Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Find the best campgrounds near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
$20 / night
"Located in Empire, Michigan and part of the National Park Service and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore."
"The foliage helps create privacy but the campsites are close in proximity overall."
$22 - $50 / night
"There are electric and non electric sites available as well as group sites and walk in sites."
"Hiking to Lake Michigan, bike trails, Sleeping Bear Dunes just a short drive away. For those with dogs, Esch Beach, at the end of Esch Road, is about 10 minutes by car and dog friendly."
"Located just a short drive away from many attractions."
"The campground is close to Sleeping Bear Dunes (15 mins) and Traverse City (30 mins). We enjoyed traveling to the city for Cherry Festival and returning to a quiet campground."
$103 - $130 / night
"Plenty of beautiful views of the lake! You’re tucked away from the main road but also close enough to enjoy nearby Sutton’s Bay ( which is worth a visit)"
"This is a great location based around Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Dunes areas."
"300+ sites, pet friendly, sites for all shapes and sizes. Open year round, with heated cabins. It's a great location, just across from Traverse Bay with just across the road."
"Sites are small and pretty close together but shaded with electric at site (134) and centrally located bathhouse with hot water and well kept. Dish washing station available."
$20 / night
"Every year I camp on the Green Lake side of Interlochen State Park, and this year was the first year I allowed a guest - my fiance."
"Not super close to Michigan cities, but can drive back and forth to Traverse City."
$33 - $85 / night
"Very quiet campground and close to the small town of Frankfort. The campground is along the Betsie river and they offer a fish cleaning station."
"Location is close to so many great towns and attractions: Glen Arbor/Sleeping Bear Dunes, many Lake Michigan beaches, kayaking/canoeing/tubing river trips, great fishing if that's your thing."
$36 - $109 / night
"It is beautiful, peaceful campground on Lake Leelanau which is located on the Leelanau peninsula in between West Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan in close proximity to the little town of Lake Leelanau, Suttons"
"It's right on Lake Leelanau, and they even rent boat slips. There is a tiny beach, fun for an afternoon dip with the kids."
$20 / night
"Our campsite was feet away from Lake Michigan- practically on the shoreline! Going to bed and waking up to the lapping of the waves is something you can’t miss here."
"beautiful park next to the lighthouse. no showerhouse or flushing bathrooms...portajohns only.water pumps to get water from...and beautiful views of Lake Michigan"
RangerThis campground is huge! 300+ sites, pet friendly, sites for all shapes and sizes. Open year round, with heated cabins. It's a great location, just across from Traverse Bay with just across the road. With that being said, one downside is that road, a VERY busy main drag through Traverse City. Very loud. There is s bridge walk over said busy road to beach access. The campground was very busy and bustling with families. Only 30 minutes from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
ScoutSites are small and pretty close together but shaded with electric at site (134) and centrally located bathhouse with hot water and well kept. Dish washing station available. Clean campground; even with lots of people, pretty quiet. 45 minutes from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Can catch bus for ride into town where there are lots of shops, breweries, etc - very nice town. There is traffic and plane noise. There is a pedestrian bridge to go over to the park along the bay. z Family friendly. Nice roads to bike on and explore the campground.
ScoutThis is a beautiful wooded campground. Spaces are large, clean, and spaced well apart. RV sites are paved and also have enormous level tent pads. There is a fire ring with a grate for cooking. There is ample woods from which you can gather kindling. Firewood must be certified and can be purchased in area. The bathrooms and shower were so clean and roomy. Plus there were outlets in bath, shower, and the camp sink area. There are electric and non electric sites available as well as group sites and walk in sites. You can make reservations six months out but be ready to click reserve at 8:00 am. sharp for the site you want. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore sits on Lake Michigan. The lake is beautiful and accessible in many places The dunes are a challenge to climb. Definitely do that. There are historical places of interest to visit, ferry rides to islands, rivers to tube, kayak or canoe. And there are Michigan cherries to pick if you are there in July! I’d give this campground a A+ rating.
