Best Glamping near Royal Oak, MI

There are multiple camping opportunities with a variety of camping styles. Yurt rental, to hike-in rustic sites, there's good camping for anyone. A 35 mile hiking trail runs through the entire area with small day trails branching off to points of interest, all with corresponding camp sites. It has good isolation, but not far from creature comforts either.

Great little campground. I ended up here after not being able to find a site at many other locations and I’m glad I did! I’ve gone back many times and it’s always beautiful and quiet. Also there are many different sites to choose from, on the water views and a yurt for a more romantic cozy experience.

I stayed here with my kids because it was close to home and town. It makes for an easy getaway for a night or two.

It is rustic with just vault toilets. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring.

The lake is not good for swimming as it is very mucky and covered in Lilly pads.

It can fill up quick because it is close to town.

There is a Yurt for rent here as well through the Waterloo Recreation web page.

Wonderful place even when it’s packed. Harder to get reservations over the years but always a great place to stay. Awesome bathrooms newly renovated. Nice spots. Mostly paved in the lower sites. Nice swimming area however no beach sand. Just a grassy area. Public boat launch on Bruin lake. Bruin lake connects to a few more lakes creating a nice chain of lakes. Half moon at the end of the chain is a great all sports lake. Awesome fishing. Sites have electric, no water. There is a dump station. Wood and ice available for purchase and a few vending machines. Nice hiking trails. They do have a few hike in yurts and hike in camping sites. Decent parking places for those hike ins.

As someone who used to live near the area, I frequently tried to get a site in this campground for an easy camping experience without too much hassle. I've only stayed here once, as every other time I've attempted it's been full. I have frequented the areas trails, and they're great.

Sites here are not reservable. I would recommend getting to camp early if it's a busy time of year. It seems that this campground has increased in popularity as the nearby DTE bike trail gains exposure. Nonetheless, this is a great campground close to a few great small towns that offers peacefulness while also being close enough to a great pizza joint to grab a beer or two. If you plan to visit and you have a mountain bike, you must check on the DTE trail conditions and take the trail for a spin.

There is a pit toilet and water available. There is a yurt on the water available for reservations. Many people fish in Green Lake.

While you technically don’t need a reservation, we made our reservations through the DNR website about a month in advance. The campsite was listed as ‘full’ when we arrived, so I was glad we took the extra step.

The sites are generously sized, with room to stretch out. There isn’t much privacy between sites, with a few exceptions, but this campsite is so quiet and well-behaved that it didn’t end up mattering much. The lack of cover between sites gave everyone a nice view of the lake from our tents on our inland sites, which was beautiful.

We had access to 3 different vault toilets, which was a generous amount for the capacity of the campground. We arrived on a Thursday & they were about as clean & tidy as you can ask a vault to be. Generously sized buildings that seemed regularly checked on. Hand sanitizer pumps were installed and full, and toilet paper was always available.

I took one star off for the dense population of ground bees that were in front of all 3 vault toilets, and along the main path to the yurt and water pump. Bees are part of the natural outdoors, but there were dozens of active entrances dug into walking & driving paths. It seemed like a bad combo for both the bees and the campers, cars were often driving over their nests and leaving them agitated. They don’t travel far from their holes though, so we kept a respectful distance and danced around them when they seemed upset.

Overall, we’d absolutely visit this site again. It was a beautiful place to spend our vacation & we enjoyed ourselves a lot over our 4 day stay.

I hiked the Potawatomi trail this weekend to get to my reservation site #2 on Blind Lake. I started at trailhead #2 instead of #7 because the ranger explained it really fast and I didn’t quite understand the two starting options. I did take the shortcut which gives you a 7mi hike in, though if you start at #7 I think that makes it a little less but by how much I couldn’t say. If you do the full trail loop without the shortcut to #11 you’re adding on at least 2.5mi.

I started a bit late and when you get to the end of the trail at #12 there’s no further directions. There’s even a trail marker that has an arrow pointing the way you just came saying Trail. No other indications of which way to #12. You cross Crescent Rd and then there’s a dirt path road which one end loops back to Cresent Dr and because for whatever reason I thought I had it wrong I didn’t try the other way on the road. For an hour as it’s raining and getting dark I looked and even called the ranger but they were closed. I hiked up Cresent Rd and knocked on the first house I saw but they ignored me after several attempts!!! At this point it was dark as pitch and raining super hard with lightning. So I made camp right next to someone’s boat slip.

