Planned Activities

Timber Ridge Resort

Timber Ridge Resort in Traverse City, Michigan, offers RV sites, cabins, cottages, and yurts in Grand Traverse County's cherry orchard and vineyard countryside along the Lake Michigan shore — a four-accommodation-format resort in the heart of one of the Midwest's most desirable travel destinations, where the cold-water bay scenery, the nationally recognized wine and culinary industry, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Traverse City's genuinely excellent arts and dining culture combine to make this stretch of northwestern Lower Michigan one of the most broadly appealing regional destinations in the Great Lakes. The resort's accommodation range from full-hookup RV sites to basic and deluxe cabin configurations to yurts gives it the flexibility to serve the full spectrum of Traverse City-area visitors. Full hookups for RV travelers and a range of cabin, cottage, and yurt options give Timber Ridge Resort the accommodation diversity to serve groups of different sizes, equipment situations, and comfort preferences across the cherry blossom, summer, fall color, and ice wine seasons that define Traverse City's four-season appeal. The resort's Traverse City location gives guests the immediate access to the town's downtown breweries, restaurants, galleries, and farmers markets that makes TC one of the few small Michigan cities consistently drawing visitors from Chicago, Detroit, and Columbus specifically for its locally produced food and drink culture. Pets are welcome. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 22 miles west of Traverse City, is a National Park Service unit protecting 71,000 acres of Lake Michigan shoreline, perched dunes up to 400 feet above the lake surface, hardwood forest, and the offshore Manitou Islands — one of the most scenically varied National Lakeshore units on the Great Lakes and the site of the Dune Climb, where visitors ascend 130 feet of loose sand for a Lake Michigan viewshed that ABC's Good Morning America viewers voted "the Most Beautiful Place in America" in 2011. The North and South Manitou Islands, accessible by ferry from Leland, provide backcountry island hiking and camping in a Great Lakes wilderness setting. The Old Mission Peninsula and Leelanau Peninsula wine regions surrounding Traverse City have emerged as nationally significant producers of Riesling, Pinot Grigio, and cool-climate white varieties in a viticultural region whose 45th parallel latitude and Lake Michigan microclimate create growing conditions directly analogous to Alsace and the Mosel — a comparison that serious wine consumers have validated through consistent critical recognition since the 1990s. The peninsula tasting room circuit, accessible by bicycle from downtown Traverse City, gives guests the wine tourism experience integrated into the cherry orchard and Bay scenery landscape rather than separated into a discrete industrial wine district. Timber Ridge Resort operates from spring through fall in northern Michigan's Great Lakes climate, with the National Cherry Festival in early July representing Traverse City's highest-demand tourism week and the August color transition beginning the fall foliage season that peaks through October in the maple and beech hardwood forests of the Sleeping Bear and Leelanau country. Ice wine production from frozen Riesling grapes in January and February gives wine enthusiasts a winter-season reason to visit that the summer tourism economy obscures. Reserve accommodations months ahead for the Cherry Festival and peak August weekends, when Traverse City accommodation across all categories fills from the Midwest's established Traverse City visitor market.

Timberline Campground

98 RV Sites

Timberline Campground in Benzonia, Michigan, offers 98 RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 40 feet, in Benzie County's forested lake country. Full-hookup and water-and-electric categories in both back-in and pull-through serve anglers targeting the Betsie River and Lake Michigan's tributary streams, with two-story cabin rentals on site. Ninety-eight sites span full-hookup back-in, water-and-electric back-in, 30-amp pull-through, 50-amp pull-through, and water-and-electric pull-through categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted, sized to 40 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and site WiFi. Note the 40-foot cap before booking a larger rig. Two-story cabin rentals round out the accommodations. A general store, laundry, propane fills, dump station, RV storage, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a clubhouse, pavilion, playground, and dog park across the grounds and basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, and corn hole besides. Canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and swimming run from the area, with a golf course nearby. Pets are welcome. The campground's reputation is built on fishing — it is the premier base camp for trout and salmon anglers working the Betsie River system, and that loyal repeat community drives much of its business. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Crystal Mountain's year-round resort are both close. Salmon and steelhead runs drive the sharpest demand spikes alongside summer family season. Reserve well ahead for both.

