Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Trenton? Finding a place to camp in Michigan with your tent has never been easier. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Trenton campsites are perfect for tent campers.
Campground closed for renovations starting Nov 2019
Island Lake Recreation Area is a 4,000-acre park in Livingston County that offers an "up north" experience without leaving southeast Michigan. The terrain is a mixture of open brush land to mature hardwood forest, with some pockets of open meadows mixed in. Island Lake is the only balloon port in the state park system. Balloons usually take off in the early morning or late evening, depending on the wind and weather.
Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into state parks and recreation areas, state boat launches, state forest campgrounds and state trail parking lots. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/rec-pp
Camp Agawam is located in the heart of Orion Township, Michigan. The camp was previously owned and operated by the Boy Scouts of America, until 2014 at which point Orion Township took ownership. Camp Agawam offers a wide variety of opportunities for all ages. With roughly 140 acres, numerous campsites, rental facilities, walking trails, a chapel, and beautiful Tommy's Lake, this is truly a picturesque park in the middle of suburban life.
$20 - $30 / night
Pinckney Recreation Area is a paradise for backpackers, mountain bikers, anglers and other recreation enthusiasts. Pinckney is known for its extensive trail system and chain of excellent fishing lakes. Over forty miles of multi-use trail with remote campsites afford a backcountry experience. Pinckney is also a short drive from the Gerald E. Eddy Discovery Center in Waterloo Recreation Area.
$20 - $28 / night
Campers must walk approximately 700 feet to campsite #1; 1,000 feet to campsite #2 and 1,300 feet to campsite #3. Vehicles are not permitted to drive back to the campsite. It is suggested to use a wagon to get camping gear to the campsite. The wagon is not provided.
Fireplace: Fire Ring is available. Firewood is available for purchase at the Firewood Locker for $5 plus tax, credit card only. Please deposit empty bags in designated locations.
Additional Information: This campground is a primitive campground around Wiregrass Lake. It has three (3) individual campsites for tent camping only. Please note that our campgrounds required 24 hour advance reservations via phone or online. All renters will receive an email confirmation, that must be brought with you. If you made a reservation and did not receive an email confirmation please call customer service at 419-407-9700, Monday through Friday. Due to the high volumes of campers, we may not be able to accommodate requests to move campsites with less than 24 hours notice and are subject to availability.
$20 - $25 / night
Pinckney 'Rails-to-Trails' Campground is located adjacent to the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park in beautiful Pinckney, Michigan and in the heart of the Pinckney Recreation Area. We are also located adjacent to the World-Famous Hell Survivors Paintball & Airsoft Playfield.
If you are planning on playing at Hell Survivors or biking/walking the Lakeland Trail, there is no closer accommodations for camping out. We offer 62 Campsites, 18 RV Sites and Group Camping for up to 10 sites. All the sites are Rustic (no power or hookups). Perfect for Special Events & Outings or Parties!
We also have Parking and Event Space available for you Special Event.
Come Camp with us and Play Paintball, Hike or Bike the 'Lakeland Trail' or just Relax.
$30 - $50 / night
Rockland Lake is a private ten acre property with a spring fed crystal clear quarry, and lots of free space on all waterfront property. We have activities from volleyball, tether-ball, to fishing, swimming, and paddle boarding and much much more! There are diving boards, grills, and tents available. Reserve the camping trip of a lifetime today.
$75 - $200 / night
Traveler
We went tent camping for the weekend and really enjoyed it! Many tent sites available and rather spacious sites. The beach was full since it was Labor Day weekend, but clean and shallow for kids to easily play. Clean bathrooms and shower houses and lots of places to ride our bikes. A nice place to stay if you want to take advantage of the lake, Sandusky or the Lake Erie islands.
Traveler
I've been going to this campground for years, but mainly for the Halloween camping. It's a fun time of the year to go and the kids always have a blast. Most sites decorate and some site go all out with haunted houses. The campground puts on a lot of activities for the kids. Now for a little feedback: the shower and bathroom facilities need some updating. They look the same from when I was younger. With all of the money spent on sites (I tent camp), they should be a afford upgrades. The outdoor staff are always pleasant but they need cleaner outfits; the box sells the cereal. Lastly, the cost of this place is so expensive for tent campers. I get if you're actually using resources with a camper but tent sites don't use a lot. "free" pancakes are served every morning on the weekends (not sure about weekdays). Overall a nice place with a lot to do, but I only go for Halloween due to high cost. Don't let it deter you for Halloween!
