Best RV Parks & Resorts near Petoskey, MI

We camped in a 40’ motor coach for a week. Site is gravel and dirt. It is a pull through site that required us to do quite a bit of leveling. The hookups are rather far away so we needed extensions. Our site required us to pull through in such a way that the hookups were on the opposite side of our coach. They only have 15 full hookup sites and none were available for our time frame. They have several long term tenants. Roads are narrow but most sites are ample. They have a pump out service twice a week for $10 each time. Bathrooms, showers and laundry available and are clean and nice. Staff is kind, helpful and knowledgeable. Pool is heated. Wifi is through a third party and very inexpensive at $2 a day. Very family friendly with lots of children. Campground is clean and well maintained.

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

 If you've camped at a KOA before, then you know what you're getting here. Easy on, easy off I-75. It's close to the interstate, but the noise was never intrusive. Mostly because of the stiff wind blowing out of the North. 

  The sites are tight, particularly the inside pull throughs. The back in sites are more spacious, though that's relative. Site 7 is a very spacious back in site. 1-6 are by Trails End Road, but it isn't really that busy or noisy. I would get a back in site, especially if you can get away with 30 Amp service. 16-20F  are back in sites with 50 Amp. There are some deluxe pull throughs with patio & grill on site. There are some extra long pull through sites.

   There are the usual KOA amenities like a heated pool, playground, a game area & bike rental. There's a nice hiking trail in the back. It takes you to the bike trail, so back track back to the campground unless you want to walk on the bike trail/road. 

 What makes KOAs & this KOA special are the clean bathrooms & showers. It's always a pleasure to know that a shower will be KOA clean!

 Staff was courteous & efficient. They delivered ice & wood to your site. 

This is a good base camp for the area. I would stay again if in Mackinaw City!

We visited Wild Cherry RV Resort on the recommendation of some friends and found the park to be nicely maintained, sites were well-spaced, and we LOVED the area. Our site was a pull-in that faced a large pond on a corner that overlooked a four-acre lake. We never had a neighbor on the site next to us during our stay and since we were on a large corner there was nobody on that side either so we never felt crowded. The park was very quiet and since our site was in the back of the park there was not much traffic.

The park is called a “resort” which is a little misleading because there are very few amenities. There is no swimming pool, no tennis courts, no shuffleboard, no fitness center, no playground, in fact there were not even bathrooms/showers (except for porta john and tent shower in the rustic camping section).  There was a small club house and a driving range but that was pretty much it. You do get a free newspaper delivered to your site daily. It turned out that we didn’t care about the lack of amenities since we were so busy exploring and we don’t often use all the amenities that private parks offer anyway.  The park is a mix of seasonal and transient people. Most of the seasonal people went to work during the day which made the park even quieter. And while they do have a lot of seasonal campers none of the sites were junked up. Sites are gravel with paved patios with the average lot being 45x70 (according to their brochure). There are nice grassy areas between sites that is very well-maintained. All sites have picnic tables but not all have fire pits (if you have your own you are allowed to use it). 

The roads are very wide and there are not too many trees so maneuvering big-rigs is not a problem. The water, sewer, and electric were all placed appropriately in the site so no extended hoses were needed. There was no cable but sites are very open allowing for good satellite reception and we were able to get over a dozen antenna channels. Sites are either pull-in (which we had) or back-in. There are no pull-thrus. Set back in a wooded area are a scattering of rustic tent sites, rental cabins and yurts with potable water, grills, fire pits, and picnic tables. These sites are so tucked in a wooded area that I never noticed them until the last day I was in the park.

There is a lot of activities within a short drive of this park and we wished we would have stayed longer. The park is in a perfect location to explore the towns of Leland (and Fishtown), Lake Leelanau, Northport, and Sutton’s Bay. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the town of Glen Arbor are a 20 minute drive and Traverse City is about 45 minutes. All these towns are quaint coastal towns with shopping, galleries, good restaurants. The park is on the Leelanau Peninsula which is one of Michigan’s most well-known and revered wine region and there are three wineries within a couple of miles (one is just across the street from the entrance). That being said, there are nearly some 20 wineries within 15 – 20 minutes of the park. There are a few state parks and county preserves nearby that have hiking, scenic views of Lake Michigan and picturesque lighthouses.

All-in-all we really liked this park and would definitely come back. We took advantage of their “Big-Rig Special” which gave a 25% discount if you booked 4 nights. Otherwise, the price per night was $69 which we found to be expensive for what you get. The biggest dings we give this park are for the high nightly price and the lack of amenities that should come in a “resort” with that high a price. This area is one of our favorites in Michigan and we easily could have spent a couple of weeks here enjoying the area.

Rustic campground on a steep hill overlooking Lake Huron. Website makes promises campground doesn't deliver. We reserved 50 amp full hook up. We were charged an additional $15 to guarantee our site. We arrived today to find a tight sloping site with only 30 amp service for our 34 ft motorhome. Upon calling the office, the very young woman who answered, first of all, could not locate our reservation even though a packet and map were waiting outside for us. Second, she asks which site, fumbles around, and finally declares "well some sites are 50 amp and some are only 30 amp. Can you spell your name again for me?" This location is close to everything in this nice town, so if you come here to stay you will be paying premium site pricing and spinning the wheel of chance as to whether it will be electric only, electric and water, 30 amp full hookups or 50 amp full hookups, because the website says one thing and reality on site is altogether different.

