Best RV Parks & Resorts near Norway, MI

Overall our stay was pleasant the campground is very rustic facilities on premise could definitely use some TLC. We stayed in a pull through site which was decent. Campground overall was very quiet mainly seasonal or long term sites.

Nice little county campground on lake Michigan. Sandy Beach. Clean bathrooms and showers, and a small laundry facility. Electric and water on each site. Dump station is available for registered campers. Sites are large, not crowded. Mixture of short term campers and long term locals. On site host, not a party spot.

Right on the highway. Perfect for the traveling family. Full hook-up available and a fun place to be for the entire fam.

We enjoyed our stay at Tourist Park in Gwinn. I loved that it was a small park with mostly RVs and a few camping spots. We have an Aliner and most of the RVs were big with their own bathroom, so the facilities at Tourist were almost all ours! Full hook-ups, bathrooms with showers, basketball court, fishing, Escanaba River, and hiking trails all right at the park. Close to Marquette, Presque Isle, and many more beautiful spots. My dog was allowed and they had a leash hook outside the bathroom and dog bag station. We would definitely go back.

This was such a nice camp ground & wonderful owners!!! We had a birthday party and our site was right across from the nice clean park and a pool that wasn't open yet! But we will be back to enjoy that! We had full hook up and everything was literally a breeze!

Whether you’re here for a quick stop or a longer stay, Solar Country Village RV Park offers a comfortable base for your Upper Peninsula adventures.

This campground is huge, it is a lot of permanent RV park sites but there’s a significant amount of sites available. Seems peaceful but busy. Sites are pretty close together so if you looking for quiet privacy I would look elsewhere.

We had an electric only site here for a night. The sites in this section of the campground are very spread out and many have a view of the lake. The full hookup sites are a little more packed together. Nice beach and trail along the water but a lot of it was flooded when we were here. Bathrooms and showers are modern and clean. Not much to do in town but maybe worth a couple days stay if you want quiet and access to the lake.

Our dd was excited that she could see the McDonald’s golden arches from our site! The campground is clean & well maintained. It was easy for us to park our 35 ft trailer because the sites are large & level, but also because there weren’t any trees along the campground roads. Our kids loved that there is a pool, hot tub & bouncy pillow! This is our 2nd time staying & both were because of its convenience to ‘civilization’ not to get away from it. This time we took the opportunity to enjoy the afternoon shopping in Marquette before heading to the eastern UP the next day for a week’s stay there. It is located in town, near a Camping World & just behind some restaurants, shops, a brewpub & a hotel, but the other sides of the campground are surrounded by trees/forest because it is the UP. A great campground if you want to explore the area’s history or natural beauty, shop in Marquette or if you are checking out Northern Michigan University’s campus (about 20 minutes away). Most sites are full hookup, they also have rustic cabins & a dog play area. I’m sure we will stay here again, as it’s a short trip for us, the kids love the amenities & I’d like to explore the area for more than our usual day trips.

This reservation only campground was well kept and close to amenities in Gwinn like their city park and diners. The full hookup sites were well marked but not a lot of shade and septic hook up was far back. There is a dump site on premise so we utilized that. Tent sites are well shaded and secluded from each other. Tenants were amazing and hiking trails were beautiful. The weather was too cold to swim but the beach area would be nice with warmer weather.

We love Tourist Park, and will definitely be coming back! It’s on the back side of the city of Gwinn, which is a smaller more run down little town, 18 miles from Marquette. But this little campground is well kempt! Quiet and relaxing, tucked in the woods with a nice hiking trail, picnic tables, swimming area, full hookups or rustic sites. The only down side is that they are by reservation only. No ‘walk-in’s’ if you will.

Ranger Review: Roanline Clothes at Gladstone Bay Campground, MI

Campground Review

We really came to like the Gladstone Bay Campground during the time we were there. The first impression is that it is a mix of seasonal campers mixed with transients and there is a crazy mix of campsites scattered in all different directions. This county-operated park sits on a pretty part of Bay de Noc in Gladstone Bay just north of the larger town of Escanaba in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The best feature for us was the nice view of the water and direct access but there are lots of other things we liked about this campground too. For example, there is a nice walking path that wanders along the water down to the marina and county park (that has free outdoor concerts during the summer).  The path goes through the campground but is located along the water so you don’t feel like everybody is walking through the campground. We used the path every day to walk our dog who loved the water access to cool off and swim. Another feature we liked was the 1,500-foot sandy beach. Here is a great place to set up a chair and read with a pleasant view, take a swim, or launch a kayak. This park has some of the cleanest bathrooms and showers (in separate rooms) that we have seen all summer long. They are modern, clean and well-stocked so a big “thanks” goes out to the people who maintain them and do such a great job. 

The main roads are paved while the ones leading to the waterfront sites are gravel. Some campsites are gravel while others are grass. Patios are grassy and really nice because the grass was thick and not sandy so you didn’t feel like your camper was always dirty. There was a heavy downpour during our stay and some big puddles of water in low spots. All sites have a picnic table (which was in good condition) and a fire pit which was clean when we got there. 

