Due to unavoidable forces, we must take our annual trip to Mackinaw Mill Creek camping much earlier than usual. Now, this time of the year that far north can be a bit "cool"..and according to Intellicast it's going to be that way early next week until the end of the week or so.
We're leaving Tuesday, June 17 and return Friday, June 27. This trip, as of right now, is to be spent entirely at Mill Creek. However, we are now considering finding a campgrounds in Western Michigan, maybe about 1/2 way up the side of the state...roughly...to visit for a few days.
However, we would like a campgrounds that is set up on Lake Michigan much like Mill Creek sits on Lake Huron...
So...does anybody have any suggestions?
Keep in mind that we're not looking for a "rustic campgrounds". We like the full hookup/30amp sites.
If anybody who has been to Mill Creek knows of a place similar...please chime in.
I know there are a number of experts on here that can name some places!!
Although we've never camped there we have walked through the State Park at Ludington and it looks pretty nice. The campsites are fairly close together - typical for a State Park - but is is on lake Michigan. There is a nice walk along the beach up to Big Sable light house, and you can go to the top (if you don't mind climbing the stairs! Sorry, I don't know about hook-ups but you can probably find that info on line.
You're looking for an open campground on Lake Michigan during the summer with only a few days advance notice?!? All I can offer you is a wish for good luck -- many of the state parks along the shore book 6 months in advance, to the day. I have heard, however, than some have sites that cannot be reserved in advance (first-come first-served). Holland SP is the only one that has (a limited number of) full-hookup sites.
Your problem is that you want "full hookups" right on Lake Michigan. Good luck! Other than the State Parks, there's not much to choose from right on the lake. Lake Michigan frontage property goes for about $10,000. on up a front foot and the camping fees needed for that cost of property are, well, you really wouldn't want to know! Just bring the deed to your house! That's why there aren't a lot of CG's other than the State Parks. It's summer along the beach and the lake front available CG pickings are very slim at best! Holland SP has some full hookups but finding an open site may be a big problem. Mainly the best parks: Holland SP, Grand Haven SP, Muskegon, Ludington SP, and some others are booked up for the season usually as soon as the day school's out. PJ Hoffmaster SP has some sites still open when we were there yesterday but they will be booked up real soon also. They only have electric on site and water at several locations, and it's a five minute great walk to the private camper's beach thru the dunes. Also, you could use their day use beach area that you drive to, about a half mile south of the CG. The bathhouses at Hoffmaster are big and new and there are 3 of them on the 4 circles. So much to do there! No need for full hookups at all and we never missed them. 30 amp and 50 amp sites. Grand Haven has a new state of the art beautiful big bath house and all of the showers (big ones, 14 of them) if I remember correctly, are handicap accessible and have toilets too as are the bathrooms and the whole park. Way to much to do to only stay a week! In June during the week, you can sometimes get a cancellation site. Sunday afternoon and Monday are your best bet. There are roughly 18 CG's between Holland, thru Grand Haven and north to Muskegon SP and then there's Pioneer County park just north of Muskegon SP.
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Not going to find anything with full hookups other then a few at Holland SP and those were booked 6 months ago. You can find plenty of private parks with full hookups on many of the inland lakes but nothing right on Lake Michigan.