from $40/night

Twin Bears Wooded Campground

139 RV Sites, 4 Cabins, 21 Tent Sites

Twin Bears Wooded Campground in Indian River, Michigan, offers 139 RV sites, four cabins, and 21 tent sites beneath a mature hardwood canopy, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 50 feet behind a gated entrance. Electric-only, water-and-electric, and full-hookup categories at several amperages join an outdoor pool, mini-golf, and boutique shop. One hundred thirty-nine sites span 20-amp electric only, 20-amp water-and-electric, 30-amp back-in electric only, 30-amp back-in full hookup, 30-amp back-in water-and-electric, and 30-amp pull-through categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Read the category carefully — the electric-only tiers carry no water at the site, and they price accordingly. Four cabins and 21 tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, boutique shop, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, firewood, and a snack bar handle the practical side. Bathhouses and the laundry are open 24/7 with your check-in code, and the owners are direct about expectations: rude or disruptive guests will be asked to leave without a refund. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with mini-golf, gem mining, shuffleboard, horseshoes, corn hole, walking trails, hiking, a playground, pavilion, and dog park filling the grounds. Indian River sits in the Inland Waterway region, where Burt, Mullett, Crooked, and Pickerel Lakes interconnect. Summer is the season in northern Michigan. Reserve well ahead.

from $47/night

Kampvilla RV Park

On 40 wooded acres in the northwestern corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, just five miles from 25 continuous miles of Lake Michigan sandy shoreline, Kampvilla RV Park provides a well-appointed campground in the natural setting of Manistee County—a landscape of hardwood forest, small inland lakes, and the dramatic dune country that characterizes Michigan's western coast. The combination of a well-stocked fishing pond, a heated pool, a robust activity lineup, and the proximity to Lake Michigan's beaches creates a campground experience that serves both families who want structured activities and outdoor enthusiasts who want a quiet base for exploring the surrounding Manistee National Forest and shoreline. Forty scenic wooded acres provide the breathing room that separates Kampvilla from the crowded resorts farther north. Full-hookup pull-through sites with 30/50-amp electrical service, water, and sewer serve the RV camping community alongside rustic sites large enough for tents and smaller trailers in the shaded grassy terrain. A heated swimming pool and covered poolside pavilion anchor the warm-weather recreation, and the catch-and-release fishing pond provides immediate angling access without requiring a drive to one of the surrounding lakes. Basketball, sand volleyball, shuffleboard, ping pong, foosball, and horseshoes round out the structured recreational menu, and a well-stocked general store handles supplies, ice, firewood, propane, and Kampvilla apparel for guests who arrive underprepared. A large playground and planned weekend events give families with children the structured programming that makes multi-day stays genuinely enjoyable. Lake Michigan's shoreline, five miles west, stretches 25 uninterrupted miles of sandy beach through the Ludington State Park system and the surrounding Manistee County dune country—one of the most expansive and beautiful freshwater beach environments in the world. Manistee, the county seat 12 miles north, anchors a charming Victorian downtown district on the Manistee Lake and River system, with charter fishing for salmon and lake trout, river tubing, and a vibrant local arts community that has established Manistee as one of northwest Michigan's most livable small cities. The Manistee National Forest, which surrounds the campground's county on three sides, provides hundreds of miles of hiking, biking, and ORV trails through northern Michigan's mixed hardwood and pine terrain. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, about 45 miles north, represents one of the National Park System's most dramatic landscapes—a 35-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shore dominated by towering dunes, ancient forests, offshore Manitou Islands, and the Sleeping Bear legend of Ojibwe tradition. The Platte and Betsie Rivers, both within day-trip range of the campground, offer nationally recognized canoe and kayak trips through northern Michigan river country that draw paddlers from across the Midwest. A fish-cleaning station on the property ensures that the morning's lake trout catch arrives at the campfire properly prepared. The campground operates seasonally and aligns its peak activity with the summer Lake Michigan beach season—the highest-demand period when the surrounding dune country and shoreline parks fill from late June through Labor Day. Fall brings the spectacular foliage season for which northern Michigan is celebrated, and the Manistee County hardwoods turn in full color from mid-September through mid-October in one of the Midwest's finest autumn displays. Reserve early for summer weekends in July and August, and give the fall shoulder season serious consideration for a northwest Michigan camping experience with fewer crowds and the dramatic seasonal color that rewards guests who return after the beach season ends.

