Best Glamping near St. Johns, MI

We got lucky with our site right on the water and the temperature was nice and cool so we did not have to deal with any bugs. We hiked right in and setup camp. This place only allows camping for one night as it's considered a pass-through campground. There is a decently clean outhouse(it appears to be cleaned daily by DNR staff), and each site has its own fire pit. The views are wonderful and the surrounding sites appeared to be enjoying themselves as well. Our site, B6, was equipped with a table, bench, and a fire pit. From what I could tell no other sites had a bench; fire pit and table only. We found another place to park which allowed us to cut down on our hike time because I was not about that 4 miles+ life. Our hike was maybe 15, 20 minutes tops. If staying on the water is not your jam, there were places at a higher elevation to try. There is also a fresh water pump. No electricity. You must hunt for the wood you want to burn in the pit. No ground fires. A great time!

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!!

What can I say, I love the Michigan State Parks.  I find they are the best, Sleepy Hollow is not different and it has so many things to do.  I would advise if you want to camp there on a weekend to make reservations well in advance.  We stay here because there are only 2 campgrounds in the Lansing East Lansing Area this being one of them and the other does not have all full hook ups and charges more.  When we visit our daughter at Michigan State University this is the place we stay,  20 - 30 minutes into the University depending upon the traffic.

It has large wooded sites only electric but you can fill up the water at the dump station.  Each site has a picnic table and Fire ring.  Each campsite has a asphalt pad. They sell fire wood at the campground office. Bring what you need or you can go into St. johns to the Kroger or Walmart.  they have 2 main camping loops with 2 loops in each of the main loops and a shower restroom in each main loop.  The restrooms are very clean and kept up.  I love the showers  hot water and for me that is hot and great pressure, I could shower all day.  Sure beats our shower in the RV.

The State Park is on Ovid Lake and it is a beautiful lake, great for fishing, canoeing, paddle boards, kayak, and swimming. they have a shelter for you if you have a big party.

They also have a group campsite and a picnic area for large groups. d You can also bring your horses go to the Equestrian area and unload and get on the trail.  

You can rent canoes, kayaks, paddle boats and paddle boards.  They also have a great play ground for the kids and a fishing pier. Bring Bikes or just hike on the trails and head down to the beach.

I have stayed there twice in the last two years. Its poorly maintained especially for the cost of the site per night. I used this park regularly 20 years ago. Much of it can be blamed on DNR cuts but some of it is poor management. I was also offended by the double standard of rules enforcement. There is s group called “Friends of Sleepy Hollow”, who proudly display their signs in front of their motor homes. I suspect this was a well intentioned organization. But their members get a pass from the ranger regardind quiet hours, yet jumps at any of their concerns. The whole park is over grown and understaffed. I have had much better camp sites in rustic campgrounds around the state.