Best Camping in and near Ludington State Park

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Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Ludington State Park adventure.

Take a beach break at two lakes in one at this sandy state park.

Popular ways to camp

Community favorites near Ludington State Park

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Public campgrounds in the park
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Stay at a public campground in Ludington State Park

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Beechwood Campground

148 sites · RVs, Tents In Ludington State Park

Cute pit toilets next to the lighthouse trail

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Jack Pine Campground

10 sites · RVs, Tents In Ludington State Park

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Pines Campground

100 sites · RVs, Tents In Ludington State Park

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Cedar Campground

115 sites · RVs, Tents In Ludington State Park

Top-rated campgrounds near Ludington State Park

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Winding River Campground

70 sites · RVs, Tents11 acres · Benzonia, MI

Majestic River Centric Campground is nestled on 11 acres of land overlooking the Betsie River. We are right off of US-31 before downtown Beulah. We are known as a fishing destination and many locals have said our 1900ft of frontage on the Betsie has the best fishing holes of any stretch from Homestead Dam to Grace Road. We have over 100+ camping sites with approx. 75 sites available for daily, weekly, and monthly rentals with a variety of stay options that meet your needs including RV rentals, tenting and car camping sites, river sites, highland sites close to the pool and camper amenities, glamping options, two cabin rentals, and one frame rental. Weekly and monthly activities include live music, food trucks, fishing lessons, tap takeovers, electric bikes, kayak rentals, hay rides, farm animals, crocket/horseshoe/bags tournaments and much more. Make your next Northern Michigan Visit HERE at Winding River Campground! For seasonal rates please call our main office and our staff can provide you with information. Open Dates: March 16 to October 31

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Sportsman's Port

49 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents38 acres · Wellston, MI

Gearing up for our 5th season as the new owners of The Sportsman's Port. We have made many updates and will continue to do so. We take pride in a clean bath house, and want everyone to have a great time at our campground. Sometimes it's crazy booked up and other times it may just be you. Feel free to ask any questions you may have and we will answer them as soon as we can. We look forward to meeting lots of new faces and hopefully starting family traditions for you and yours. We have spacious sites that are all different shapes and sizes. Depending on the site it may have 20/30/50 amp service depending on the site. There are currently only three that have 50 amp service. Also some sites have a septic hookup. Water fill station is located near the bathhouse. There is a private dump station also available for use just ask.

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Northern Michigan Getaway

3 sites · RVs, Tents5 acres · Frankfort, MI

My rural property is nestled between cherry and apple orchards. We have two large, level RV/Tent sites. Site 1 is a pull in site on a gravel pad, with a large level grassy area next to it. Site 2 is a grassy back in site. Both have 30 amp power, water and wifi. The sites are nice and partially shaded, with fire ring and picnic table. In view of quiet rural road on one side, forest on the other. Surrounded by 600 acres of cherry and apple orchards. Quiet Wooded Frankfort Campsite - Private tent only camp site (supply your own tent) in the woods. Just a short 200 foot walk up the hill into the woods from your parking spot. Water spigot on your site, and 12v solar generator supplied to provide lighting and USB charging of your important devices. There is an outhouse (commercial porta-jon serviced after each weekend) and an outdoor heated shower in a private stall between the sites. IF YOU WANT TO CHECK IN AFTER NINE PM, YOU MUST PREARRANGE IT WITH US.

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Up North Rivers Camping

9 sites · RVs, Tents20 acres · Manistee, MI

We have 20 Acres of rolling hills, mostly forested, nestled on the banks of a flowing creek, we are also a budding flower farm, this summer there will be hundreds of dahlias blooming, along with many other flowers. If you have a special occasion, that calls for fresh flowers, be sure to let us know! Our setting is quiet, private and scenic. We occasionally see the Aurora Borealis right from our house. We are located in beautiful Manistee, Michigan where outdoor adventures abound!! Manistee is a peaceful, quaint Northern Michigan town with shopping, antiquing, fine dining and a River Walk. We are minutes from award winning fishing spots on the Big Manistee, Little Manistee, Bear Creek Trout Streams and the Platte River. There are many opportunities to canoe, kayak and paddle board. We are 10 minutes from the Lake Michigan shore, and many beaches are close by. You have a choice of gorgeous sand beaches with picturesque dunes, and rocky beaches for those looking for fossils, agates and beautiful beach stones. We are within an hour of Sleeping Bear Dunes which has award winning hiking. Traverse City is 40 minutes away with many activities, especially the Cherry Festival. The area is known for live music venues, and lots of weekend art festivals. Manistee is also home to the Little River Casino. We have firepits at each campsite, dry firewood is available to purchase, feel free to pay by cash, Venmo or CashApp, cost is $10.00 a wheelbarrow. Fresh flowers are available to purchase, seasonally. An outhouse is available for use and is supplied with toilet paper and hand sanitizer. There is a garbage can and recycling bin near the outhouse. A scenic small creek runs by many of the campsites. We live on the property and are here to answer your questions. Feel free to text us. We hope you enjoy your stay!! Dean and Jackie

