The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Ludington. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Ludington. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
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
$25 - $65 / night
$14 - $27 / night
Lake Michigan Campground is perched on the shores of Lake Michigan, 15 miles south of Manistee. The area creates an incredible setting with a scenic overlook of the lake and a sandy swimming beach. This family campground provides an array of hiking and biking trails, plus swimming, fishing and kayaking.
A hardwood forest gives way to a beautiful sandy beach at the shores of the lake with a playground for younger campers. Trout fishing in Lake Michigan is another big draw. Bird watchers delight in seeing unique species like the piping plover and prairie warbler. The Arrowhead Trail, a short loop trail created by Boy Scouts, forms a loop between the campground and the beach. A trailhead for the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is also within the recreation area.
A hardwood forest gives way to a beautiful sandy beach at the shores of the lake with a playground for younger campers. Trout fishing in Lake Michigan is another big draw. Bird watchers delight in seeing unique species like the piping plover and prairie warbler. The Arrowhead Trail, a short loop trail created by Boy Scouts, forms a loop between the campground and the beach. A trailhead for the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is also within the recreation area.
The recreation area sits on the eastern banks of Lake Michigan along Porter Creek, due north of Hamlin Lake. As the second largest of the five Great Lakes, Lake Michigan provides stunning views and limitless options for water recreation. It covers a whopping 22,400 square miles and ranks as the fifth largest lake in the world. The Huron-Manistee National Forests encompass nearly a million acres of public protected land. Nearly 6,000 acres is wetlands that extend over the northern portion of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
The nearby Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area has abundant trails for hiking and backpacking.
$27 - $32 / 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/0,4570,7-350-79134_79210---,00.html
$25 - $65 / 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
$40 - $160 / night
Poncho’s Pond is situated on 37 grassy acres. Our sites include city water, sewer, 30 & 50 amp electric service and television service at no extra charge. Tent sites have water & electric only. All sites have a picnic table and a fire pit. For those without a camper of their own, we offer rental Haciendas that sleep up to 8 people.
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
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
$25 - $65 / night
Lake Michigan Campground is perched on the shores of Lake Michigan, 15 miles south of Manistee. The area creates an incredible setting with a scenic overlook of the lake and a sandy swimming beach. This family campground provides an array of hiking and biking trails, plus swimming, fishing and kayaking.
A hardwood forest gives way to a beautiful sandy beach at the shores of the lake with a playground for younger campers. Trout fishing in Lake Michigan is another big draw. Bird watchers delight in seeing unique species like the piping plover and prairie warbler. The Arrowhead Trail, a short loop trail created by Boy Scouts, forms a loop between the campground and the beach. A trailhead for the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is also within the recreation area.
A hardwood forest gives way to a beautiful sandy beach at the shores of the lake with a playground for younger campers. Trout fishing in Lake Michigan is another big draw. Bird watchers delight in seeing unique species like the piping plover and prairie warbler. The Arrowhead Trail, a short loop trail created by Boy Scouts, forms a loop between the campground and the beach. A trailhead for the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is also within the recreation area.
The recreation area sits on the eastern banks of Lake Michigan along Porter Creek, due north of Hamlin Lake. As the second largest of the five Great Lakes, Lake Michigan provides stunning views and limitless options for water recreation. It covers a whopping 22,400 square miles and ranks as the fifth largest lake in the world. The Huron-Manistee National Forests encompass nearly a million acres of public protected land. Nearly 6,000 acres is wetlands that extend over the northern portion of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
The nearby Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area has abundant trails for hiking and backpacking.
$27 - $32 / 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/0,4570,7-350-79134_79210---,00.html
$25 - $65 / night
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.
A 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.
Peggy are host was awesome . It's really clean and a beautiful place and close to the Dunes .
It’s a little cramped making it a bit overwhelming but the sites are nice and kept.
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.
Camp staff very friendly and park is well maintained. Nice hiking trails nearby and a 20 minute drive to a whole lot of entertainment!
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.
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.
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.
Small campsites, but nice bathrooms and showers, close to Baldwin
Went there to use dump station after camping at the local veterans retreat, nice facilities and staff. 15$ fee to use dump station
I 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.
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.
