Came here due to previous recommendations on this site. Somebody is confused. At first, we were allowed to check out 3 different sites by the lake. When we did, all 3 were occupied (to which the clerk expressed surprise!). Because they were taken, and by the way extremely tight and uncomfortably close to other campers, we chose to spend our one night in a pull-through far away from office. Small trees, uneven gravel sites and roads, but fine for one night. Not what I expected, but were too time-constrained to seek another campground, so made do. Good bathrooms, but traffic going in and out of the seasonal storage area was heavy and annoying. This has many "member" sites that far outshine those available to ordinary over nighters. Office not open enough hours to provide assistance. Right on major highway, so ingress and egress is not easy at times. Close to shopping. We rated this just average. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
I gave this campground a 6 because when you pull in you see all these beautiful sites surrounded by trees with some being on the lake. But if you have a larger motorhome they put you in an open gravel field area which looks nothing like the rest of the campground. Looks like a lot of people stay there year round. If you don't mind being in an open area with no shade then it's OK. I would not stay again just because of the parking lot feel. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Excellent park with beautiful sites on or near the lake. Very friendly staff. Excellent location for shopping, dinning, and enjoying the beautiful area. Originally planned for 3 nights but extended our visit for a week. Would Return if in the area again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Although this is a membership campground those of us passing through are made welcome. We were in the open pull-through section and had a convenient, level and roomy site with good Wi-Fi reception. The park is very quiet and well-kept and our stay was very pleasant. Traverse City, which has major shopping and fuel stops, was a short drive away. Our only criticism is that we felt the office staff could have been friendlier. If in the area we would not hesitate to stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Nice park with level, good size, dirt sites. Very handy for traveling the Traverse City area. We found the young staff were not helpful in answering local questions. Full time residents helped us. The laundry was dirty and several machines were broke down for the week we were there. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is a nice well maintained park with a lot of Airstreams. Our GPS could not locate it by address. The young woman in the office said this was a common problem. She gave us good directions over the phone. We stayed in the newer area and did have sewer. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a very well maintained park with competent staff. The sites were paved and level. We were here 3 nights while we toured the Traverse City area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
If you have or love Airstreams, come here! Park was originally founded by an Airstream Club and there are many wonderful old models anchored here. We stayed in a full hook-up site (back-in), that was spacious, quiet and shady. There is a newer section lacking sewer, but it appears to be pull-through. Good cable and ATT cell reception. On the SW side of town, but very accessible to TC, Sleeping Bear and the Leelenau Peninsula. On Silver Lake, with beach access and many pleasant walks. We loved it! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Beautiful campground if you can get one of the seasonal sights but you'd better book well in advance. We didn't and ended up on the next to the last row in the new section with no sewer and tiny new trees so there was not a lick of shade. No way to enjoy sitting outside until late in the evening. We left after three days and moved to a nearby state park. Only electric there but saved about $13/night and we have lots of shade. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
The only reason I did not give this park a 10 was because we had no shade in the site we were in. These are newer sites and the trees are not tall enough yet. The is one of the nicest parks I have stayed in. Super nice, helpful people at the front desk, probably family members. If you know you are going to be in the area you can call beginning January 2nd for a reservation in that same year. Try to get one of the sites in the first 3 circles or on the island. These sites are some of the best I have ever seen. Super shady and the landscaping is beautiful. I did not call far enough ahead to get a shady spot but WOW, I will next time. Bathrooms are old but super clean. I was so impressed with this park that I will be on the phone Jan. 2nd of next year to book a week. Stay here, you will not be sorry. Great wi-Fi, cable TV, and close to a large grocery store and gasoline. They also have propane on site and a dumping station if you need it. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This campground is a very big disappointment to me. It appears that the only open sites they have for non seasonal campers are out in what seems like an open field. They call this their new part. Each site has a pull through which is very nice but small immature tress sit on the lot leaving you in the open sun from sun up to sun down. Now their seasonal sites, that are all shaded and some by the lake, are very nice. Their restrooms and showers appear clean but we didn't use this facility often. This has to be my only disappointment camping in the two years we have been campers. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Shaded sites are for seasonals. Our site was long but dipped In the middle but did not cause a problem other than the sewer dump was uphill. Lots of room between sites and a lot of green space behind us. We were close to RV storage area but it didn't bother us as it was quieter that way. Wi-Fi showed to have a strong signal but we had trouble connecting to Internet or email. Park is well maintained with many trash cans located throughout the park. They provide doggie bags. We would stay here again We camped here in a Motorhome.