Next day I found out the camp was on the path I didn’t take on that dirt road but I kept walking so much and didn’t see anything that it made me feel like it was the wrong way.

So not a great trip, but I did get my rustic experience having only lake water and no toilet - oh yeah I totally went in someone’s backyard. Not relaxing at all though, lol. I give 3 stars because as a newbie I think the trails are well marked but not the ends. If they had one more marker for 12 i would’ve made it. If they had one more marker or arrow for #10 i would’ve found the water pump by the Yurts.

Lesson learned though- often what’s on the map is a lot further than you think so keep walking till you think you’re going the wrong way then walk a bit more. Second, totally start out early so you’re not caught in a rain storm at 9pm trying to pitch a tent next to someone’s boat house.

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.

Stayed at Camp Lord Willing in June 2021 and it was a peaceful friendly environment with seasonal and experienced campers.

• Lots are gravel
• Shower House is at the front and not in a centralized location
• Staff is awesome!
• Great location for several places to visit in Michigan

I had no clue what to expect when booking so close to a few major cities in Michigan. I love feeling secluded while camping and was nervous this would feel like parking lot camping. But, it was AMAZING. For a short drive, I got a huge campsite, a lake view, very clean bathrooms, well kept hiking trails, and easy access to kayaking docs. Not to mention I didn’t even have to pull out the bug spray. It was great.

Green Lake is a part of the Waterloo State Recreation Area, a 20,000 acre piece of state land with so much to do! Hiking, swimming, boating, equestrian, a nature center, and that's just scratching the surface!

Green Lake is the rustic campground on the east end of the area. No electricity, 3 privies, a water pump, and a boat launch. No swimming area. Visit the Michigan DNR website for the other campgrounds located in the state park with their specific amenities.

Campground Review:

Bishop Lake is a great campground located in the middle of the Brighton Rec Area. The upper and lower campgrounds are both modern, with every site including electric. There are two rustic campgrounds as well down the road. When we went to go get a campsite (you can reserve online for an $8 fee) they told us that the upper campground would be the better choice, due to the heavy rain that had come through earlier. It was the perfect choice! Our campsite was spacious, with a few pine trees for shade. If you have a hammock, the outer edge of campsites would be perfect. Only downside to our campsite was the distance between the picnic table and the fire pit. The bathrooms and showers are in the lower campground, but it’s a 5 minute walk or 30sec drive to them. They were clean, stocked with toilet paper and the showers were warm. There’s a ton of hiking trails, a boat launch and boat rental, as well as the beach and inflatable water park. Overall a great little nature spot in the middle of the Brighton area.

Gear Review: As a ranger for The Dyrt, I sometimes get sent awesome gear that I could use and try for my upcoming trip. This time I got to try the equinox hoodie from Eclipse Sun Products (https://eclipseglove.com/collections/all-eclipse-sun-products/products/equinox-hoodie-beach-cover-up). This hoodie is super super lightweight, and the open sides allow for a nice breeze on hot days. Of course, their main feature is the 50+ UPF fabric used in not just the hoodie, but all of Eclipses sun products. I am a melanoma survivor, so having something lightweight, but protective, is so great. It’s one size fits all, and while it fits me great at 5’5, I have also heard from other taller people that it fits them great as well. It does the job well, and while I live in Michigan and it only got to about 75°, I could feel it keeping the sun off my skin. Totally recommend the equinox hoodie!!

Ranger Review: INNO INH120 Tire Hold Bike Rack at Blind Lake Campground, MI

Campground Review:

Blind Lake rustic campground is located off of the very popular Potawatomi Trail, making this campground accessible only by hiking or biking in.  Blind Lake campground is part of the Pinckney Recreation area which is located just about 30 minutes outside of Ann Arbor, MI.