We loved this park and the atmosphere. So much room for all size campers, bathrooms and showers were clean and spacious. Beach access super close and plenty of roaming for our dog. Fire rings were the nicest we've seen and the park was kept clean and today, the rangers were on top of everything.
Very small campground with a quiet time at 10:00 am. The host and staff were beyond helpful and friendly. Only complaint - bathrooms were a good hike away from the tent/RV spots
The 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
I wanted to give this place a 5 star rating but unfortunately I’ve had a bad experience at this one. my first time camping with a group of friends at this campground we reserved 3 spots all close together to accommodate such a huge group having camped there for a little over 24hours was told by the park ranger to move my tent over to my side of the plot since my tent was crossing my groups plot boarder by a little bit in the middle of rain with 2 kids(under 5)in the tent to keep dry from the rain. park ranger couldn’t be lenient enough to wait for the rain to subside.knowing the park ranger usually make frequent rounds around the park they could have told me sooner if it was problem but they waited until it started to rain to tell me to move.
I had a deeply disappointing experience at this campground. Despite driving six hours to get there and booking three sites, which were more than enough space for sharing, my friend and his family were forced to move their tent because it was slightly over the boundary—just a foot inside our site. This happened in the middle of the rain, with kids inside the tent, and despite our explanations, a ranger and three staff members insisted they move. Meanwhile, a nearby camper was allowed to stay despite having two tents and one camper on one site, which is against the rules. This discrepancy made us feel racially targeted and left a sour taste in our mouths. To top it off, the bathroom facilities were dirty, which only added to the negative experience. The lack of empathy and fairness was truly disheartening.
Terrible staff and communication.! Worse part is a power hungry ranger telling us to move our tent 2 inches away from our PAID campsite. What was worse is he told us when it was pouring outside while his kids was inside. Will not come to this campsite because of the ranger! Edit: we later found out that there was another campsite down the road that had 2 tents and 1 camper on 1 plot and they said nothing
We stayed for 2 nights drove 4 hours just to go here with our friends and family. We respectfully rented 3 sites for a group or 11 so we have enough spaces for our tents and be together. On the 2nd day it was pouring rain the ranger told us we are too close to each others campsite. Although we are together and paid we still had to move our tents just an inch away from each other in the rain he couldn’t even wait for us to wait for the rain to stop but no we had to move the whole set up in the rain. Worse experience at a campsite. I understand rules and policy but we were harming no one. DONT COME HERE IF YOU HAVE A BIG GROUP. Definitely not family friendly. It completely ruins the experience for people when big groups come.
Not a bad campground. Easy drive to Traverse City. Camp store is small and closes early, 7pm.
Nice spot with a fire pit. I don’t think you can get a trailer in the spot but I pulled up in my truck and setup a tent right next to it. I can’t hear anyone else and it’s elevated above the road. Nice and peaceful
This is the White River special area of the Manistee National Forest. While there are numbered campsites, there are no facilities or amenities. This is more suitable for tents or maybe small campers. Best access seems to be along 160th avenue south of Arthur road. The road seems a bit sketchy but should be okay for most vehicles. We explored the area while camping at nearby Pines Point campground.
