Unfortunately I will not be recommending this campground to friends and family anymore due to my last stay. The male owner is a hothead who drives around on a power trip harassing campers. Watched the owner cuss my neighbor and his pregnant wife out for parking on the grass in front of there camper. He was rude to us as well on check-in. The bathrooms were filthy and looked very rundown. Cigarette butts were all over our campsite along with broken glass. Raccoons pooped all over our picnic table and knocked over our trash cans every night. I would've came to the office and said something but did not want the owner to harass me. read more

This was the cleanest camp ground I have been to by far. Great pool. Quick and respectful people. However, we had some issues about our tent at first and the owner was not nice about it at all. it was 3 tents that connected to eat other and I called 2 months in advanced to make sure my tent would make the cut. however we get there and fortunately they let it slide. we brought our Dog. She is very well trained. She does not bark unless other dogs are walking by. but usually just a couple marks to say hello. We had a cabin and one tent site. We left for a wine tasting and had reservations. The owner saw that we had left our pup and called when we were 20 min down the road and said she was barking but there was no way because when we got back she was not. We had to miss this wine tasting. My overall opinion is this was a good camp ground but I recommend if u plan to go anywhere other than stay at camp site to not bring pets. Thank you for the stay! read more

These people were horrible. We set up 2 tents because we have four kids and they forced us to take the 2nd tent down. We are one family and we had no way of fitting. Our kids had to stay at a campsite all alone. The owner was so rude and refused to do anything to help us. DO NOT STAY HERE!! read more

Where to start ... due to the campgrounds great location, we rented the "modern cabin" and upon arrival, discovered that there were mouse droppings in the bedroom and under all of the couch cushions. The kitchen and living room floor had not been swept, pubic hair all over the back of the toilet seat, hair in the silverware drawer, mirrors with toothpaste splatters, a grody kitchen sink that had not been cleaned, and stained furniture we would never think of sitting on. We spoke with the office and they suggested we try the "bunkhouse" that was available instead. It had more mouse droppings, leftover balloons under the beds, and more stained furniture. The floor had not been swept entirely, and we tried to clean it ourselves. This place is nowhere near worth what they charge. We were so disappointed and discouraged. Save yourself the trouble and look elsewhere. The plus is that there were cute goats to feed, and that is all :) read more

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New ownership definitely takes pride in their business! If you've been here and had a bad experience try it again!! I spend from early April till nearly December in a camper in greater MI. This year due to poor planning I had to leave my original campground and ended here on the 5th of July. Pretty much everything you read in previous reviews I have seen first hand, HOWEVER, since the new owners took over after Labor Day, I have seen them very busily cleaning, updating, and repairing things that have been neglected for what looks like decades!! The new owners are inviting, friendly, and definitely take pride in their business, the atmosphere here has changed tremendously. I started out just trying to get through this season but have now already arranged for a seasonal spot for next year! read more

This place is under new ownership as of fall 2022. The new owners and their staff have made giant leaps in the condition of the campground, with more updates to come. Not to mention their willingness to help me out when I had issues with my truck. I cannot express my gratitude enough. Thank you so much Josh, Chris, Cameo, Alexandria, and all the other staff for treating us like family. We already can't wait to come back next year! read more

The good: Central location and generally quiet. The bad: Poorly cleaned or maintained. The ugly: bed bugs. Correct. I am dealing with ~30 inflamed and itchy bites. Management denied it, however, my mobile home site had bed bugs. read more

We camped Memorial weekend. Bathrooms were disgusting. All Toilets in the men's bathrooms were plugged. They did have a plunger for you to use. Women's bathroom filthy. When I made reservations I asked if the pool was working and was told we're trying to get it open if the weather cooperates. We have to paint it and then fill it. I called again 3 weeks later and was told the same story. When we arrived pool was empty. The campground sits next to a cemetery. The girls were excited they had some goats they were able to pet through the fence. Fortunately the campground is close to Charlevoix where we went to the beach. Would not recommend! read more

This campground is under NEW OWNERSHIP, and a wonderful place to stay. The facilities are clean, and the grounds are well kept. The pool is a huge bonus for the kids! read more

