Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Okemos? Find the best information on tent camping near Okemos, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Okemos campsites are perfect for tent campers.
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
Pinckney Recreation Area is a paradise for backpackers, mountain bikers, anglers and other recreation enthusiasts. Pinckney is known for its extensive trail system and chain of excellent fishing lakes. Over forty miles of multi-use trail with remote campsites afford a backcountry experience. Pinckney is also a short drive from the Gerald E. Eddy Discovery Center in Waterloo Recreation Area.
$20 - $28 / night
Pinckney 'Rails-to-Trails' Campground is located adjacent to the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park in beautiful Pinckney, Michigan and in the heart of the Pinckney Recreation Area. We are also located adjacent to the World-Famous Hell Survivors Paintball & Airsoft Playfield.
If you are planning on playing at Hell Survivors or biking/walking the Lakeland Trail, there is no closer accommodations for camping out. We offer 62 Campsites, 18 RV Sites and Group Camping for up to 10 sites. All the sites are Rustic (no power or hookups). Perfect for Special Events & Outings or Parties!
We also have Parking and Event Space available for you Special Event.
Come Camp with us and Play Paintball, Hike or Bike the 'Lakeland Trail' or just Relax.
$30 - $50 / night
Island Lake Recreation Area is a 4,000-acre park in Livingston County that offers an "up north" experience without leaving southeast Michigan. The terrain is a mixture of open brush land to mature hardwood forest, with some pockets of open meadows mixed in. Island Lake is the only balloon port in the state park system. Balloons usually take off in the early morning or late evening, depending on the wind and weather.
Nude Resort - clothing optional
Guide
Just a quick overnight tent camp with my son. Tent sites are relatively well spaced out and clean. Fire rings and picnic tables at each site.
Modern bathrooms and shower rooms are available.
Many playgrounds, horseshoe pits, and a basketball court available.
Firewood and ice available at the front gate.
RV spaces are well spaced out and give a sense of privacy. Electrical hook ups.
Cabins available for rent as well.
Guide
I had fond memories of this place as I would come here as a child. Lots of lakes, beaches, play structures, and more open field space than you can imagine. Most of the campground is run down and in need of improvements. The tennis courts & basketball courts are nearly unusable. The pads are so weathered the lines are gone and vegetation has started growing in all the cracks. Tent camping is difficult as all the sites have large concrete pads in the middle of the site. So a tent has to be pitched next to the road or right on the line of your neighbors site. If you are in a RV this isn’t a problem. For tents, site 191 is the best. On top of a hill which overlooks the campground and lake. It’s an end site so you can spread out a bit into the adjacent field. The bath houses restrooms are in need of renovations or at least a severe cleaning. Very smelly. Showers are nearly pointless, warm water at best. For tent campers this campground is best for day use in my opinion. While the Village of Milford is a bike ride away and has lots to do, there are better places to spend a weekend.
Scoutno overnight stays or tent sites. 7 night minimum stay.
GuideIt's always great to spend time at Holly. The only downfall is the public bathroom. Camp sites are pretty big. Tent camping is also A bad place to hang out as nothing is level for tents.
Guide
Nice mix of camping & Disc golf. The course is mowed down and easy to navigate. Picnic tables,fire ring, primitive tent sites available!
Scout
Nice campground. Sites are close together and sites 60-72 or so are really tent site, not level, and need extension cord for electric. No water hookups. No ATT service.
GuideSpent 2 night in the Aspen Loop tent camping. Minus the silk/inch worms in the trees it was great. Fire pit was large and bathrooms were clean. We did a 6 mile hike and some fishing. Great easy quick weekend away.
Scout
Each rv/trailer site is full hookup! Has both 50&30 amp. Tent sites also have water and electric. Has a pool, hot tub, mini golf, shuffleboard, and so much more! A quiet, relaxing place to get away from city noise.
Legend
A nice little campground. Great location if staying in the Lansing Area. Has full hook ups, and electric water, also tent sites with nnothing. Great pool area. Softball diamond that has tournaments on weekends a little early start for the full hook up sites. A couple ponds for fishing. People are very friendly.
TravelerWe have been going to Camp Dearborn for five years now, and our friend's family has been going for nearly sixty! They have activities for both children and adults, two beautiful beaches, a pool, tennis courts, and now a zip line. Options for camping range from tent sites to luxury cabins. We usually get a platform tent, which sleeps six people and comes with a kitchen cabana.
GuideA short trip from home, this was a great weekend getaway! The camp site was spacious but tucked back in a bit (we tent camped on an RV site). The campground was quiet as well.
We did a 7 mile loop hike and then went to Battle Alley Brewing in Holly (10 min away).
No grate on the firepit so be aware of that.
Would definitely come back - it’s like being up north but you’re under an hour from home.
TravelerI was very satisfied with this campground. Each site gets its own picnic table and fire pit, and there are also cabins available. The camp is dog-friendly, and has a variety of shade or sun spots, even if most of them are not level. RV's and tent-camping allowed. You can bring in your own firewood - the wood that they have for sale is not good, don't buy it; when we were there, a local family very close to the campground was selling much better wood that was older and burned better. The bathrooms are clean (well-water) and the staff is friendly. There are "host" activities for kids and adults also, the schedules are posted in the showers. The lake is clean enough to swim in, also. The sites are on the small side and grouped together; there are plenty of trees close enough together to hang a hammock but nothing I would call a forest. Good community camping; not for those who like isolation.