Most hikers and bikers start their trek at the Silver Lake day use area where the main hiking and biking trailhead is located.  From this trailhead the Blind Lake campground is about 7 miles in on the 17.5 mile Potawatomi Trail. A vehicle permit ($6) or annual Michigan State Parks permit ($10) is required to enter. The Area Headquarters (734-426-4913) is located at the Silver Lake day use area where campers must purchase their campsite before heading out on the trail ($17).  The headquarters is also where you can purchase a vehicle permit or annual Michigan State Parks permit. The park is open all year, making the Blind Lake campground a popular stop for hikers in the winter.

Blind Lake campground has a total of 10 sites, all very close to the water.  There is one vault toilet and a trash bin. There is a hand pump well in the campground for clean drinking water.  Each site has a large picnic table and a modern fire ring. Firewood can be scarce as the nearby woods have been picked pretty clean and carrying firewood into the campground is a lot of extra weight!

All of the sites at Blind Lake campground have lots of shade and are large enough for a couple of tents on each site.  During the nice summer days there will be lots of hiking and biking traffic through the campground as the Potawatomi Trail runs directly through it.  Many stop to take a break at the campground and have a look at the beautiful lake.

Serious hikers can connect the Potawatomi Trail to the Waterloo-Pinckney Hiking trail to bring their total trip to over 35 miles of back country hiking.  The Potawatomi Trail features numerous loops for any skill level. The shortest loop is the Silver Lake Trail at 1.9 miles. Next, the Crooked Lake Trail at 5.1 miles.  Or the full Potawatomi Trail at 17.5 miles.

Overall, I enjoyed my stay here at Blind Lake campground and I would return.  I was only one of two campers there and it was quiet at night. During the day you do hear the hikers and bikers going by on the trail so it isn’t completely isolated from the “real world”.  The Dyrt campground review is available on YouTube at the following LINK.

Click HERE for a printable trail map of the area.  For further details check out the following link HERE, which includes amenities, trail guides, hours & fees, directions and more.

Product Review:

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I sometimes get to test and evaluate new products.  At Blind Lake campground I tested the INNO INH120 Tire Hold Bike Rack.  This bike rack holds up to two bikes and plugs into your vehicle’s receiver hitch.

The INNO INH120 is a tray style bike rack, making it ideal for expensive carbon bikes.  The rack uses arms to hold down the wheels and not the frame of the bike, keeping your paint from getting scratched up.  The bike rack works with either a 1-¼” or 2” receiver. My truck is a heavy-duty and comes with the 2-½: receiver. I used an adapter and the bike rack worked just fine.

The INH120 bike rack can hold two bikes with a maximum total weight of 120 lbs.  The bike rack fits bikes with wheel bases from 34” to 48”, so it works with kids and adult sized bikes.  The bike needs to have a minimum of 20” wheels to a maximum of 29” wheels to be held down properly. Tires sizes from 18c to 3” wide fit in the trays.  This covers almost all bikes and makes it very handy to use with the family.

The rack comes neatly packed and requires some assembly.  The assembly is straightforward and only took about 30 minutes, even while trying to film the process for a video.  Spare parts are available from INNO if something were to break. The rack felt very sturdy and well built and felt comparable to other racks I’ve used from Thule and Yakima.

Once put together I tested out the INH120 bike rack with my fatbike that is running 29+ sized tires.  The 29” wheels are 3” wide and fit nicely into the tray of the rack. I did remove the plastic adjustable wheel clamps on the arm of the rack.  This allowed me to have the arms more vertical and provided a better hold on my large tires. These plastic wheel clamps are what you move inside the arms to adjust for different size bike wheels.  It only takes a second to unclip the clamps are adjust for different bikes.

What is also nice is the bike rack has 4 different positions it can tilt, allowing easy access into the back of your vehicle.  One of the positions is vertical so you can keep it on the vehicle while not in use, but not have it hanging off the back and making your vehicle longer.

The INH120 bike rack also included a cable to lock the rack to your vehicle.  This cable can be used to loop through the frame of your bike to lock it to the rack as well.  I require this feature on a bike rack because all too often bikes are stolen when you make a quick stop for food or to run into a store.

An unboxing and assembly video for the INH120 bike rack is available to view HERE.  

A quick video demonstrating how easy it is to load and unload your bikes from the INH120 bike rack is available to view HERE.