This large campground is located between US-31 and Silver Lake. A majority of the sites are pull throughs laid out parallel to each other in a newer section of park. There doesn’t appear to be much shade in this area and the sites are quite close to each other. I arrived late in season after most of the seasonal occupants had departed and was able to obtain a tree-shaded full hookup site overlooking the lake. These very nice sites are located on a half-dozen small cul-de-sacs, but are probably not available during the summer season. The laundry offers reasonable prices, but it’s located in such a manner that one has to park some distance away from the building. I eventually located a drive at the back of the facility that allowed me to get fairly close. Although located on a major highway, I found road noise was not a problem, even though the leaves were off the trees when I stayed in the park. The campground is very convenient to a number of big box stores and supermarkets that line US-31. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice park, flat, wooded or open sites, next to highway 31. Some road noise from highway 31, but was not an issue for us. Wifi was very good (from our open site), but be cautious the wifi is not secure. You are at risk if you transmit passwords (email, bank accounts, etc.) or if you pay bills or conduct Internet banking. Wifi signal strength from the open sites was excellent. Speed was excellent also, at times reaching 104 mbps. Don't know about wifi speed or connection from the wooded sites. Good laundry, 4 washers and 3 dryers. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Long pull-through in the new section. Site was next to a RV storage lot so not very scenic. Site was gravel , had to level RV. Hook ups worked well, good water pressure, cable TV was excellent, Wi-Fi worked very well (must have fixed the WIFI problem discussed in previous posts). Bathhouse was a little walk. Showers were not clean considering there were not many people in this section. Overall, a good park for a couple of nights to tour the area. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Sites 105 and below are very large, wooded, peaceful, and very nice. Some are landscaped. However, I believe most are privately owned and do not normally become available until 2 weeks before your stay. The staff indicated the "island" sites may not ever be available. Sites above 105 are in a newer section. They are much smaller sites with few trees. These sites are not very nice but are adequate if you plan to spend the day elsewhere. All sites have gravel pads which are fairly level. The beach is small but clean and nice. The boat launch is next to it. I would recommend this park only if you can get site 105 or below. I would give the park a 10 if the wooded sites were available to anyone at anytime. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Great campground, our favorite place to stay in Traverse City. The staff is great to work with. They called me back after I made a reservation over the phone and gave me a new site after they received a cancellation! Internet is free, but you have to be in the right spot to get good reception. No pool, but they have a nice beach on Silver Lake. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Highway noise pretty much disappeared at night, there is a privacy fence to screen the campers from the road. Newer sites for big rigs have little shade, but many other sites can accommodate big rigs. It is an Airstream park, which is interesting if you are interested in just seeing the many different variations. Convenient location to the national lake shore and Traverse City. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Park and facilities were great. Located next to a busy highway. Not the camping noises we wanted to hear. Other than that the park was quit nice. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed in this park while touring upper parts of Michigan. This is basically an Airstream Park and most of the nicest part of the park was filled with Airstreams, with prices in the $50's for full hookups. We were put on the very back row: in the back 40, w/e and absolutely no shade anywhere, and it was hot. The bathhouses for this large, must be new section, was 2 porti-potties, with bathhouse much further away. Bathhouses were fair, nothing special. It looks like after a few years the small 4' trees will be nice. Sites were gravel as well roads in this back section and very dusty. Would be nice to stay in if in the front section. Wi-Fi was iffy and available outside at times. Could not get Wi-Fi on IPad. Good place for an overnight or so. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Beautiful. Many trees for shade;gorgeous plantings. Huge RV sites;can hardly see neighboring RV. Views are pretty. Beach is small. No pool. No cable TV. Near Enterprise for car rental. Nice laundry. Quiet. Many full time sites but kept neat & orderly. Have stayed x 2 & will go again. Made this our base while we travelled around Leelanou peninsula, Sleeping Bear, etc. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a GREAT RV park! The lots are spacious, the facilities are well maintained. The staff is friendly and responsive. The layout provides privacy or openness, your choice. Full hook ups or W/E-only are again, your choice. The beach is great for swimming, boating, fishing or just sitting and watching. Camp Store available for RV stuff you need or forgot. Propane refills are cheap. Can't imagine anyone who camps here not being completely satisfied. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We have camped here before & were very satisfied with the site & service. However, this trip we booked an end site in the same row we previously were in. Once we arrived we noticed how small the lot was & were surprised no one said this site was significantly smaller when we called, especially since my husband was sharing with the gal how impressed we were with the large sites. We discussed with the office, and the woman indicated only 1 small van was scheduled in that site for 1 night and it would be empty the week we were there. Not true. We returned from a trip into town and the trailer next to us was so close, & just a few feet from the sewer hookup & our picnic table. We went back to the office to inquire why they put someone there & were treated with total disrespect by both the "older" woman & man. We got what we wanted & moved, but had to listen to the woman & man put it all on us as if we were somehow wrong for discussing this issue with them. Both lacking in communication skills & customer service! The rest of our trip was great and our site was perfect. Not sure if we will return though. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We've stayed at Holiday park several times before and always get a site on the "ridge" or "plateau" since these spots are big rig friendly. Most of these pull throughs offer a nice breeze and plenty of room. This year there were some sites added, but these plus a few of the older sites up here don't have sewer. With the addition of new sites the showers are inadequate for the number of users. Some more trash recepticles would also be helpful. The park operators may already have plans to cover these needs. As always, the place is well kept and the staff is very friendly. I think Holiday Park is the best place to stay in the TC area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very poor internet reception. Many complaints according to personnel on duty at night. Also cable TV is just so/so. This is very expensive to stay here so we expected more. It is very pretty but that is about it. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We camped on site 18 which had a limited but nice view of lake. It was outstanding to wake up and see the beautiful lake from the bedside window of the camper. Had outstanding prices for renting row boats for the day. The only downside which was huge, was the tent worms. It would have been nice to be alerted of this prior to arriving. It was not the campgrounds fault these little caterpillars are common for the entire Traverse City area this time of year. They were everywhere. All and all we would definitely come back. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
The condition of the park would warrant at least an 8 except that a previous reviewer was correct - Wi-Fi is absolutely useless. We connected via our own modem to a Blackberry, boosted by an amplifier and external antenna. This park is about nine miles south of Traverse City and the lake. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a well kept park. We stayed in the "cheap" seats out in the back. We had been boondocking for 6 days with spotty WiFi service here and there and I expressly asked for good internet access and was told we would have it. The WiFi was very poor and if I had not have had my HiGain anettna, we would not have had any at all. I don't think the owners realize that this is important to those of us who RV for long periods of time. The city itself is very nice and quaint and we would probably go back to this park, but get into the wooded area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Beautiful, green park with a nice beach area and playground. We were there in a hybrid trailer on a level, spacious site with full hookups. But we were also very close to the highway and could easily hear the roar of it. I agree with other posters about the need to update the bathrooms. They were clean but old. We were only there one night and didn't see the whole place but I'd stay there again when visiting Traverse City because of the beautiful setting and spacious site. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a beautiful campground, well laid out, easy access with paved roads and level gravel sites. Bathrooms and laundry facilities were clean. The grounds were well kept, grass mowed with nice flower beds. The only negative for some would be that the campground is just off the highway and subject to road noise. Our site was one of the closest to the highway and although I was not bothered by the noise of traffic, some campers might be. We would return again when in the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
