Looking for the best options for tent camping near Saginaw? Finding a place to camp in Michigan with your tent has never been easier. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Saginaw, Michigan's most popular destinations.
Explore Deerfield Nature Park while hiking the beautiful 8 miles of trails. This Isabella County Park has trails perfect for hiking and biking on over 591 acres of land. Some of the trails run along side of the Chippewa River, with crossings at four bridges which include two swinging bridges, Lewis Pontiac Bridge and the Fisher Annex Covered Bridge. While exploring Deerfield, toss a disc or two around at one of the two 18 hole, state of the art, Disc Golf Courses. Bring along your camping gear for a rustic camping experience your family and friends will enjoy.
$20 - $25 / night
Owning a campground has been a dream of ours, and my family wanted to make this dream a reality. Our family has reached a new phase of our life. When we came across "Lost Haven" in 2013, we knew this was the right place for us. This campground offers a perfect beginning for us to develop the same kind of camping experience we enjoyed as a family.
This campground was established in 1975 and closed in 2012. Our hope is to reestablish this campground and grow with our present and future guests to come. We hope you enjoy your stay as much as we will enjoy having you.
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.
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
This is another great scout ing campground with cabins, rustic camping, tent sites, lakes, horses to ride, this is one HUGE camp ground for scouts to enjoy and learn..
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.
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.
Guide
The campsites are purely for tent camping and are around 20'x40'. We went with a group and fit four tents on one site with a picnic table and fire pit for less than $10 each. There is a large bath house with showers, a pavilion/picnic area, where they sometimes have a DJ at night. And there's a really nice open area and playground for the kids. The front store /check-in desk has some supplies for while you're there, and they also offer canoe/tubing/kayak trips with transport, directly from the grounds. We had a great time and plan on going back again.
Guide
They charge per person, so I paid $75 for my boyfriend and I to tent camp on the river for the 2 night minimum required. They are money grubbers who charge per person then put multiple parties on one site. Firewood available on site is soaking wet so had a lot of issues getting a fire started. Not much to do at the campground unless you want to pay an arm and a leg to rent one of their watercraft. Staff is incredibly rude and unhelpful. Everything they offer is an extra charge. Will not be returning here ever again.
Guide
This is a very nice county Park, I have been here numerous times and have had a great experience each and every time, I come back every year for our families annual pig roast..The first year I came, I rented a rustic tent site and it was great we all had a great time, however the last three years, I have rented a cabin and there amish style cabins are absolutely amazing..Keep in mind they only have two cabins so if you want one better reserve is as soon as you know you want it...
GuideQuite the establishment! Almost 150 sites including rustic, full hook up, cabins and even just over a handful of park model units to reserve for your family to come stay and enjoy all the amenities they offer. Amenities including but not limited to horse shoes, swimming ( man dug pond) hiking, basketball, volleyball and etc. No alcohol allowed as this is a Christian campground but for all the amenities it is extremely affordable! $30 a night 30/50 amp full hook up ... don’t need 30+ amp but want sewer as well only $25 a night 15 amp full hook up or as low as $20 for 15 amp water n electric only! Want the full camping ambiance $15 a night for rustic tent camping! Great place to take the family even several times a season on a budget!
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.
Ranger
Our site was averaged out to $82.71 a night with the weekly rate discount.
We were in Site# 306 (a deluxe plus RV site - be aware that some of these are back-ins and not clearly labeled on the site map - we had to change sites to a pull-thru). 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 zero trees. We weren’t able to sit outside because of the direct sun until after 8:30pm.
This was a smaller lot with our neighbors fairly close.
The deluxe plus lot comes without a concrete patio but with a picnic table and fire ring. They do sell firewood and will deliver to your site.
There is free WiFi. They do not offer Cable TV but there are quite a few channel options.
There is not a community outdoor kitchen or community fire pit.
They do not provide garbage service at your site so you must walk to garbage dumpster.
You are allowed to ride personal golf carts. They also allow you to rent pedal bikes. They do not provide golf cart rentals.
They do have a heated indoor and heated outdoor Swimming pool and one hot tub.
There is a Playground. They also offer Gaga ball, basketball sport court, and volleyball courts. There is a Game room for kids. They have a Putt putt course and Jumping pad.
They have a great general store.
There is a separate Activity Center for kids.
There are tons of scheduled activities for kids like wagon rides, arts & crafts, scavenger hunts, obstacle courses, etc. Activities are scheduled all day from 9am to 8pm.
There is a snack bar on site from 4pm-9:30pm where you can get hot dogs, brats, pretzels, nachos, ice cream, etc.
The streets are mostly paved and good for riding bikes.
This is an RV park with cabins to rent also. Tent camping is also allowed.
They have two shower houses. The shower house has the typical stalls. There is a great area to hang clothes and store your toiletries in the shower stall. These are kept very clean.
There is a laundry facility. It is a cash only facility, but they have a change machine in the arcade room. There are approximately 4washers and 4 dryers. It is approximately $2.75 to wash and $0.75 to dry a load.
They do not have a fenced in dog park. There are areas to walk dogs though.
Flies were an issue and bug spray was needed.
There were no trails to hike off of the campground.
Some fun things to do outside of the campground are Frankenmuth FunShips (chocolate & wine tasting), the Golden Ticket Trolley, the Bavarian Belle (popcorn & sodas) River Place Shops, wineries, and Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland store. This RV park is less than a mile to downtown/River Place Shops where there is tons of shopping.