Pines Point is a rustic Manistee National Forest campground with some unique features. There are a small number of reservable sites in something of a group camping area but most sites are not reservable. The area is managed by concessionaire American Land and Leisure with an on-site resident manager. Current fee for camping is $24 per night. The campground is very beautiful in an out of the way wooded area along the White River. Some sites are located along the river on a low bluff, with a Riverside path and several stairways to access the river. Most sites are large and well separated from other sites by trees and underbrush. This is a rustic campground with no electric or other hookups. There are conveniently located water spigots with good volume and pressure located throughout the campground. One of the unique features however, is that there is a restroom building with flush toilets! There is a day use/picnic area adjacent to the campground that includes a canoe / kayak launch. This area also has a fee if you are not a registered camper. This leads us to the other unique feature of the campground, which is a "tuber's loop" on the river which leads from the canoe launch around a large peninsula containing the picnic area to a wellmarked takeout point where one can walk less than 50 yards back to the canoe launch to do it again! The float takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes through very scenic and wild section of river, the river is mostly rocky and shallow with a good current. The river is also popular for other kayak / canoe trips with multiple launch and take out points. There is no longer a kayak/canoe/tube rental service in the area, so bring your own! There is basically no cell service in the area of the campground. The nearby small town of Hesperia has a full service grocery, gas stations etc. in our experience the campground is raPines Point is a rustic Manistee National Forest campground with some unique features. There are a small number of reservable sites in something of a group camping area but most sites are not reservable. The area is managed by concessionaire American Land and Leisure with an on-site resident manager. Current fee for camping is $24 per night. The campground is very beautiful in an out of the way wooded area along the White River. Some sites are located along the river on a low bluff, with a Riverside path and several stairways to access the river. Most sites are large and well separated from other sites by trees and underbrush. This is a rustic campground with no electric or other hookups. There are conveniently located water spigots with good volume and pressure located throughout the campground. One of the unique features however, is that there is a restroom building with flush toilets! There is a day use/picnic area adjacent to the campground that includes a canoe / kayak launch. This area also has a fee if you are not a registered camper. This leads us to the other unique feature of the campground, which is a "tuber's loop" on the river which leads from the canoe launch around a large peninsula containing the picnic area to a wellmarked takeout point where one can walk less than 50 yards back to the canoe launch to do it again! The float takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes through very scenic and wild section of river, the river is mostly rocky and shallow with a good current. The river is also popular for other kayak / canoe trips with multiple launch and take out points. There is no longer a kayak/canoe/tube rental service in the area, so bring your own! There is basically no cell service in the area of the campground. The nearby small town of Hesperia has a full service grocery, gas stations etc. In our experience the campground is rarely full, except possibly for some holiday weekends. A side note, there is a free, dispersed camping area suitable for tents and maybe small campers along 160th Ave South of Arthur Rd. There are no services or amenities and the road is a bit sketchy, but it might be an option if Pines Point is full or you prefer more seclusion and no fees!
Nice campsites with enough space between sites. Our site wasn’t level. Most sites are level and have large picnic tables and fire pits with fold away grills. Bring enough supplies for your stay unless you don’t mind a 1/2 hour drive to get resupplied in Ludington or Manistee. Mice and mosquitoes can be a nuisance in the campsite even if you’re careful about crumbs etc. We had a mouse going under our ground tarp under the tent
It was a nice campground. Nestled in nature, quiet, clean, WiFi only at the clubhouse. Private beach with a steep paved walkway accessible across the street. Absolutely the best sunsets over Lake Michigan! Friendly staff, Pool was clean, refreshing, and hot tub as well. Game room for the kids. Various outdoor games-usual horseshoes, shuffleboard, basketball, small playground. Many, many, many speed bumps throughout. Firewood was wet. Other campers we talked to said it’s always wet, that they don’t buy it there. Spent $70 for weekend rate, I think it was $60? For weekday? Just for electric, water, no WiFi, 4 days. With all the campgrounds MI has to offer, this was a very nice campground, and would recommend it, but we personally look forward to exploring other options.
Our first time camping with the rig. Owners went above and beyond to assist with our set up. We also had to adjust our dates and they were very accommodating. Their assistance consisted of offering us an extra hose extension, another part for the sewer connection, and assisted with making sure Everything was working correctly before they left. Very clean campground, friendly, polite people all around, great pool and real nice “event” room. Nice clean (2) bathhouses, and one family bathhouse, also very nice. Horseshoes and shuffle board, big sandy playground for children. We only wish there were trails to walk on. But it’s close to Benzie, Frankfort, Manistee, Portage Lake. Dollar Tree nearly across the street in case you forgot anything. Northern Natural Cider house and Winery close by, plus Iron Fish Distillery! Kampvilla is the place to be! It will be our yearly destination. We began our season and will ‘near our end’ of season there!
Camping near Ludington, Michigan, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes, fun activities, and a chance to unwind in nature. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a quiet getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Ludington, Michigan, has something for everyone, whether you're a family looking for fun or an RV enthusiast seeking adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Ludington, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, Ludington, MI offers a wide range of camping options, with 194 campgrounds and RV parks near Ludington, MI and 9 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Ludington, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Ludington, MI is Cedar Campground — Ludington State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 40 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Ludington, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 9 free dispersed camping spots near Ludington, MI.
What parks are near Ludington, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 4 parks near Ludington, MI that allow camping, notably Huron-Manistee National Forests and Sleeping Bear Dunes.
