Best Cabin Camping near Petoskey, MI

The location makes this campground. Stayed 6 nights as it was so relaxing.

Pros:

• Right on Lake Michigan
• Only a 15 min walk from Petoskey downtown

Cons:

• The sites are quite close together
• The showers are pretty basic

Would stay here again.

This park is operated by Emmet County and offers a very remote feel yet it is only 15-20 minutes from Petoskey, Michigan. Camp Pet-O-Se-Ga sits on the 1,080 acre Pickerel Lake and has 90 campsites which offer electricity and water and five of which are pull-through sites with sewer hook-up. There are also rental cabins, playgrounds, a recreation hall and pavilion, a canoe/kayak launch, basketball court, hiking trails, beach area, restrooms/shower house, and it has various events like pancake breakfasts throughout the year.

You really get a feel of remote peacefulness here but have the luxury of pretty modern facilities. As we drove to the park we got the feel that we were in the middle of nowhere but realized from downtown Petoskey it was only a 15-20 minute drive. The 300-acre park dates back to the 1930’s and started as a boys camp where young men learned various skills like archery, shooting, tennis, orienteering, camping, and aviation. Emmet County purchased the property in 1992 and added modern facilities and opened it to the public.

The grounds and sites were very well maintained. We were thoroughly impressed with how clean and cared for everything was. Despite having lots of green space and open fields for lawn games it was all mowed and not overgrown. There was no trash at the sites and fire pits were clean and picnic tables were in great shape. The roads throughout the park are paved.  Sites were a mix of gravel and paved but all ADA accessible sites and pull through sites were paved. The restrooms were very clean and seemed large enough to handle the volume of campers. Showers are in individual rooms across from the restrooms and were also clean.

You can reserve a site by filling out a reservation request online or calling. There is a two night minimum. The price was $22/night for Emmet County residents, $25/night for non-county residents, and $30/night for a full hook-up pull-thru. There is also a $10 reservation fee. Sites vary among 30 and 50 amp so be sure you reserve one that fits your needs. There are also some sections that are RV only. 

The canoe/boat launch has a floating dock that extends into the lake that makes for easy access. Fishing is popular in the lake with game species like largemouth bass, walleye, pike and trout being favorite target species. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqbMWvL2GLw

The KOA campground is close to Petoskey, but outside town enough to be a bit quiet.  A short drive to breweries, wineries, and dinner. 

There are amenities that would be good for a family and also big enough for a peaceful weekend for couples.  There is a stream that runs through the  middle of the cabins for a peaceful setting.

Love being shaded by full mature trees everywhere yet the campgrounds are very well cared for inside and out. We’ve chosen to rent a cabin. Simple yet clean. I’m a bit fussy about having a firm mattress; no problem, I brought a firm air mattress to put over their marine covered like mattress. My brother put his 38’ trailer on a pad with full hookups. We wanted to follow figure out the best scenic bike route to get into Petoskey and beyond toward Charlevoix to go along the shorelines as much as possible. Customer service is amazing and they printed of a map for us as well. Lake Michigan beach is about a 5 minutes drive.

Wilderness State Park is one of my favorite campgrounds in northern Michigan. They have true rustic sites, where you have to hike into, usually a little over a mile. If you want to get away into your own space, Wilderness has it. There are plenty of trails to explore and of course some Great Lakes State waters! They also have regular campsites and cabins. I haven't stayed in those areas, but have checked them out and they look great. My focus is always on the rustic!! Also, Wilderness opened a dark sky park this past year as well. If you want to explore some gorgeous dark night skies in Northern Michigan, I suggest checking it out!

We had a great time here. We rented a cabin for the whole family. The cabin was clean a very cozy.

My wife and I spent the first day and night of Memorial Day weekend at one of the cabins here and absolutely loved it. Private and peaceful with unmatched views of the night sky over the lake. The cabins are simple but perfect for the basics of what you need for a great time outdoors.

They gave us a bogus charge of 50$ several days after we left, for smoking in a cabin.  Myself, my wife and our 4 year old son do not smoke.  Never have never will.  The bogus charge is being disputed but that’s not the point.  Warning to others to find somewhere else to camp, at least if you’re renting a cabin.  What a scam operation.

Great park have camped there multiple times in the cabins and in a tent. Right on the water with great trails for hiking and walking a dog.

I have visited Magnus Park several times, it's a beautiful little campground in downtown Petoskey MI. The park as a full array of sites, but mostly caters to RV's, I paid the same rate to pitch a tent as it would have costed to park a large RV. The campground has a perfect location, along the Lake Michigan Shore, and about 4 blocks from downtown Petoskey.

General: Nestled in between Lake Michigan, a waste-water treatment plant and a hospital is Magnus Park, a public city park and campground. 77 sites, 36 with full hookups, and the remainder with electric hookups. There is also one cabin. 