Guide
I had fond memories of this place as I would come here as a child. Lots of lakes, beaches, play structures, and more open field space than you can imagine. Most of the campground is run down and in need of improvements. The tennis courts & basketball courts are nearly unusable. The pads are so weathered the lines are gone and vegetation has started growing in all the cracks. Tent camping is difficult as all the sites have large concrete pads in the middle of the site. So a tent has to be pitched next to the road or right on the line of your neighbors site. If you are in a RV this isn’t a problem. For tents, site 191 is the best. On top of a hill which overlooks the campground and lake. It’s an end site so you can spread out a bit into the adjacent field. The bath houses restrooms are in need of renovations or at least a severe cleaning. Very smelly. Showers are nearly pointless, warm water at best. For tent campers this campground is best for day use in my opinion. While the Village of Milford is a bike ride away and has lots to do, there are better places to spend a weekend.
Scout
no tent camping
Scout
Nice campground. Sites are close together and sites 60-72 or so are really tent site, not level, and need extension cord for electric. No water hookups. No ATT service.
Traveler
Well kept, quiet and fun. Bike rental was easy and did not cost too much. We had a tent site and the yurt site. Water was cold due to it being early June as expected.
Scout
Loved this campground! Bathrooms and showers were cleaner than any state park I’ve ever seen. Hosts and staff were friendly and helpful. My friends and I however got bitten up by mosquitoes even with bug spray. I recommend tent camping should be done away from the water to avoid them.
GuideNice little campground, offers both places for tent camping and RV camping. Lots to do, bike trails, walking paths, jet ski rentals, etc. Check-in people at the pavilion were nice and helpful. They also sell firewood at the pavillion. Most campsites have electric hook up and there is a dump station for RV's.
ScoutChet's place is my favorite place! They have rv and tent sites and also a few cabins. They often have gatherings in the pavilion. There's the river to fish in. Docks for your boat. It's a very family friendly place in the middle of nowhere yet close to everywhere!
TravelerWe have been going to Camp Dearborn for five years now, and our friend's family has been going for nearly sixty! They have activities for both children and adults, two beautiful beaches, a pool, tennis courts, and now a zip line. Options for camping range from tent sites to luxury cabins. We usually get a platform tent, which sleeps six people and comes with a kitchen cabana.
Guide
Don’t let the secret get too big but this place is great. Stayed there at the state park for a week tent camping and it’s wonderful. It’s clean and quiet. The facilities are close and clean. The whole island is fun with plenty of hikes and hidden beaches. Make sure to stop by the local restaurants and get some unique drinks and food. The Brandy Alexander is a must have drink,
TravelerWe will definitely be going back! Campground is on the lake and is beautiful! So many things to do! The camp is clean, has a playground, and movie night. Bath house is a typical campground bath house. We had a tent site and it was huge! Sites come with fire pit and picnic table. Beach is within walking distance of campsite.
TravelerDitto Rebecca’s and Sarah’s reviews below. Tent camped for 5 nights. Brought the dog and bicycles-easy island to bicycle on/around. Camp office now had WiFi in/near the office building. Loved being able to hear the waves on the beach even though our spot wasn’t on the beach. Lots of families and retirees. No issues with rowdy folks-quit time was quiet. Had a problem with our car and lots of folks offered assistance.
Traveler
I recently camped here at South Bass Island State Park. Because of current Covid-19 restrictions, the campground was pretty empty (which I hear is very unusual for summertime). I camped in a tent-only site on the edge of the 25 foot cliff. Great for adults, but no safety barrier for young children. Campsite #97 and#99 have fire rings right on the cliff. (I camped at #99.)
The facilities at the campground are clean and well maintained and the people who work at the camp store are friendly.
The campground is well shaded with mature trees throughout and it over looks Lake Erie to the West making for great views of the sunset. Some sites are right on top of each other and others are well spread out.
Traveler
This campground has a little bit of everything. Rv parking, tent sites and several cabins to rent. Rates are decent. Has lots of stuff for kids to do. Pools are small and can be a little crowded during the summer on weekends. They have a great splash pad and wading pool for kids. There is a new Tiki Hut to get adult drinks. A gem mine. Horseshoes, basketball court and lots of kids activities. Nice camp store that carries a little of everything. This is our second trip there.
