Best Tent Camping near Norway, MI

Recent Tent Reviews near Norway, Michigan

332 Reviews of 25 Norway Campgrounds

• 

  Erika P.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 21, 2020

  Paint River Hills Campground

  Quiet campground right by town and ORV trails.

  Great little campground. It's small, clean and quiet. You self register for check-in, there's a bathroom building with 3 stalls and two showers(women) and hot water. We purchased an RV site($20) even though we were camping in a tent so our truck and trailer would fit and it comes with water and electricity at the camp site. Each campsite comes with a picnic table and fire ring. The ORV Route is right outside the campground entrance and you can ride to the trail. You can also get ice and gas at the gas station in town by taking the alley. We stayed again in 2020 in Our RV. They have 4 pull through sites with full hook-ups;$25 a night. 50/20 amps, high water pressure.

• 

  Emily M.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 7, 2021

  Gladstone Bay Campground

  Good Site

  Nice tent site with a lovely view of the lake. The beach area is nice for wading, but the water was a little chilly in June. The bathrooms are clean and the showers are free! The people at the front desk are friendly and helpful.

  The only reason it is not 5 stars is because the tent sites were just lined up in a field. It wasn't bad, but made it a little less comfortable.

• A

  Austin

  Traveler

  

  May. 31, 2024

  Carney Lake State Forest Campground

  Quiet campground

  Tent camped here on may 30th. Very quiet with some sites right on the lake. About a 7 mile gravel road to get here from the main road.

• C

  Christine W.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 10, 2019

  J.W. Wells State Park Campground

  Wonderful park

  It was a clean, busy park. We had a nice shaded site along the woods great for tent camping. The bathrooms are kept up nicely, the only downfall of the trip was the rain and our leaky tent!!

• 

  Rachel

  Guide

  

  Aug. 10, 2020

  Gladstone Bay Campground

  Last resort for tent camping. Great showers though

  On a last minute camping trip to Michigan, we were looking for places that didn't require reservations, so I felt very lucky and happy to find tent sites available at this campground on a Sunday afternoon. Nearly every spot for RV camping was occupied. Of the eight or so tent sites available, only two were occupied. 

  We were given our choice of tent site and settled on site 5 because it was the furthest from all other sites. The grass was solid enough to drive our car across, but there were several questionable spots of swamp we had to be careful to avoid. Site 5 sits next to the playground, which looks like it hasn't been maintained in years. The foliage around the lake was too tall for us to be able to see the lake from our tent and too thick, plus the swampiness of the land, to be able to walk through to access the lake. 

  A nearby boardwalk was damaged and blocked off to foot traffic. The paved drive within the camp site was where everyone seemed to be spending their time, riding bicycles or roller bladeing in circles.

  Four or five showers are available on site, with separate flush toilets for men and women. Firewood was available for purchase, as well as ice and vending machines. 

  The showers were great to have. However, with no easy access to the lake, not much of a view, being very crowded and catered towards RVers, I would only stay here again if I had no other options, as a tent camper.

• C

  Christine W.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 10, 2019

  Governor Thompson State Park Campground

  Good spot to camp

  The camp ground was under expansion when we went, which is good cause there weren't many open sites when we booked. The bathrooms were clean and the site was a good wooded tent site.

• 

  Jenni C.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 18, 2024

  Farquar-Metsa Tourist Park

  Well Kept Campground

  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.

• 

  Davyd E.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 30, 2021

  Boney Falls Basin Campground

  It's nice if....

  You don't mind fireworks all the time and compressed camping with the people that use it for partying all night. There's pedophiles and meth cooks that take over part the grounds for a majority of the summer because it's free to camp. So BE MINDFUL OF YOUR CHILDREN (reason for the review)! You'll definitely get what you pay for in the upper peninsula and if you don't pay you'll hang out in a gypsy camp most likely. Tent camping is a bad idea (too noisy all hours). Otherwise when it's not like that there's decent fishing and water sports to do. If it's empty it's very nice.

• D

  Devora D.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 30, 2021

  Bewabic State Park Campground

  A great campground!