My husband and I spent three nights at this campground when we were visiting Torch Lake. With all the negative reviews, I was beyond nervous staying here after a 7 hour drive. Upon arrival, Sarah (the front desk worker) was beyond nice and so incredibly helpful. We had to be moved to a little bit larger site but that larger site had an issue with the sewer hook up. Then Debbie came in and made the switch in the computer to make it just a water and electric price. Debbie was just as nice as Sarah was! They had a worker named Dan show us to our site. Dan made sure we had enough cords and lines to hook up, we needed another 50ft for our electric, he went back up to the front office and got us a loaner cord for the weekend. I want to clear up the bathroom complaints... they can not help if nasty people destroy or do not flush their own toilets. You're on a campground, the floors will get a little muddy...You can definitely tell when they have cleaned the bathroom, they use some heavy duty cleaner. All in all, you were able to get a decent shower and have a toilet to use. The other reviews were not fair to leave for this place.... The lots were nice with tall trees, very quiet (except for the main street they're on, can't help that), and very family friendly! We will definitely stay here the next time we visit the area! The location to Torch Lake was nice too!! Maybe like a 20 min drive to the boat rental place we used. Thank you guys for a great place to stay!! read more

Chain O Lakes Campground - Our big rig - Campgrounds Near Me - Bellaire, Michigan

Oh my God, do not stay here. We stayed in the "nicer" cabin, there was a group of eight of us. While Debbie, The owner of the campground, claimed the mattresses were new, the couch certainly was not. Not only did we find a bedbug but it did bite one of my friends. We are definitely going to have to spend a lot of time going through our belongings and sanitizing everything when we get home. We tried to tell Debbie about this, not only did she not apologize or take any responsibility but she was incredibly rude and angry that we complained. When we informed her we would be putting up reviews she claimed we were "ruining her reputation" I would they probably ruined their reputation themselves by not cleaning and sanitizing their cabin... read more

The staff was kind of rude other than Debbie, but the ground were ok. You get what you pay for.

Our family enjoyed our time at the camp ground. When we arrived our site was ready, clean and in a good spot for our tents. There was plenty of shade and the power worked. Our biggest compliant was the shower room towards the front of the camp ground. It was just not well taken care of and run down to some extent. The shower water was more like a small fountain with a very slow drip of water to shower with. The upside is that it is very close to Torch Lake. We didn't experience any issues. read more

Me and 7 of my friends stayed at one of the bigger cabins at the campsite. We were told we were the first people to stay in this cabin. The first night, my friend slept on the couch and woke up with a bed bug crawling on her arm. (Later when we came home, my friend found another bed bug on the sheets she had brought with her). When we confronted the owner about this she basically just yelled at us, she did not offer any kind of refund, not even an apology, she just refused that it was true even though we brought the bed bug with us in a plastic bag to show her! Not only that, there was dust and hair all over the cabin when we got there. We did not have hot water most of the time, and the water would randomly turn off constantly so we had no water to shower. I am not the type to write bad reviews about places I stay, but this was just absolutely ridiculous. DO NOT RENT A CABIN HERE, the owner is absolutely horrible and does not care at all about the quality of your stay. read more

Over the last several years, I've been a regular visitor to Chain O' Lakes, and I've always been pleasantly surprised. The land is beautiful, the cabins are clean, and the staff are quite friendly. The local area is full of things to do: good restaurants, lovely shops, and there's lots of land where you can just get lost in the woods. The site is great for families and kids, with plenty of space to roam around and explore, and the family who runs the camp is more than willing to share their fire with good guests, providing a great experience with every visit. Chain O' Lakes really is one of my favorite places to camp, and I can't wait to return this year! read more

My husband and I camped at Chain O Lakes campground for Memorial Day weekend. The grounds were awesome! The bathhouse could use some TLC (only one shower of 3 works) but otherwise great experience for us. Also, Leon (grounds keeper) is very helpful... My husband lost his wedding band in the bathhouse and we called to find it- at first he couldn't find it. Not even an hour after we first called he called us back and said he had found the wedding band. My husband and I will definitely be back. read more

Horrible place I'm laying here it's almost midnight and the noise is ridiculous! Kids yelling adults being obnoxious and no one to calm to complain!!! Never will I stay here again it's horrible read more

For the money ($33/night with Good Sams), very nice and clean. Nice pull through for our 70ft class A and trailer. Friendly and quiet at night. read more

Super friendly and focused on safety of children and families. Kids love the playground and game room. read more

Chain O Lakes Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Bellaire, Michigan

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We loved this campground. Its a perfect family campground! I'm not sure why there were bad reviews at all. We booked another 2 nights in August. The owner is really friendly and made sure we had a good time. read more

