpful and friendly. Only complaint - bathrooms were a good hike away from the tent/RV spots
TravelerThe campsites are spacious and feature trails that lead directly to the Tippy Dam Backwater. There’s also convenient access for launching a boat on either the Manistee River or the backwaters side of the dam
TravelerI’ve read lots of reviews that were lukewarm about Newaygo, but we enjoyed our 3 day getaway. Ample activities in the area (hiking, disc golf, biking, swimming, kayaking, fishing, tubing and stargazing). And shopping and nice brewery in Newaygo. Most sites are large and separated from the next. The noise levels really dropped off in the evening. Will be back!!
Camping near Mears, Michigan, offers a fantastic mix of natural beauty and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a quiet retreat, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Mears, Michigan, has something for everyone, whether you're looking for adventure or relaxation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Mears, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, Mears, MI offers a wide range of camping options, with 194 campgrounds and RV parks near Mears, MI and 8 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Mears, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Mears, MI is Cedar Campground — Ludington State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 40 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Mears, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 8 free dispersed camping spots near Mears, MI.
What parks are near Mears, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 5 parks near Mears, MI that allow camping, notably Huron-Manistee National Forests and Sleeping Bear Dunes.