Our site (#20) was pretty close to our neighbors but some are really well spaced – especially the water/electric only or no hook-up sites. As mentioned earlier, we really like the campground and for $30 for a 50 amp full hook-up site (with WiFi) that is a good price. We did not really spend any time in Gladstone (except to go to the grocery which is a couple of miles away) but we did go to Escanaba a couple of days. In Escanaba we visited the lighthouse and historical museum which was interesting ($3 entrance fee) and ate at the highly-touted Swedish Pantry where we had the most delicious Swedish pancakes with lingonberries. We also stopped at Dobber’s Pasties to get some frozen pasties for the road. There is an ice cream truck that comes through the park for those of you with a sweet tooth.

One thing we noticed is that some campsites have lots of people staying on them.  On Labor Day weekend two campers came in with lots of people who stayed up until well past 2 a.m. having a fire and good time. We were two sites down in our RV with pretty good noise insolation and still heard them. It’s great that people want to enjoy the holiday weekend but some rude campers ruin it for others.

………………………..

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally get products to test and evaluate. At Gladstone Bay Campground I tested clothes from Roanline. This company’s philosophy is to provide quality outdoor clothes and gear from up and coming companies with a commitment to giving back to the environment. Super cool!

I had a hard time picking out what to order because so many of their items appealed to me. Finally, I settled on two shirts featured by the company United by Blue (who pledges to remove one pound of trash from waterways for every item sold.  Hooray for them). The first one is the Knowle Plaid long-sleeved shirt.  This item was a good choice since the morning temperatures were dipping into the high 30’s.  The first thing I noticed was how soft this shirt was. It has a nice outdoorsy look with the plaid pattern but has a feminine fit. The shirt was not too bulky so you could wear it under a sweater on days that you need to layer. After a couple of washings it stayed true to size, color and that great soft feel. 

The other item I received was Pine Bear Tee. I was looking for a tee that was more stylish than just a typical unisex shirt and this one delivered. This shirt has a nice fit with a v-neck and is super soft.  It is lightweight enough to be worn hiking on warm days. The stitching and material in this shirt makes it high quality and it has definitely stood up to the wear and tear I put my clothes through.  

Will definitely be ordering from this company again. Their quality products are at a good price point (and they offer many sale items and discounts) and the company has a great mission and philosophy.

For a video review of these Roanline products click here.

We were by ourselves on the first loop site #6. Short walk to sandy beach. (Less than 25-30Yds). Deer in camp when we arrived. $21/night. 1/2 price for those with senior National park pass. Nice fire ring with grill and picnic table. About 1/3 of the 38 sites are first come, rest reservable. Only 2 other campers in area end of September. Could fish, swim or do boating from the site. Need gen if you want electric. No dump station but private campgrounds close and perhaps would let you dump for a fee. Several trails. Lighthouse at end of peninsula about 11 mi away. Fairly level sites. Tent pads with pine needles. Big rigs likely would fit but very narrow and tight squeeze. Length and slides not an issue as sites are large.

Great view of Lake Michigan! Need to pay quarters for showers. Pretty clean bathrooms. Little privacy in sites but the view makes it worth it. Trees by the beach are great for a hammock. There is also a small playground and picnic area. Most of the sites right on the lake are reserved all season by RV trailers when I was there. I believe I was the only tent camper at the time but I would visit again.

This park is located about 15 minutes from the town of Marquette and is a great alternative if you can’t get a site in the Marquette Tourist Park (which is closer to town and very popular in the summer). It is located off US-41 which is a major Upper Peninsula thoroughfare but set back about ½ miles so you don’t get road noise but it is still convenient.  The campground is located behind (and within walking distance of) a shopping area that has a meat market, grocery, gas station, movie theater, bowling alley, a few restaurants and a brewery (which has good, inexpensive beer and food). It is also located next to an RV dealer/service center/camp store which is convenient if you need anything. Nearby are some interesting museums including the National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and the Michigan Iron Museum.  You are only about 20 minutes from the town of Marquette which is worth a visit. 

The park and facilities are well-maintained. The restrooms were super clean as was the pool and all the grounds. The people in the office were super nice in helping us pick a site and with information about the area. The park has over 105 RV sites with varying services and some being held by seasonal people. There are lots of amenities (which we did not use) including swimming pool, hot tub, playground, basketball courts, and more. The pool was super crowded and noisy so if you don’t want to hear kids screaming, stay away from sites close to the pool. The park does not take online reservations so you must call them directly. 

We were assigned site #104 but could tell our motorhome was not going to get level in the site so we had to straddle the site and park partly in the adjacent grassy area. Luckily, the ground was dry to we didn’t make any deep ruts. Our site did have a nice shade tree on the patio which was welcomed because of the hot weather. The WiFi never worked at our site. We were able to get a clear view of the sky for our satellite television.

We drove up and got in and had a nice stay, the sites were very big and the bathrooms were clean. Hiking trails, the only negative thing is the mosquitos, (wear bug spray) the lake was beautiful and there people out boating on it. They have electrical hook-ups but no water hook-ups you have to fill before you come in. There is a dump station there. It was quiet at night and dark and you could see the star!