Don't camp here!!! The place is very run down. The sites have dog poop everywhere. Bathrooms are filthy and the Managers are weird! Worst place ever! Only spent 3 hrs before going to another camp ground. We had several other campers hanging at our site and having a good time when the weird managers came up and asked us to leave for no reason!! They even called the police, which the officer said was a waste of time and he didn't understand why he was there as it was 3 o'clock in the afternoon!They ran our CC and kept our money from all four sites that we rented for 3 nights and hung up on one of our guests when we called to try and find out what was going on! This place is out to get your money. The manager had a pitbull tied up to a rundown shack of a camper And the dog had more teeth than the manager! Do not go to this place!! read more

I can't speak to the campground itself but I can tell you that attempting to cancel an online reservation via phone will get you *itched out by whoever answers the phone. read more

The setting was ok, but the cabin we stayed in was totally filthy! I spent a few hours just cleaning to even feel comfortable in it...I know we were camping, but the sheets had brown spots all over them...long hair in the bed, and a half chewed toothpick in the bed!!! It was totally gross....the owners were friendly, but the place needs a lot of TLC! Very old, lots of cobwebs, and just totally run down... read more

The owner of the campground made sure that our family group of campers were near each other and was very helpful when we arrived. Very nice, clean, wooded lots. Some lots were kind of small (lengthwise) but we made it work. Has a pool that is in need of repair but was still nice and refreshing. The bathrooms were kind of dirty and need updating but most of our group had campers so didn't really have to use them. Some of our family were closer to the road and so the road noise was kind of bad at times. Friday was free ice cream day and they rang a bell when it was ready. Saturday was free popcorn and hay ride day and that was fun. There are some run-down/seasonal lots here that need attention to. All in all our group had a fun time. I don't think we will be back only because our group travels around Michigan to experience it all. Camping is supposed to be rustic so I guess it depends on your camping level. read more

Chain O Lakes Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Bellaire, Michigan

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We stayed with our entire family for July 4th week. We had 2 of the cabins and 2 fifth wheel rigs on lots. We stayed in a modern Cabin and I have to say it was fifthly. Cobwebs all over, floor was gross and I wouldn't sit on the worn down couch that looked like it had never been cleaned. I ended up having my sister come down and we washed the entire unit walls and floors and the bathroom. My first thought was to leave, however there was no other place to rent in the entire area as it was 4th of July. My thought of a modern cabin was air conditioning, kitchen, clean bathroom, TV. This place had only the kitchen and it wasn't modern at all. walls peeling, old linoleum, a bathroom vanity that was sitting on top of the old vanity and hot water took 10 minutes to appear in the shower. I have never been so disappointed in a rental in my whole life. The entire campground needs a major overhaul. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

I've stayed in one of the cabins every year for ten years now, and the welcome has always been gracious and helpful. The cabin has always been clean and tidy and quite comfortable. My first year there I stayed in a cabin that didn't have a bathroom and so used the public facilities. They were nice and clean as well. This is really a nice place to stay! read more

This is a very family friendly campground, the owners are very nice and caring about my stay. The campground is family owned and run. I have been invited up to Michigan for the past 5 years by friends and was not able to go until last year. My friends actually had my birthday there for my first visit we used the pavilion on the campground. I Stayed for 2 weeks. The grounds are very beautiful and relaxing and very well maintained. I really enjoyed sitting around the camp fire at their main fire pit. One of the nicest things I noticed while my visit there from NJ was the peacefulness and actually seeing the skies. Something you don't get being in NJ, felt like you could just reach out and touch the star's. You have many ways you could enjoy your stay weather you want to camp out, rent one of their beautiful cabins, or if you have an RV their sites are great!!! There are a lot of things for the kids to do too, there's a petting zoo, nice bathrooms, free WiFi, paved roads, swimming pool, a laundry room on the grounds, free ice cream and free popcorn nights on Friday and Saturday. OH AND DON'T FORGET THE HAY RIDES!!! And if you do forget anything Debs Shop is there on the grounds. If the shop doesn't have it the campground is just 15 minutes away from the local Grocery store. Ok so there's more while you are staying there... there are plenty of lakes in the area you could go fishing, swimming, and/or boating. It's just 2 miles away from Lake Bellaire and 7 miles from Torch Lake. I myself was there in July last year and went swimming in Traverse City Bay. Traverse City is around 45 minutes away. Which I just loved because compared to the Jersey shore... yeah there's no comparison. If skiing is your thing it is right down the street from Shanty Creek which is literately in their backyard. Is mountain Biking your thing there are trails there as close as 5 minutes away. If drinking is your thing there are breweries and wineries in the area right in the town of Bellaire there is Shorts Brewery. You are also minutes away form 8 different golf coarses. I actually liked staying there so much I promised I'd be back every year on my vacation. I was there twice this year because I've become hooked. I know it's a long drive from NJ, 12 hours but it's worth every minute once you are there. This campground is so awesome! Once i made it there I actually never wanted to leave and go home. If you don't believe me check it out for yourself... and check out their website http://www.chainolakescamp.com/index.html Don't forget to watch the video under the fishing section. http://youtu.be/a3rwmxFe7AE read more

