Best Tent Camping near Vandalia, MI

Looking for tent camping near Vandalia? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Michigan tent camping excursion.

Best Tent Sites Near Vandalia, MI (18)

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 18 campgrounds

Recent Tent Reviews in Vandalia

675 Reviews of 18 Vandalia Campgrounds


  • Brian O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground
    Nov. 5, 2024

    Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground

    small campground away from it all

    Little four site camping area on the shore of Rivir Lake (not a typo). It can be accessed either by parking and walking in on the wide, well tended trail (#4 on maps) or by boating. The nearest boat launch is Miller lake, a mile west. Sites 3 & 4 are right on the lake with the best access, Sites 1& 2 are across the trail which is along a raised berm with a bridge over the passage to Mud Lake. I'd give this a higher review, but most people wouldn't appreciate the primitiveness of the sites. It's distance from most amenities could be a turn off, but also could be perfect for others

  • A
    Camper-submitted photo from Warren Dunes State Park Campground
    Oct. 22, 2024

    Warren Dunes State Park Campground

    Great for short stay

    I’m very familiar with Warren Dunes but this was my first time camping here. Great walks and hikes and the short drive to the beach is a plus. The sites aren’t too private and can fill up quickly. The bathrooms were clean and stocked. I read lots of reviews about the noise from the road and nearby highway and I didn’t think it would bother me, but I was wrong. I wish I had some ear plugs because I had difficulty falling asleep. Overall great place, especially for beginner campers as there is a small onsite store for camp basics. Three stars due to noise and not much privacy.

  • Brian O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground
    Oct. 17, 2024

    Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground

    Idyllic small location, deserves higher review

    Little four site camping area on the shore of Rivir Lake (not a typo). It can be accessed either by parking and walking in on the wide, well tended trail (#4 on maps) of by boating. The nearest boat launch is Miller lake, a mile west. Sites 3 & 4 are right on the lake with the best access, Sites 1 & 2 are across the trail which is along a raised berm with a bridge over the passage to Mud Lake.
    I'd give this a higher review, but most people wouldn't appreciate the primitiveness of the sites. It's distance from most amenities could be a turn off, but also could be perfect for others

  • Brian O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground
    Oct. 17, 2024

    Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground

    Can be crowded, but a good park overall

    We were a bit surprised that despite having a paid reservation , we still had to pay a $20 Day usage fee to enter the park, but no matter. This is a sprawling and sometimes confusing campground to find your way in. But the sites are generally shady if a bit close together. There are five facilities with showers and running water and six pit toilets. drinking water is accessible throughout the park.
    The majority of sites have six person tables, though some, especially in the new 385-416 loop have little four person tables. These are also the least shaded.
    Campground and facilities are clean and well maintained.
    The General Store is one of the most impressively well stocked I have ever seen. Equipment, toys, tools, food souvenirs, you name it. Good dry firewood is $6.50 a bundle in the store, $7 on the honor system after hours. It burns fast, so you might want to buy more than you think. The store is open until 9:00 Friday & Saturday, but only 2;PM on Sunday and never on Monday. Keep that in mind if you're doing a 3-day weekend as we did. When checking out, look up to see the beautiful wooden canoe with wildlife inlaid wood.
    Fire pits are mostly round iron with non-adjustable swing-away grills. Booking is through Indiana DNR/ Reserve America so you can see photos of the site you pick.
    This was our second experience with an Indiana state park, and like our first (Pokagon, in the winter) we were impressed with the clear marking of the hiking trails (and canoe trail for that matter) there was a map and guidepost at every junction.
    There's a beach, concession stand and boat rentals on Sand lake, the Park's largest. Lastly, there's a fish cleaning shed with running water outside the campground entrance that anyone in the park can use, something I wish more parks would provide.