TravelerWe stayed at one of the primitive tent sites at South Bass Island State Park and had the most enjoyable time. The site was on a cliff overlooking Lake Erie. The campground was very well kept and clean. The park staff was friendly and helpful, and the park office was stocked with necessities at a decent price. If I had any complaint at all, it would be that the sites are really close together, which could be a problem at busy times. Fortunately we only had one neighbor directly beside us, and they were very nice folks. Would highly recommend this campground!
RangerWe tent-camped in well-shaded loop D, which is a non-electric tent area. Loop D is much smaller and more private than the larger non-electric area (loop A). If you're in a camper, then the area next to loop A (loop B) is your best bet for shade. We loved our stay here. It's a great base camp for exploring the area and the beach is just a short drive. I wish the bathrooms in the non-electric loop were updated, but they were cleaned on a daily basis. Daily nature programs for kids at the campground 's excellent nature center were great. Take the ferry to Put-in-Bay while you're at East Harbor, or take a road trip to the Mad River & NKP train museum in Bellevue.
GuideHad a great camping trip! Miller’s Ferry to the island. Completely Shaded. Mostly level. Some are narrow-ish. Our site 32, was long back into the open wooded area behind us. Everyone was respectful. Shower houses decent. Older and clean. Private shower stalls. Plenty of drinking water stations and grey water dump too. We were there with the mayflies 😂 harmless but plentiful! Wifi worked. Office open after 3pm-ice. Lake is beautiful. Tent sites-no electric-on the lake and are picturesque. We rented a golf cart to get around the island, which was a lot of fun. Sunsets near Perry’s Memorial are magnificent. Goat Soup and Whiskey-best restaurant! Second best-Upper Deck.
Guide
This is a quiet campground near Lake Erie. The campground seems like it’s mainly seasonal but they did have some transient camping and tent sites. We stayed at site 156. The site was large with a large grassy area right on the lagoon. There was a large flock of geese that stayed near the lagoon which meant goose poop around our site. It was also very buggy in the evenings. The electric is 50 amp. They have connectors you can use for a $25 deposit and then get your money back when you return the cord. They accept check and cash, no credit cards. The roads are paved and they have a nice outdoor pool, small playground, and small miniature golf course.
Guide
Great campground.
Pull through and back ins. Tent camping, four cabins.
50,30,20 full hookups. Electric, and water
Full wooded area with older trees, small but has all modern enmities.
WiFi
Cable
Small store stocked with all the essentials that you need for your stay.
Bath house updated and modern.
Mini golf area, children’s playground, large jenga, and other outdoor games.
K9 area plus, little poop areas, with bags available.
Pool (was closed when we were there) nice pool.
Close to stores and perfect area with gas stations that fit large vehicles.
Many areas to visit and explore.
Camping for a vacation or traveling through. Full hookups are 56.00 (as of July 2021) could change, that’s up to KOA.
Pull in, relax. They will even help with pulling in and hooking up.
Refill propane tanks at campground. Deliver wood right to site.
Guide
We were warmly greeted by the attendee and the camp host. Firewood, snacks, camp essentials, and ice available on site. Nice touch having firewood delivered to our site. The gentleman could not have been kinder and offered assistance with us setting up. The site was a larger site (#12) tucked nicely away in a corner.
Picnic Table and Nice Fire Ring onsite. Port-a-potty, dumpster near site.
Fair warning, the staff aren’t the only ones ready to greet you! Bugs, Mosquitoes, bees, and even raccoons (if food left out - which we did not). We have been to sites before that must have sprayed for pests because we have never experienced the amount of mosquitoes we did here. Thankfully we had Off Area Camp Spray, our Thermacell, and citronella burning and it helped dramatically reduce the pests.
The noise level was very “citified.” Traffic could be heard throughout the evening and early morning. That’s what we get for camping so close to civilization. Also, beware of Poison Oak and Ivy! The entire site was bordered with it.
Lastly, make sure that if you car camp or SUV Camp, you let them know. They have a policy of making you park your car/SUV in the lot after setting up your tent (if tent camping).
TravelerAlthough we camp in a motor home, this is one of the best tent camping spots I’ve seen. About twenty of the tent spots overlook the cliffs with great views of the water. Sites 97 and 114 sit on the edge of the cliff. This makes these two spots really unique. However, families with young children, unstable adults, and those who like to party would find these sites profoundly dangerous. The tents are two feet from the edge of the cliff.
