Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Wellston? Finding a place to camp in Michigan with your tent has never been easier. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
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/0,4570,7-350-79134_79210---,00.html
$15 / night
$25 / night
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
The campground is under township management
Timber Creek Campground The campground is located near a small impoundment, however the impoundment is not a popular site for fishing. The busiest use is the North Country National Scenic Trail trailhead located in the campground. In the winter this site is plowed and provides access to the Ward Hills Snowmobile Trail. ORV use is prohibited in the campground.
$10 / night
Gleasons Landing is a very popular campground on the banks of the Pere Marquette River. With a selection of shaded and secluded spots, the campground is perfect for peaceful nature immersion. The Pere Marquette River was designated a National Scenic River in 1978, the first in Michigan, and it regularly attracts many canoeing, kayaking and fishing enthusiasts. The 66-mile stretch of river begins east of Baldwin and empties into Lake Michigan at Ludington.
A major draw to the campground is world-class fishing. The free flowing river maintains large populations of resident brown trout, steelhead and salmon. Gleason Landing marks the start of a zone for fly fishing and catch and release only. Reel fishing is available upstream. A boat ramp is located within the campground. Canoeing and kayaking is very popular on the river, and boat rentals are available in Baldwin. A permit is required to float the river from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Trails along the river provide shore access for anglers and short, scenic nature walks for hikers.
The campground sits on a bluff overlooking the picturesque Pere Marquette River. It is surrounded by a mix of white pine and oak trees. The Huron-Manistee National Forests encompass a million acres throughout the northern portion of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The forests provide recreation opportunities for visitors, habitat for fish and wildlife and resources for local industry.
A trailhead for the North Country National Scenic Trail is a short drive away. The trail extends from New York to North Dakota, spanning 4,600 miles.
$90 / night
This area not only has the Pere Marquette River running through it, but also contains a portion of the North Country National Scenic Trail and habitat for the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly.The Bowman Lake area is located in Lake and Sweetwater Townships in Lake County. A total of 1,145 acres of NFS lands and 368 acres of private lands are within the boundary of the Bowman Lake area.The terrain is characterized by rolling hills, glacial depressions and leatherleaf bogs. A 3-acre lake is located within the area. The area tends to be densely forested with a mix of hardwoods, red and white pine and aspen. Wildlife species that commonly inhabit this area include white-tailed deer, bobcat, coyote, red fox, raccoon, porcupine, squirrels, pileated woodpecker, ruffed grouse, wild turkey and various songbirds.Visitor recreation activities include camping, fishing, mushroom gathering, bird-watching, hunting, hiking and canoeing. Mountain biking and horseback riding are also common uses on the area trails. Although trails are not groomed in the winter, the area is popular for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.__The Bowman Lake Trailhead serves as a main entry point onto the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT). A 3-mile segment of the NCT is located within this area and mountain biking is allowed on this section of trail. In addition, a small trailhead is located on NFS Road 6267, giving access to the Bowman Lake Campground Trail, which is approximately 7.5 miles of loop trail designed for nonmotorized recreation.This trail system can also be used by mountain bikers and horseback riders. Four improved campsites are located on Bowman Lake. Segments of the State of Michigan snowmobile trail system and Michigan Cycle Conservation Club Trail (MCCCT) system are located immediately south of the area.
Scout
This campground is centrally located to everything that’s going on, on the west side of the state. Whether it’s trail riding, Traverse City Cherry festival or hanging in the town of Manton. There is always something going on. Spacious, super clean bath house and on Saturday nights listen to live music right at your campsite!
Traveler
Was a quiet. Simple.. Just with nature...Site was clean, across street you can buy firewood ...Was a pleasant 2 night's....From site to the nearest store 15-20 min away..If needed...Had no issues...Be back Thanksgiving 2024..
TravelerAccess road is an unmarked two track that is not suitable for all vehicles. Campground is free and only six sites. Free and no registration attracts lowlifes who appear to have been there a significant amount of time or the whole season. If you have a leaky trailer that needs a tarp over the top, love having your pitbulls run wild, and firing up your generator, this may be the perfect spot for you. Not sure how the folks dragged the trailers into camp. Turned around and went elsewhere. Could have been a nice spot but...
Traveler
Conveniently located but proximity to the road makes it noisy. Locals drag racing on the nearby road subsided around midnight. Campsites were clean and spacious. I stayed at one of the two sites down the road by the boat launch. I stopped here after my first campground stop was full. This site will definitely get the job done but don't make this a featured stop.
Guide
After a decent ruck in, you have some immediate camped spots and can travel further for even more. Summer time is busy so get there early for a spot. Have been multiple times with bigger groups and have always found a spot for tents and hammocks. Enjoy hikes down the best for a distance view of the dunes and enjoy fires with lake views at night.
Guide
Beach was big and beautiful but you had to drive to get to it unless you love walking with a bunch of beach stuff in a bathing suit. Hamlin lake is close by and is a good spot for fishing.
Traveler
Very cheap and exactly what we needed for a last minute campsite with a great view.
Scout
Very nice park, walkway to the public beach, paved path behind the grounds. Modern, clean bathhouse. Not a lot of privacy between spots, big mature trees all through the grounds. Right by municipal airport with lots of flight activity.