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Elkhart County Fairgrounds
    Oct. 6, 2024

    Elkhart County Fairgrounds

    Worked for What We Needed

    You use Gate 2 to get to the registration office. Check-in was quick and we proceeded to back-in site 444 with FHUs. Our back-in should have been smooth but we were out of practice. The utilities are at the far end of the sites. In most areas, the sites back up to each other and share a utility post(separate outlets for each site) and share the water spigot. As we had come out of the Brinkley Service Center, we did not need to dump. If we had hooked up sewer, we would have needed about 25’ of hose to reach a hole in the ground(no screw in adapter). Water pressure was okay depending on if both rigs are pulling water. They have wifi(4H Public) that was pretty good but there were not many rigs in the fairgrounds. We have 4 bars on Verizon. If you are allergic to train noise, this is not your place as trains run all day, all night, at regular intervals, and the tracks are adjacent to the FHU campground(CG) areas. Sites are quite close together but far enough that you can get your awnings out. As this CG was near the Brinkley Service Center and they had to come back out to us to finish repairs, this place worked for us. We would stay here again if we come back for service center work. They are very flexible with cancellations/reservation changes as they realize the majority of people are here for RV service.

  • Roger W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Elkhart County Fairgrounds
    Sep. 25, 2024

    Elkhart County Fairgrounds

    Area Convenient and Clean

    Elkhart County 4-h Fairgrounds: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

    (72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)

    Overall Rating: 4 for access to the area, very clean facilities, and not too many campers thus time of year.
    Price 2024: $35 for water/electric only. Security: No Usage during visit: Very light Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: none Site Spacing: very close Pad surface: our area was grass Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet except for one day of motorcycle raises at the nearby track.
    Outside Road Noise: Not most sites Through Traffic in campground: Some for activities at the fairground Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: some sites Dump Station: yes Potable Water Available: At sites Bathroom: Very nice flush toilets Showers: yes Pull Throughs: Yes Cell Service (AT&T): Varied throughout campground Setting: open grass fields around very well manicured county fairground. Recent Weather: 70s and rain. Insects:None Host: I am not sure.
    Rig Size: Large Sites: full hookups and water/electric only

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Shipshewana Campground South Park
    Sep. 4, 2024

    Shipshewana Campground South Park

    Okay Stay

    We took I-80 all the way to near Shipshewana where the roads took us about 7 miles into the campground (CG). Check-in was quick and easy because we had paid ahead online. We proceeded to pull through site 37 with FHUs. The utilities were in the center, which made it nice to dump our two black tanks in order to go to the Brinkley Service Center the next morning. Water pressure was good at about 50 psi. It was nice that the utilities were on the center of the pad. We got 4 bars on Verizon. If we wanted to put out satellite, we could have as there are not many trees in the central area to block the signal. We tried to sign into the free Wifi with no luck. The website wanted us to sign up for paid internet, which we did not do. The sites in the CG are for the most part very close together. We were here overnight to take our rig into Goshen for warranty work. Coming from the West, stay on I-80 to IN-13(exit 107) as it makes for an easier route than on the local roads versus following your GPS or Waze which may have you exit off in Elkhart. Check out the great selections at Yoder's Meat& Cheese just down the road. This CG was okay for an overnighter or short stay.

  • Skip C.
    Camper-submitted photo from Ely Lake Campground
    Aug. 29, 2024

    Ely Lake Campground

    Hidden gem

    Been coming here since I was little, took a 25 year hiatus from camping. Went back there recently and loved it just like when I was a kid!

  • Wendy F.
    Camper-submitted photo from Eden Springs Park Campground
    Aug. 6, 2024

    Eden Springs Park Campground

    Shady level sites, plenty of space

    Great place for a few days, nice location and close to everything you'll need. Sites were shady, grass and gravel, level and plenty of space in between you and your neighbors. Lots to check out, historical area with lots to learn and see. Train rides on the weekends. Dog stations everywhere, super clean and well kept bathrooms and grounds. Great stay

  • Rachel P.
    Camper-submitted photo from Fort Custer Recreation Area
    Aug. 5, 2024

    Fort Custer Recreation Area

    Well Wooded but Buggy

    We just camped at the park this weekend, which was the opening weekend after the rebuild of the bath houses and some other improvements. First, we loved how wooded and beautiful the campground was. The spots were nice and secluded, and the whole place was very beautiful. There were a few things that we didn't enjoy. First, it was EXTREMELY buggy. If you weren't covered in Deep Woods bug spray the whole time, you were getting bit. Second, I don't feel that there were enough showers. There were 5 showers in each bathhouse, making 10 showers total for the entire campground. I found myself waiting in a line every time I wanted a shower. Lastly, I wish there was a walking trail that was more accessible from the campground itself.

