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RE: Young or Petoskey SP (Michigan)
bonscott,
Thanks for the pics, looks great!! Going to web search it now!! I already checked on reserving some of the other SP and seen they were already reserving for July 4. I won't know until Steve goes back to work on 1/12/09 if he'll be on shut down the week of the 4th or after, so I hope something will be left to reserve!!!
No problem. This is the Michigan DNR site which has all the state parks listed with details and reservations.
Michigan DNR
And like any park Fort Custer also has sites that are closer together or are in sunny areas/less trees. We live close enough that we've driven thru a few times and marked on the campground map what is wooded and not. From what I remember the outside halves of both loops were pretty wooded as were the "top" parts of both loops. The inner halves and "bottom" parts are more sunny.
One things I've found with the reservation system is when someone cancels the sites become available so if it's booked you can keep checking every week or every couple days looking for a site to open up.
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bonscott
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01/05/09 12:00pm |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: Young or Petoskey SP (Michigan)
We are new to the forums, but wanted to give an opinion on Mi state parks.
We stayed at Tahquamenon state park after our trip back from Ontario 2 yrs. ago and really enjoyed it there. Between the nice big pull thru site, clean bathrooms, showers, and near by falls, we had a great time and hope to go back soon.
This summer plan on going camping more in southwestern MI, as we live south of South Bend and haven't explored that area yet. Any ideas of great places to camp at? Prefer state parks.
People have commented on the parks along the lake and they are all pretty good. Might be a bit farther north then you're looking for but Ludington SP is great.
But closer to home if you go inland a bit there are a couple really nice options.
Between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek is Fort Custer State Rec Area. Really nice campground (no sites are back to back) some paved pads and a couple pull thru's. Typically clean showers. TONS to do in the park from fishing and swimming at the beach to biking and hiking. Could even canoe on the river. Here are some pics of a couple recent trips:
Fort Custer 1
Fort Custer 2
North of Kalamazoo half way to Grand Rapids is Yankee Springs Rec Area. Again it's known for many hiking and biking trails. Lot's of picnic area on the lake in the day use area. Campground is large but can be busy. Some sites are right on the lake. We prefer the Deep Lake unit which is a few miles east of the main campground. This is a rustic/dry camping campground that is very quiet and in deep woods. Sorry, I got no pics.
Another great state park in mid Michigan is Sleepy Hollow which is just east of Lansing.
Have fun but reserve early. The state parks fill up quick and reservations start 6 months out so 4th of July weekend is booking right now.
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bonscott
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01/04/09 07:22am |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: Traverse City MI
First off, if you're staying for the Cherry Fest then you need to make reservations yesterday. So get cracking on that. As for places to stay, I guess it all depends on what you want. Hookups or drycamping. We camp in the Traverse City area nearly every year and I'll link to some pics of parks below.
There are several state forest campgrounds all around the area that are fantastic if you don't need any hookups.
Traverse City SP is quite crowded and right in town but is across from the beach and very close to everything.
Interlochen SP would be my choice for a state park. Very nice and has a camp store, about 15 miles or so west of town. Would be a good place to "get away" from all the crowds. Do pay attention to the site descriptions as there are a few that are unlevel and good for tents only.
Timber Ridge is fantastic. It's like being in a state park but with full hookups. Yes there is dirt but it is a very wooded place. Again, think state park with full hookups. Tons of things for kids to do. Only about 3 miles south of town.
Lake Leelanau RV Park is the best. We stayed here last year and will make it a yearly tradition. It's about 20-25 miles north west of town out near Sleeping Bear but well worth it. The pics speak for themselves. Best shower/restrooms I have ever seen anywhere and that is no joke. And there are lots of little towns nearby like Leeland and Sutton's Bay that have great shopping and dining.
I'd also check out the Platte River campground in the national park. You're a bit of a drive but under an hour no problem but it's rare to camp in a wooded national park and have hookups and shower buildings.
Have fun!
