Great place to camp a week or so and do outdoorsy stuff or go to the casinos, Traverse City,…read moreSleeping Bear Dunes and some small but bustling towns on the shores of Lake Michigan. The facilities are very modern, well kept and you have plenty of room on your flat gravel site. The bathrooms are excellent as are the showers. They don't have a store per se, but there is a gas station, convenience store at the exit to the park. There is a section with seasonal campers, but week to week rigs also are in their own section. There are sites with some shade, but not so many trees to make it hard to pull through or have your awning open. The people were a mix of young people, older couples and families. We would stay there again.

Place is very clean, groundskeepers here do an awesome job. Would recommend this place, seems like…read morethey're usually pretty well booked so call in advance

We were unfamiliar with this campground, but we made reservations months in advance for two nights…read moreof tent camping in June, 2023 in Loop 4 (site 418). And, we're so glad that we did. It's a wonderful campground that is well-maintained by the National Park Service. The sites are huge, with a lot of space between you and your neighbors. The pads for pitching your tent are equally large, flat, and sandy -- and each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. The clean bathrooms and showers are down the road, as are heavy duty containers for trash and recycling. The Rangers at the office were very friendly, and helpful. They also warned us to be bear-aware, as bears had been spotted near the campground. (We didn't see any). Unfortunately, there weren't any nature programs during our 2-night stay but we were there mid-week. We were staying at this campground primarily to visit the main sites of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Most of the main attractions (Empire Bluffs hike, Dune Climb, Scenic Drive) are about ten or more miles away. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find a path adjacent to the campground that went down to Lake Michigan (about one mile each way). It mostly flat with walking in sand the closer you get to the lake. You could also drive down to a park at the end of the road. It's a wonderful place to watch the sunset. There are also nearby options for bicycling and kayaking. The campground is a bargain at $26 per night for tent camping. (You also need to pay the entrance fee for the national park). There was a nice mix of other campers ... solos with a dog or two; retirees; and young families. All were quiet and abided to the rules for quiet hours and no generators in loop 4. We also lucked out with respect to the lack of bugs. We had been fighting mosquitos and midges in other wooded areas in northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, but hardly had any insect issues at this campground. Two things worth mentioning. (1) Given the warnings about being bear aware, the NPS should consider installing bear boxes at each site for the storage of food and other scented items. (2) Firewood can be purchased at a "vending machine" for $7. While the machine for traditional firewood was working, the one for a composite substitute that we wanted to try had a broken credit card reader (and we didn't have the right denominations to pay cash). Overall, a great trip!

Stayed here with my husband & our friends over the summer & had a great time! The bathrooms &…read morecampsites were clean. The sites themselves are a bit small. With 4 people, 2 tents, & a canopy, we were pretty cramped, but able to make it work! There was a trail leading to a beautiful beach area & Lake Michigan. The place for kayak/canoe rental is a super short drive & is also a general store & ice cream shop! We had such a great time & can't wait to go back! Sites book up REALLY fast, so if you are thinking of booking definitely do it well in advance!

I first came here for tent camping 9 years ago and had a good experience with friends. We decided…read morewe would come back with our kids and it was worth it! Booking was tricky. I knew they booked up for summer in January but I called in December to ask for a specific date and they didn't have an answer. Booking was over the phone, which seems outdated. We booked 3 nights and would have easily booked a 4th if anyone had told our group (3 separate families) that the fun activities like a glow parade and foam party happen on Saturday night. We'll definitely keep that in mind for the future! We were one of very, very few tent campers. There are no reduced costs for tents. All sites are gravel. We stayed at 2 locations - site #7 which had a bright streetlight on all night,, and site #122 which was darkness. A con of #122 was that the fire ring was next to the wall so you couldn't place chairs completely around it. Overall, there were so many wonderful activities that really made this place awesome for kids! The man made lake included inflatable trampoline, slide, and climbing tower, the pools had basketball hoops, there was a jump pad, pickleball courts, bike trails, Cornhole (BYOB - bring your own bags), sandpit dodgeball, a playground and scheduled activities/crafts. There are a few on-your-own-time activities like a scavenger hunt that took a decent amount of time because the campground is huge! They have coin-operated showers (10 minutes for 1.00) but all 3 times I tried, at different times of day, it was still a not-warm shower. The lodge had a decent selection of food. My kids enjoyed corn dogs and I loved the crispy chicken tenders! Ice cream is naturally delicious. Overall, great experience! Maybe their next enhancement will be mini golf...

Large campground, stayed early May for mud sweat & beers weekend. Campground was quiet. Bathhouse…read moreclean. Showers cost $.25 per so many minutes - fed the shower over a dollar and it never got warm.