  We left another campground for this one. We loved it here. Great buffers between most sites. Loop C have pull though sites and a very nice and roomy. Loops A and B have a variety of sizes. Some really nice tent sites and smaller campers. We have a 25ft and found several great spots. We also have a dog that needs room. Our site gave him that. Our site was clean. Vault toilets on every loop and 2 shower/flush toilet houses near loops C & B, and one near B & A. They were very clean. We had spotty reception but did receive calls and text. We only had 2 neighbors while We were there. The last 2 nighr we were alone. We were there late September. It was beautiful. By far one of the best state parks in Michigan we have camped at. Would definitely be back!

• 

  Eric S.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 15, 2022

  Little Bay De Noc

  Geared towards R.V. Campers

  Went here on July the 4th weekend. Because another site I had booked fell through after arriving. Nice spacious sites and relatively quiet. It’s mostly geared towards R.V. Campers though. You can tent camp if you want. But be warned of the R.V. Campers and generators. First two nights my girlfriend and I stayed. Everything was good. Then came the guy with the trailer next door. Nice trailer but crappy jobsite type generator. Definitely not what you want for a campsite. The first day we figured he was just using it to setup. The second day he ran the generator and was nowhere to be seen until 10 at night. He shut it off just before the campsite host showed up. But the camper himself was nowhere to be seen. Overall it’s nice and you do hear some traffic from across the bay. Not overwhelming though.

• S

  Shane

  Scout

  

  Mar. 31, 2021

  Tranquil~Vista Campground

  A Tranquil Place in the North Woods

  I have been coming here for 5 years. Every Year there is improvements made to increase the wonderful experience of camping and just when you think it cannot get any better they add a event or service to make it all more relaxing experience. 

  There are miles of ATV and Side x side trails down the road, We spend the whole day riding and never see it all and they are well groomed.

  The fishing is great both from your kayak, boat or the shore line. 

  There are very clean porta johns,  a large grassy area for play and volleyball court.

  A large Children's play area .

  The owners and fellow campers are always available to lend a hand and the area has much history especially across the border in and around Iron Mountain Michigan.

  Swimming and the sound of children playing fills the air.

  For those who want a more rustic experience there are tent sites that provide that.

  I Highly recommend coming and enjoying the Tranquil Vista Experience and if your like me and my family and friends it will become your summer destination.

• 

  Maria L.

  Guide

  

  May. 31, 2018

  Genes Pond State Forest Campground

  A nice, remote rustic campground away from everything!

  This campground in Felch is a rustic campground, with two outhouses and a water pump for potable water that sits on Gene's Pond. It’s a gorgeous campground, with a boat ramp and fishing dock on the lake. We’ve camped here twice now, and love the remote location — it’s pretty far back in the woods and ideal for anyone who really wants that northern Michigan/remote experience. At night, you can sometimes hear wolves in the distance. We had the campground to ourselves the first time, and th second time there was only one other camper. We tent camped, and while the outhouses were clean, the one nearest our campsite was out of toilet paper. Luckily we had our own. There are only a handful of campsites. Maybe 12 or 15 total? And all of them are well shaded with good privacy, a picnic table, and a fire pit. The only downside to this campground is the horrid water. It comes from a cistern (I imagine) and has a hand pump. The water is awful. Cloudy and foul tasting, stale and full of minerals. The second time we camped there we made sure to bring our own water. The fishing was great in Gene's Pond. My hubby caught some bluegill in the lake that we cooked up for dinner. It’s really a beautiful spot, not far from Felch or Sagola for supplies, and near some great brook trout fishing on the Ford River. We'll definitely go back.

• 

  Augy P.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 21, 2015

  J.W. Wells State Park Campground

  Michigan Upper Pensinsula/Lake Michigan Waterfront Camping

  We got our new Marmot Tungston 4P tent so I took the wife and kids on a quick weekend trip to J.W. Wells State Park campground in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to test it out. I found J.W. Wells by searching for waterfront camping along Lake Michigan. There are plenty of state and national parks along Lake Michigan but not many where you can pitch your tent right along the waters edge like J.W. Wells. It also happened to be the only site within 4 hours drive of Northbrook, IL (N. Suburb of Chicago) with such close proximity to the waters edge that I could find.

