This is a great state park northern lower peninsula ( roughly 8 miles from Mackinaw city) with many camping areas, swimming areas, beaches, and trails. They also rent cabins at the park. The park has great fishing off of Wakashanks point and the home to a bird preserve for nesting Piping Plovers and many other wildlife. read more

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I enjoyed my stay in the Lakeshore section. It was a short walk from my campsite to the beach. During a nice bike ride, I saw the boat launch and picnic area. I was solo, but most were family campers. It felt safe and secure with staff doing regular roundabouts. Bathrooms were fine. The only downside were millions of dead fish flies in the water and shore line, but obviously that was out of our control. It was also a short drive to Mackinac City. Highly recommended! read more

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We stayed here for a weekend spent visiting Mackinac Island, so my thoughts are mostly about the campground. In a nutshell, it was not my favorite but certainly not the worse place I've camped! The park itself is right by the lake with beautiful views as you drive in. We stayed in the 500s, and a lot of the sites are relatively compact with few trees, so you better hope you get good neighbors (we did!). That said, our small group had plenty of space both to sleep and hang out. I did note some prettier sites with tree boundaries that probably get reserved right away each season. In terms of amenities, there were clean bathrooms and showers within a reasonable walk of most sites and lots of water spigots all over. Even better, this park seems to appeal to a lot of RV campers, so all sites in this loop had electric hookups to charge devices as needed. There was a camp host on duty each day and they even provided free coffee on Saturday morning. One issue that ground our gears was that campground reservations do not include the park day use fee, so you should expect to add that on top. Sadly we ended up with cold wind and rain most of the weekend, so we did not actually get to enjoy swimming or any park activities - this was truly a sunk cost. But it's a beautiful spot and I'm sure the fee would feel more justified in better weather. read more

Wilderness State Park - Parks Near Me - Carp Lake, Michigan

We needed up snagging a last minute camping spot here to see the fall colors. We really enjoyed this campsite. It was very close to the beach and you could hear the waves crashing all night. It was the perfect ambient noise to sleep to. We also did not find this campground noisy (due to partying guests). I am not sure if that is because we went in the fall or just the location is more family friendly. The bathrooms and showed are nice and clean. The beach is only a few steps away. It was a little windy but overall a great spot. read more

Wilderness State Park - Parks Near Me - Carp Lake, Michigan

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Seven of us went by Wilderness State Park today while trying to decide where to go camping next week. I guess we will never know if it is a nice place to camp. What I can tell you is that the stocky blonde female person that met us at the check in building is one of the rudest people I've met in a long time. She refused to answer any questions and repeatedly said "You have to have a Parks and Recreation Pass". We need a pass to ask questions? Interestingly, she never offered to sell us a pass which I know she could have done from reading the on-line literature and we would have happily bought one since we will need one anyway when we go camping. When my 89 year old father called her on her unhelpful attitude she said, "If you don't like it you can talk to my boss, here he comes now". The ranger answered our questions and we left. What a terrible experience! Needless to say, we won't be camping at Wilderness State Park! read more

We've been hoping to snag a spot at Wilderness for a few years. With Covid, plus remodels, it didn't seem like this was going to be the year. Luckily we snagged a tent spot on the day they opened up (even then, we had to try for a while and ended up splitting the reso between two spots). The park itself is awesome. It's vast, with a lot of options for camping, kayaking and hiking, and killer views of the lake. However, as tent campers we were a little disappointed that the "rustic" camping was so tightly packed. I can totally see how it keeps people and their silliness to one area, but as people who have been spoiled by other rustic campgrounds, it was a bit of a buzz kill. Our site was one of the better ones (34), with woods behind, and luckily we had good neighbors, (because we got to know them well). When we go back - which we will - we'll definitely try to grab one of the "hike-in" spots (AA - QQ). They are not, in fact, true hike-in spots as much as you park and walk your stuff 30 feet over a hill to a more private spot right on the water. Other people seemed similarly disappointed with the lack of privacy, as there was a lot of turnover around us. Even our good neighbors left a day early. It was a fine spot for a ground zero if you're into day-tripping, but if you want to hang at the site to enjoy nature, it's not exactly that. The best part of the park is that there's a lot to enjoy once you're there. On the recommendation of the woman at the camp office (we asked about a couple-hour hike away from people), we hiked the southernmost part of the trail inside Wilderness State Park starting at Sturgeon Bay Beach- 2.7 miles one way / 5.4 there and back. Lots of ups and downs, beautiful views from the halfway point on the ridge. This portion is part of the Northern Country Trail. We only saw one other person on a Friday afternoon, and at a beginner pace it took us almost 3 hours. We took a dip at the end thay was a-mazing. Highly recommend. The same woman also recommended the northernmost hike, along the beach, to the lighthouse. We didn't get to that, but we did drive up there to peek at the beaches. It turned out that the tip of the peninsula was flooded, so we put our kayaks in a explored there for a couple hours. There were lots of interesting birds. We'll definitely be back to explore more! read more