Our site was $99.89 night.

We were in Site# 98. We had Full hook- up with a gravel pull-through.
We travel towing a 14 foot trailer and were able to fit both in our pull through site along with my jeep. The site was easy to level.

Our site was not shaded with limited trees (many were shaded though). This was a smaller lot with our neighbors fairly close.

This lot (a premium lot) comes with a concrete patio with a round table with four chairs, two Adirondack chairs and a fire pit and a charcoal box grill.

It is an easy access to the campground from highway -(approximately 1 mile from highway).

There is free WiFi. They offer Cable TV and there are many channels.

There is not a community outdoor kitchen or community fire pit.
They sell wood for $7 a bundle.

They pickup your garbage at your site daily.

You are allowed to ride personal golf carts. They also allow you to rent regular bicycles and e-bikes. They do not provide golf cart rentals. There is really not a need to have a Golf cart because it is a smaller campground.

They do have a Swimming pool. There is a Playground. They also offer Gaga ball,horseshoe, and corn hole. There is a Reading lending library and board games to borrow.

They have a great general store. There is an electric car charging station. They sell propane.

There is not a snack bar/restaurant on site.

The streets are gravel so not great for riding bikes.

There are great places to ride bikes outside of campground. From the campground, there is a nature trail that you can take your bike that leads you to the. North Western State Trail.

They have cabins for rent and tent areas.

They have one shower house. The shower house has individual showers. Toilets with sinks are in a shared bathroom. These are kept very clean.

There is a laundry facility. It is a cash only facility. There are approximately 5 washers and 5 dryers. It is approximately $2.50 to wash and $1.50 to dry a load.

They have a fenced in dog park.

Bugs (mosquitoes/flies)did not seem to be an issue.

There were trails to hike off of the campground.

Some fun things to do outside of the campground are go to the beach (1 mile away); visit Mackinac Island (both major ferries will transport you for free - this KOA provides you information for Shepler’s Ferry). Both ferries offer packages that include horse drawn carriage rides, Fort Mackinac admission, Island Hotel Admission, Butterfly House admission, Mystery Town admission, and Parking options). There is a Jack Pine Lumberjack show.

Wooden Shoe Campground in Ellsworth, Michigan is a small campground set on a hill above Ellsworth Lake. This park is great if you want to sometime explore Michigan’s waterways. When we visited the park, it was about 25% full which made it very quiet and relaxing. There are some great sites that overlook the lake that are inviting for an evening fire and enjoying a pleasant view.

The park has 45 RV sites with water, 30 amp electric, cable TV, and internet. There are seven designated tent sites in a heavily wooded area with some glimpses of the lake. Some sites have a nice amount of shade while those towards the front of the park are more open and have a better water view. Picnic tables and fire pits are at each site. The main road throughout the park is paved, in good condition, and easily navigable with even large RV. There is a dump station at the entrance of the park that is easy to get in and out of. A camp host is on site. The price per night to stay here is $25 and they offer a super inexpensive price of $125/week. Reservations can be made by emailing a reservation request or calling the city. 

The town of Ellsworth is quite small with a couple of shops and restaurant or two. The quaint coastal town of Charlevoix is 10 minutes away where you will find plenty of shopping, restaurants, a pretty harbor, weekly live music (in the summer), a farmers market and really great library with a large room that has a great selection of books for sale for a few bucks. The towns of Boyne City and Boyne Falls are about 20 miles away and also worth visiting if you have the time. For dog owners, Boyne city has an off-leash dog park and Boyne Falls has a large ski resort that is perfect for walking dogs in the summer.  The larger town of Petoskey is about a 45 minute drive but well worth a visit. 

If you want to “get away” and enjoy water activities this is a good place to come. There is a canoe/kayak boat launch just down the hill from the park that puts you in a narrow stretch of water that connects Lakes Ellsworth and Saint Clair. A short (approximately 1 mile) paddle into Lake Saint Claire lands you in a beautiful nature preserve administered by the Little Traverse Conservancy.  Be sure to visit Friske’s Orchard which has a fruit stand, bakery with pizza and sandwiches, general store and petting zoo and is only six miles away on Rt. 31.

The good things about this park are the price, access to pretty water for kayaking/canoeing/fishing and the view from some of the sites. You are not too far from some of northern Michigan’s most popular towns yet only paying $25 night. The small size of this park gives it a quieter feel than some of the nearby state parks that have hundreds of sites. When we were there about half the campers appeared to be seasonal who come to enjoy the boating and fishing. Many of these people were not there during the week which made the park super quiet. 

A couple dings for this park are that many of the sites are not level and even pitching a tent can be difficult. The bathroom/shower facilities are old and run down. The main bathhouse is located in the front of the park with port-a-potty’s scattered about. Some of the sites are close together and give a crowded feeling. 

Overall, I would say this is an average park which is why it gets three stars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vBh0Dej5Ro