An excellent park only 7 miles from Traverse City. Level sites, great lake view and friendly staff. The park is an Airstream membership park. Sites are rented on nightly basis when available. Sites or membership can be purchased, but one must own an Airstream. We will return. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This park is fantastic. The only hold back from a 10 is the fact the showers and bathrooms are dated. They are clean but just old. The park is very well located close to everything. Clean and well laid out. The sites are great - on the water and in the woods not so much on the bluff (pull through). The waterfront and beach are great. We will be back. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Holiday Park Campground- This is an exceptional park. Real nice landscaping and a tremendous setting on Silver Lake. This is an Airstream Club Park so most folks stay here in Airstreams. There are many seasonal tenants but plenty of space for campers passing through. The landscaping is primarily from the efforts of the seasonal tenants. Most of the tenants are older, but the Park is very child friendly. We stayed here 8 nights at a cost of $233 including tax. A seasonal site will set you back $3,065. We requested a lake front site but were told none were available for the period of time we’d be there. However, there were several lake front sites that remained open the entire period of our stay. That was disappointing. There’s a laundry on site which costs less than local economy. Clearly this is one of the better parks you’ll stay in. It is not without its faults. Bathhouses need updating and while not filthy, are not very clean. The Park has cable TV but Wi-Fi is only available near the office/store. This needs to be rectified because it’s very inconvenient. Because of these two items, particularly the bath houses, we’ve rated this park a 9. Pets are allowed and we had no issues with other campers keeping their animals under control. This Park is very nice and you’ll enjoy camping here. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Lots of things to like about this cg. Spacious pull thrus, on mostly level sites with easy in and out on asphalt streets. Individual sites are gravel. Back-in lake lots are nearly always full, and would be tight in and out for bigger rigs. Well maintained and clean in every respect. Member run park so they are concerned with even the smallest details. Only the lack of Wi-Fi at my site prevents a 10 rating. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
By far this is the nicest campground we have ever been to. So pretty and full of great features. From the on-site laundry, the paved roads, many playgrounds, beautiful beach right on Silver Lake, and only 15 minutes to downtown Traverse City. This place really has it all! Very clean and quiet. We recommend this park to anyone we know who camps. The staff is very helpful and friendly and goes out of their way to help you. Note...out of 193 sites, only 13 are on the "island". Try to get a lakefront site if you can. The view is beautiful! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This place is, without question, the finest campground we've ever stayed at or visited in our 7 yrs of camping. Simply because of the beautiful landscaping at most of the seasonal airstream sites. Not just talking about potted plants. Many of these sites had plants, flowers, shrubs planted around their rigs in mulch bark chip sections. The wooded section of campground had numerous very tall trees blocking 75% of hot sun, yet the winding roads & individual sites were easily navigatable even for large rigs. Most sites were level, large, & all gravel. Very quiet, clean, & beautiful. Only downside would be daytime traffic noise if your site is too close to Rt. 31. Also not as kid friendly with no pool (nice lake beach however) or arcades, etc. It does have a number of well placed child play areas with swingsets, etc... We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
June 2004
$32
This was a very nice Campground. There were alot of seasonals there with Airstreams. Staff was nice and the sites were not close together. The roads are paved and there are plenty of shade trees. The noise from the main road was a little loud and the hook ups in the site I had were kind of more forward on the site than they needed to be, but over all we enjoyed this Campground. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Delightful campground, mostly on an island. Good interior roads, level paved sites. We were on the waterfront on the NE side of the island, the center of which is a very steep high hill. Because of the hill we were not able to get satellite reception. Easily handles 40' 5th. Looks like lots of seasonals. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Campground Hosts helpful and friendly. Nice, clean, quiet place to stay. Water hook ups coming to sites by Spring 2013. Hopefully they will also have Wi-Fi. We travel with two retrievers, so like having a large area to exercise them. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This fairground type campground was adequate for us, as the electricity here is superb and we are used to dry camping without it if need be. The State park campground was not suitable for our big rig with satellite antenna on the roof, although we tried to stay there. The fairground campground had a very nice camp host available and about six sites were being used. For the $ it is a good deal, and we would stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