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Timberline Campground

109 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents10 acres · Benzonia, MI

On the cusp of Crystal Lake, where the Betsie River flows, your Timberline Campground awaits in the place where the heart of the camper glows. The go-to base camp for the expert angler and avid boater, we’re famous for trout and salmon fishing. First-time campers and seasoned explorers drop in as part of a longer Michigan expedition or stay all season. We’re a large campground and spacious, with about every conceivable configuration of RV site you can imagine. The accommodations are ample, and we’re very strategic in locating the conveniences, close and easy to get to, whether you’re driving your home, pulling it or pitching it. Our RV sites have water, electric and sewer with pull-throughs, back-ins, and buddy back-ins with 30/50-amp electric service options. We have primitive sites for tenting and a rentable cabin for those who don’t want to rough it. Whatever your camping style, you’ll have easy access to all the good stuff. Our emphasis is on providing all the recreation you could want while you’re at the campgrounds. In fact, plenty of our guests spend their vacations in our heated pools, jamming on the basketball court and hiking around the nearby Michigan beauty. With lots of storage available for boats and RVs, Timberline is the perfect home base for the whole season.

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Llama Meadows Eco Farm BaseCamp

9 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents16 acres · Benzonia, MI

Llama Meadows Farm is a sixteen acre organic fruit and vegetable farm. Located in Beautiful Benzie Country, in Northwestern Lower Michigan. We are one mile south of Crystal Lake and six miles east of Lake Michigan. Our-house is super insulated and passive solar. We had llamas for their wool and manure. We retired from raising llamas, we had 12 they got old and moved on. We have around 50 fruit trees. The fruit we grow includes apples, pears, figs and paw paws. We also grow grapes, and kiwis, we also put in filberts, walnuts and pecans. We have a beautiful labyrinth peace garden. Please check Extras for Pet fees, Campfire Wood and Electric.

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Secluded River Ridge Campsite

1 site · RV, Tent5 acres · Crystal Mountain, MI

5 private acres on the Betsie River. 3 miles to Crystal Mountain. Trout fishing right on site. Close to Iron Fish Distillery. 20 minutes to many Lake Michigan beaches. There is a flat yard for tents and a gravel pad for an RV. 30 amp electrical hookup and water spigot available. You have the spot to yourself. You can see a family cottage through the woods, but it is about 80 yds away.

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Gatehouse Family Lodge & Campground

31 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents5 acres · Crystal Mountain, MI

I have a 26 ft. JayCo bunk house Camper on a Full Service Site and We have 2 Cabins with full service and 2 camp Sites that are full Service Sites 50/30 amp Electric, Water and Septic and 2 primitive camp sites on private acreage for inflation fighting We have a 18 ft. Fire pit and a yard with lawn games We retired here next to Crystal Mountain so we could be near rivers and forest and Lake Michigan as we enjoy Hiking, walking, fishing and boating and golf and we got all of that within 1 mile of our private 5 acres, We have great water for drinking and a Dump Site

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Harvest Village - Farmstay

6 sites · Lodging, RVs10 acres · Le Roy, MI

Your Hosts - Dan and Arlene Cool: “We served as missionaries in South America for over 20 years. Our first assignment was in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, primarily at a school for missionary children, teaching Bible classes (Dan) and helping to start up and run a hot lunch program (Arlene). After this we ministered in Paraguay for 10 years. Our final years of missionary service were in Chile where we founded a missionary training school to train Chilean missionaries. Latin American students that we helped train are now serving around the world bringing hope and the Gospel to needy people. Harvest Village helps to support the ministries of our former students. We are excited to enter this new stage of our lives and to share our family’s centennial farm with people interested in healthier living and farm vacationing.”Your stay at Harvest Village helps bring hope to the hopeless; We set aside $1 /per guest, per night, to help our former students who are serving as missionaries in some of the neediest places around the world.