Mountain Valley Lodge and Campground

60 RV Sites, 16 Tent Sites

Mountain Valley Lodge and Campground in Thompsonville, MI, offers 60 full-hookup RV sites and 16 tent sites, with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 60 feet. Sites come as back-ins and pull-throughs, each carrying water, sewer, and electric with a fire pit and picnic table. A bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, a recreation center, and cabins for guests without a rig cover the essentials. Pets are welcome. An outdoor pool, sport courts, basketball, ping pong, billiards, a playground, and dark northern-Michigan sky for stargazing fill the grounds, with swimming and picnicking on site. Skiing, snowboarding, off-roading, golf, a lake, a beach, and a river are all nearby. Thompsonville sits three miles from Crystal Mountain Resort in Benzie County, in the northwestern Lower Peninsula where the Betsie and Crystal Rivers and a chain of spring-fed lakes define the region. Sleeping Bear Dunes and the Huron-Manistee National Forests are close. Rates for sites and tent spots are on the booking page. Ski season and summer both run busy here — reserve ahead either way.

from $50/night

Northern Sites Campground

1 RV Site

Northern Sites Campground in Beaverton, Michigan, offers 1 primitive RV site on the Cedar River, with rigs accepted to 30 feet. A sandy beach, general store, dump station, showers, and pavilion serve a river camping property in Gladwin County's inland lake country. The site is primitive, sized to 30 feet, with a fire pit and picnic table. Plan accordingly — no hookups at the site, so arrive fully self-contained with water and power, and use the dump station and bathhouse. The 30-foot cap rules out most modern coaches; this suits vans, small trailers, and truck campers. Contact the campground about additional site availability and any serviced options. A general store, dump station, restrooms, showers, firewood, and a pavilion handle the practical side. The river and a sandy beach carry the recreation, with swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, water sports, and biking. Pets are welcome. A primitive site on a river with a real bathhouse and store is a specific and increasingly rare combination — you get the quiet of unserviced camping without giving up hot water or coffee. Gladwin County sits in the heart of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, a region of wooded uplands, small lakes, and an extensive snowmobile and ORV trail network that has served outdoor travelers for generations. The Cedar and Tittabawassee Rivers, Wixom Lake, and the Gladwin Field Trial Area are all close, with Houghton and Higgins Lakes an easy drive north. Summer is the season in central Michigan, with fall color and snowmobile season drawing distinct off-peak waves. Reserve ahead for July and August, and arrive self-contained.

Tawas River RV Park

100 RV Sites

Tawas River RV Park in Tawas City, Michigan, offers 100 RV sites along the Tawas River near Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 42 feet. Full-hookup back-in, water-and-electric back-in, and water-and-electric pull-through categories join a boat ramp, beach, library, and game room. One hundred sites run in back-in full hookup, water-and-electric back-in, and water-and-electric pull-through categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted on 30 and 50-amp, sized to 42 feet. Check which category you are booking — not every site carries sewer. A laundry, restrooms, showers, and RV storage handle the practical side. A boat ramp gives direct river access for boating, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing, with a beach on the property and a pond and lake nearby. A library, game room, walking trails, pavilion, and horseshoes fill the grounds, with planned activities through the season. Pets are welcome. The setting is what distinguishes it. Tawas City sits in Iosco County on the western shore of Saginaw Bay, and the park occupies the Tawas River's final miles before it reaches the bay — the riparian and estuarine transition that makes this one of Michigan's most productive areas for fishing and birding. Tawas Point State Park's lighthouse and the migratory bird traffic through the point are both close. Summer is decisively the season in northeast lower Michigan, with fall color and the fishing runs extending demand. Reserve well ahead for July and August.

from $55/night

Wolf Lake Resort and Campground

30 Tent Sites

Wolf Lake Resort and Campground in Muskegon, MI, offers RV sites with full hookups alongside 30 tent sites. Contact the resort for site count, amp service, and maximum rig length — those specifics aren't published here. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, propane fills, and a clubhouse cover the practical side. Pets are welcome. The lake carries the property: a beach, a fishing pier, boat rentals, and walking trails, with swimming, fishing, boating, kayaking, paddle boats, hiking, biking, and planned activities. Softball World, Eagle Island Golf Club, and Lake Michigan itself are all close. Muskegon sits on Michigan's Lake Michigan shoreline, and Wolf Lake gives guests a calm inland alternative a short drive from the big water — one of the more diverse outdoor recreation corners of the Great Lakes. Rates for sites and tent spots are on the booking page. Michigan's summer is short and this shoreline books early — reserve ahead, and call to confirm your rig's fit.