I'll second (or third) the previous comments. No way can you beat the location and price. Only down side is the long walk (or drive) to the restrooms/showers. Easier to be self contained. Host's are super friendly. Location is good for seeing all of the surrounding area, including Sleeping Bear Dunes. A previous reviewer said the dump station was awkward: it points you to a very tight left turn to get back to the campground. Easily remedied by backing up, or turning across the grass. We'd stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice campground at a steal of a deal. I believe the reason they are never that busy is because they are not listed on Google Maps when you do a search for RV parks. Neither are they listed in the Woodalls Directory. This is a great location minutes from everything. LOTS of space here. Flat, gravel, grass between sites. This is the only campground I've been to where they give you a second site to park your car. We also used a third site for the picnic table. Easy access dump and water station. Brand new shower building but a long walk. A little advertising would do some good here. Your seventh night is free. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Good value and nothing fancy. Great, friendly hosts on site. Sites are very level and a stone gravel mix. No water hookups, you must fill your water tanks as hooking up to one is not allowed. Good TV reception via batwing, Verizon cell and broadband both very good. Dump station layout not the best, but doable. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed here 11 days in order to have ample time to visit this area of Michigan. We paid the weekly rate of $125 for 7 days, and then $20 per night for the next 4 nights. Easy in and out for a big rig. Sites are not long enough for a 40' plus a toad so we parked in the site next to us. There are some lots with shade. Lots are level and gravel, grass for the patio area. The campground hosts were very helpful and friendly. We felt safe at this fairgrounds location. Pet friendly with a small dog park. There are shared water faucets (need a long hose). A dump station is also on site. It is a great place to park at a reasonable rate - close to many towns to visit. We would return here again - great for big rigs (level, no tree limbs, easy access, satellite reception). We camped here in a Motorhome.
NW Michigan Fairgrounds CG became our private campground as there was only one other camper in this 132 site park during our stay. We opted for this CG because of the $20.00 per night price. Other commercial CG’s in this area are much more pricey. Sites are gravel and reasonably level. They offer 50/30 & 20 amp at the sites but water is only located about every 6-7 sites and you cannot stay plugged into the water source so you should arrive with full tanks. This is why we checked NO to water hookups. Same with sewers: they only have a dump station. They also have a very strange adapter device that you get from the office/host in order to tap into the water to fill your RV tanks. There are faucets at the spigots that we used to fill gallon jugs for coffee in the morning. There is No Wi-Fi and the restrooms (other than two porta potties) and showers were a brisk 5-7 minute walk from the actual camp sites, so are NOT convenient. They do have tables, but at the time we were here, none had been placed and the grass had not been cut (the camp hosts had not arrived). There are fire pits but we didn’t see wood for sale. They open on 15 May and we were here on 10 June and enjoyed the sightseeing (wineries, lighthouses and Sleeping Bear Dunes National seashore). The Forty-Five North Vineyard and Winery in Lake Leelanau, MI was the ONLY one that didn’t charge $5.00 for their wine tasting. We also found a fellow selling UP style pastries on 8th & Munson that we’d highly recommend for some good eating. Yes, we’d come back to the fairgrounds again if we were to be in Traverse City. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a large level grass field with a few trees here and there. Good voltage, level sites, very helpful, hardworking hosts. Nothing fancy (as reflected in the low price), but well maintained and quiet. Nothing here for kids. Restrooms are outhouses, so it is best to be self-contained. Verizon signal is strong. This worked very well for us during our visit to Traverse City over the 4th of July camping madness weekend. : ) We would return. Current weekly rate is $125. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a great bare bones alternative to the High Priced private campgrounds and cramped State Parks. The park is located on the Northwest County Fair grounds. Open level sites with gravel pads and grass between the sites. 50/30/15 amp service available at each site with a picnic table and fire ring. Potable water faucets located throughout the park and a central dump station. $20 per night, $100 per week makes it a great low cost alternative when visiting the area. The park is clean and well maintained with a friendly on-site campground host. We camped here in a Motorhome.
