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People
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Nature
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Facilities

Established Camping

Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area

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About

State Park

Waterloo Portage Lake Modern Campground, nestled near Grass Lake, MI, is a solid spot for year-round camping. This place has a bit of everything, from tent sites to RV hookups, and even cabins if you’re looking for a bit more comfort. The campground is part of the larger Waterloo Recreation Area, which means you’ve got plenty of nature to explore right at your doorstep.

One of the standout features here is the lake. Portage Lake is just a short walk down the hill from the campground, and it’s got a nice beach area where you can kick back and relax. Some folks have mentioned that the lake can get a bit mucky, but it’s still a great spot for a swim or a paddle. If you’re into fishing, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to cast a line.

The campground itself is pretty well-maintained. You’ll find clean bathrooms and showers scattered around, and most of the sites come with electric hookups. There’s also a sanitary dump station for RVs. If you’re planning to cook up some s’mores, you’ll be happy to know that fires are allowed, and you can buy firewood on-site.

Pets are welcome here, so feel free to bring your furry friends along. Just make sure to keep them on a leash, as there have been some issues with unleashed dogs in the past.

For those who enjoy a bit of activity, there’s a disc golf course nearby, and the campground itself has a playground that’s a hit with the kids. Whether you’re here for a quiet getaway or a family adventure, Waterloo Portage Lake Modern Campground has got you covered.

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Location

Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area is located in Michigan

Detail location of campground

Directions

Take I-94 to exit 150, Mt. Hope Rd. Go north on Mt. Hope Rd 3 miles to Seymour Rd. Turn left on Seymour Rd and go 2 miles. Park entrance will be on the right. Or take I-94 to exit 147, Race Rd. Go north on Race Rd 3 miles to Seymore Rd. Turn right on Seymour Rd and go 1 mile. Park entrance will be on the left.

Address

1500 Seymour Road
Grass Lake, MI 49240

Coordinates

42.33432784274712 N
84.2397821484357 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Available
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Good

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Cabins

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump

Reviews

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3.5

out of 5

11 Reviews

Reviewed May. 3, 2024

Vicious dogs not on 6-foot leash as required

The 6-foot leash rules are very clearly stated. There are many campers whose dogs remain the exception and don't abide by the rules. My leashed dod has been threatened by vicious larger unleashed dogs as I walk my dog more than once this month. So the camp host or ranger should , after warning the offending campers once, call the county animal control. This situation is way out of control.

Reviewed Apr. 7, 2022

Clean and quiet

Like all the state park this is very clean and well maintained. A few bathrooms are located around the campground. The spaces are generous and the majority have electricity only. The lake has a little beach with sands. Nice place.

Site2
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Raul O., April 7, 2022
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Raul O., April 7, 2022
Reviewed Feb. 16, 2022

Perfect getaway

Well we were in our way when we received a call stating that the snow plow was down and they only had a few sites plowed so we were like oh boy this is gonna be fun we’ll needless to say we arrived and we had the whole park to ourselves it was great but we can tell in the summer and spring it must be awesome the lake is beautiful even though it’s frozen but we are having a blast hope you do too

Site24
Month of VisitMarch
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Jason T., February 16, 2022
Reviewed Sep. 11, 2020

Love This Park

We have been coming here for years. We like to stay in the north campground because most of the sites are black topped. Lake is down the hill from the campground. It has a nice beach! Our grandkids love the play area!

  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Debra B., September 11, 2020
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Debra B., September 11, 2020
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Debra B., September 11, 2020
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Jul. 5, 2019

Good, but not great!

The campground is great, but the beach area is very mucky and dirty. Seaweed just flats around and gets tangled around your legs and arms all the time. Good, but not great!

  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Martin W., July 5, 2019
Reviewed May. 9, 2019

Okay campsite

The campsite itself was nice. No alcohol allowed and the lake was extremely muddy and murky. Not much to do around the area.

Reviewed Aug. 22, 2018

Camping & Disc Golf

Nice mix of camping & Disc golf. The course is mowed down and easy to navigate. Picnic tables,fire ring, primitive tent sites available!

  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Valerie D., August 22, 2018
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Valerie D., August 22, 2018
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Valerie D., August 22, 2018
Reviewed Jun. 10, 2018

Big sites

Nice campground with lots of sites, after the weekend we had half the place to our selfs, nice big clean lake that also offers row boat rental.

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Justin G., June 10, 2018
Reviewed May. 11, 2018

Family fun

It's a large, fairly open grounds with a lot of sites. It gets pretty busy with campers, day use and other activities. Portage lake it beautiful, lots of water activity, trails and stables nearby.

Ird got all the amenities and a food vendor by the beach area lol. Overall it was a lot of fun for a several families to meet up and camp together.

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Rachel K., May 11, 2018
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Rachel K., May 11, 2018
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Rachel K., May 11, 2018
  • (8) View All
Reviewed Jul. 24, 2017

Sites Small & Close, Dogs Welcome

I was very satisfied with this campground. Each site gets its own picnic table and fire pit, and there are also cabins available. The camp is dog-friendly, and has a variety of shade or sun spots, even if most of them are not level. RV's and tent-camping allowed. You can bring in your own firewood - the wood that they have for sale is not good, don't buy it; when we were there, a local family very close to the campground was selling much better wood that was older and burned better. The bathrooms are clean (well-water) and the staff is friendly. There are "host" activities for kids and adults also, the schedules are posted in the showers. The lake is clean enough to swim in, also. The sites are on the small side and grouped together; there are plenty of trees close enough together to hang a hammock but nothing I would call a forest. Good community camping; not for those who like isolation.

Site105
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Janine P., July 24, 2017
  • (This also won't flip and I don't know why) a brief video tour of the campground as we left to acquire firewood from elsewhere.
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  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Janine P., July 24, 2017
Reviewed Jun. 17, 2016

Good stop if you are on the road

I took a cross country road trip and kept to the southern part of Michigan. Though there is not a ton of camping in southern Michigan there are a few good spots including the Waterloo State Rec Area. I wanted to spend a couple days in Ann Arbor, but didn't want to shell out a bunch of cash for a hotel, and was over sleeping in my car, so I did some quick research and found this campsite. I stayed in theGreen lake rustic site. It was good for a couple nights and had some good hike trails to do on down time. If you are on the road and looking for close camping near Ann Arbor than I highly suggest this site. I unfortunately didn't have a lot of time to do the trails, but walked the Waterloo-Pickney trail for a few miles early my last morning at the site, and found it be very enjoyable. For it's proximity to bigger metropolitan areas this site is great!

  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Tarah W., June 17, 2016
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Tarah W., June 17, 2016

Frequently Asked Questions

Are fires allowed at Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area have wifi?

No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area does not have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is unknown, AT&T is unknown, and T-Mobile is good.