Family-friendly campsites dominate the St. Joseph area along Michigan's southwestern shoreline, where the St. Joseph River meets Lake Michigan. The region offers camping opportunities within a 20-30 minute drive of beaches, with most campgrounds situated inland to provide shelter from lake winds. Summer temperatures average 75-85°F during the day with cooler evenings, while spring and fall bring more variable conditions and fewer crowds at camping areas.
What to do
Beach access: Warren Dunes State Park Campground offers camping near a popular public beach with sand dunes rising 260 feet above Lake Michigan. "Warren Dunes is within 10-15 minutes from the beach in South Haven—beautiful!" noted one visitor to Covert/South Haven KOA Holiday.
Blueberry picking: Several campgrounds near St. Joseph incorporate u-pick fruit opportunities. "This KOA has blueberry fields everywhere on the property. For a period of time in summer and early fall, you can pick your own blueberries in the morning to have in your breakfast pancakes!" reports a camper at Covert/South Haven KOA Holiday.
Fishing access: Multiple campgrounds provide river or lake fishing opportunities. At Thousand Trails Bear Cave, "Nice river fishing, nice stream scenery, big rec center" according to one review. The St. Joseph River access makes this location popular for anglers with boats or those fishing from shore.
What campers like
Clean facilities: Campers frequently mention cleanliness as a top priority. At Sunny Brook RV Resort, "Laundry rooms and bathrooms spotless," notes one reviewer. The campground maintains concrete pads throughout the resort and includes a small beach on its private lake.
Kid-friendly activities: Most campgrounds in the area cater to families. "We love this quaint little campground. Great clubhouse with library, air hockey, beautiful views... there was still a playground, pool and little walking trail near the waterfall," shared a camper about Thousand Trails Bear Cave.
Privacy between sites: Site spacing varies significantly between campgrounds. At Eden Springs Park Campground, "The sites are large, level and spaced far apart from each other. We pulled in with a 42' rig, pulling a 28' hybrid trailer (total 70') and easily pulled into our site without having to unhook."
What you should know
Cell service limitations: Several campgrounds have limited connectivity. At Thousand Trails Bear Cave, "No internet, no cell service" is commonly reported. Other campgrounds offer fee-based WiFi services ranging from $5-35 per month depending on length of stay.
Historic attractions: Some campgrounds incorporate unique historical elements. Eden Springs Park features restored buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. "There is a now mostly abandoned religious enclave called the House of David which was started in the late 1800's/early 1900's. Some interesting architecture and several restored mansions."
Train noise: Railroad tracks near some campgrounds can create noise disturbances. At Elkhart RV Resort, formerly South Bend/Elkhart North KOA, "There is an active railroad nearby this campground. 4 Trains woke us up during the night," reported one reviewer.
Tips for camping with families
Pool considerations: Family-friendly swimming options vary by campground. "The pool has an ADA lift chair," notes a camper at Thousand Trails Bear Cave. However, at Coloma/St. Joseph KOA Holiday, "No steps to walk in so it was very hard for our 2 smallest kids to use it. Not a problem for older kids who can swim, but disappointing for smaller kids."
Playground access: Many families choose sites based on playground visibility. At Coloma/St. Joseph KOA Holiday, "It was small enough for our kids to ride bikes around alone and they frequented the park, which we could see from our site."
Weekend activities: Scheduled entertainment for children occurs primarily on weekends. "Lots of fun activities on the weekends for the kids and FREE! They have movie nights, we met Disney characters, did crafts, and enjoyed the barrel train & ice cream sundaes," reports a family at Coloma/St. Joseph KOA Holiday.
Tips from RVers
Site surface conditions: RV sites near St. Joseph, Michigan range from gravel to concrete pads. At Eden Springs Park Campground, "Mostly grass and gravel pull through spaces. We had site 61 under some nice shade trees and the lot was very level."
RV site positioning: Some campgrounds use a specific layout for utilities. At Eden Springs, "The sites are designed so that no camper or RV faces a sewer connection. All of the hook ups are centrally located between two sites, with each rig having their driver side towards the hookups."
Site selection strategy: For full hookup access, timing matters at certain parks. At Thousand Trails Bear Cave, "Most of the full hookups are taken 1st by the annuals. Sucks really but they do have an onsite honeypot which will suck out your tanks for $10 each time around."