Best Glamping near Sanford, MI

I 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.

I used to work at this state park for two years and really enjoyed my time there. I spent many nights there with family and coworkers. The staff is very friendly and they patrol all through the night to ensure safety and noise control. The sites vary from close together, to secluded. It is easy to camp in a group with sites all close to each other, or to be off on your own. the bathrooms on the campground side are very clean. They are newer and updated and are cleaned 2-3 times a day or more as needed. The visitor side has less updated bathrooms, making them appear more dirty, but they are cleaned 4-6 times a day at the least. These bathrooms are also close to the beach, so sand makes it seem dirty as well. Sites vary in size, allowing tents or large rvs to be in most spaces. This campground does get very full most weekends Memorial Day through Labor Day, especially around the 4th of July. Bay city has lots to do and the visitor side has plenty of interesting programs for kids to do. swimming is iffy, as the city closes the beach depending on bacteria in the water and which way the wind is blowing it on a given day. The water is not clean (not the parks fault). there is a splash pad for younger children to enjoy though. There are no water sites. you must cross a relatively busy road to get to the visitor side where the beach/splash pad/visitor center is.

Nice campground that is open year round. Sites are large, most are shady and have establIshed trees. Some sites in the center of the campground can get wet after heavy rain. You have to cross the road to go to the bay, and after this year’s crazy spring the shoreline has a nice beach. Spray park and play ground are nice for the kids.

We took a group of 6 adults and 3 kids to Bay City which was a pretty good drive for us. We had a lot of fun! Park was clean and located across from the lake. There was a splash pad area for the kids which they begged to go to every day! The only bad thing was we had to drive our kayaks across the street and then lug them down the very long walk way to the beach. Nevertheless it was a great time and great park!

Campground was perfect for tenting. Right by bathrooms and they were very clean. Short walk to the beach!

The restrooms and showers were very clean, smelled of bleach. The nature trail around the lagoon is a birder's dream. We saw white egrets blue heron, sand pipers and their babies. There is a long paved bike path we had a dear pass within 6 feet of us and enjoyed hiking out to the watch towers. The water at the beach is pretty murky with a lot of green algae, we are told by locals the water is nicer at the far end of the beach near the private houses. I wish we had more than 1 night here, it really is a very nice campground and we are pleasantly surprised by the amount of trails and amenities. There is wheelchair access for the back and the water spigots in the campground has wheelchair access. I am impressed and happy with this park.

This is a great campground if you enjoy riding bicycles or going on nature walks with trails that seem endless.

The campground is very well run and the facilities are very clean. The campground is located across the road from the beach with a playground, this year they have added a boardwalk.

Great campground to stop in for the night. We paid 25 for a camp spot plus 9 for a passport to put in our window. The beach is right across from the campground but the water is extremely polluted so we didn’t swim but the sand is really nice and clean so we did catch some sun rays. They have showers and bathrooms here. Firewood is 6 dollars a small bundle.

Most sites are good, though some have slopes to them. Choose carefully. Great newer playscape and splash pad (!) for the kids, across State Park Rd from the main campground. Nice newly opened visitor/nature center. Campground usually clean and patrolled. Showers/restrooms are good, cleaned twice a day. Friendly staff.

Some of the best campground hosts are here.

Groceries, restaurants & laundromats are a short drive away.

TV reception was ok, and T-Mobile worked well enough.

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.

The sites are good size, very shaded. Bathrooms are clean. Lots of thing to do here as you are right across the street from the beach. The near by nature preserve is a great place to take a hike or bike ride. There are a couple restaurants right outside the park entrance.

The campsite was very clean and enjoyable! It had individual showers with locks. Many campsites to choose from and they were big so could accommodate many. The fire pit is very nice as well. Only downside is you need to pay for the campsite as well as a day pass for their beach, so it’s a little more expensive than some campsites, but worth it to stay there.

First time here, our site is huge. Lot of people on Friday and Saturday so extra caution when driving through the park. The Tobico Marsh trails and observation towers wee great for watching birds. Lots of trails. TheDay use area has lots of beach, as well as picnic areas, pavilions, a fishing pond, more trails. As this is less than an hour from home, this will become a regular just get away for a weekend campground for us.

Nice and clean. I’m in the inner loop though and the sites are very close together. If I came back I would definitely try to stay out the outer loop. Electric, fire pit, and picnic table on site. No grate. Showers and bathrooms available.

We came in late for just a place to rest before heading further north. Drop box available after 10pm(summer). Between 8p-10p there is a yellow phone to check in with. Can book day of until 8pm online. Easy to get into late at night. Big lots. Fire pit. Sites are electric only. Recommend to have extension cord for some sites, as plug in can be far. Website has pictures for sites and will advise if lot gets wet. Staff was very friendly the next morning. Updated our rec pass at the park before leaving. Lots of trails and swimming beach near park.

Beach, trails and children's solace pad, just an easy walk across the road. Newer bathhouse. Shady sandy campsite. Be sure and visit downtown Bay City, lots of great restaurants, a Riverwalk on both sides of the river, concerts in the park. Great atmosphere.

This is a really nice campground with newer bathrooms. I saw two cabins. The campground is not right on the lake. You have to cross the road to get to the state park with a great beach and a small, two mile trail. The campsites are right next to each other but there were a lot of mature trees. There are a few swing sets at the campground and the state park had a splash pad and huge playground.

Unfortunately, it's bordered on 2 sides by 2 major roads, Old 27 and Townline Lake Rd, and Harrison is loaded with people who think "no exhaust" equals "cool car", and are happy to show you just how big a POS they have while driving by the campground, several times a day...For no apparent reason....

Fair week will suck. Loud, crowded, just not fun in my mind. I avoid town on holidays and fair week, you should too.

Yes, some spots are smaller than others, so be honest about your rig length when booking. Many sites are rather large, like 97, but severely sloped, also like 97... Others are flat, small, and your camper is right near the road (I forget the site numbers, but on the circle drive across from 97).

Power at sites, water at posts in the area. Clean place for the most part. Paved roads. A few are full hookup. Those are in a row by the playground. All in all, typical state park...

Varying topography. Very low sites on the West edge, side nearest Old 27, far South end it is higher, sloped, can be cramped to get into for newbs. One spot in the corner, the very Northeast corner camp spot, is low, and flood prone during rain.

Didn't use the facilities. That's why I bought a camper, and I use it. GF says they were decent.

Beach is ok. Can tie up a few boats to trees nearby. Bathrooms at beach as well.

Not my number one go to spot, unless I'm looking to just get out of the house for the weekend and not leave town. It's $62 total for 2 nights, so it's cheap. Plus it's 6 minutes from home. Still kinda feels like we're flatlanders, but no traffic worries on the trip home🤣.

We had no issues with traffic in the park. Everyone drove slow when we were there. No loud parties, either.

FOOD TIP: Walk over to Steve's county market, just a 5 min walk North, and get the fried chicken. Get there before 5:30 or 6:00, I forget when they stop frying. Lots of other lip smacking grub there as well.

Decent park but could use some major upgrades to the facilities. We like to use this park as a quick trip because there is normal availability even during peak times.

Very very small cramped sites right on top of each other. Campground is in the middle of the town on a main highway the noise was horrible. People were coming in at all hours of the night and partying and loud noise was going on until early morning hours. 0 park supervision and the grounds and bathroom were disgusting. Will not stay here again.

The ONLY issue I had with this campground was that it's on a busy road. The campground is beautiful and very clean with a great swim area, cute playground, and newer shower houses.