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bonscott
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01/02/09 07:30pm |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: macinaw straits
Actually we find Mill Creek to be fantastic. Lots of large wooded sites. I could turn our SUV around on our site and not have to backup. I will note that we've never been there on a holiday when it was packed full. We *never* camp on a holiday anywhere actually.
The problem with Mill Creek is that people can't give up their full hookups. Thus they go to the full hookup "bridge view" area which is very tight and crowded. I would not even want to be there in my PUP. If you can live without the sewer hookup there are dozens of large electric only or electric/water only sites in the park. There are also newer full hookups that aren't bridge view that are quite large. But people always seem to think they need the bridge view spot/full hookups for some reason and then end up disappointed in the park.
Here are some picks: Mill Creek Pics
If you can't get your 5th wheel with half a dozen slides on that site then you're not trying. ;)
Straights SP and Wilderness SP are also excellent places to camp, although it's electric only or even rustic. No problem for me but depends on what you want. Do check site size though when you reserve because there are several sites at both parks that are good for tents and small PUPs only.
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bonscott
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11/13/08 09:07am |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: Mattress Misery
Our mattress isn't bad but what we did was put our air "mats" that we used for camping under the mattress. These are those personal self inflating mast that you can roll up and take backpacking and you put your sleeping bag on. Well, we put them both under the mattress and it really, really helps. Each can be inflated differently to comfort.
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bonscott
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10/27/08 12:06pm |
Folding Trailers
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RE: RV Dealers in Michigan
Grand Rapids should be a quick trip for you and on Division street south of the M6 is the "RV motor mile". Basically down that stretch of road there must be a half dozen RV dealers or more. You can literally park at one and walk across the street to another one. We got our used PUP at Terrytown RV. American RV is just around the corner from Division street right off 131 and they have a nice Camping World and seems to have a nice selection of campers.
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bonscott
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10/06/08 11:14am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: heated mattress
Where did you get a heated mattress? Wouldn't an electric blanket work just as well?:h
I've found that snuggling with DW and a good comforter.....yup, I'm warm!!!:B
Many Flagstaff and Rockwood PUPs come with heated mattresses as factory default. We've used ours several times in the cold, work great.
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bonscott
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09/22/08 09:20am |
Folding Trailers
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RE: Forest River (Rockwood and Flagstaff) Quality?
Honestly you'll find complaints and threads like this for every single company out there. There are bad experiences all around. I can find someone that will swear that each company produces******so frankly I just tune it all out. You'll find the same thing with cars, home stereo systems and so forth. If you read all the bad reviews out there you'll never buy a PUP from anyone. ;)
Personally I've got a 2004 Flagstaff and have never had a problem with it. Still going strong.
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bonscott
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09/20/08 03:08pm |
Folding Trailers
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RE: generator etiquette
You did good. The biggest thing is to follow posted quiet hours which you did. We also let the ranger know when we check in. For example last time we dry camped at a new place I asked the ranger about using a generator. He said so long as you use it during the day and nobody complains then he's fine with it. He asked what I had. I told him a Honda 1000i and he immediately said those are so quiet that he didn't care if I ran it all night. Obviously we didn't (just wanted a quick battery recharge) but he was quick to say that he had no problem at all with Honda's or Yamaha's but he did with the contractor models and he would crack down on those if people complained.
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bonscott
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09/02/08 08:39pm |
Beginning RVing
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RE: Bunk end shelving
If you don't actually need the mattress in the bunk end you could always remove it. We did and put down some carpet and then got some cheap shelving units at Walmart. Has worked out great.
Pics
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bonscott
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09/02/08 03:20pm |
Folding Trailers
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RE: Michigan - need help with finding a campground
We haven't stayed at Michigan State Parks for about 3 or 4 years due to issues with their reservation system when coordinating this many sites.
I'm sure that will be the same since state parks fill up fast I highly doubt you'd get that many sites near each other. So I think you're looking at a private park or fairgrounds as suggested.