Scoutwe first passed by this campground on a canoe trip along the manistee river, and flagged it to return to stay another time. we finally went last fall with our pup and had a really nice, peaceful weekend trip. our site was spacious and wooded, gorgeous colors in the fall. there aren't very many sites and they are spaced out well. only two other sites occupied all weekend.
it was cold and rainy so we passed on hiking. we decided instead to drive around and explore the traverse city area and some of the dog friendly parts of sleeping bear dunes national lakeshore. had a great time and would definitely recommend it
we were hoping to come back this spring and backpack the fife lake loop, with one night camping here. seems like a great spot for that kind of trip. coronavirus got in the way, but we might try again in the fall.
RangerThis island is a hidden gem 12 miles off the coast of the Sleeping Bear Dunes national Lakeshore, accessible by ferry..
I gave the island 4 stars because some of the rules are a little too stringent in my opinion. Fires are only permitted in the Village Campsite at the island's entrance & you cannot camp within 300 ft of the beach. But if you're willing to forego the pyro effects & sleeping a stones throw away from the shore, then you're in for a camping experience unlike any other in MI. In the summer months, the island feels unquestionably tropical. The sparkling blue waters and sandy beaches make it feel like you're on an island at the equator, not halfway to the North Pole. The island is also sprinkled with uninhabited cottages that vacationers left behind at the end of a summer and never returned to. You can expect your stay here to include exploring historical ruins, marveling at beaches strewn with Petosky stones & reminding yourself that you're in Manitou, not Martinique.
RangerSouth Manitou island is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake shore. The island does have drinking water but you have to hike from your sites ot get it our you can get water from Lake Michigan and make it drinkable. There is no electricity at any of the camp sites, there is a charger station at the docks you can use. There is a Ranger station and a small museum along with old houses that the staff use who stay on the island. The Island has a Light house that has daily tours, a ship wreck and old growth ceder trees you can hike to along with the dunes. There are three campgrounds on the island all sites are first come first pick. Bay Campground is located the closest to the docks about a 1/2 mile walk with your gear, we did not camp here during our trip but we did stop to check out the sites available. These's sites are located along the cove of the island so they are on soft sand felt good to site or lay on without mats. These sites have awesome views of the sun rise in the morning. Popple Campground is the furthest away from the dock, and has the more sever hiking terrain, but is well worth the 7.4 mile round trip hike to get to it. Very secluded, all sites are close to the water's edge. Our site had it's own access trail to the beach, some area's on this side are sandy beach and some is rocky. On the other side of the island and only a 2.7 mile round trip hike from the dock is Weather Station Campground which seems to be the most popular. It is on the South side of the island and has sites on the cliff side and other sites scattered into the forest in the Campground. We were lucky enough to get a site on the cliff over the water and we could watch the waves from inside our tent. Some water side sites have their own trail down to the beach below. There are other trails along the beaches that lead back up to the camp sites. The island has plenty of hiking trails and attractions to see. The only bathroom is located by the docs. Most hiking trails are full shade. There are lots of mosquitoes so be prepared. We can't wait for our next trip to the island.
LegendD. H. Day Campground is a family favorite and looked forward to any opportunity to go! Located in Empire, Michigan and part of the National Park Service and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Located directly on Lake Michigan's shoreline and in close proximity to everything outdoors and cool...its the place to go! Sleeping Bear Dunes is a must see and experience...every aspect of the dunes! Climb the Dunes and make your way to the beach...on the Dunes Trail...its gotta be the longest mile you'll push through sand...but well worth the dip in Lake Michigan at its end.
From atop the initial climb, turn back and behold the turquoise waters of the sandy bottomed Glen Lake...you'd swear you were in the tropics.
On the north end of the Dunes, where the roadway deadends into the Lake, is the Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station Maritime Museum (now that's a mouthful). The museum is interesting and full of history of the predecessors of the Coast Guard. Learn of the ships that had gone down in these tempestuous waters. Watch reenactments of bringing the cannon out that shot the rescue line across the sinking vessel. Great stuff!