Guide
Great location away from everything. Spacious sites that are spread out. We stayed in the Oak Loop. Only 5 minute easy walk to beach. Quiet. Enough cell reception to send a text but that's it. Pit toilets only in Oak and Violet loops. Flush toilets in hemlock and orchid loop. No showers, but showers available at convenience store down the street during the summer.
TravelerA small gem of a place. Park and pay to be in the National Forest...or disperse camping on Green Rd. We parked and hiked the mile and a half in to the Dunes. Take all your gear that you need if you don't want to trek back. Can not ride bike in or have anything with wheels on the trail. At the end of the Beautiful hike you come to the Dunes. Go to the right and you will see some spots to put a tent up(do not camp on Dunes or beach). To the right is easy walk and find. If you head to the left you will have to walk over some Dunes for a bit but this is where we went and found a perfect spot right where the forest and Dunes meet. Very short walk to the beach and it's AMAZING! We had it all to ourselves for hours. It's like looking at the ocean. Beautiful views, sunsets, night sky's. The water was warm and you could walk out a ways before it got deep. Great for swimming. It was perfect. One of my favorite spots away from the busy crowds. So worth the hike. Make sure you get wood and might have to hike it in. There is little to NO wood out there laying around. If you are willing to put the work in to hike out there then I promise it's worth it.
Traveler
Peggy are host was awesome . It's really clean and a beautiful place and close to the Dunes .
Guide
It’s a little cramped making it a bit overwhelming but the sites are nice and kept.
Traveler
Super close to manistee beach, came in on the weekend mid September, almost all the camp spots were taken. Forest was super eerie but beautiful.
Guide
Camp staff very friendly and park is well maintained. Nice hiking trails nearby and a 20 minute drive to a whole lot of entertainment!
Guide
The camping area is amazing. My group camped in the non electric section. Each area was set back from the road. Flat gravel pad. Small paved driveway for your car. It was peaceful. And absolutely dark at night. Perfect for star gazing. The comfort station was a short walk away. Clean bathrooms, shower areas, and a small room to wash dishes. You cannot wash dishes at your site. You must take precautions against bears. So food had to be locked in cars. We didn’t encounter bears. At the entrance is a canoe/tube business. You can float down the river to Lake Michigan.
Guide
Our site was great, easily fit a 17 foot trailer and a tent. Trails down to the water were appreciated by our kids. Neighbors are pretty close all around but that didn't matter until our last night. Several new campers rolled in at 10pm and proceeded to throw an absolute rager of a party until 4am - on Labor Day weekend. So overall a great campground but I wish there had been enforcement of quiet time or some kind of consequence for such horrible camping manners.
Traveler
Most sites have direct river access. All sites are walk-in, but not far from the parking area. There are two pit toilets for six sites and both were clean. They sites are large, but fairly open, not much between the sites.
Traveler
Elk is a great place to spend the night after a day of paddling or fishing. There are four sites with decent space between them. The pit toilet was decently clean and well away from the sites, so no smell. The only downside is that access is tricky. The landing is a steep bank with large rocks on the river bank.
Scout
David and Gail were so friendly and welcoming, especially for the inconvenience of a last minute stay on Labor Day weekend! I had questions during the booking process and messaged them- I had a response in minutes. We had a quiet spot and were able to get some uninterrupted sleep after a long afternoon at the beach.
There are several places nearby with beach access (the turquoise water of Lake Michigan is beautiful), and lakes under 5 minutes away for fishing. For rockhounding, check out the beaches near Old Mission Lighthouse. Should we find ourselves back on the road to the UP, we'll be sure stop back in. Thanks again for being so accommodating!
Traveler
Small campsites, but nice bathrooms and showers, close to Baldwin
Traveler
Went there to use dump station after camping at the local veterans retreat, nice facilities and staff. 15$ fee to use dump station
ScoutI can't say enough about this place. They where so nice, polite and friendly. We had some R.V. Issues and they where there to help. The camp site was very nice. There bathroom and shower were so clean. We will stay there again.
Traveler
No running water.
No electricity.
No flush toilets.
No internet.
No phone signal.
Pure heaven.
Rustic campsites. 50-100 yards from the river. Great water from the pump. Nice clean vault toilet. Very quiet at night. Peaceful and beautiful. We've gone ever year for the last 5 years. Going again next year.
Highly recommend a satellite-based GPS unit like Garmin or TomTom in your car. I was serious when I said no phone signal so Google Maps ain't gonna' get you there.
ScoutThe campground is a small, family friendly campground that has a lot of activities for both adults and kids. It is clean, has level sites and well maintained facilities.
TravelerThe campsites are spacious and feature trails that lead directly to the Tippy Dam Backwater. There’s also convenient access for launching a boat on either the Manistee River or the backwaters side of the dam
ScoutQuiet, large sites, like new bath house, 7th nite free, rate$35, good location for northwestern Michigan sites Water on all outside sites. interior sites share water hookups
Scout
Not a bad campground. Easy drive to Traverse City. Camp store is small and closes early, 7pm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Wellston, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Wellston, MI is Leverentz Lake State Forest Campground with a 4.9-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Wellston, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 46 tent camping locations near Wellston, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