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Gypsy Hill

3 sites · RVs, Tents10 acres · Honor, MI

Gypsy Hill is a secluded 10 acres of field and forest with three private campsites. Perfect for simple tent camping or parking an RV ready to boonedock. Gypsy Hill is just outside the village of Honor, MI which boasts a great grocery store and many other conveniences. Your hostess Margaret has lived and explored the area that was named “The most beautiful place in America” by Good Morning America, for 23 years . Margaret would love to share hints and tips for the best places for hiking,paddling,swimming, biking, driving, eating, and playing. Gypsy Hill’s three campsites are close to Lake Michigan, many inland lakes and rivers, and numerous trails and parks. All campsites have a picnic table and a fire ring with your first campfire on the house! Additional wood is available onsite for sale. Also available for loan are kayaks and a canoe. Seasonal wood fired sauna . Looking forward to meeting all of you happy campers! Cheers!

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The 40 Acre Wood

5 sites · Lodging40 acres · Shelby, MI

www.facebook.com/the40acrewood Before our forest was "owned," it belonged to the Odawa people. Once white settlers arrived and governments were established, land deeds were written. We traced those deeds back through the Oceana County Register of Deeds and found that larger tracts of land were owned by people from Chicago and California, which were later divided into smaller parcels. Interestingly, one owner lost the property after failing to pay back taxes of $3.50, shortly after World War II. It is likely that he never returned. In the mid-1900s, Ed Dewey was the owner. Today, we have a cabin on the east side of the 40 acres that was built by Ed, entirely constructed with oak. He had three sawmills there, each powered by the engines of old Studebakers. He cut and milled enormous oak trees, using the wood to construct crates for transporting cherries. Today, you can still see old oak crates on various farms, but they are slowly being replaced by plastic. Ed never finished the little cabin, and the story goes that he died there. The next owners were a couple from Inkster, near Detroit. Despite Ed leaving an acre of "yard art" all over, the place was used as a vacation home after a 50-foot long mobile home was placed near the cabin. As they aged, they sold off their property to us. First, we acquired the 20 acres where the Cozy Camper Cabin resides, then the 7 acres near Weaver Road and 44th, and finally, the remaining 13 acres with the cabin. We began purchasing the property in parcels in 1992 for $500 an acre and owned it all by 1998. From 1998 to 2008, we removed the mobile home, cleaned up all the yard art, refurbished the cabin, added a garage, and built a new shed nearby. The Hipcamp shed was originally built in 1999 and has been used for storage until it was converted into a unique little place in the woods in 2021. Over the years, our Forester has carefully managed the property. We have logged three times. The first round was to remove 75 huge oak trees. The second round involved culling mature poplar trees. The last time, we took out 276 mature oaks and beeches. A Woodsman spent a year cutting down the tops of the trees. Clearing these old growth trees revitalized the forest, as planned. Today, there are over two miles of trails running throughout the property. Some were logging roads, while others were carved out over time. The land is flat to the north but hilly to the south, as these are forested sand dunes. There are approximately a million trees on the property, densely forested with many large "mother trees" such as oaks, beeches, maples, and pines. The poplar trees are growing rapidly, as they do. Wild cherry, sassafras, beeches, oaks, and maples are also growing quickly and thickly. To the south, there are fenced-in asparagus fields and cherry orchards. To the north, on the other side of Weaver Road, is the privately owned Silver Lake Airport, which remains quiet most of the time. On the east side of our 40 acres, you'll find our cabin and buildings, and we kindly ask you to avoid wandering onto that side of the property. Signs will alert you when you get close. To the west, there is a 20-acre section occasionally occupied by some "Dunners." The area is famous for Silver Lake State Park and the sand dunes, located about 2.5 miles northwest of us. Our neighbors in that area have dune buggies, and they sometimes drive around their property, creating more noise than we prefer. It's possible that you may encounter this during your visit, so please be aware. Deer are abundant in the area, and in 2021, we spotted a porcupine for the first time, although we have occasionally seen evidence of their presence through bark-stripped maples. Raccoons come and go, while turkeys are frequent visitors at times. You can hear coyotes yipping away at night, and depending on the time of year and migratory season, you'll see lots and lots of birds. We're pleased to report that there is no poison ivy on the property! It is a beautiful place in the woods, not far from many entertaining activities suitable for both the young and old. Come and visit, but please be respectful of the land and our privacy while enjoying yours. Love Mother Earth while you are here and nourish your soul.