The local towns are quaint and Glen Arbor is the draw. The lure of ice cream is always a plus...and the local pizza shop (Riverfront PIzza and Deli), where you can sit on the porch, perched on the hairpin of Crystal River. D.H. Day Campground too, is set on the shores of Lake Michigan...offering miles of beach to comb...and cool, clear water to relax in.
Grand views of the North and South Manitou Island from the beach of D.H. Day invite you to take the ferry or paddle your way to isolated, primitive camping on North Manitou Island's Village Campground. Facilities are more than adequate, the 88 sites offer a measure of privacy, and its always been quiet. If you have kiddos, the rangers offer several programs to keep their interest.
Bring your bikes, your boats and boards...and use them all. Several nice hiking trails exist inland as well...and are loaded with blackberries and huckleberries. Roads are traveled lightly enough where cycling is enjoyable.
Sunsets are spectacular! Plan a visit...you will thank me!
**Always check warnings and alerts on their website...they were closed for a spell after a horrendous storm whipped through and felled a lot of trees in the campground.
LegendWe visited Wild Cherry RV Resort on the recommendation of some friends and found the park to be nicely maintained, sites were well-spaced, and we LOVED the area. Our site was a pull-in that faced a large pond on a corner that overlooked a four-acre lake. We never had a neighbor on the site next to us during our stay and since we were on a large corner there was nobody on that side either so we never felt crowded. The park was very quiet and since our site was in the back of the park there was not much traffic.
The park is called a “resort” which is a little misleading because there are very few amenities. There is no swimming pool, no tennis courts, no shuffleboard, no fitness center, no playground, in fact there were not even bathrooms/showers (except for porta john and tent shower in the rustic camping section). There was a small club house and a driving range but that was pretty much it. You do get a free newspaper delivered to your site daily. It turned out that we didn’t care about the lack of amenities since we were so busy exploring and we don’t often use all the amenities that private parks offer anyway. The park is a mix of seasonal and transient people. Most of the seasonal people went to work during the day which made the park even quieter. And while they do have a lot of seasonal campers none of the sites were junked up. Sites are gravel with paved patios with the average lot being 45x70 (according to their brochure). There are nice grassy areas between sites that is very well-maintained. All sites have picnic tables but not all have fire pits (if you have your own you are allowed to use it).
The roads are very wide and there are not too many trees so maneuvering big-rigs is not a problem. The water, sewer, and electric were all placed appropriately in the site so no extended hoses were needed. There was no cable but sites are very open allowing for good satellite reception and we were able to get over a dozen antenna channels. Sites are either pull-in (which we had) or back-in. There are no pull-thrus. Set back in a wooded area are a scattering of rustic tent sites, rental cabins and yurts with potable water, grills, fire pits, and picnic tables. These sites are so tucked in a wooded area that I never noticed them until the last day I was in the park.
There is a lot of activities within a short drive of this park and we wished we would have stayed longer. The park is in a perfect location to explore the towns of Leland (and Fishtown), Lake Leelanau, Northport, and Sutton’s Bay. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the town of Glen Arbor are a 20 minute drive and Traverse City is about 45 minutes. All these towns are quaint coastal towns with shopping, galleries, good restaurants. The park is on the Leelanau Peninsula which is one of Michigan’s most well-known and revered wine region and there are three wineries within a couple of miles (one is just across the street from the entrance). That being said, there are nearly some 20 wineries within 15 – 20 minutes of the park. There are a few state parks and county preserves nearby that have hiking, scenic views of Lake Michigan and picturesque lighthouses.
All-in-all we really liked this park and would definitely come back. We took advantage of their “Big-Rig Special” which gave a 25% discount if you booked 4 nights. Otherwise, the price per night was $69 which we found to be expensive for what you get. The biggest dings we give this park are for the high nightly price and the lack of amenities that should come in a “resort” with that high a price. This area is one of our favorites in Michigan and we easily could have spent a couple of weeks here enjoying the area.