  • M
    Camper-submitted photo from Warren Dunes State Park Campground
    Jul. 23, 2024

    Warren Dunes State Park Campground

    Great place to stay for a few days!

    Stayed for 3 days/2 nights. Place was a little crowded, but once it got dark it was quiet and peaceful. Most spots were fairly out in the open, but we had a nice spot with a few trees hiding us on 3 sides and not too far from water or bathroom trail. Bathrooms were decent and we liked the private showers, warm water!

    Overall, great walking paths, hiking and the beach was a great bonus after an afternoon climbing the dunes!

    The only major downfall was the price of everything at the little store. $6 for an ice cream sandwich!?! No thanks! However, be sure to visit The Beach Bucket for your ice cream cravings on those hot days!! They also have firewood which burned so much better than what the camp store offered.

  • GThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Markin Glen County Park
    Jul. 18, 2024

    Markin Glen County Park

    Great place hidden away

    Visited here some years back. It was a great place for us with the family. The lake was wonderful. Meeting up with some friends was easy here. They have a nice park area to go with the lake and campground.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Covert Park Beach & Campground
    Jul. 18, 2024

    Covert Park Beach & Campground

    Great experience

    The camp is under new management and they are friendly and welcoming. I had no issues during my 1 night stay. The camp store is well stocked, and has firewood at a good price.

  • c
    Camper-submitted photo from Covert Park Beach & Campground
    Jul. 11, 2024

    Covert Park Beach & Campground

    Really nice

    Saw that prior new mgmt wasn’t great but I had never been here before and read reviews—-there is now new New mgmt in 2024 and I thought they were great hosts! I will be back for some beach yoga.

  • Rebekah J.
    Camper-submitted photo from Warren Dunes State Park Campground
    Jul. 11, 2024

    Warren Dunes State Park Campground

    Lots of road noise and LOTS of mosquitoes

    Stayed at site 201 at the Hildebrandt campground. Sites are smallish. Most sites have some shade, but little privacy in between. The scenery wasnt that great, mostly vine like trees you'd see in a flood plain. The water pump was out during our stay and needed to go to the station near the modern campground.

    We were scheduled to stay for 3d/2n but plans changed due to weather from hurricane beryl. It started to rain in the first evening and we had a mini creek running through our site. With the amount of rain projected to be on its way we could only imagine it being completely flooded.

    Mosquitoes were awful even before the rain. Vault toilets were well taken care of.

    If you want quite or the sound of nature, this campground is not for you. You can hear road traffic and trains at all times, especially at night. The general store near the campground entrance is a nice convenience if you forgot something or need ice/fire wood.

    It is wonderful though how close the Campground are to Lake Michigan/warren dunes, which is why we stayed.

  • Joe A.
    Camper-submitted photo from Ruperts Resort Campground
    Jul. 7, 2024

    Ruperts Resort Campground

    Very nice and enjoyable place keep things simple and fun cheap too easy on the money 💰

    Nobody complaining it's big enough if you want to be loud late you can the people that have a rv all year round are all nice and cool I ran in to just about every one all nice I recommend Ruperts resort in Indiana Plymouth 😉 they have showers and restrooms too if it's raining they have huge spots to go out of the rain you can bring corn hole or any game you like to bring plus more than I can say 4th July was grrreeat!

  • D G.
    Camper-submitted photo from Warren Dunes State Park Campground
    Jun. 24, 2024

    Warren Dunes State Park Campground

    Better for a Day Trip

    Went with my in laws who have a camper (I typically camp rustic). The site we were at was smaller and narrow. There was also a lot of noise from the I-94 freeway nearby while trying to sleep.

    While the hiking was good and the beach beautiful, they don’t allow alcohol which is my favorite post hike/beach activity.

    Overall I’d do a day trip for the hiking and beach, but stay elsewhere.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Warren Dunes State Park Campground
    Jun. 13, 2024

    Warren Dunes State Park Campground

    Excellent park

    While, this state park seems relatively small. The spaces are very big. They have a great little general store. The beach is just down the drive. Mood is mellow and relaxing place. Small con-a little bit of flooding. Despite other reviews online no radiation from the nuclear power plant.