Guide
This park and campgrounds are very manicured with tons of RV, trailer and tent sites. The lake has a small shallow swimming area and beach that gets very busy during the day but less traffic right before sunset. There are lots of family activities like mini golf, kids bike courses and playgrounds. It’s a very large open family camping area. The staff are very nice and very busy making sure the grounds are perfectly maintained. I camped in the area F on the outer perimeter just down way of the beach area. I had plenty of room for my tent, awning and to park my SUV. The was electrical and water (non potable) at the site. During the weekdays I only had a few neighbors further down in tents or travel trailers. On Thursday almost all sites filled up with travel trailers. A park employee told me they would be fully booked for the next two weeks. Very nice camping, quiet. Holly Oaks Offroad park is across the street and Holly Recreation area is adjacent. Lots of great towns nearby like Fenton.
Traveler
This was our first camping experience in Michigan, so we weren’t exactly prepared. My rating takes this into consideration.
First of all, if it’s rainy or muddy, you might want to think twice about entering the rustic camping area. We have a 4Runner, so it was no problem but a few little cars did slide around and have trouble on the hill by our site.
Our site wasn’t level, so we were rolling around a bit. If I went there again I’d try to find a spot towards the end of the loop by the exit. These sites were higher and some of them were private. I’d examine the map carefully because some of the sites were horrendously open and basically on the road. Maybe good for a vehicle with a rooftop tent or a trailer of some sort, but it would have been annoying for us. Site M22 was big and far enough away from other campers, but again not level. Probably a good location for a group of hammock campers.
All that aside, the biggest problem was mosquito activity. The camping area sits on an inaccessible lake with a marsh area.
When we rolled in the first thing we noticed was that everyone had screen houses set up.
We didn’t have anything but our tent and a hammock with a big net so everyone got bitten up while cooking and hanging out by the fire. It was pretty miserable. Yes, I realize this is mostly our fault.
I’ve since purchased a thermacell backpacker and some bug net hats and stuff. I’m looking into constructing an ultralight screen house that can be suspended from trees.
The last problem was drunk campers hooting and hollering all night but that isn’t the camping areas fault.
This place is super close to where we are living so I’ll probably schedule it next spring and come prepared. There are lots of nearby lakes and recreational trails so it’s a fun place to be with family.
Traveler
The tent area was awesome! The rv. area was tight, but the tent area is first come first serve and we had a HUGE area. The park was quiet and the kids liked the animals and the playground.
Traveler
Lovely tent and more
GuideMet the new owners as we were driving by and they gave us a brief description of what they were doing to the grounds to make it more cozy but comfortable as before sites were pretty tight. Adding cabins to their already 8’ish to accommodate additional “glampers” as some of us enjoy a bit more than a tent and or camper OR don’t have a tent/camper. Lake looks big n clean along with activities laid out for the kids outside already can’t wait to see what they put in place next year/ season!
Scout
We were the only tents on site. Very little shade, with no river access at all. No amenities, but there is a nice bathroom.
Scout
Grest family run campground. Friendly staff, nice sites, tent and RV. Dog friendly, kid friendly, quite relaxing fun tim.. cant wait to go back
RangerWe’ve been in their tent/cabins and our own RV. Great park, clean, nice swimming lakes, the teens love the canteen. Tough to get in but we love it.
Traveler
Great spot. Friend rented out two plots in the rustic campsites. The walk from the parking lot to the site was a bit of a hike but it was nice to be near the lake and not a bunch of cars. Great fire pit and place to place tents.
TravelerRangers working the area are very friendly. Many options to choose from in terms of camping, from rustic, tent to fully functional cabin lodging. The park is very large, so it is always good to have a vehicle able to drive to the trails and beach. Campsites are decent sized, can fit probably 3 four person tents per site, which includes a concrete firepit and picnic table. In the north campsites there is a lot of tree covering, and there are a lot of walnut trees that were shedding a lot this time of the year. Bathrooms are well spaced between the campsites you, and have showers along with some vending machines outside of them. Spigots are scattered throughout and are very accessible. Be sure to bring at least 100 feet of extension chord if you want electricity, because the power ports are not as accessible from some areas. Overall very pleasant campground.
Guide
This site was very nicely kept but felt a little like a sardine can. SO many RVs and children EVERYWHERE kind of ruined the relaxed calm one looks for when camping.
The site was nice, a little rocky so hard to pitch a tent, and theres a severe hill from the back part of the loop towards the lake - at one point I was worried an improperly locked down camper would roll straight through our tents!
Views of the water from almost everywhere on the north end of the loop, and the bathrooms are BEAUTIFUL. They must have been recently renovated because they are spacious, tiled, well maintained, and very modern feeling for a campground.
Ranger
Appleton has a few sites, very rustic and perfect for tents.
Not for RVs and no hook ups.
Appleton lake is perfect for kayaking or very small fishing boats. No real beach area at this lake but Brighton rec is minutes away
Traveler
This was our first time staying here. Great private campground with rustic, elec, water/elec (30 amp), and concrete pad sites. Very clean campground with nice shower house. Owners are very friendly. Direct connections to the Waterloo Pinckney trail system. Near Hell, Michigan and Chelsea, Michigan. Large pool in season. Priced reasonably.
ScoutWe go to sleepy hollow about every other year. Normally we go closer to the fall and it is a great park. This time, however, we could tell that the staff does not keep up on it as much. The firepit was surrounded by water, and our site (142) really only had dry space for one tent.
RangerI liked that this campground had sites that were fairly secluded from each other. Each site has a fire ring and ample space to park your vehicle and set up a tent or small trailer.
My only complaint is the vault toilets were not clean and very full.
Tent camping near Okemos, Michigan offers a variety of options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying essential amenities.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Okemos, MI is Moon Lake Campground with a 3-star rating from 2 reviews.
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