The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Tawas City. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Michigan camping has to offer. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Tawas City camping trip.
$20 - $50 / night
"There's some walking trails here, the lighthouse is a close walk/bike from anywhere in the park. Getting to town is a few minute drive, or a very long bike ride on the road."
"Always packed, very little cover, but surrounded by memorable beaches, walking trails, and not far from town (if you feel the need to be a tourist)."
"The large campground is crowded in summer months and you have to buy tokens to take a shower, but the views and access to the River are spectacular."
"Sites are reasonably priced around$25-30/night.
The park is very dog-friendly, which we appreciated.
Nice large, woodsy, level lots. Many are waterfront. "
"Very nice campground off the beaten path. Oscoda is on the East side of Michigan off Lake Huron. Northern lower pennisula. This campground is a good base camp for the area.
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"The only complaint I have of this is that there is an active train track that goes through the front of the campground at the entrance. It came through at about 1:30am when I stayed."
$15 - $30 / night
"Hike to the nearby monument and attend one of their educational programs, visit the museum, take the steps down to the floating shanty, or visit the small store."
"This is a nice campground that butts up with the Lumberman’s Memorial park with a trail leading to the AuSable sand dune. Campsites are paved with fire pits and picnic tables."
"You can walk to downtown and eat at several restaurants, go to the movies, walk to Walmart and get ice cream from 3 different locations."
"The lake is Lake Huron. US 23 divides this park from the city and there is a train track and active train on the opposite side but it only goes through once a day at about 10 o’clock at night."
"There is a bike path that goes all the way i to Tawas. About 9 miles. It goes thru the woods and is just lovely with jasmine and lilac bushes and views of Lake Huron."
"Like most Michigan State Parks, you get electric (50/30) at your site, period. There's public water available at various spots, but not at your site."
"The lake right next door is beautiful, will definitely be coming back during summer! Loved the secluded location of the camp and the quiet atmosphere, despite lots of people."
$40 - $50 / night
"It’s sits on the Au Gres River trail to the river with seating, picnic table and fire pit. The grounds are immaculate. Very peaceful setting."
"Great location. Close to river trip companies and the lake."
"Our location was right behind the general store so at night the lights were very bright. This KOA has so many activities for kids and we enjoyed ourselves here!"
ScoutWe stayed here on a Tuesday and Wednesday night. We were at site 96 right on the water. It was gorgeous and clean and there were lots of spaces. The bathroom wasn’t bad but the water was cold. The showers were nice and have a private toilet in them as well. The fire pits are nice and every site comes with an electric hookup. Tons and tons of paved hiking trails. Pet friendly. Best part was checkout was at 1pm instead of 10am. Felt like it was more a family campground though so probably won’t be revisiting myself. $30/night for a tent site and wood is available on site for $7/bundle. Wood comes from a “vending machine” so it’s always dry and ready to burn which came in handy durning the rain. I did also see an area for water and sewer dumping as well.
ScoutWe found it by accident in 2024 in June. Stayed on the lakeside electric only site and loved it so much we ha d our last camp of the year there as well. Park is well kept and staff are very friendly and helpful. Starting our 1st spring camp trip here in 2025.
ScoutThe lake right next door is beautiful, will definitely be coming back during summer! Loved the secluded location of the camp and the quiet atmosphere, despite lots of people. Also loved all the hiking trails around!
LegendGeneral: One of six Huron County parks in Michigan’s “thumb”. This park is open from May 1– October 15. Three different types of campsites (Lake view, FHU, and two rustic areas) plus six cabins. Like other county parks, day use and camping areas are next to each other. The sunrises are beautiful!
Site Quality: All sites are level with gravel pads. There is zero privacy between sites. Sites 1-4 in the Lakeview section are pull-through. All other sites are back in. Both rustic sites are truly tent-only; it was not clear where cars would park, and only one of these sites (in the back of the campground) was occupied when we were there.
Bath/Shower house: Located directly across the road from the Lakeview sites and at the end of the FHU sites. They were reasonably clean. For some unknown reason, the bugs tend to congregate in the women’s bathhouse but not in the men's. This was confirmed by the park host and my husband, who could not understand why I mentioned how many bugs there were! Did not use the shower.
Activities: Small beach– not clear if it allowed swimming but it appeared to. Older plus a newer playground. Saw some boys with fishing poles. Horseshoe courts, tennis courts plus ball field. The tennis courts looked a bit sad, however.