from $35/night

Jellystone Park™ North Port Huron

67 Cabins

Jellystone Park North Port Huron in Carsonville, MI, offers RV sites with full hookups alongside 67 cabins. Contact the park for site count, amp service, and maximum rig length — those specifics aren't published here, though the park is rated big rig friendly. The grounds are gated, with laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, a dump station, golf cart rentals, and on-site dining. An after-hours emergency line is posted for guests. Pets are welcome, with a dog park. The recreation is the full Yogi Bear program: a water park with a splash pad and inflatable toys, an outdoor pool, mini-golf, laser tag, a jumping pillow, gaga ball, sport courts, basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, corn hole, gem panning, boat rentals and paddle boats, a beach, a pond, a pavilion, a playground, walking trails, and live music. Carsonville sits directly on the Lake Huron shoreline on M-25, the scenic lakeshore highway that traces Michigan's thumb. Rates for sites and cabins are on the booking page. Great Lakes summer books early — call to confirm your rig's fit.

from $50/night

Harbor Cove RV Resort

155 RV Sites

Harbor Cove RV Resort in Coldwater, Michigan, offers 155 full-hookup RV sites on 2,000 feet of shoreline, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet behind a gated entrance. A waterfront back-in category joins standard back-in and pull-through tiers, with a private boat launch, boat docks, pontoon and kayak rentals, and a banquet facility. One hundred fifty-five sites run in back-in, pull-thru, and waterfront back-in categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The waterfront category is the one to request. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, restrooms, showers, firewood, and boat storage handle the practical side. A 2,000-square-foot banquet facility with on-site catering sits on the property, and the resort operates as a wedding venue. A private boat launch, boat docks, boat rentals, and kayak rentals open the water for boating, paddle boats, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and swimming, with a beach on site. A recreation center, sports courts, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, corn hole, a pond, playground, pavilion, and community fire pit fill the rest, with planned activities through the season and a golf course, water park, and wine tasting nearby. The lake access is what distinguishes it: Branch County's glacial topography left a chain of seven interconnected lakes reachable by boat from the resort's own launch. Summer lake season drives demand. Reserve well ahead for June through August.

Alice Springs RV Park & Resort

140 RV Sites, 10 Cabins

Alice Springs RV Park & Resort in Ionia, Michigan, offers 140 RV sites and 10 cabins on a private five-acre lake, with 30 and 50-amp full hookups, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 60 feet. Deluxe concrete and deluxe concrete waterfront categories sit alongside standard full-hookup sites, with an outdoor pool, hot tub, and pickleball courts. One hundred forty sites run in 30-amp full-hookup, 30/50-amp full-hookup, 30/50-amp deluxe concrete, and 30/50-amp deluxe concrete waterfront configurations — every site is full hookup with sewer, water, and electric, sized to 60 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Accessible sites are available. Ten cabins serve guests without a rig. Note that tents are not permitted on the sites. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side, with WiFi throughout. Visitors are welcome but capped in number — call the office to confirm. The private five-acre lake is the anchor, supporting kayaking, canoeing, boating, fishing, and swimming without leaving the property. An outdoor pool and hot tub, pickleball courts, sports courts, basketball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, and corn hole fill the grounds, with golf cart rentals, a playground, pavilion, and dog park besides. The dark rural sky makes for good stargazing. Pets are welcome. Ionia sits in west-central Michigan, in orchard and farm country with day-trip range to Grand Rapids, the Lake Michigan shoreline, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum — all within about 40 miles. Summer lake season drives demand. Reserve ahead for warm-weather weekends.

from $57/night

Sun Retreats Gun Lake

13 RV Sites

Sun Retreats Gun Lake in Hopkins, Michigan, offers 13 full-hookup RV sites in Allegan County's lake country, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 60 feet behind a gated entrance. A motorhome-only full-hookup pull-in category joins a pull-through tier, with a splash pad, hot tub, spa, beach, and jumping pillow. Thirteen sites run in full hookup pull-in for motorhomes only and pull-through categories, both carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 60 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The motorhome-only pull-in is a thoughtful distinction — coaches that would rather not back or unhitch get a purpose-built option. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, restrooms, showers, firewood, and a snack bar handle the practical side. The property was formerly Hidden Ridge RV Resort. A splash pad and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a hot tub, sauna, and spa alongside. A lake, beach, fishing pier, and boat rentals open the water for boating, paddle boats, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing. A jumping pillow, fitness center, recreation center, clubhouse, game room, arcade, billiards, shuffleboard, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, walking trails, hiking, biking, a playground, pavilion, community fire pit, and dog park fill the rest, with live music and planned activities. That amenity list at 13 sites is remarkable. Gun Lake covers 2,680 acres in western Michigan's hardwood and lake country, with Yankee Springs Recreation Area close and Grand Rapids about 40 minutes north. Summer is decisively the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $74/night