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Weko Beach Campground
    Jun. 12, 2024

    Weko Beach Campground

    Campground review

    The sites are randomly laid out and on top of each other. The bathhouse looked bad. You could hike the wooden walkway trails over the dunes easily. Pay to park public beach was very close.the beach area was very nice. Campground was not.

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Warren Dunes State Park Campground
    Jun. 12, 2024

    Warren Dunes State Park Campground

    Near the dunes and a nice public beach

    This campground is a place to stay while you visit the huge dunes. Developed sites are very small and close together. Sand/grass pads that are not defined. Undeveloped or tent area was almost empty and bigger but no electric. Cabin area has best sites. Cabins are small. Limited toilets. Public beach was nice...quite a few people. Separate area for dogs to play on the beach. Hike the dunes for a great workout

  • J
    Camper-submitted photo from Happy Acres Campground
    Jun. 4, 2024

    Happy Acres Campground

    Stay in the Skybox

    We rented site 95 in the “skybox” it’s on the backside of the property. Super clean campground with friendly workers and seasonal residents were so friendly. Enjoyed the pool, pickleball and walking the trails. Has a 9hole disc golf. Very cool place and Angola has a lot to offer.

  • SEO K.
    Camper-submitted photo from Ely Lake Campground
    Jun. 4, 2024

    Ely Lake Campground

    Good Place If you play Super 9 game

    The place is very good. But the entertainment is fulfil when you play your favourite game. My favourite is Super 9 Game which I played in this game. The game is very unique and full of enjoy. Download it enjoy yourself. The game will refresh you. So, Try it now.

  • Greg D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Shipshewana North Park Campground
    May. 30, 2024

    Shipshewana North Park Campground

    North Shipshewana

    This is a nice campground for visiting Shipshewana, the restrooms and showers are just inside a “sitting room “ and they’re clean and modern. You can listen to the clopping of horse hooves as the Amish buggies go by, unfortunately there is also some traffic noise. The other reviewer must have been at the campground next to the flea market because this campground has trees and no way resembles a fairground site.


Drive Time


Guide to Vandalia

Discover the beauty of tent camping near Vandalia, Michigan, where nature meets comfort and adventure awaits.

Tent campers should check out Shady Point Campground

  • This campground offers a family-friendly atmosphere with amenities like drinking water, electric hookups, and showers, making it a convenient choice for tent campers. Shady Point Campground
  • Located on Bair Lake, it provides opportunities for swimming and fishing, perfect for those looking to enjoy water activities. Shady Point Campground
  • With a well-stocked market and firewood available, campers can easily prepare for a cozy evening under the stars. Shady Point Campground

Local activities for outdoor enthusiasts

  • Explore the nearby Goff Lake Campground, which allows for tent camping and features electric hookups and sanitary dump facilities for added convenience. Goff Lake Campground
  • Enjoy a peaceful retreat at Sweet Cherry Resort, just a short drive from beautiful public beaches, ideal for swimming and sunset views. Sweet Cherry Resort
  • For a unique experience, consider the Sunflower Farm Camping, where you can immerse yourself in nature with a short walk to the beach and enjoy the tranquility of the surroundings. Sunflower Farm Camping

Some prices for tent camping range from $20 to $40

  • At Sweet Cherry Resort, tent sites are available for around $20, offering clean facilities and a friendly atmosphere. Sweet Cherry Resort
  • Goff Lake Campground provides a budget-friendly option for tent campers, with essential amenities to ensure a comfortable stay. Goff Lake Campground
  • The Coloma/St. Joseph KOA Holiday features a variety of accommodations, including tent sites, with prices typically starting around $40, making it a great choice for families. Coloma/St. Joseph KOA Holiday

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular tent campsite near Vandalia, MI?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Vandalia, MI is Covert/South Haven KOA Holiday with a 4.7-star rating from 17 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find tent camping near Vandalia, MI?

    TheDyrt.com has all 18 tent camping locations near Vandalia, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.