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MJ's Green Acres Cabin

1 site · Lodging28 acres · Hart, MI

Green Acres Cabin, situated in Hart, MI, rests on 28 secluded acres boasting over 1000 feet of designated trout river frontage. Our cabin warmly welcomes guests of all backgrounds, including those from the 420 and LGBTQ communities, as well as furry companions. Surrounded by picturesque trails, the cabin offers an idyllic retreat, secluded from the hustle and bustle of urban life. While the cabin is isolated, it provides easy access to the following destinations: 5 miles to downtown Hart 7 miles to the Silver Lake Dunes 11 miles to downtown Pentwater 17 miles to Double JJ Resort/Electric Forest 25 miles to downtown Ludington 35 miles to Michigan Adventure in Muskegon The cabin features two bedrooms and one bathroom, comfortably accommodating 2-3 guests. The bedrooms include a queen bed and a full-size bed, while the downstairs area offers two recliners and a couch, suitable for additional sleeping arrangements. The downstairs also houses a smart TV, and a Blu-ray/DVD player with assorted movies. High speed internet access is also available. Cell service may be spotty, Xfinity Mobile, utilizing Verizon towers, typically provides us with 2 bars, sufficient for basic online tasks such as checking emails and social media. We provide sheets and towels for your convenience. The cabin boasts a fully equipped kitchen and a clothes washer (no dryer), with a clothesline available for drying. Enjoy outdoor cooking using the grill on the deck, or over the fire pit. There is also a propane fire pit on the deck and a second wood fire pit by the river. Our cabin is our cherished retreat, which we occasionally open up to guests. As it is not operated as a for-profit rental, we kindly ask that you treat our slice of heaven with the same care and respect as we do.

The best camping near Ludington State Park guide

Overview

About

Miles of sandy shores, forested dunes, and marshlands stretch between the east bank of Lake Michigan and the west bank of Hamlin Lake at Ludington State Park. Take your pick of lakeside beaches to swim, canoe, or boat, then head inland to tube, paddle, or fish along the Big Sable River. Prefer hiking? There are more than 24 miles of trails to explore, so perhaps hike to Big Sable Point Lighthouse or spot bald eagles along the Island Trail. Campers have options, too, with three campgrounds providing easy access to both lake shores, plus hike-in tent sites hidden away in the dunes.

Notable campgrounds

Best for beachside camping: Pines Campground has 100 sites, all with electric hook-ups, within a short walk of the beach
Best for winter campers: Cedar Campground is the only one of the campgrounds open year-round, although facilities are limited from November through March.
Best for boat access: Beechwood Campground has 148 sites, all with electric hook-ups, close to the swimming beach and boat launch on Hamlin Lake.

Tips for snagging a campsite

You can reserve sites at any of the three campgrounds at Ludington State Park via the Michigan State Park & Harbor Reservations website.
Campsite reservations open six months in advance.
Campsites and cabins can fill up quickly for summer and holiday weekends, and it’s not uncommon for sites to book up as soon as they’re available. Plan well in advance and book as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

When to go

There’s outdoor fun to be had in all four seasons. While the swimming beaches pull in the crowds in summer, leaf-peepers will want to hit the trails in fall, and come winter; there’s cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and ice fishing. Camping is possible year-round, but two sites are seasonal—Beechwood opens from June through October only, while Pines opens from April through October.

Know before you go

Ludington State Park is on the east shore of Lake Michigan, seven miles north of Ludington or about a 10-minute drive away.
A Recreation Passport is required to visit all Michigan state parks. Camping reservation fees also apply.
Facilities include picnic areas, restrooms, and food concessions at both beaches. Hamlin Lake also has a boat launch and kayak, canoe, and stand-up paddleboard rentals.
There are accessible campsites, restrooms, and swimming beaches at Ludington State Park.