Ivan's is once again under new ownership--CD and Melissa--and they're great. They understand the…read morereasons people get outdoors and go camping in the first place: to get away from the rigors and pressures of everyday life, to be with friends, to eat great eats and drink great drinks, and to celebrate a great day with a nice campfire. Sites are spacious and most offer at least mottled shade. The bath house has sinks and showers and toilets, and is centrally located. There's a grocery store two miles to the south in case you forgot mustard or a tablecloth. And if you're enjoying the Pere Marquette River, there's a special relationship with Baldwin Canoe Rental where BCR does pick up and drop off to and from Ivan's. Get outdoors!

So, if you drove past on the highway, or pulled in and took a quick survey of the premises, you…read moremight question the 5-star rating. True, Ivan's is pretty basic: sites set in fairly open woods along sandy roads, some with electric and water, some rustic. Some not too level. There's a playground and a decent picnic shelter, a showerhouse. A fair bit of road noise. But of you came to Baldwin, chances are you're planning to spend most of your time in some outdoor pursuit--fishing, canoeing, hunting, ORV riding, etc. And if you're looking for a base for those adventures, this is hard to beat. Normally when I come to Baldwin I stay in state forest campgrounds, but the ticks have been thick in the area this year and I thought a more developed site might have fewer of them. In fact I only saw one in camp here. For my rustic site at Ivan's I paid only $16/night, less than what state campgrounds charge. Plus I had clean showers/restrooms, a dishwashing sink, firewood and ice right on the premises. I was very close the the 72nd Street fishing accesses on the Pere Marquette (which was the main reason I'd come). The owners were very nice, and aside from the traffic on M-37, the place was very quiet, and even the highway settles down in the evening. I was actually almost alone there until my last night (a Friday). Ivan's offers seasonal as well as group sites, along with some rental cabins, which look like fairly recent construction. There is a pen with some goats and ducks in it, and you can buy some feed to toss in to them. Next to it is a chicken coop, which I suspect is the source of "farm fresh eggs" for sale in the camp office. You can also get snacks, coffee, and neccessities you might have forgotten to pack in the camp office. It looks like Ivan's has special events (including bands) on some weekends. Overall the property looks very well kept.

A great place to camp out and the location is perfect. The 2016 rates ranged from $20-$26/night and…read morethere are 9 sites that are considered waterfront. The small lake was a hit with campers looking to cool off. Each site has electricity and a fire pit, but make sure you bring a grill to cook on or a pit grill to place on top of the fire pit. There's a large children's playground and horseshoes pits for the adults. Firewood is really cheap at $3/bundle and they even delivered it to your camp site. There are 4 restrooms on site, but no showers or running water. It's camping and not the Ritz-Carlton so make sure you know what you're getting into. Pete and Pat live on site and made sure to check on everyone at least once a day which was really nice. They even picked up our trash every morning. Make sure to bring cash as they don't take credit.

Cartier Campground was a great spot for a weekend camping with friends. I booked the sites 6 months…read morein advance over the phone and we ended up getting the best sites in the campground! 147, 147A and 147B are all at the very end of one of the loops. 147 is the last campsite so you only have one neighbor next to you, which made it really nice for our group as it was very quiet and a little more secluded. The site adjacent to 147 is also nice as it's large and tucked back off the drive a little bit. The people at the office were great and will deliver wood or ice that you purchase right to your campsite. The restrooms were very clean and somehow had very few bugs inside which was awesome. The showers were great with hot water and adequate water pressure. The campground is right off some really nice paved walking trails and they also have a winding mountain bike trail. Plus you're right near Lincoln Lake. The campground is a quick drive to downtown, the beach, restaurants, bars, etc. I read about a company (Lakeshore Watersports) that rents kayaks on Lincoln Lake (supposedly right from the campground), but we called them and they never called us back, kind of a bummer. The sites were $28 per night for a tent spot with electric hookup. They kept the big RVs up towards the front of the campground which was nice as it made it much quieter back where the tent spots were. I would definitely camp here again.

This is my first time to "camp" like this. I met the night crew last night and they were awesome!…read more I had a lot of questions and they answered every one of them with a smile and friendly joking back and forth. The grounds are very nice and shady. The only improvement I see is maybe the addition of another shower facility, but i'm here on the 4th of July and they may not have regular business to justify it. I would most definitely stay here again.

Fantastic RV resort. Grounds are meticulously maintained. You call for service, they are there…read morewithin a half hour sometimes less. Sites are all 10/10. Perfectly maintained concrete, level. Facilities are 10/10. Warning though. This place isn't for the rowdy party animals.... This place actually repels those types of campers which was fine with us! Playgrounds, pool everything. Trees. They are also expanding to include 90 something new sites, amd a second pool. This place rocks. My kids love it. Thanks Vacation Station!!!

