Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area

Fishing enthusiasts and families will find plenty to do at Waterloo Portage Lake Modern, where a fishing pier with benches and tables sits within walking distance of the campground. The facility operates within Waterloo Recreation Area and offers both RV sites with hookups and tent camping areas. Many sites feature paved pads, though tent campers can set up on grassy areas adjacent to the pavement.

The campground maintains a community atmosphere with sites grouped together rather than spread out. Debra B. notes that "most of the sites are black topped" in the north section, while trees throughout the area provide options for shade or hammock hanging. Staff members walk the grounds daily to inform campers about scheduled activities for families and children.

Portage Lake sits downhill from the camping area, accessible via a handicap-accessible walkway that leads directly to the beach and concession area. The lake allows swimming and offers rowboat rentals during operating season. A playground near the beach area provides entertainment for younger visitors. However, Martin W. cautions that "the beach area is very mucky and dirty" with seaweed that "gets tangled around your legs and arms."

Road access through the campground can become congested, particularly with bicycle traffic from families. The facility includes multiple restroom buildings throughout the camping loops and maintains clean facilities with well water. Campers can purchase firewood on-site, though reviews suggest seeking better quality wood from local vendors near the campground entrance.

The location works well for those exploring camping spots outside Grass Lake or visiting the Ann Arbor area while avoiding hotel costs. Sites fill up quickly during peak season, making reservations advisable for weekend stays.

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Location

Public Campground

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

42.33432744 N
84.23978228 W

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Connectivity

  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile
    No Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    AT&T5G
    Excellent Coverage

Connectivity

  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile
    No Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    AT&T5G
    Excellent Coverage

Access

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

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

Drive Time


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Reviews

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3.5

out of 5

12 Reviews

Many visitors appreciated the well-maintained facilities, family-friendly amenities, and proximity to Ann Arbor. The campground offers good community camping with clean restrooms and organized activities, though it can get busy and may lack privacy for those seeking isolation.

Reviewed Jul. 28, 2025

Had a good time, a little crowded

We stayed for the weekend tent camping, getting to the site was a little crowded (alot of kids on bikes) our site was pavement but had some space to set the tent on the grass. I seen alot of sites with trees for shade. The vista walkway was across from us, it led right to the beach concessions. The beach walkway is handicap accessible. The fishing pier is new, has two benches and tables for your stuff. It is a bit of a walk to get to but is handicap accessible.
There are two bathrooms throughout the loop and one at the beach. The park workers walk around and tell you about the activities they have that day. We enjoyed our stay there is alot to do

Site28
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Shelly , July 28, 2025
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Shelly , July 28, 2025
  • Review photo of Waterloo Portage Lake Modern — Waterloo Recreation Area by Shelly , July 28, 2025
  • (6) View All
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 VisitApril
  • 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 VisitFebruary
  • 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 VisitAugust
  • 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 VisitAugust
  • 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 VisitJuly
  • 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.
    Play button icon
  • 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

What do visitors say about Portage Lake Campground in their reviews?

Campers generally have positive experiences at Portage Lake Campground. Many appreciate the large, well-maintained grounds with good site spacing. The campground becomes notably quieter on weekdays after weekend crowds depart. Most enjoy the clean facilities and generous site sizes, though some mention that not all sites are level. The lake views are praised, though the beach water quality receives mixed feedback, with some noting it can be murky with seaweed. Overall, it's described as family-friendly with nice amenities.

Where is Portage Lake Campground located in Waterloo State Recreation Area?

Portage Lake Campground is located within Waterloo State Recreation Area in southern Michigan. It's situated along Portage Lake, featuring a north campground area with many blacktopped sites. The campground is positioned on a hill above the lake, with walkways leading down to the beach and water. It's conveniently located for those wanting to visit Ann Arbor while enjoying outdoor recreation, making it one of the notable camping options in southern Michigan.

What amenities are available at Portage Lake Campground in Waterloo Recreation Area?

Portage Lake Campground offers a variety of amenities for campers. Each site comes equipped with a picnic table and fire ring. Most sites have electricity, and both RV and tent camping are accommodated. The campground features multiple bathrooms throughout the grounds, and all facilities are well-maintained and clean. There's a beach area with sand, concessions nearby, and even boat rentals available for rowboats. Additionally, there are cabins for those who prefer not to tent camp. The grounds are dog-friendly (with 6-foot leash requirements), and there's a playground for children.

What recreational activities can you enjoy at Portage Lake in Waterloo State Recreation Area?

Portage Lake in Waterloo State Recreation Area offers diverse recreational activities for visitors. The lake features a sandy beach area perfect for swimming and sunbathing, though be aware the water can be murky at times. Water activities include rowboating with rentals available onsite. Hiking trails surround the area, and there are horse stables nearby for equestrian activities. The recreation area also features disc golf with a well-maintained course that's mowed and easy to navigate. For families, there's a nice play area that's popular with children. The surrounding grounds provide opportunities for wildlife viewing and nature appreciation.