Easy to find, good communication. Good amount of bathrooms and trash cans spread out. Campsite was…read moreclean. Personally prefer above ground campfires for ease of physicality and cooking

For any outdoor enthusiasts exploring around Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore...I highly…read morerecommend staying here at Empire Township Campground!! Yes...I discovered it through the trusty ole app on my phone called CAMPENDIUM! In fact, I've used Campendium to locate plenty of campsites, RV Trailer Parks and rest stops along my plenty of travels these last few years. Definitely...if you're an adventurer...download Campendium. And what's great about it is that you can find campsites at the last minute/spur of the moment. That's how I came upon this Empire Township Campground. After driving all day to Sleeping Bear Dunes...I knew I needed a place to camp out because there weren't many accommodations offered in the area. Campendium mentioned to just show up here and it's first come, first served. I visited back in late May of this year 2021. The camp host was very friendly. She mentioned had I visited over the weekend, the campsites would have been full. So fortunately, I showed up on a Tuesday evening and there were plenty of spaces available. There were 60 campsites for me to choose from. The host handed me a map and told me to pick a site that was unoccupied and then return to the entrance where she'd secure my reservation. I picked Site #6 located right near the shower house. It was $25 per night for primitive camping. Having already planned out my Sleeping Bear Dunes itinerary ahead of time...I booked for 2 nights here for $50. So...I'd spend the first night here, hang out all day at Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore the following day, return back here for my 2nd evening, and then finish up my explorations of the area the last day and eventually move onto my next destination. For being here for 2 nights...I surprisingly planned out everything perfectly! Here are some details about this Empire Township Campground... It's located 5 miles outside the Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitor Center and the quiet little town of Empire, Michigan. My cell phone reception worked perfectly so I was able to watch a movie inside my tent one night before going to sleep. They have 3 showers. But...bring quarters with you as they charge .50 cents for every 3 minutes of hot water use. I used $1.50 and took my time cleaning off for 9 minutes. Outside the shower house there were a few electrical outlets which allowed me to plug in my phone and generator to grab some power. They actually offered AMP Power at some sites. In fact, I probably should have paid extra (which I'm sure wouldn't have cost much) for the accessible AMP Power. Oh well, my bad. My campsite #6 featured plenty of space and room. I felt like I was in the heart of nature and far enough away from other campers to have some privacy. The whole setting here was really pleasant. The camp host does sell ice to keep drinks cold as well as firewood to ignite flames for chilly evenings. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. Also, charcoal grills are allowed as well. One night I barbecued some hot dogs during a scenic sunset. There's also dump stations for RV's. For locating this Empire Township Campground...simply plug the name into Google Maps and you'll have no issues finding it. They have real toilets for when using the bathroom, not vault toilets or porta potties. That's always a nice aspect. I can't think of anything else to say other than my 2 night experience here was quite memorable for all the good reasons. For anyone interested in getting ready to explore the UP (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan and heading north, I highly suggest making Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore a priority to visit and choosing this Empire Township Campground as a your place for enjoying nights in the great outdoors.

The cabins are super cute! If you are looking for a place to slow down the place this is the spot!…read moreI'm a little hot blooded so I was thankful I brought my own box fan to compliment the ceiling fans in the cabin.

We have been coming for years and loved it, but this year it has been nothing but MEAN! They don't…read morecare about their customers, VERY RUDE and just not worth the energy. Sad to see such a fun place become so bad. I do not recommend doing business with Northern Exposure.

Great well maintained state forest campground. Seems to be pretty popular with the hiking, biking…read moreand cross country skiing trails. You have views of Lake Ann lake and Platte River. Boat launch near by and huge shaded camp sites at the campground. Some have views of the lake. No electricity, but water pumps and vaulted toilets. We love the trails as they are super close to our house. Trails seem to be well marked on the trees. Nice fire pits and tables.

Nice campground w access to the Manistee River and walking trails. Lots are nice and open w fire…read morepits and facilities are well kept. No showers. But do have bathrooms. Has person on site maintaining and also sells fire wood for $7.

Absolutely amazing staff! When there was a mixup with our room, the two women behind the desk went…read moreover and above in their attempt to help resolve in a way to keep these two old and fussy people happy. And they did it with a smile. Better yet, when my husband mentioned the snowy path between our room and the hot tub, they immediately had someone out there and shove it for us. I can't believe that we found such wonderful service. Kudos to the staff at this place.

Very overpriced for what it is and overall a let down, based on all the great reviews. This whole…read moreplace is really about the location. Perfectly situated on a gorgeous white sand beach on Lake Michigan. Being steps away from the sand was fantastic, but that was kind of it. Staff was not very friendly, property seemed a bit run down, and we had a view of a parking lot.