Best RV Parks & Resorts near Watton, MI

When we got close to the park entrance on MI 123 our GPS wanted us to go another.5 mile to the campground(CG) but a trailer was turning into a state park road so we followed. Good choice as this was the correct road that led to the gate where you register and checked in. The road the GPS was taking us to is currently only used as an exit from the CG. After a not-so-informative check-in, we headed into the park to find water. From the online map, we believed there was a water spigot near our site so we drove to the site only to find it was not a water hose assessable spigot. Then we headed to the dump station where we did find two potable water spigots on each side of the dump station. There was a permanently fixed hose coming out of the spigots, but the first one’s threads were worn out and wouldn’t stay screwed in. We had to wait for another rig to get fresh water and dump before we could move forward to the second one that did screw in so we could fill our fresh water tank. After that, we headed to site 110 that’s an easy back-in but only electric(50 AMP/30/20). The 100s loop is newer and it's big rig friendly with sites nicely spaced apart. Site 110 is probably the most spacious and private site in the CG as it sits in a little berm. Site 112 is nicely spaced, but you will get highway noise. Concerning RV sites in the main CG area, there is a separate tent-only area on the lake, and RV sites closest to the lake tend to be smaller in site length but we saw a couple of 36 to 40-foot 5th wheels with the tow vehicle parked wherever. In the 20 to 40 numbered sites that are not on the lake, we noticed larger class As and a couple of toy haulers. In the mid-30s sites across from the lakeside, large rigs were parked willy-nilly to make their rig fit. All the original sites are pretty much crammed in together but if you want to be where all the action is i.e. partiers and kids, this would be your area. When you get past site 40 there are 90-degree back-in sites of various lengths with most having a lot of trees and vegetation between sites giving more privacy. The 35ish-foot 5th wheels we saw in there, didn’t seem to care about tree branches scraping the roof. One note about the 41- 60s area is that the power boxes are behind every two sites and shared. Depending on how you are positioned on the pad, and where the power cord connects to the rig, you may need about 60’ of power cord to reach the power box. We also noticed on our walks around the CG that due to the poor to nonexistent cell signal here(1 bar on Verizon), people especially teenagers were sitting around talking to each other versus staring at phones. There were plenty of nearby trails to explore with the dogs, including a dog beach. McLain makes a great staging point to explore the area and take in Eagle River and Copper Bay attractions.

8/26-9/1/22- Free camping! There are vault toilets and hand-pump well drinking water in several places, and picnic tables and fire pits at each camp site. The sites are well maintained, clean, and reasonably flat. I tried self registering, but there was nowhere to sign-in. About 11Am the next morning, someone came by to register us. 2-bars Verizon 5G, and 2-bars AT&T 4G. 

We rolled in about 10pm and drove through the western loop sites 1-22, pulled into the first pull-through site(W5) that we could easily get our 34’ fifth wheel into and went to sleep. In the morning, I walked the loop and found several others that we could fit(now that it was light out), and we moved over one site to W6. Site W21 has a lake view and a large loop in front of this back-in site that would be super easy to navigate for a big rig. Sites 11 and 12 were really close together but had a good views of the lake as well. Later, we drove over to the east camp site that all seemed to have lake views, and sites E12 and E13 are surrounded on 3 sides by water, a turn-around loop, and more sunlight for solar powered rigs. I didn’t think to check cell signal while there. 

The towns of Watersmeet and Conover had the cheapest diesel fuel. The Wild Turkey Bar& Grill in Conover, WI had fabulous smoked meats, and there is a great little hardware store in Conover as well.

Twin Lakes MI SP: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good (70 yr olds in 17’ trailer) Overall Rating: 2-3 (A very clean campground, but old facilities, currently. A huge facelift in 2024 is being touted. New paving, new bath/shower rooms,and pavilion are coming. Shutdown during some of 2024 is anticipated. ) Price 2023: Usage during visit: 30% mid week Site Privacy: Poor Site Spacing: Poor Site surface: Blacktop Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Seems quiet Road Noise: Right along Hwy 26. Some sites back up to the Hwy. Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: Yes Generators: Not needed Bathroom: Flush and pit Showers: Yes Pull Throughs: Some. Most are back in. Cell Service (AT&T): Very good Setting: Some tree cover in between the highway and Lake Roland Weather: High is I low 80s Host: Real nice young and helpful men manning entry booth Rig size: Large rigs Sites: Lakeside sites are the premium here and the only sites that would seduce me to visit. Good stop over place while

Van Riper State Park is a must-visit if you’re traveling through Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  It’s popular year-round, although camping is only open between May and October. Stop for the day to hike the trails and go for a swim, or stay a week and enjoy the sunsets and serenity.

The state park covers both sides of the highway with the campground and day-use area on the south side and a huge section of trails and wildlife viewing areas on the north.