We were lucky to snag Site 1 on the day before the Labor Day weekend started; this site has no neighbors on one side. This is hands down the best site for RVs or campers but if you are tent camping, I’d recommend the waterfront rustic sites (1-10) would be the best sites. Besides the rustic sites, the campground was completely full on the Thursday before Labor Day weekend. It was just a pass-through for us on our way to Canada, but I am glad I made reservations a few months in advance!
LegendGeneral: A real hodgepodge of options: paved sites, sandy sites, some with electric, hammock sites, several different types of cabins, and domes. Our stay was in 2023, and this review is based on that, but the campground was closed for the 2024 season for upgrades.
Site Quality: Varies greatly. We were able to secure two different sites for our two-night stay. Upon arrival, however, we doubted we would be able to navigate our 18-foot camper van into Site 58– it was sandy, narrow with trees, and cars were parked alongside the narrow access road, making backing in very difficult to impossible. We were able to switch to Site 69 for the first night. The second night we were in site 56 and enjoyed listening to the waves lapping up against the shore. Not all sites are level. Little privacy/separation between sites but if you can score a waterfront site, then it’s all good. Sites 93, 95, 95A, 98, 99A, 101, 103, 105, and 107 back up to the old river channel and the water was very stagnant and green. The beachfront sites mostly have nice views of Saginaw Bay/Lake Huron but be cautious when selecting: some are sand and not level. You will hear road noise from M25 on the 19 sites that back up to the road (and also some of the sites opposite these).
Bath/Shower: Two bathhouses (east and west) plus a couple of vault toilets. The East Bathhouse was very modern and clean. The West Bathhouse looked to be a bit older but still seemed fine.
Activities/Amenities: Beach access, fishing, swimming, and an observation platform for bird watching or night sky viewing (the weather did not cooperate to check these out). There are nearby hiking trails, a playground, a basketball hoop, and a horseshoe pit. There is a dump station. Kudos to Michigan for extensive recycling!
We arrived late at night, and I was able to get in a nice walk around the campground before the rain started, dampening our options for the rest of the day. Obviously, our stay here would have been better with better weather, but I caution you to be careful when reserving your sites based on your type of camping. Despite the abundance of mayflies (gross but not biting) and the muddy sand-covered road from all the rain, we’d stay here again if we could get a beachfront site. We enjoyed our time here and would love to see what improvements were made when the campground was closed (although I thought it was very nice before).
LegendThis county park (open May 15– October 15) has a mix of no hookup, electric only, and full hookup sites. We stayed here with friends in their 43-foot Class A in an electric site facing Lake Huron and the view was phenomenal! It would be a bummer if you had a site behind a large class A blocking your view of the lake. The full hookup sites were completely full mid-week in June.
The sites are on grass and very close together with no separation/privacy between them, but the view of the lake makes it worth it. It rained all day the second day of our stay and the dirt road and grassy areas accumulated quite a few puddles.
The bath/shower house was reasonably clean, but it took a few minutes for the motion light to go on (I thought it wouldn’t). Didn’t use the shower so cannot comment on that.
There is a playground, boat launch (separate fee), and reasonably priced firewood ($5/bundle). You can tour the lighthouse for which the park is named for $5 per adult or $3 per child (but you can only climb to the top on select– usually holiday– weekends. The volunteers are very passionate about their knowledge of the lighthouse.
We would definitely stay here again as long as we could get a water view site (and the price was reasonable).
ScoutWent later September on a Saturday and it was perfect. Good mix of tents and rv’s. Everyone was respectful and the whole campground was pretty quiet despite being essentially full. Bathrooms were clean, stocked, with plenty of hot water. Didn’t shower there but there is a ton of showers. Beach was a crazy close walk and really impressive. Even a pet friendly beach too. Camp host had fun activities for the kids (my kids claim this was the best time of the trip) as well as tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. Staff was incredibly friendly
GuideOnly stayed one night but it was a very nice stay. Private but not secluded. Encountered a bear in the night but it retreated back into the woods. Did have my dog with me. I would definitely go back.
TravelerAlright camp ground, it’s a members only. Few grouchy people that seem more miserable than into relaxing. It’s definitely an interesting atmosphere compared to other campgrounds. Staff are hit or miss, seems like the pleasant ones take layoff and move on. Small improvements are made year over year, which is nice.
Camping near Tawas City, Michigan, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a fun family adventure, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Tawas City, Michigan, has something for everyone, from families to RV enthusiasts. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the beautiful outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, Tawas City, MI offers a wide range of camping options, with 111 campgrounds and RV parks near Tawas City, MI and 1 free dispersed camping spot.
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Tawas City, MI is Tawas Point State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 23 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there is 1 free dispersed camping spot near Tawas City, MI.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 3 parks near Tawas City, MI that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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