Best Tent Camping near Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Traveled here in August of 2020 with my family. (2 adults, 4 kids) Since there are a lot of us we got two joining sites so we could spread out a bit and we were glad we did. The sites aren't super tiny, but having two was worth the extra $$. The kids loved the beach and swimming in the clean Lake Superior water. 

Close enough to Sault Ste. Marie  and Taquaminon Falls. 

Very quiet but we were there mid-week so it wasn't too crowded either.

Facilities were fine, especially for a state park.

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.

Wooded tent camping spots on the water :) Decent water to wade or swim in. The best part though… the view! Beautiful view overlooking the water and the bridge. Such a spectacular site to wake up to and go to sleep admiring beyond the campfire. There are a couple trails to check out and this park is near to many attractions and restaurants (within minutes). Definitely a place to visit again!

I took my wife here in 1981 when we were dating. Tent site along the beach drinking Stroh's beer. Beach is still as beautiful as I remembered. Park facilities are a bit out of date but nice and quiet. We took our maiden voyage in the RV we just bought to remember tge old times. Brimley nice small town with good whitefish dinners at Cozy Inn. Pickles goid bar too. Visited shipwreck museum on Whitefish point which was good.

Arrived here late after finding no sites at Mouth of the Two Hearted. Found an excellent tent site that comfortably accommodated 2 tents and a sleeping hammock. Site also had beach access so our kayaks could launch easily. There seemed to be to be a decent number of fishermen in the morning, but our own fishing attempts were unsuccessful.

Bodi Lake trail looked interesting, but my feet were killing me from hiking Taquamenon earlier that day, and we were eager to get back to 2 Heart. Looking forward to coming back at a future date to try it out.

I stayed at Bodi Lake on 9/23/21 in site 11. It was a nice secluded site not far from the vault toilets and quiet which is always a plus. The only downside to my stay and a warning to those who may be planning to visit is that it rained heavily and the site flooded very quickly. I've camped other places in the rain but this was the worse I've experienced in terms of flooding. Not knocking the campground in any way, just saying that if you are tent camping and rain is in the forecast, maybe don't pick site 11. I can see why they don't, but it would be nice if the SFC's had raised tent pads like some other campgrounds.

This campground is beautiful any time of year I have camped there many times before. There are great private tent sites as well as larger sites for groups. The facilities were modern and very clean! There are water and electric hook ups for campers and RVs. Short hike to the beach with the best views of the bridge! There are many campgrounds within the state park so getting a spot is relatively easy any time of the year. The UP is known for is breathtaking fall colors so I highly recommend aiming for peak color week to have the best experience. Make sure to dress for variable weather, it can get cold in the UP even in the middle of summer, and it can start snowing in early October so be prepared for anything!

This is one of our favorite state parks for just hanging out. We prefer the Lower West campground due to proximity to the water and views of the Mackinac Bridge.

This place can get very busy and the sites are quite varied in terms of size, shape and how unlevel they are. Some sites offer a lot of privacy but others are more open. The sites right along the water are spectacular, but note they do not have electricity.

If you have a van or truck camper, note that even the tent sites have electricity available, so consider those if the RV sites are full.

The Lower West campground isn't the quietest campground but the views and atmosphere make up for it.

Also note there is good cell service for Verizon and Google Fi (2 to 3 bars LTE with decent data speeds).

As others have said, if you like a campground off the beaten path, this is it. We live in the UP and use this campground frequently for day and overnight use.

Most visitors will likely head east on m-134 stop in Cedarville to grab provisions, gas and a snack there are a couple cute stores a bakery and ice cream in town. 

The road to the campsites once you turn off m-134 is gravel/dirt and a bit windy, we usually tent camp so I am unsure how it feels to drive a trailer down it. Being so far off the road makes it a very quiet campground. 

Bring cash or check and fill out your self-serve registration and pay for the site and if needed your Recreation Passport which is required. 

Outer loop sites will keep you in the trees, sites closer to the water have trails that lead to the beach but access to the beach is reasonable for all sites at this campground. Plenty of sandy area to lay out and the water is clear and shallow. 

Vault toilets, dumpster and hand pump water along with fire rings and picnic tables are the extent of the amenities at this campground, but if you come prepared it is more than enough. 

On clear nights make sure to make your way our to the beach for some of the best stargazing!!

Drive-in first-come first-serve camping through the Department of Natural Resources, this was my favorite place in Michigan's upper peninsula so far to tent camp. It offers a variety of twenty or so spacious sites for different camping needs - groups, RVs, or private. Multiple paths through the woods reveal sandy beaches and crystal clear water on Lake Huron.

We showed up to near max capacity on a Thursday night  and were lucky to grab site 14. Plenty of dead trees were to be found in the surrounding woods for firewood. However, while our camp site was clear and covered in pine needles, the edge and woods were packed with poison sumac - which we were warned about on the information board. Standing water was to be found in the woods around each site, which made for pretty thick mosquitoes throughout the day and evening. With a good campfire and bug spray, I felt able to deal with them.

