Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Sault Ste. Marie, MI

The photos online were deceiving. This campground has tiny little sites in an industrial area of Sault Ste Marie. It was super quiet at night but it’s next door to a military base and 5 Chinook helicopters ran drills in the morning from 8:30 -11am and it felt like we were in a war zone.

We came however to watch the ships go by and it was suitable for this. The bathrooms were old but clean. They sell ice and wood.

There were some tentless kids sleeping by the river who are known to steal beer in the night. You’ve been warned.

We planned to stay 2 nights but only stayed one. It was just a parking lot.

This park pretty much lacks any character as it is an open area with a bunch of scattered campsites but it makes up for that with its location. Most people come to the town of Sault Ste. Marie (called the “Soo”) to check out the famous Soo Locks and watch massive Great Lakes freighters pass through them on their way from Lake Superior to Lake Michigan.

This is a city run park that is 20 acres right on the St. Mary’s River so you get a great view of the ships passing by. When we arrived it had been rainy during the day and there was lots of water in the roads and at people’s campsites. Luckily our site was dry but there were some pretty big puddles and lots of standing water. Some of the sites are right on the river which and have unobstructed views of the ships. Reservations are by phone only. I had to leave a message but got a call back within a few hours and it was pretty easy from there

There are 100 sites with water and electric and all are pretty easy to get into with an RV. Tent camping is allowed but there is no separate section so you are mixed in with RVs.  Some of the hook-ups at sites are crazy. Our water was nearly 50 feet away and some are on the wrong side. Bathroom and shower facilities very nice and well maintained, with private lockable shower rooms. There is a laundry with book exchange but no camp store. The park has showers and restrooms that were very clean and modern. The showers are separate rooms that have privacy so you are not in the bathroom. They also have a laundry facility. The park wifi worked well at our site (#72) as did our Verizon phone and hotspot. Adjacent to the campground is a boat launch, playground (which looked like it was from the 1960’s), fish cleaning station, and an RV dump station.

The campground is not very large so for walking our dog we went to the adjacent park and were able to throw a ball for her. Within walking distance of the campground is a convenient store and there is a casual restaurant with burgers/fried fish/hotdogs/etc. 

A visit to the Soo Locks is definitely a must. The Visitor Center (operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) is free and well worth a visit. There are some short films, interpretive exhibits, and a board letting you know what time the ships are expected into the locks. Outside is a viewing platform where you get a great view of the ships in the locks watching them rise 20+feet as they make their transition.

I wouldn't consider this an amazing park, but if you come to Sault Ste. Marie there are not a lot of choices and its fine. You are just a few miles from downtown and the Locks and get to watch freighters navigate the narrow stretch of the river. The downsides are there are not lots of trees or privacy and the drainage is really poor. 

Tip 1: Site #9 is probably the best in the park as it is on the end, has a great view and more privacy.

Tip 2: For a delicious hamburger head under the International Bridge to West Pier Drive-In. It is the kind of place where you sit in your car and eat the most delicious juicy hamburger that fills your belly all day.

The Straits State Park in Michigan's Upper Penninsula sits on the North end of the Mackinaw Bridge in St. Ignace. This bridge conects Upper and Lower Michigan at the crossing of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. This campground is clean, and well layed out with just about a campsite for the taste for everyone. From campsites on the shores of Lake Huron to open sites and wooded sites. Take the drive to the look outlook area in the park for awesome views of the Mackinaw Bridge and Mackinaw City which sits on the other side of the bridge. St. Ignace is a tourist town with lodging, restaurants, shopping and bed and breakfast inns and even a casino. There is a grocery store for your needs just before the entrance of the park. If you decide to take the 5 mile trip across the bridge to Mackinaw City, be prepared for a cost of $4 every time you cross and possibly heavy blowing winds across the bridge. There is a service at the entrance of the bridge that will drive your vehicle across for you if your feeling timid. Mackinaw City on the opposite side is definitely busy during the Summer months and more touristy feeling than St.Ignace. With plenty to do on either side quiet isn't hard to find. From visiting lighthouse's in downtown Mackinaw and another lighthouse just a short drive East of Mackinaw City at Headlands International Dark Sky Park sits McGulpin Lighthouse. You can travel North 45 mins and hit historic Sault Ste. Marie at the border of Canada and United States or visit the beautiful Tahquamenon Falls area for sights never to be forgotten.

Brimley is in great proximity to Sault Ste Marie and Tahquamenon Falls, so there is plenty to do in the area. I especially recommend driving down the Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway And also checking out the Bay Mills Farmers Market on Thursday evenings in the casino parking lot.

Right across the road from the campground is a small IGA store where you can get many different food items. Also down the road is Superior Pizza and Subs which is a great place for a quick and easy dinner.

In the campground itself, many of the sites are generously sized with electric access for those who need it. There are three bathhouses throughout the park, which is where Brimley loses a star. I am only familiar with the largest main bathhouse, but I imagine the other two are similar. The main bathroom is often dirty, and the showers (which are closed off little shower rooms) have no working ventilation and get super hot with mildew and mold growth on the walls.

However the shining star of this campground is the beach. The swimming is some of the best with a nice sandy bottom and no rocks. The water is generally cold, as Lake Superior often is, but it’s nothing too cold for swimming in. The view is lovely, and you can often see the freighters that pass through The Soo.

All in all, I highly recommend staying at Brimley State Park if you are in the area.

Very cheap - 30 amps, water and sewer hookup on unlevel overgrown sites. Not exaggerating that weeds are a foot high covering all the sites and grounds like a pasture - unless you bring your own weedeater or mower. The ancient class c camper next to us doesn't appear to be movable and has no sewer hooked up. 2 cars park on either side of it, although that means one car comes and goes constantly and is parking on our site right outside our door. Across the highway is a large prison, just down the road from an airport. This is a very old, sad, and poor small town with no amenities, so plan on driving 30 minutes to Sault Sainte Marie for groceries, restaurants, and anything else you could possibly want to do. The rv park also has the township's memorial dog park. Guess what? Not mowed, and full of dog waste. We watched a man bring 5 dogs every weekday around 5pm, put them in the gated dog park and sit looking at his phone for 30 minutes. Then he calls them after they have all pooped, loads them into his SUV, and drives off. Just wanting you to get the whole honest picture - you cannot beat the $20 per night full 30 amp hook ups, and the power and water are good quality. There are good reasons why here in 2021 there are probably 35 unoccupied sites. Stopping for a night? Sure. Staying for a month - only if you know what you are getting into.