  The site itself is tucked right along the Green Bay coastline about 1 hour drive north of Green Bay, Wisconsin. There is a main campground for tent and RV but we chose to stay at 1 of 3 rustic tent sites a little north of the main campground. The campground was well maintained with picnic tables for each site, firepit, and a nice well groomed plot of grass for us to pitch our tent and setup camp. The main campground has showers and a playground right in the middle.

  The view from our site was majestic, especially watching the sun rise over the horizon of Lake Michigan. The sunrise was the pinnacle moment of this trip. And that's really the only reason why I gave it 3 stars. The campground itself and the views are incredible, it's just that there isn't much to do around these parts. There are a couple short trails for hiking or ATV's and the Cedar River about a mile north of the site which I assume has some fishing and boating, but that was about it. The only other activity we found was to drive 30 mins north to check the small harbor town of Escanaba. Really not much to see or do there either.

  I probably wouldn't recommend this campground for families or persons looking for lots of activities or places to see and visit while camping. It's great for a simple quick getaway with a great view to just sit around camp and relax.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 7, 2023

  Vagabond Resort and Campground

  $10 early check in fee

  We wanted to stay here on a rainy stormy day, do some laundry, take hot showers, dump and fill, etc. They are in the Passport America program, so rates are discounted 50%, but they’re actually a few dollars higher than what’s listed in Passport America. A FHU site would be $20 with the discount, so $40 full price. 

  I’d recommend calling them ahead of time and not the morning of the day you’re looking to stay, like we did (and always do). We had a really hard time getting a hold of someone, but I think they had something going on that day so I don’t want to say that’s the norm. We drove to the campground hoping to just talk to someone in the office, but that didn’t work either. The husband finally called us back but by then we were in the mindset to just leave and go stay at Walmart in Escanaba for free. 

  The campground is really nice and low key, lots of trees, definitely nothing fancy, it’s dumpy in places, but it’s fine for us. You can get a FHU site or electric only (there is a dump station and water fill). There are also tent sites and cabins. 

  We had good Verizon service there and ok ATT service. There’s lake access from the campground with a $5 fee, not sure if that’s just for putting in boats though. 

  Note- check in is 3pm and they are really into their policy of charging $10 for an “early check-in.” There are several signs in the office stating this, and the husband made sure he told us over the phone as well, even though it would have been just an hour early.

• 

  Nancy W.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 18, 2017

  Pioneer Trail Park & Campground

  Nice County Park

  When we pulled into this campground we couldn’t believe how empty it was. Compared to all the other campgrounds we had been to in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and seeing as it was still the busy summer camping season we were shocked. We were wondering what was “wrong” but nothing really surfaced. It could just have been that we were there during the week and the weekend rush hadn’t come yet. 

  There are 96 campsites that sit on 74 acres so there was plenty of room for us to walk our dog and not feel like we were going in circles. Campsites are the usual mix of pull thrus and back-ins, rustic tent and water/electric. None of the sites have sewer but some have 20/30/50 amp electric with water and others are rustic tent sites. The electric and water sites long enough for any size RV but leveling may be difficult in some of the sites (which are grass). Picnic tables and fire pits accompany every sites. Some sites have their fire pits located at the back of the sites which makes for a big line of fire pits which was kind of weird. There are some large pine trees that provide some shade but this is not a wooded campground by any means. 

  For a county-run park there are plenty of amenities including WiFi which was slow and depends on where you are located in the park.  The showers and flush toilets were clean but a little on the old side. A store sells ice, firewood, soda, snacks and ice cream. There is a really nice picnic pavilion that would be great if you had a lot of people in your group. It is covered with a “kitchen” area and lots of picnic tables. Since the park is on the Escanaba River there is a boat launch (albeit not really suitable for large boats with deep draft) and you can fish from the bank. Disco golf fans will love the 27-hole course that winds through the woods and property. For the kids, a playground area is large with lots of things for them to climb and play on. 

  The park is located off HWY 2 so access is easy but there is a bit of road noise. Plus, when we visited there was road construction going on that produced traffic backups and more noise. But the real problem is the train tracks that runs alongside the campground and seemed busy 24/7. It is not so bad in the front of the park but back where the tent section is must be pretty bad if you are in a tent.