The sandy beach was beautiful and so peaceful! Small rocks in the shallow water make it slightly uncomfortable wading in, but once you get past the small grouping of rocks, it's very sandy lake bottom to swim and play on. You can hear the lake waves hit shore from your camp site in the morning and it's a wonderfully relaxing sound to wake up to.

Multiple vault toilets were well stocked with toilet paper. A large dumpster is available for trash. A pump is available for water, although I did not test the quality of it and used my own bottled water. 

In the town of DeTour Village, a 10 minute drive from camp, you can find ice, bottled water, a grocery and a couple of restaurants.

I loved my time here and would absolutely return.

Lime Island Recreation Area is located in the St. Mary’s River at the very east end of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It sits in the middle of the river with Canada on one side and Michigan on the other. Raber, Michigan is the nearest shore town, 2 miles across the river. The only way to reach the park is by boat but there are no designated ferries, so the only way to reach it is by using your own boat or finding someone in the area with a boat willing to charter you and your gear. Non-motorized boats are not recommended due to the many freighters and choppy water conditions.

Overnight accommodations include six cabins that can sleep between four and seven guests each, as well as 10 tent sites on wooden platforms that look out over the river. The park is a favorite among fishermen, couples, and large families who like to rent out all the cabins for annual reunions. 

A boat slip comes with your reservation. The island has limited electricity (solar-powered only) and no running water. Portable toilets are provided and there is a pump for a potable-water well. Cabin guests need to provide all their own gear, including sleeping and cooking supplies and equipment.

Approximately 7 miles of hiking trails traverse the island, providing guests the chance to wander, explore and possibly encounter wildlife. With so little human activity you never know what you’ll find.

One of the favorite pastimes of guests is sitting and watching the large Great Lakes freighters pass by at all hours of the day. They pass so close to the island you feel you could almost touch them. It’s quite a sight!

There's a ton of history on the island, some of which is still visible. According to the Michigan DNR, “Lime Island provides a significant representation of early 20th-century industrial and maritime history. The coal dock, fuel storage tanks, Quonset hut with bunker, fuel heating and pumping equipment, other supporting buildings, and scattered industrial equipment, provide a complete picture of the island’s use as a ship refueling depot. The schoolhouse, superintendent’s house (that was brought to the island by dragging it across the frozen river), cottages, and fruit trees remind visitors of island life for the workers that supported the depot.”

It's not an easy state park to reach, but if you can find a way to get there, the seclusion should make for some great camping on the tent platforms (or hanging out in the cabins if you're into that sort of thing.)

Gorgeous Lake Superior shore experience! Fall asleep to the sound of waves. 

Address of property:  19456 West Lakeshore Drive, Brimley, Michigan 49715

There are no services nearby. Plan accordingly.

Sites fronting the sand beach include: #3; #5; #6; #7; #9; #11; #13; #15; #17; #18; #20; #21;#23;#24;# 25. In fact, these campsites are very large and mostly situated about 20 feet above the beach with a path leading to the sand. Pine-Maple-Spruce-Oak forest is dense. There is a vast difference in experience if camping on the inland side of the narrow road. Try to reserve a site on the beach side where access is just a simple path away.

Sites are shady with limited dappled sun occasionally. The most beguiling sites for a tent camper are sites # 24 & #25 with minimal walk-in. 

There are 2 vault toilet outhouses in the narrow campground; and they are well-maintained. Campground hosts for 2021 were super helpful and friendly. 

The campground is close to the agate beach at the historic Point Iroquois Lighthouse first built in 1855.

Sometimes you spend a long time getting somewhere and you think,“Why haven’t I ever come here before now?” I grew up in Michigan and had no idea that Drummond Island even existed, let alone had ever come close to it. Now, that I know it’s there, I plan to return, again and again. The campground run by the township on Drummond Island is, kind of like the island itself, a step back in time– but in a good way. Tucked away in a little rocky bay on the north shore of the island, protected and lovely, the campground seems like it hasn’t changed much in 40 years. But what more could anyone want, than a lovely campsite next to the water, with a rustic stone firepit for$15 a night? 

Many of the sites have electricity which only costs an extra $5 if you’re in a trailer, $3 if in a tent. Rustic pit toilets are clean and come equipped with the standard Michigan pit-toilet bouquet (seriously, what it up Michigan?). We arrived after a steady week of rain and the campground was quite muddy in spots. But this was also a result of the record high water level of Lake Huron. 

This is a paddler’s dream launch site, we left our boats on the shore for the week and jumped in them whenever the desire arose. Islands, rocky ledges, and fossil hunts lie around each headland. For those more adventurous paddlers the county has put together a number of paddler’s trails complete with suggested campsites, stop in at the visitor’s center for more information. 

The township has several restaurants and a nearly full-stocked grocery store where you can find all of your basic supplies if not every variety of your usual food stuffs– no shortage of booze though. The island is famous for its OHV trails, and there are some weekends you may want to avoid if motorized recreation is not your thing. We got out on the water and found ourselves practically alone.