LegendThe location of this campground is great and it's best feature in my opinion! This park is just two miles to downtown Traverse City (one of Michigan’s most popular resort towns), a quarter mile from a pretty beach and the beautiful blue waters of Lake Michigan, and it sits along the TART Trail which is a 10.5-mile bicycle trail running through the city.
While the park is small at just 47 acres, it holds pretty many campsites – approximately 350 (and two cabins). Campsites are set among tall pine trees so there is a bit of shade but that also means that they are sandy with little grass. Roads are paved and narrow if you are trying to maneuver with a large (40+ RV) and you may have difficulty backing into your site with the numerous trees lining the road. All sites are back-in with electric. Sites and patios are sandy with varying degrees of levelness. There is a dump station and water spigots are scattered throughout the campground. Picnic tables and fire pits are at each site. Sites are $31/night ($49/night for the cabins) and reserveable online.
This park is right on US-31/M-72 which means there is easy access in and out but it can be noisy if your campsite is close to the road. Expect the campground to be very busy on weekends and in the summer and tightly packed.
Amenities include: picnic area, beach, fishing, hiking/bicycling trail, three bathhouses, playground area, camp store, pet walk (no off-leash dog park).
Outside of the park there is a lot to do in Traverse City. Early July is the ever-popular Cherry Festival which lasts for a week. But you better book your campsite early if you want to enjoy all the festivities (which happen to be close to the park). The summer farmers market is great and held every Wednesday and Saturday. Early in the season, asparagus is plentiful and locally-grown asparagus is the best you will ever have being super sweet, tender, and inexpensive. For beer drinkers, consider paddling the beer trail that takes you from Boardman Lake to Lake Michigan and past numerous breweries where you pull over for a pint. If it's ice cream you want, you have come to the right place. There are multiple creameries with Moomer's being our favorite and for some reason eating it right at the farm stand was the best.
Camping with your furry friends near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore offers a fantastic opportunity to explore the great outdoors together. Here are some pet-friendly options that ensure both you and your pets have a memorable experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are dogs allowed at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore?
Yes, dogs are allowed at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, but with specific restrictions. Dogs must be kept on a 6-foot leash at all times and are only permitted in designated areas. They're allowed on most hiking trails, in picnic areas, and at campgrounds within the park. However, pets are prohibited on designated swimming beaches, in public buildings, and on the Dune Climb to protect the fragile ecosystem. At D.H. Day Campground — Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, campers should be aware of poison ivy surrounding campsites when bringing pets. Always clean up after your pet and be respectful of wildlife and other visitors when bringing your dog to the lakeshore.
What pet-friendly lodging options are available near Sleeping Bear Dunes?
The Sleeping Bear Dunes area offers several pet-friendly lodging options. Traverse City State Park Campground is pet-friendly and located about 45 minutes from the national lakeshore, offering sites for various camping setups and access to Traverse Bay. For RV travelers, Wild Cherry RV Resort provides well-maintained, spacious sites with pet accommodations. Other nearby options include Leelanau Pines Campground and Empire Township Campground, both welcoming pets with proper leashing. For a more rustic experience, Old US-131 State Forest Campground offers peaceful, wooded sites where pets are welcome. Always check specific pet policies when booking, as rules regarding size, breed, and number of pets may vary by location.
Which campgrounds at Sleeping Bear Dunes allow pets?
Both major campgrounds within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore are pet-friendly. Platte River Campground — Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore welcomes pets and offers beautiful wooded sites with ample space between campers. The campground features paved RV sites with level tent pads, fire rings, and easy access to hiking trails. Similarly, D.H. Day Campground permits leashed pets throughout the camping area. When camping with pets, remember that all animals must be kept on a 6-foot leash at all times, even at your campsite. Be prepared to clean up after your pet and bring supplies for their comfort, as the natural surroundings include potential hazards like poison ivy.
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