1 decent sized sites with electricity (water or sewer is fine but not necessary)
2 a campground on a lake or river
There are plenty along the west side of the state or up north that would qualify. Lake Leelanau RV Park west of Traverse City comes to mind but they reserve a year in advanced so it might be tough if you're talking in season.
Mill Creek in Mackinaw might be another choice.
3 a campground that doesn't have 3 pages of rules and regulations to drive you crazy
Well I don't think I've ever seen a campgound that doesn't have a lot of rules. May want to look at dry camping or boondocking in the state forests to get away from that. Guess it all depends on what rules drive you crazy.
4 a campground that will accept campers with 5th wheels down to tents
I can't think of but a couple that I know of that don't allow tents.
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bonscott
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08/11/08 12:22pm |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: full hookups in southern Michigan?
bonscott,
The OP only asks about Southern Michigan not Northern Michigan. He would have to decide if he wants a place in a very urban setting, mixed, or very rural setting. The CG publications show so many places with full hookups that you couldn't begin to list them just in the 140 miles from the Indiana border north which is the southern 1/3 of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. That's what it has to do with the question. Northern Michigan was never in play!
I give. :) My post, poorly taken obviously, is that there are more choices the farther north you go. Most people around here aren't all that impressed with most of the private parks in southern Michigan and tend to go north of GR. And I was simply trying to define what the poster meant by southern as nobody around here would consider GR part of southern Michigan. So it's just a matter of perspective, that's all.
As for the question, the places I know of are:
1) Waffle Farms in Coldwater - mostly seasonals but some camping spots
2) Hidden Ridge in Shelbyville - parking lot but nice amenities. Also one just north of there in Dorr which is mostly seasonals but has a nice pool and nice trees.
3) There are a couple around Decater
4) There is a new one over by South Haven, not many trees because it's new but I've heard it's nice
5) There is a small out of the way place in Augusta just north of Fort Custer, not a bad place
6) I have heard good things about Cedar Springs but that is about halfway between GR and Big Rapids I believe. Now you're starting to get up north. ;)
Can't think of many more places that I would be willing to stay at but as mentioned there may be a lot of them. http://www.rvparkreviews.com/ should help the search.
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bonscott
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08/07/08 10:48am |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: full hookups in southern Michigan?
bonscott,
Holland area MSA/CSA (approx 93,000 pop) is squat compared to the size and features of the Grand Haven/Muskegon areas MSA/CSA (257,000 pop). The "North" begins about 20 miles north of North Muskegon or 30 miles north of downtown Grand Rapids. Yes, it's where "getting away from it all" begins. The Grand Rapids/Muskegon/Holland (MSA/CSA) triangle (approx 45 miles on a side) has over 1,400,000 population as of 1/1/2008 and growing like a weed (22%) with a vibrant economy. So unlike the declining population of the concentrated Detroit/S.E Michigan areas woes! Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area MSA/CSA has 471,000 population as of 1/1/2008, 6% growth. Demographics and Geography are hobbies of mine. The State of Michigan is still growing in population in spite of the population losses of the Detroit/Flint and S.E. Michigan losses. Where do you suppose many of those S.E. Michigan people are going? BTW, the Detroit area alone is still well over 5 million in population, not including places north of Pontiac or to the west (the Flint, Saginaw, Bay City, Midland, Lansing, Port Huron, Jackson, etc areas). That's why you find so many full hookup CG's in the S.E area of the state.
Certainly understand all that. Not sure what it has to do with the question though. As I stated, there isn't a whole lot on the west of middle part of the state south of I-96 (Muskegeon/Grand Rapids/Lansing). So if you consider all that southern Michigan there isn't as much choice then if you get north of that line. SE michigan south of I96 have a lot more campground choice. And yes, it's due to population. The guy wants to know about full hookups in southern Michigan on this side of the state and simply telling him the choice is slim until you get north of GR. That's all I'm saying. :)
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bonscott
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08/07/08 09:52am |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: full hookups in southern Michigan?
bonscott,
I don't want to shock your gizzard but Grand Rapids certainly is in the southern part of Lower Michigan. It's 84 miles north of Michigan's southern border and 228 miles south of the Straits of Mackinac/Mackinaw City. This is just for the Lower Peninsula! This puts it approx 1/4 of the way north of the Indiana/Ohio border in the Lower Peninsula and 25 miles east of the Lake Michigan shoreline. If you include the whole State of Michigan from the south to the north, it's 1/6th of the way north from Michigan's southern border. A very southern location! Try looking at a Michigan map.