• 

  PJ F.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 23, 2020

  Governor Thompson State Park Campground

  Simple solace

  We stopped here for a quick overnight pit stop on our way from Minneapolis to our final destination camp site in Rowleys bay , Door county, Wisconsin. We were in a bind & needed something last minute but we still had specific wants.....like privacy! Their online reservations were easy. Pics of the sites were clear. Electric hook up & a great rate!
  This camp is well off the beaten path , narrow windy roads abound. But all paved & no traffic. In fact, we never saw a soul. The drive is lovely thru the Nicollet State forest. Although, you will lose service & it your relying on GPS directions, you’ll find yourself in a bind like us. But we got out our trusty map & winged it. Cell service kicked in just in time & we made it!

  Check in was a breeze. The gal was lovely & helpful. You will need a Wisconsin park’s admission sticker. The drive is still a 2.2 mile trek beyond the check in building. Our site was perfect. It was lush, green, & private . Well sized, easy to find, part grass, part gravel. Picnic table & fire ring. If you need it , they have a few bathroom buildings peppered around the loop & a very well kept shower & bathroom building upon entering the campground. I’m telling you, this place is PRIVATE. It is out there.. but still very well maintained. We were impressed by that.

  If anyone one else was camping , we didn’t know until we walked the dogs around the loop. Our site was surrounded by forest & the dogs were able to roam our site freely. There were mosquitoes, as it was slightly humid & rained a bit. But nothing mosquito spray couldn’t handle. FYI- if you have kids they will be bored. There is no playground that we saw. But if you just want some peace & quiet - this is the place for you! Most of the campers were older retirees. It looked like there were trails to explore but since it was a quick stay, we didn’t get a chance. We plan on coming back for sure & checking it out. For reference: We have a 19ft travel trailer & a ford truck. We stayed at site 19 , it is pull in & it was perfect,with plenty of room for everything. We took a walk to be nosy &also liked site 20, it was even bigger! Site 14 looked great for a pull thru site. There were also some much larger sites for bigger rigs. There also plenty of tent sites that looked great too. Dogs are welcome. As an added bonus- there were raspberry bushes everywhere! They were just coming in , but if you catch it right. You’ll be up to your eyeballs in fresh raspberries.. yum!

• E

  Ellen S.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 20, 2018

  Kleinke Park Campground

  Beautiful!

  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.

• 

  David K.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 30, 2020

  Kleinke Park Campground

  Tranquil Waters and Tranquil Evening

  Great place to set up a tent, or in our case, a pop-up camper for the night. It's hard to beat waking up next to serene Lake Michigan waves but it was definitely worth it. The park boasts a few nice amenities and has plenty of space for both the kids and the dogs to play in and explore. One minor downside is the proximity to the highway. Makes for a nice trip if you live nearby!

• 

  Nona A.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 6, 2017

  Van Riper State Park Campground

  Awesome State Campground located along US Hwy 41 in Michigan's U.P.

  Along our travels in Michigan's Upper Peninsula from the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore west to the Porcupine Mountains, we stayed at Van Riper State Park campground.  We found this campground located along U.S. Hwy 41 about 40 minutes west of Marquette MI. The Park sits on the west shores of Lake Michigamme.   Van Riper State park has both a Modern and Rustic campgrounds along, with hiking, biking and ATV trails.  There is a fine sandy beach, and playground.  At the beach there is a concession stand.  The park offers areas for boating, kayaking, and jet skiing, and fishing.  To book or check into either campground you must stop at the park office.  A Resident Recreational Passport is required or a charge of $11 will apply for each vehicle without one.  The park office also has firewood, ice and even ice cream for sale. I recommend to get your firewood from another local area, the bundles are $5 but are very small bundles like 3 or 4 pieces.  They also offer kayak rentals the price on those was decent.  $10 for a 2 hour kayak rental.