Every thing was clean inside and out the lawn care is amazing definitely coming back next yearread more

Just had an amazing weekend stay here this weekend. We stayed in the 3 bedroom cabin- it was…read morecomfortable, clean, stylish, and had everything we needed. The campground was beautiful and we saw tons of deer and hiked down to the river to fish and hang out. The owner was attentive and made sure we were well taken care of during our stay. The rates were also super reasonable. There was also stores and lots to do within a short distance of you want to wander off the preserve. Def recommend and will be returning for many years to come!

We spent a weekend in August 2022 camping here. What a great place. Love everything about it…read more Angie has huge plans and I can't wait to see what she does next. We love the property and the kayaking down the river. We came back in March 2023 and stayed a weekend in the cabin with our pups. What a great spot. The cabin is so cute and well done. Everything you need is there. Just sit back and enjoy the view, lots of deer. We already have plans to return in July 2023 with our camper again. Looking forward to another trip down the river while we are there.

An ourstanding destination for rustic camping. No showers/electricity, but very quiet with shady…read moresites, miles of trails, and Lake Michigan one dune ridge away. This is the kind of place you could stop at for a few days without having having to leave to have fun. There is the beach of course, but also lots of opportunities for hiking and many other nature activities. I was in the area to fish the nearby Big Sauble river, so I didn't get out to see as much of the Rec Area as I'd have liked, but would love to return some day. The campsites all have a long, level asphalt pad that could easily accommodate a large trailer or motor home. Tenters like me have plenty of open ground behind that to set up on. Most of the sites in my loop looked level, and mine did in the preview at the USFS web site, though when I got there I saw it had a distinct slant. I was able to set up so that I was able to sleep more or less level, but be away that some sites may take creative tent placement to stay comfortable. As I said, the site was very shady, which was nice as I was there on some very hot days. Never wore sunglasses in camp, even at midday. The vault toilet facilities were clean, and water is available at a pressure tap, not a hand pump, as at many national forest campgrounds. Not too many complaints. One, which some other campers I talked to had as well, is that the trail to the beach is long and needed to be better marked. The other is the cost: $40+ per night is a lot compared to other national forest campgrounds. I shelled out since it was convenient to where I wanted to fish and would be cooler than inland campgrounds--I was paying a lake-breeze premium. And on this trip, that was a worthwhile investment. If you're looking for a secluded but convenient campground with lots of recreation close at hand, it still may be a bargain.

I love this area. I try to camp up here every summer. The campground is clean and generally quiet…read moreand just a short hike to the beach, which is never packed like the state parks down the shore. There are several places to watch the sunset and for stargazing. A lot of people hike through the area, too. The only thing I don't like is the hike over the sand dune to get to the beach. It's a smallish hill, but if you have bad knees or you're out of shape, you might not like it. It's definitely not ADA accessible.

Here are 12 free sites! FREE! May 1 through October 31, you can escape to Manistee National Forest…read more During our summer week here this was a quiet getaway. Rain scared away three sites so we were one of two groups left, and we couldn't hear a word of the other group down the way. Site 11 is even a pull-through! All sites have a great tree canopy, fire pits, lantern hooks, and picnic tables. There's a pit toilet outside the Angler Trail and a boat launch off the Pete Marquette River, but nothing else. No water taps, firewood, or other amenities are here, but the quiet makes it all worth it. Being free, no one is here to clean up after the Taco Bell/Fireball/ash tray/BB affair of your site's prior occupants, so bring a garbage bag. Then, take it with you!!! If not Fireball caps, you might be the lucky to find the campsite whose prior occupants left a good stash of firewood, a rake, even a wreath, something I've never seen at a campsite. A hummingbird flew through our site, and woodpeckers were seen and heard throughout our stay. Mosquitos are here so bring your bug spray or coils. Michigan DNR says this is also bear country, so don't leave out food or garbage. Take care of your site so Sulak Campground will stay free, and enjoy the woods, song birds, fireflies, wildflowers, the lot.

Staff is super friendly and helpful. Campground is peaceful and close to several ORV trails. I…read morewould stay here again! Cheap firewood on site.

WOW!! Easy access to the RV trails.. Friendly..(Family friendly...Pet friendly, ORV 4-wheeler…read morefriendly, Fisherman friendly) . Need I say more!! Hot showers..Small campground store...Private owned, small..campground that Let's you be you!! Totally AWESOME!!