Sorry. Living in the Kzoo area Grand Rapids is considered the beginning of getting "Up North" for those that live down here. To us GR would be the northern most part of southern Michigan if you wish. :) When driving up 131 as soon as you get north of the ballpark it's like everything changes and you start feeling like you're getting away from it all. A whole different world. Same feeling along the lakeshore up 31 when you get north of Holland and especially north of Muskegeon.
My point is that frankly we don't find a whole lot of campgrounds south of Grand Rapids to Lansing line. I think there is more once you get over to the SE part of the state. Most people here will be looking north of GR for anything good.
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bonscott
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08/07/08 08:33am |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: Loading up for trip
Many of the Flagstaff/Rockwoods have fridges that are accessable. What this means is that the sink/stove flipdown cabinet does not block the fridge. But as mentioned you're still crawling in. Highwalls might be easier.
However like others it's just coolers here. We do use the fridge but only at camp. I'll plug it in a couple days before and cool it down. Run on 12v while travelling and then on propane or electric at camp.
We have a 6 day super ice cooler by Coleman which we put in our drinks and frozen foods. We also have a Coleman powerchill fridge which runs off 12v in the back of the SUV while travelling. When we get to camp we'll transfer stuff from the powerchill into the PUP fridge as well as some of the frozen foods. We may move the powerchill also into the PUP if we have electric hookups.
We only pre-packed the PUP fridge once and never did it again. Just easier to put food in coolers and either keep it there or transfer some to the PUP fridge when set up. We only take what we really need which helps a lot as well.
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bonscott
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08/07/08 08:24am |
Folding Trailers
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RE: full hookups in southern Michigan?
I guess clarify what you mean by "Southern" Michigan. I wouldn't consider Grand Rapids southern at all, it's nearly "up north"! :D
That said there isn't a whole lot south of Kalamazoo/I-94. A bit more between there and GR but again, not much. Got to get north of GR to find a whole lot of private campgrounds or over by the lake north of Holland.
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bonscott
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08/06/08 08:12pm |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: State Parks and sewer hookups
No thanks. We've actually been camping at places that have no hookups at all. State Parks are packed enough already, they don't need sewer.
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bonscott
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08/06/08 08:26am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Upper Peninsula Michigan Campgrounds?
This person's opinion is that if you can get by with just electric, Wilderness State Park is the best. Sorry Bon ;-)
Brian
Actually I would agree with you but figured he wanted to stay above the bridge if at all possible. :D
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bonscott
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08/02/08 08:47am |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: Upper Peninsula Michigan Campgrounds?
Thanks for the suggestions. I should have mentioned I'm looking for full hookups. It looks like Straits State Park has full hookups....is that correct?
No, as with most Michigan state parks it's electric only.
If you need full hookups there is Mill Creek just south of Mackinaw City (however the "bridge view" full hookups are really cramped, ask for the new larger ones) as well as a KOA on either side of the bridge.
Frankly, if you can get by with electric only and just use the dump station Straits State Park is the best.
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bonscott
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08/01/08 07:19pm |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: Lake Superior circle tour in mid-late September
Shouldn't have a problem at all getting into campgrounds, it's less busy in the UP, even during the summer. Especially now with the high gas prices.
Do check when campgrounds close, many do by mid/late October.
And definitely bring warm/winter clothes as well as shorts and stuff. It really could be anything up there that time of year from the 70s to near blizzard conditions (sometimes in the same week!) Just be prepared for anything really.
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bonscott
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08/01/08 07:16pm |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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