The camp ground is in a beautiful setting with large mature trees. This campground is in dire need of major renovations and probably a major cash infusion. The common bathrooms/ showers are outdated and utilize old residential fixtures and toilets that would be found in a rundown cabin somewhere in the back woods. It takes 10-15 minutes for the water to heat up enough to take a shower. The area meant for changing clothes next to the showers are disgusting. Not sure which looked worse, the peeling paint on the stalls or where something may have been wiped across them in an attempt to clean them but just smeared it? The shower heads are more like the ends of a garden hose. The bathrooms are very poorly maintained. The only toilet in one of the mens facilities was plugged one morning and stayed unusable until the next day. Only then did I notice that someone "fixed" the toilet by using a stick to remove the clog and to place it (the clog and stick) on the floor next to the toilet. (See photo.) In the middle of the park, it appears that a building demolition project was started some time ago and never completed. The camp ground is in a beautiful setting with large mature trees, however, I would not recommend staying here unless they update the facilities. I am not sure what type of standards the people have that give this five stars, but I wouldn't give the Good Sam rating the park proudly boasts, any credibility whatsoever! read more

My husband and I made reservations to stay here for 2 nights. I unfortunately hadn't checked the reviews before I booked it, but then we were in a bit of a hurray to get out of the current campground we were in. ( The only ones in the entire campground and the owner driving his golf cart around my RV, creepy). We pulled in and stopped at the stop sign and the big 5 mph sign. We checked in, our spot was across from the cemetery, peaceful we thought. The next day I had to run into the office to ask a question and my husband drove back to the RV to get something he forgot. As I was walking in, the manager came running up to the door, I stepped back thinking she must have been called out in an emergency! Instead it was to scream at me because my husband just took off going 8 miles an hour through the park. I am not kidding, I was completely stunned. She continued her rant telling me she knows exactly how fast cars go through here and she will tolerate 6 mph but not 7 or 8mph!! She also yelled at me that she will kick us out of the park if she catches us going that fast again!! She also did this in front of another camper, I was completely caught off guard with her attitude and manner. The Michigan State Police should hire her, think how much money can be saved, no equipment, just the crazy lady that can tell a cars speed while she sits behind her desk, priceless! Needless to say we packed up and left, she can keep the $20 for my peace of mind to be away from her!! Not to mention the park is very run down and one other camper that was there for the summer was cleaning and trimming his own campsite because she can't keep any help long enough to get things done. read more

I am surprised at the bad reviews. I stayed there for two weeks last summer and had a wonderful experience. The campsites were beautiful, the pool refreshing, bathrooms are clean and well stocked, and the owners were delightful. We can't wait to come back again this summer, and stay even longer this time around. read more

Great place for the kids. We came again while skiing at Shanty Creek. The owners are always warm and helpful.

I will start by saying that this place is sketchy as hell. When we pulled up to the campground, despite seeing camping gear at some of the sites there were no campers to be seen anywhere and the front office was locked up tight. On the front door there was a note to contact Leon as he was working on the campground. Fair enough. After leaving Leon a voice mail a few minutes later in the distance I see a figure approaching in what appeared to be an all leather getup. No doubt it was Leon slowly approaching, wearing leather pants, a leather vest and sporting a pony tail. It was quickly beginning to feel like we were starring in Leon's very own slasher flick. I said hello to him but he just walked on, stopping only to confirm growth on the tomato plant next to the door. Awkward. He finally unlocks the door and with very little conversation we have booked a stay at the Chain O Lakes. As we continue driving through the small campground some RVs and tents are observed, however any sign of human life is still void. Already second guessing our decision to stay the night here we finally arrived at our camp site, directly in front of the cemetery that Leon no doubt buried his victims. Without even getting out of the car we navigate to the road and head on to Traverse City for the evening while Leon is seen slowly walking back to his trailer where I can only imagine a half cooked batch of meth was waiting for him. $20 was lost, yet we are lucky enough to live on and spread the word about the chain o lakes camp experience. read more