Site Quality/Facilities: The campground is laid out in typical RV park fashion with zero privacy between sites. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. Although some of the sites have somewhat of a gravel or dirt driveway, mostly it seems like areas where the grass has just worn away. IMO, if you are not able to get Sites 3-16 or Sites A-C which face Lake Michigan, then the best sites would be the ones that back up to the trees. When we reserved many months ago, we were lucky to get one of two available sites, and ours did back up to the trees. Be aware that sites 61-68 back up directly to the hospital. Other than it being imposing and detracting from the feeling of camping, the only thing I found objectionable was more frequent loud sirens of ambulances arriving. On the other end of the campground, there are nine lettered sites (A-I) that are larger but are on a grassy area with no driveways or defined separation. These sites (as well as 18,19, 20, 22) are close to the wastewater treatment plant. When I walked by, I did not notice any offending odor, but other reviewers have said they did. I did, however, hear a humming noise emanating from the plant. By luck of the draw, the site NEXT to ours (51) flooded significantly with heavy rains overnight. Ours did not puddle up too badly.

Bathhouse: Was generally clean considering it is part of a public-use city park. Rarely did I see anyone in there as most of the campers were in RVs and on our second day, it rained so no one was at the beach. The showers were warm with somewhat wimpy but adequate water pressure. They were on the small side, however, and are only available to campers with a code to access (although there was one shower in the restroom that could be used by all). 

Activities/Amenities: There is a centrally located playground. Easy access to the bike trail, however, it was closed just south of the campground due to erosion (north is not a problem and a short walk into the town of Petoskey). WiFi is available and you are given the access code upon check-in, although I did not use it so cannot comment on how reliable it was. 

Our first thought upon arrival was “yikes, why in the world did we decide to stay here?!” but the proximity to the town of Petoskey (less than a mile walk), and views of Lake Michigan outweigh some of the negatives.

Beautiful view Dump near by it can get smelly and hospital local can be noisy, neither bothered us. Right on the water, very close to town, good park in town but not super kid friendly.

One cabin

They view is worth it!

My hands down all time favorite campground! Although rustic (I personally LOVE) this campground is literally ON Lake Michigan. Sites on the shore or you can choose a site in the trees. You can fall asleep and wake up to the sound of Lake Michigan. Campground is small but that’s what keeps its charm. Beautiful summertime and fall is especially beautiful. Grand Traverse lighthouse right next door. Be sure to explore walking trails that dump you out on a beach so beautiful- you do have to drive or bicycle to these trails that are a bit south of the campground. Leelanau peninsula so quaint with small villages of Northport, Leland, Sutton’s Bay. No flush toilets. No dump station. I’ve tent, trailer, van camped and also rented cabins several times. I have camped here in summer, fall and winter. I love this campground so much I can’t decide which season I love best.

Park is larger than you think, make sure to check out all of it. Stayed in the rustic cabins in the summer, which were way out on the western peninsula. “Rustic” indeed (no water, no power, bring absolutely everything you need) but we enjoyed it. Kids did some geocaching right in the park. Can’t beat the sun rises/sets. Tons of bugs but also loads of birds and wildlife.

Great park out on a peninsula with sunset views. Hiking on the sand and boardwalks, lighthouse tours, perfect weekend spot---though not particularly close to much. Pretty “rustic” cabins and tent sites near lighthouses and the water---great listening to the shore in our sleeping bags. Most of the sites are pretty private, wooded/shrubby, and large. There’s a gift shop but it doesn’t feel overly touristy. Recommended.

We crashed here overnight on our way further up north. We decided to go wayyyy up into the Keweenaw and wanted to break up the trip. We stayed here for one night in one of their cabins. It was clean and comfy and allowed our dog too! We did not have time to explore the amenities of the campground but if I were to make the trip again, I'd stay here.

This campground is Pure Michigan. From enjoying beautiful sunsets, to Petoskey stone hunts, you’ll enjoy your stay. The sites are roomier on the Tannery Creek side, and the bathrooms/showers were just redone as well. It’s apparent that the staff work hard to keep this place maintained for families to continue to enjoy.

We went to this campground in December and it had been just after a hard snow. We stayed in one of the rustic cabins, although it was a hike to get back (they close the main road with snow)... it was worth it. Seclusion, beauty and relaxation! No electricity, but a nice wood stove to keep you toasty with an endless amount of cut wood to keep you warm. Hoping to make it an annual adventure!

We discovered this campground over thirty years ago when our children were young. Your about ten miles from Mackinaw City. There miles to explore yet there's a small store to walk to to get your paper and a morning donut. You'll see lots of wildlife, fish if you like or just spend the day at the beach. I spend my winters dreaming about going back. Oh and if your a winter person I understand there's plenty to do then and cabin accomodations.

This is a beautifully placed campground right near the mackinaw bridge. Most sites are on the water and the campground has water and electric hookups. Unfortunately the sites have minimal trees and are far too close together. The views and the swimming make up for it though. I generally opt for the rustic cabins located on the far end of the park because they provide more privacy and a better area to spread out in. Also a wonderful place for winter camping and star shooting.