I wish I had read the previous reviews before reserving 3 nights for our pricey "premium" site, but overall the camp was visually nice. Our site #64 was not level, picnic table wobbly and WiFi was extremely slow and/or not working. Showers are pay @ $.50 for five minutes only!! Thankfully, we had our own shower in rig. Camp employs a lot of young people who are friendly but not knowledgeable about restaurants, events, etc. Inside roads could use repair. It appears the owners prefer paying minimum wage to teens/college age kids, and are not putting much of their profits back into their campground. What a shame! They were not on site at all when we needed them for questions during our stay. At $55 a night, we would not camp here again nor recommend this camp to anyone else either. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Interior road conditions were poor. Wi-Fi was poor. Laundry room was dirty with only 2 washers (of a total of 3) working for a campground with this many sites? One bathroom of the two was closed while we were here. The bathroom that was open, two toilets out of three worked in the Men. The handicap toilet was out of order. Two young ladies in the office were great when inquiring about local events, roads, etc. Our check-in lady though was coldly efficient bordering on rude. Rules of the park were not followed for quiet time, clothes lines, etc. Stray dogs would leave 'treasures' on your site. They have hiking trails, but no maps with lengths of trails, difficulty, etc. Very disappointed in this campground. The price was ridiculous considering all of the above. We camped here in a Motorhome.
In the past 6 months we have stayed in roughly 25 RV parks. This was the worst. During the check in procedure one of the first signatures they require states that you waive any rights to privacy, meaning they can use your picture or any other info about you for advertising or any other purpose they desire. Secondly, while they claim they have Wi-Fi no one around us was ever able to get on. Thirdly, they fail to mention that there are additional charges to use the showers-pay showers. Fourth, campsites are dirty, mostly sand with a smattering of gravel and cigarette buttes. Fifth, off leash dogs wander the area at will-disturbing your leashed animals. Sixth and last the cable TV which we paid extra for worked hardly at all. We camped here in a Truck Camper.
Beautiful facility - friendly helpful staff. About two hours after we checked in, the 50 amp breaker at our site blew. The owner came back to the park and replaced the breaker. While he was working on the pedestal, he learned that it was our first trip to the area. An hour later he came back with maps and brochures and helped us plan our sight-seeing for the following day. Just can't beat service like that! Wi-Fi was iffy when the campground was full, otherwise, no complaints. Great place to stay. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
When we arrived, we immediately had a problem with the electricity. It tripped our surge protector three times and continued into the next day. We were unable to use our a/c overnight but it was pretty cool and not needed. They came out the next day after it tripped again and worked on the electrical box. They apparently fixed it because it didn't trip again. They also ran cable to our site which hadn't been available. This is the only reason they got as high a review as they got. The electrical problems still exist as our new neighbors cannot run their a/c either. Lots of sand and rough roads. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We decided to try a new campground in Traverse City, so we stopped here. This would be a great campground if you have children, it appears they have a lot of activities for kids. We did not stay here though, we asked for a refund after we got to our site and discovered there would not be any electric or water supply for quite a while. Apparently the water and electric lines had been cut during some construction they were doing. The staff was very nice, and gave me a refund. The owners said they were new and were trying to improve the place. It is very hilly, and the roads are not paved. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Showers were ice cold and were difficult to get a trickle of water at best after paying $1.25. Owner was insulting to guests. Owner did not even know that his gatehouse guy did not have our parking permit when we arrived before the closing time of the campground, this was paid for in advance. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is an old Jellystone Park that still has that look and feel. Lots of trees with dirt sites with no grass at all. The staff was very nice and the entrance is very well done. Lots of children riding bicyles and playing everywhere. I would stay again if needed. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice campground. It was extremely kid-friendly. There is a well maintained pool, a big playground, and even a dodge ball court. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We stayed here in the winter, without the kids, but it was a beautiful area. The sites were covered in wood chips and it was noisy, but the whole campground was here for the same event, so we weren't inconvenienced at all. The staff was also very accommodating. Plenty of biking and hiking trails. The City of Traverse City is not far away. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Nice shaded large & level un-paved campsites. Wi-fi available but not on all sites due to distance from office. Facilities were well maintained and laundry available. TV available off the air. Good location for touring the Traverse Bay area. Staff friendly and polite. We had water & elec. only site. We would recommend this campground if in the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Nice wooded, hilly campground however the sites were all dirt/sand. No grass in the entire campground. They have wood chips in the sites to cut down on dust/dirt but still was a problem. Staff was very accommodating when something was needed. Top notch job in keeping groups/kids quiet after quiet time. Pool was not heated. (If it was it was still pretty cold!) There are planned activities for the kids but with no grass in the campground, kids were very dirty by the end of the day. Price was very high for what you get. Oh and the best part: they charge a 50 cent fee for showers which we think is crazy after paying $47 a night. If you are headed to Traverse City, I would keep looking for another campground. The State Park looked nicer for half the price. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This campground is great. The new owners are spending a lot of money upgrading things all around the campground from upgraded shower buildings to new sewer hookups sites. The cabins and bunkhouses you can rent are also really cool, some with full bathrooms and mini-kitchens. We camped after Labor Day so the place was virtually empty. For the weekend a bunch of soccer families arrived for a tourney and if not for them it would have been pretty sparse. It got really noisy with all those kids but by quiet time it was indeed quiet. The management really keeps things like that in check, at least while we were there. This is a very family/kid friendly campground with tons of things to do and on the weekends the owners sponsor all types of activities. As for the previous bad review on dirt/sand...well...it's a campground, not an RV parking lot. All sites are very wooded and fairly level. We had a great site but we noticed some had some strange locations of the utilities, so be on the lookout for that. But most sites were fine. Some sites are small but seem to be at least 20 feet wide, you don't feel right on top of each other. Some sites are actually quite large. I think of this place as a cross between a state park and a KOA in that they have resort type features like a pool, mini-golf and such but the setting is very parklike. Dump station and propane fillup also are available. Also tons of things to do in Traverse City on to the west. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
I will post my negatives first. I agree that it is a dirty/sandy campground (you get that with a lot of shade though). There are too many street lights and I do not like the fact that they removed all the trees along the back to make pull-throughs. Took away something to me. This would be a plus for the bigger rigs though. This is a wonderful family campground. If you have kids they should never be bored. Nice pool and many other things to do. The staff is wonderful. They are really trying to attract more business and make many improvements. They have definitely read the "manual" on customer service. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Just got back from this campground and I must rate it lower than the others here as I like grass not dirt!. This campground is an old Yogi bear campground thats in the woods with lots of trees but we didnt see any sites with any grass. I don't need a lawn but like grass and not dirt. I've camped for 13 years and only paid $45 or more twice ever, once at Walt Disney world, and once at fun N sun in St. Petersburg florida. These two I would pay $45 or more and will someday return. Timber ridge I wont! On the plus side the pool was nice. Only had to drive to it because we didnt' want to walk through dirt there and back. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Nice park with ample room at sites. We utilized a pull through site and had plenty of room to park the tow vehicle either in front of or in back of the RV. On exit the radius to enter the road was fairly tight but doable without incident. There was plenty to do in the park and also in Traverse City during Cherry Festival. We tried the pedal carts but found it too hard to use in the sandy terrain. All in all I would recommend this park although a bit pricey. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We have visited this campground every year for the last 14 years and love it. It has new owners and they are doing a great job upgrading all the facilities. Lots to see and do in the Traverse City area. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Very clean and pleasant park. Has nice store with ice cream available until 10:00PM. Large clean pool and adjacent arcade, activities during the day for kids. Sites are large and convienient to both single track and dual track trails in adjacent state land. Owners and managers are very friendly. We will definitely stay there again! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
The sites are large and very wooded. Nice layout of the park. Some sites require very
long water and electrical cords. The front desk staff was very friendly. For reservations, I recommend calling instead of e-mailing as they never answered my two e-mails. The park is about 10 minutes from downtown Traverse City. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