There are no electric RV sites with a cliff-edge view. We stayed in Site 46, which was next to the restroom and just fair. The flattest RV sites with fair to good locations are Sites 57 and 44 (although even these will require a little leveling).
The campground includes very clean flush toilets and even cleaner showers (no cost for the showers). Wood and ice are available at the check-in building. In the summer there are kayak rentals.
If you haven’t been to this island everyone uses golf carts and bikes (90% golf carts). Golf cart rental shops are everywhere. We used bikes and saw the entire island. The restaurants and shops are at the other end of the island from the campground. Getting there took about twenty minutes by bike (probably seven minutes by golf cart).
We loved it here and extended our stay. The people are wonderful and the town is filled with things to do. The campground is quiet and tranquil. Rates for an RV site with electricity were $39.00 in September of 2021.
RangerOur site was $59.95 a night.
We were in Site# 504. We had Full hook- up with a gravel pull-through.
We travel towing a 14 foot trailer and were able to fit both in our pull through site along with my jeep. The site was easy to level. We were charged $25 additional for my jeep since we were towing the trailer. We also were charged $10 because we arrived at 1:25 PM and check-in is at 2 PM. The park was close to empty so arriving early was not an inconvenience. We drove ourselves to our spot (no escort).
Our site was shaded with lots of trees. This was a smaller lot with our neighbors fairly close.
The lot comes with a concrete patio with picnic table and fire ring. They sell wood for $6 a bundle.
There is free WiFi, although not strong. They offer Cable TV and there are many channels.
There is not a community outdoor kitchen or community fire pit.
They pickup your garbage at your site daily before noon.
You are allowed to ride personal golf carts. They do not provide golf cart rentals. There is really not a need to have a Golf cart because it is a smaller campground.
They do have a Swimming pool but it is currently closed due to maintenance (although it just looked closed- no signs of maintenance being done).
There is a Playground. They also offer horseshoes, corn hole, giant jinga.
They have a basic general store. There are not scheduled activities for kids.
There is not a snack bar/restaurant on site.
The streets are gravel so not great for riding bikes. This is an RV park with tent camping and cabins to rent.
They have one shower house. The shower house has individual bathrooms with your own sink, shower, toilet. These are kept very clean.
There is a laundry facility. It is a cash only facility, but they have a change machine. There are approximately 4 washers and 4 dryers. It is approximately $2.50 to wash and $2.50 to dry a load.
They have a small fenced in dog park.
There isn’t tons to doin the actual city of Perryville. But Toledo is a 20 minute drive.
ScoutBoth tent camping and RV/Trailer camping. A few Yurts to rent also which are somewhat isolated from the other camping areas. Reservations can be made exactly 6 months in advance and only a few sites are kept open for walk ins anymore. The sites along the cliff overlooking the lake have fabulous views but are ONLY for tents and one should NOT camp there with small kids.
The RV camp sites and many of the other camp sites are inland from the cliff and while wooded are generally very close together and most do NOT have a lake view. The ONLY quiet areas in the campgrounds on the weekends are the cliff tent areas since it is a party island and the young people camping in the interior areas seem to never go to bed.
The Park has a rocky beach (shoes NECESSARY) which is actually a nice swimming area if you aren't looking for sand under your feet or blanket. That beach is the only free public place to swim on the island (some hotels do have pools). That beach area is a great area though to launch a kayak or sailboard to use in the cove. There is also a regular boat ramp for larger boats or jet skis. NO overnight boat tie ups at this state park dock (some at the downtown state park, but those are hard to snag)
The town is about 1.5 miles down the road and easy to get to via bicycle or island taxi - vehicle parking very limited if you try to drive into town. and the town has numerous bars and restaurants with lots of live entertainment on the weekends.
The town is definitely a"party" location on the weekends during the summer months. and there is a very pretty and active harbor there, usually with 100 to 200 boats including some in the 40 to 50 foot range in the harbor on the weekends.
The slow ferry to the island (Miller) is the car ferry and it has free parking if you can leave your vehicle behind on the mainland and transport your stuff to the campgrounds via a bike trailer or some other way (about a mile+ from the ferry dock to the state park). If you do take your vehicle over note that the wait time to bring it back on a Sunday while usually 2 to 3 hours can also be up to 6 hours from when you get in line (beware the Miller ferry stops running about 8pm, ie: near sunset). Usually little or no wait time when bringing a vehicle or RV back mid week.