  We stayed in the Modern campground.  There are 147 sites and 2 Mini Cabins.  Sites are equipped for tents, trailers and RV’s up to 50’.  There are free wifi by the restrooms, flush toilets, showers, drinking water, sanitation station, electric hookups at each site along with a fire pit and picnic table.  The daily price of sites is $22 - $24 and $49 for a Mini Cabin.  We stayed in site 92 that is located right next to the restroom/showers. Which was great having young children with us who seem to need to visit the restroom numerous times. This site is more for a trailer or a RV being the ground is hard and full of rocks.  We all used air mattresses so that wasn’t much of an issue.  We did take the time to remove any sharp rocks from where our tent was being placed to make sure no holes were made in the tent or mattresses.  Sites are very open and non private.  There is a host site that has information on activities around the park and neighboring areas.  They also offer activities for children to do.  

  A short distance from the modern campground is the rustic campground.  There are 40 sites and a Camper's Cabin available. This campground offers vault toilets, and drinking water.  I did find out that for $2 per person for a day you can have access to the showers at the modern campground.  The daily price of these sites is $13, and $86 for the Camper’s Cabin.  These sites are equipped for tents, trailers and RV’s up to 30’.  There is no electric hook ups.  

  During your visit to the park there are lot’s of scenic, historic, and recreational sites to visit.  A few miles from the park is the location of where Iron ore was first found in the Lake Superior region.  There is a Iron Industry Museum.  Lake Michigamme offers lot’s of activities for those visiting.  If you are really looking for a awesome adventure not too far from camp, you can drive an ½ hour west on Hwy 41 to the “Grand Canyon” of Michigan, this gorge and waterfalls are located along the Sturgeon River.  There is access to the North Country Trail here as well.  The Canyon Waterfall and Gorge are just breathtaking.  It is a 10 minute hike along the river from the parking area to the Canyon falls and gorge.  You can hike further in if you wish and discover the rapids area along the river.  We did not venture this far having small children with us.  Can’t wait to return on a adult trip to hike further along the river.  

  I give this Campground a 5 star review, it is a great place to take the family on vacation.

• 

  Steve S.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 17, 2023

  Veterans Memorial Park Campground

  Nice small campground

  Easy to get to. quiet campground. I would suggest smaller campers and tents

• D

  Dan S.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 4, 2024

  Bates Township Park

  Motorcycle camping

  Great find. Sunday night beginning of June. Only camper in the tent section. Quiet spot with good hosts. Close to the lake. Grass and gravel. Restroom share with the park/boat launch area. I would definitely stay here again. If there was a drawback would be sites have some slope toward lake. Being only one there I found flat spot to tent but if busy choice might be limited. No control over weather but woke up and had to pack up in the rain. Definitely check it out! Thanks to the Hosts!

• 

  Anna G.

  Traveler

  

  May. 29, 2019

  J.W. Wells State Park Campground

  Great location, beautiful scenery, electric sites for camping and peaceful

  We love it here! Stayed right on the water, tent style, quiet, big nice bathrooms, and easy check in

• 

  robin F.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 22, 2021

  Morgan Park

  Beautiful

  This park is naturally beautiful. No fancy but bath house is above average and everything is very well kept. Beautiful trails and a gorgeous lake for swimming and kayaking. Can accommodate and size rig or tent. Very reasonable price

• F

  Forrest G.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 24, 2023

  Pioneer Trail Park & Campground

  Tent campers beware

  I really liked the camp ground. I didn’t like the rv’s in the tent/rustic campsites running their generator’s all night long.

• 

  Two Snoops

  Guide

  

  Aug. 5, 2019

  Paint River Hills Campground

  Wouldn’t suggest

  Most of the sites looked like they had been deserted for years. A few good sites for campers though. The primitive camp sites couldn’t fit a tent if you tried. Bathroom was clean but no one at front desk or to answer my calls.

• 

  GA J.

  Guide

  

  May. 2, 2018

  East Bass Lake Park

  Quiet times

  While there is only 2 spots for camping in this town park. It is a great place for those who want some solitude. Small sites for tent or pop-up. No hook-ups. Pit toilets and right on the lake. First come first serve. And 2 day maximum consecutive days stay if I believe. Close to waterfalls and other lake s and parks. Great time.

• R

  Richard H.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 25, 2018

  Van Riper State Park Campground

  Tent camping is great!

  Although most sites are for RV's with hookups, I'm a tent camper and they don't have a lot of these, but the sites are great. On the Shore of Lake Michigamee, there is great canoeing, kayaking, and some decent hiking trails.