The campground was $29 per night, but we had to pay a MI state park entrance fee of $29 for the RV and $6 for the Jeep. The RV fee has to be paid once a year and the Jeep fee was just for this campground. We wanted to be within biking distance of a festival in Traverse City or the entrance fees would have been enough to send us to another campground. This park was very crowded with no clear dividers between sites. The location, on the bike path and across the road from the lake, is the only thing that makes this campground attractive. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Typical State Park, small camp sites, over used, and with the bonus of having 24 hour traffic noise, and overflying aircraft. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This park is all about location. The sites are mostly dirt. We were in site 315 which was an easy in and out for our 38 feet. The site was large but we did have lots of traffic back and forth through our site since we were right in front of the bathroom. During the week the park was much quieter than on the weekend when it had no vacancy. It rained while we were there but about an hour afterward the ground seemed totally dry so no problems with mud. The TART 21 mile bike trail is paved and leaves right out of the back of the park. There is a pedestrian bridge across 31 to the beach. The restrooms were very crowded but stayed as clean as they could be with all the traffic and the dirt sites. No water or sewer hookups in the campground which is typical of Michigan state parks. Water fills all around the campground. We would definitely stay here again just for the great location. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Right in town and across from a nice beach on East Bay. Access to the excellent city-wide TART bike trail system lets you bike to downtown easily. Lots to do in town and in the surrounding area. The campground itself is just OK though. While it's nice that there is pine tree cover nearly throughout the entire park, the sites are postage-stamp sized with zero privacy. Many sites are not fully level (even though overall park is on flat terrain), and road noise can be an issue from the busy US31. Shower and bathhouses were clean and well-maintained when we were here. Would have been an excellent park if there were 2/3'ds as many sites. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Traverse City is an incredible town making the location of the park a huge asset. Tall pines provide some shade to nearly all sites. A paved bike path connects many miles of trails through town and abroad. You can ride your bike to amusement parks and restaurants. A newer bathroom/shower facility sits on the East end. A pet "free" area is located central and south. Sites are kind of close together, but it seems to work out. The only major difficulty is exiting on a very busy highway. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Camped here for the fourth year for the Iceman mountain bike race in November. We love this park in November as we are one of only a half dozen brave souls to camp this time of year. The bad news is that the squirrels seem to have taken over. We left for about an hour to come back to our pop up being covered with squirrels. They chewed/tore two holes into the side to get inside and ate a portion of the food we had inside. The rangers said they became a problem this year with all the people feeding them and they became voracious. As long as you don't keep any food or garbage (who doesn't?) in your pop up, hybrid or tent you need to be aware. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Although the site we had was marked as a big rig site, i had to go backwards down the road to access it. Nice bridge over the very busy highway to the beach part of the park. Cab service available for wherever you need to go. W-Ffi is available for a $6/day fee. We camped here in a Motorhome.
I love State Park Campgrounds. When we go camping, we always stay at State Parks, unless there are none in the area. Even though this campground was right in town, it was still a great escape and quiet while being in walking distance to the beach. There was a nice bike trail that went behind the campground making easy access to all the businesses on the busy road in front of the campground. I would definitely recommend this campground and I'm sure we'll be back again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This was a very nice campground. Very clean restrooms. The campground was a bit noisy in the lower number sites 100-200. If you book a site in the 300-400 range the noise is greatly reduced. There is a highway which runs right next to the camp. The airport isn't very far away but I only heard a couple of flights. The beach was very nice. The camp volunteers were very helpful. I was a bit disappointed about having to spend another $30 bucks on a Michigan parks seasonal pass or $8 a day. There are 3 or 4 restroom/shower buildings. The last one is the newest but has long lines in the morning. I walked down to the older ones and didn't have to wait at all. They were all very clean. This is a great place to set up camp and see the town. Went to Sleeping bear dunes and it was only about a 30 minute scenic drive. Downtown is only about 5 miles away...Bring your Credit Card! Lots of cool art shops. Happy Camping! We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
The park is just outside of Traverse City on the main highway into town. This make the campgroud very loud, the traffic never stops not even at night. There is an airport in back and large jets take off from 7am to 11pm. Lots are small and very sandy and shady. There is no grass. The beach is very nice but was closed from July 17th to August 10th for ecolia. I would not return. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We camped with friends this summer and had a wonderful time. The park is noisy, but it should be expected if you are well read on the area and know it's a busy tourist city. This park is the main state park for the hub and is extremely active. The beaches were beautiful, and I'm so glad that they are alert and aware of the contaminants that enter their water area's and are on top of things when they come up. The restrooms are clean, the shower rooms are kept up nicely for as busy as they stay, and the park makes for a wonderful springboard for touring places like Petoskey. We are about to go back this next week for a few days and anticipate having a wonderful time. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.