Guide
This is one of the best campgrounds for kids that I've ever visited!!!
The campground itself is beautifully laid out and maintained. It features roughly a 150 some odd sites ranging from tent sites to RV and cabins. Each site has a cement fire ring and electric hookup. There are communal water spickets generously scattered around the grounds. The bathrooms and showers are very clean. They are closed an hour a day for thourgho cleaning and restocked and wiped down in the late evening. They have one large group camp area, but it is for organizational reservations only (as most of them are). Howeve, there is a cul-de-sac of 5 or 6 (I can't remember) sites off by itself. Those sites are very large (except the one on the end, which of course we had reserved for the weekend) and have huge space between them. There is also an additional parking pad there for overflow. Though they're not a sanctioned group site these would be perfect for it. We've already planned to reserve these sites next year for our large (35+people) family camp weekend. The drive around the campground is all paved and very long, so be sure to bring your bikes!!
Now for the amusements and conveniences. . . . . There is a small playground in the campground, but you have to cut through campsites to reach it. There are trails for hiking around the wider state park area as well as a few that lead across the street to the swim area and day park. Take a 2 min walk from the camp office across to the day park and you'll find the Spray by the Bay splash pad, a huge timber playground, beautiful sandy beach along Lake Huron, sandy swim area, geocaching, pavilions, well kept bathrooms and changing rooms. We spent all day at the park with 4 kids 6yrs and under and not a single on of them complained of being bored.
They have campground hosts that facilitate free activities organized by the park. We did a kids craft and enjoyed hot cocoa or coffee Saturday morning and then returned after dinner for Back-to-School bingo and popcorn. See pic of the August schedule for a better idea of what was offered.
They sold ice and wood at the camp office and there was an ice cream place next door to the park. It's a 5 min walk from the park office.
We didn't have to leave the park once all weekend. It was so relaxing to have everything we needed on hand and not have to run out for things.
One final note: there were quite a few May Flies. According to the park office they're pretty much there all summer. They weren't bad at the campground except at night around the bathrooms. We walked over to the day park before breakfast one morning and the playground was covered with them. As the day got hotter and the playground got busier there were hardly any, but that morning visit was rough. We actually abandoned the playground till later in the day.
Traveler
Nice campground with great access to the Saginaw Bay for boaters/kayakers/etc with a small beach. Some campsites are better than others, like most campgrounds but all have some perks. Only a couple miles away from Pinconning for supply runs!
LegendThis campground was right on the Saginaw Bay. It’s a smaller campground with a lot seasonal campers. It was very quiet the couple of nights we were there. It has a nice beach and playground area that had very few people when we were there. The coolest thing about this campground was the boardwalk it winds back through the woods and marsh and has a lot of raised Outlook platforms to view the scenery. Our site had a paved pad and patio. You definitely want to try and get one of these sites. The other sites were OK, but dirt pad and many of them had marsh behind or surrounding them.
TravelerStayed there for a day and there was plenty to do. From the beach, to the splash pad, the huge playground, the hiking trails, fishing in the lagoon, and the touristy attractions right down the road (i.e. - bumper boats, mini golf, batting cage, go karts, etc..). The kids had a blast and are wanting to go back again. We were there in the middle of the week so it was not packed or loud. It is located north of Bay City by a little bit, so if a night out in the city is what you want it is easy to do. It is right on the Saginaw Bay so there is a lot of fishing that can be done out there too. The campsites were the normal state park campsite fare. Overall it was a great day. The only downfalls were that there was a bit of construction in park going on and the beach wasn't of the all sand variety. A bit of small rocks and a lot of shells, plus the water was a tad murky but nothing major. If you are looking for the great outdoors, in the middle of nowhere camping, this is not it. But if you want a fun time with the kids, I would recommend it.
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
TravelerCampground was perfect for tenting. Right by bathrooms and they were very clean. Short walk to the beach!
ScoutNot a great place to tent. Great place to stay with a small camper or RV if passing through Bay City or going to an event. Beach is not the most sanitary.
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!
Traveler
We love this campground. It’s quiet and well maintained. The owners are friendly and willing to help. Wood bundles are available for purchase and they deliver to your site. No tents allowed but pop-up are welcome. The bathrooms are key for me and are very clean. There shower are private and are quarter operated. This is our go-to when in the area.
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.
Traveler
We went for our first time with our new trailer. The grounds were a little unkept. The shower and restrooms were very clean. I do not like the KOA policy of charging extra per person. Too many nasty tent areas.
This KOA is right off the freeway. Loud and noisy
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 have camped here for years and really like it. The park is huge and there are lots of places to ride your bike. It's a typical Michigan state campground, not much different. Nice bathrooms and big lots.
ScoutThank you for having an abundance of tent space that was nice and grassy with lots of shade trees the price tag for what we got was it’s only shortfall and it was loud at night being that close to I-75. But the Halloween event was awesome loved it all the boys had a blast. I’d be interested in checking out the little cabins they have there super cute.
Tent camping near Saginaw, Michigan offers a variety of experiences, from serene natural settings to family-friendly activities. Whether you're looking for a rustic escape or a place with amenities, there are options to suit your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Saginaw, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Saginaw, MI is Genesee Otter Lake Campground with a 2.3-star rating from 3 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 11 tent camping locations near Saginaw, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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