There are 147 sites in the modern campground, including some sites with 50-amp electric service, and there are another 40 sites in the rustic campground. Plus, there are two mini cabins in the modern campground if you don’t own a tent or RV. All of the campsites have a fire ring and picnic table.

One thing we noticed is that the sites at Van Riper are very large– so much bigger than many sites we’ve seen at other state parks. This means there is plenty of space for your trailer, truck, bikes, screen tent, kids’ toys, etc. without feeling like you’re infringing on your neighbor.

Another plus for the state park is the laundry facilities. Two washers and dryers are located in the restroom building near the beach.

Van Riper State Park is extremely family-friendly, with activities for everyone. There are approximately 5 miles of hiking trails on the north side of the state park. One trail provides a very nice overlook of Lake Michigamme and the surrounding area. Other trails run along the Peshekee River or through the woods and may even provide the chance to see the moose that live in the area. The trails are not difficult, but there is some elevation to get to the lookout. If you don’t want to hike the whole 5-plus miles from the campground and back, you can drive and park at the group campground and go from there.

A sandy beach awaits both kids and adults on Lake Michigamme. The lake is popular as it is much warmer than most of the lakes in the Upper Peninsula. A large, fairly new playscape is also located near the beach, as well as a swing set. One of the most unique activities is a bike pump track. This is the only state park that we saw that had one. It was very popular with the kids and is conveniently located between the campground and the day-use area. The lake is popular for fishing and if you have a boat you can use the launch in the back of the park. It also is a good location for kayaking.

Loved this park. Despite the sites being pretty close, you have great water views, within walking distance to downtown and a short car ride away from lots of things to do and places to visit. 

All the sites are designed to be back-in but we asked if we could pull in forward so the view of the river was out our front window and our door opened right onto the patio. Luckily they didn’t have a problem with that so we had a great view. The patio is a wooden deck that hangs over the river bank and was suck a perfect to sit after a long day of exploring and enjoy a glass of wine. There is a picnic table, bench, BBQ grill, and fire pit and the patio providing nice shade during the day. The park is divided into two tiers and we were lucky enough to be in the lower one that was directly on the water. The upper tier has a view of the water too and the same patios but you are overlooking other RVs.  All sites are paved (as are the roads) with 20/30/50 amp electric, cable with 16 channels, and Wi-Fi. A nice feature about this park is that they do allow washing vehicles and your RV for a nominal fee.

The park is small with just 25 sites so book early if you are coming during the summer and they do have seasonal stays with good rates. We called with just a couple weeks notice but scored a site because someone cancelled. Added bonus is that this park is next door to a large waterfront park which is great for kids with lots of things for them to play on (just know dogs are not allowed). There are also picnic areas, sandy beach, and a boat launch. Continuing past the park is a four-mile paved, non-motorized pathway leading to downtown. 

There are no bathrooms or showers in the park so you must have a self-contained RV meaning pop-up campers and tents are not allowed. There are flush toilets in the waterfront park just outside the campground but were used heavily and not always clean if the park was very busy.

Loved that fact that you could walk to town. We strolled into the Keewenaw Brewery for a beer a couple of afternoons, checked out a museum that pays homage to the birthplace of American hockey (which started in Houghton), did a little window shopping, and ate the best pasties at Roy’s Pasties and Bakery. It is well worth the time to venture up the Keewenaw Peninsula to explore the other towns like Copper Harbor and Calumet. Calumet is an old copper mining town and there are lots of museums and interesting sites to see there including a very nice National Park Service visitor center. We toured the Quincy Mine and really enjoyed that. 

Pros:

·        Great water view

·        Nice patio with picnic table and bench

·        Within walking distance of town

·        Nice walking path

·        Lots to do and see in the area

·        Paved sites and roads

·        Full hook-up with cable and good WiFi

Cons:

·        Must have a self-contained RV

·        Sites are close to each other with very little privacy

·        Most sites have no shade

·        May be hard to get a site if you don’t book early

McLain SP - MI:
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good (70 yr olds in 17’ trailer) Overall Rating: 4.0 Price 2023: $35 Usage during visit: Near full, mid-week. Site Privacy: Most sites have little privacy. Lake view sites: do not count on any privacy to the sides. but what you can create with your trailer.
Site surface: Grass and Gravel sites. Reservations: Yes.
Campground Noise: Pretty quiet during our stay. Through Traffic in campground: None Electric Hookup: Yes. Bring an extension cord . Required for some sites.
Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: There is a dump station on the way in to the camping area. Potable water is there and there are a few scattered spigots. See the map in my photos.
Generators: All sites have electricity. Bathroom: Pit and flush toilets. Showers: Yes Pull Throughs: See ‘Sites’, below. Cell Service (AT&T): Good Setting: 1 - 41 in open grass area with few trees. 42 + in nice wooded area Weather: Highs in low 80s during our stay.
Bugs: Not bad. Probably the breeze from the lake is holding them at bay.
Solar: All are electric sites Host: Never seen. Rig size: The largest I’ve seen is about 35’.