Pick when you want to go depending upon how much you enjoy noise and partying. Mid week during the summer season is the best time for those who aren't into 24 hour partying and weren't able to snag a cliff side camp site. Kelly's Island is quieter and has a nice natural sand beach, so better for weekend trips if going with a family, or if you definitely need a sand beach. If bands, noise, drinking, and people watching are your desire, well this is the place to go on a summer weekend (ala Key West party atmosphere)
LegendThis is a typical fairground campground with open grassy areas for campsites surrounded by barns and tracks. The fairgrounds is located just off I-94 which makes for easy entrance and exit to the campground, but, means there is lots of road noise. Close by are plenty of stores, restaurants, gas stations, etc. In fact, there is a gap in the fence that runs around the fairgrounds allowing you to walk to a Walmart, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and more.
We arrived without a reservation and the women in the office was very helpful providing a map with all available sites during our stay and letting us choose which one we wanted. One of the first things you notice is that a number of people are here long-term so we went to the back area hoping it would be quieter and less crowded. A number of the campsites are “buddy” sites meaning your patio opens to your neighbors so be careful which one you pick. This is pretty undesirable when the neighbor is a total stranger so we chose a site where we didn’t have anyone next to us.
They offer 50 amp full hook-up sites, 50 amp/water, and 30 amp/water sites with pull-thru and back-in options. There is a dump station located in the middle of the park which is easy to get to. The roads are wide and a lack of trees makes this campground accessible for any size RV. The sites are level but some lack grassy making the patio pretty dusty or muddy. Unfortunately, where we were was pretty muddy just after a light rain. This campground works best for RV’s and not tents. For tenters there is a designated section that is set in a corner of the park with large trees for shade but not much privacy between you and others. A water spigot is in the tent area and there was one picnic table. The camp office sells firewood but we only saw two fire pits in the whole park. Be aware that noise from the interstate and nearby train tracks may make for a restless night. Bathrooms are centrally located in the campground and were old and tired but relatively clean. On-site laundry is available.
Apparently, management is having some issues with campers not obeying some of the rules. One of the sad things about this campground is that campers have to be reminded to clean up after their dogs. Apparently, it is such an issue that we got a letter stating that if you don’t pick up your dogs poop you would be asked to leave. How sad is that? There is free WiFi which worked pretty well. Upon checking in, we had to sign a piece of paper stating that we would not download copyrighted material or stream movies or we would be asked to leave.
My favorite aspect of this campground is that they had a community garden that you were welcome to pick from. We got tomatoes, Swiss chard, peppers, broccoli, and more. Overall, this campground was fine for the few nights we were here and close to the attractions we wanted to visit. We never felt unsafe even though it was close to major cities. We chose this campground because we wanted to go to Ann Arbor and Dearborn and it was a very convenient location.
Pros:
· Good location if you want to visit Ann Arbor and Dearborn
· Close to interstate for easy access
· Long, level sites that will fit any RV
· Community garden you can pick from vegetables
· Stores and restaurants are nearby (some within walking distance)
Cons:
· Lots of road noise from I-94
· No trees for shade or privacy
· Would not recommend for tent camping
· Many campers are long-term
· “Buddy” campsites with patios facing each other
Scout
I come down to Detroit from Windsor every year to camp in Michigan with friends and this year we went to this very nice campsite in Orion Twp and I loved it. This was the first year we started our trip in Toronto, thanks to a solar company at https://www.solarpowertoronto.com/ who installed solar panels on our RV. We were able to camp from Toronto to Orion Twp and had a great time. Will be doing the same next year.
TravelerMy wife and I stayed a this campground for only one night enroute to Michigan, driving a 32 foot RV. We were assigned site 601 which is a pull-through site in the back row of the campground. It was easily accessed and had adequate space for the RV and for a tarp or screen tent (which we did not deploy). The staff were friendly and helpful and there was a swimming pool and a small playground and other amenities for children at the campground. We would gladly stay there longer if we were visiting the area.
Tent camping near Trenton, Michigan offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With well-reviewed campgrounds nearby, campers can find the perfect setting for their next adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Trenton, MI is Maumee Bay State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 41 reviews.
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