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I'm in site 181 it's in the "Pines". I like it. Site seems big, trees behind, big drop off too. Very shady. Nice mature trees everywhere. Nice new fire pit in good location on site. Nice level blacktop pads to park the trailer on. Seems quiet when the sun goes down and in the morning as the park wakes up. We drive thru the lake loops to see them. WOW do they look TIGHT!!! The road is dirt the sites are sand with some sparse grass. Did I mention they were TIGHT!!! WHOA!!! The restrooms and showers are typical Michigan State Park style the old version. They are also in need of some maintenance. The shower head was spraying sideways out at the connection and the window frames are rotting out. They look like you could give them a little push and the whole window would fall out. If you've read this far here is a tip. On the way in they have a new check in station to register. There is a sign that reads " Driver please stay with vehicle until you reach the front of the line. " this seems self explanatory. Some people don't know what it means. They just stop in line and walk up. The BIGGER issue IMHO is they have two lanes but no sign that says the left lane is for registering also. So as I sit four rigs back a rig pulls up in the left lane and goes in and registers and comes out and I'm like WTF!!! So no matter how Many are in the right lane just pull up in the left if it's empty. read more

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Awesome hiking trails and camping. Stayed in a rustic cabin for a college club trip and we had a great time. The water is freezing (as to be expected when we went in October) but we had a great time. It's 10 minute or so proximity to Mackinaw City is great if you want a change of pace or look at city life. read more

Nice park, one of the top ones in the state. I have camped there frequently over the last 50+ years. Suffering a bit because of the budget problems. This shows in some of the maintenance that is need in the park, leveling camp sites out, patch roadways in the campgrounds. Restrooms are cleaned daily but need more detail work like dumping the dead bugs out of the light fixtures a few times a year. The trails are marked and there are many to hike. Take bug dope and a compass anytime you go in the woods there, even though the trails are marked. 3 campgrounds available, East and West Lakeshore on Lake Michigan and The Pines, these sit along a ridge across a County Road behind the Lakeshore campgrounds. The lake is not visible from there. Check Mi.gov for more details. read more

Wilderness State Park - Waugoshaunce Point Light. - Parks Near Me - Carp Lake, Michigan

Stayed on site PP. Amazing views from our campground of the lake and stars. Short walk to the bathroom. My only complaint were the water flies, there were thousands, we found out from locals that it was hatching season. Luckily they don't bite, they're just annoying to be around. Everything else was spectacular. Beautiful one road drive in. 10 minutes from mackinaw city if that. General store about a mile away with a good selection of anything you might need. Would absolutely stay here again. read more

Wilderness State Park - Site PP, amazing view and walk out access to the beach. June 2018 - Parks Near Me - Carp Lake, Michigan

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I almost can't bear to tell you how much we love Wilderness State Park. We camp every fall at Big Stone Bay. The park is beautiful and can seem so incredibly remote--yet you are minutes from Mackinaw City and the Mackinac Bridge. There are lots of hiking trails, so much rocky shoreline to explore (but oh, God, the black spiders!). It's an outdoor paradise. read more

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Camped here for the first time this summer. I have to say so far it's one of my favorite Michigan campgrounds. It has a 50's or 60's feel to the place from the original looking bath houses to the quaint general store down the road (mmmmm donuts). It just feels very relaxed and removed from society. We set up in one of the lake shore sites but not right on the beach. Our site was quite woodsy but we were able to shoe horn our tent and screened porch in. It had not rained for a while before we arrived and did not for the 3 nights we were there so the road was quite dusty. By the time we left or tent and car was covered in a fine dust kicked up by cars diving through. Small beach but it's still good. I think the DNR has let the shoreline become more "natural" so most of the beach is now dunes and grass. Went to Mackinaw City for fudge one day (25 minute drive), and Cross Village for polish at Legs Inn (45-50 minutes? ). Otherwise stayed on site biking, looping and swimming. My 7 year old son made many friends and they even had a game of ghosts in the graveyard and flashlight tag one night. Overall fun and relaxing stay. read more

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We visited Wilderness State Park for a weekend of camping and had a good time! It was really crowded (the park was full), so you are packed in like sardines. If you're looking for rustic camping without any other people around, this isn't the place. There are a lot of families, RVs, bikes, dogs, and people everywhere. But we didn't spend a lot of time at camp anyway. The photos online when reserving are a bit deceiving as they are taken when the campground is empty. So our lakeshore facing site had zero view of the lake (we were on the inside loop), which was kind of a bummer. We made note of which sites had the best views while we were there for next time. The campground has daily events and programs, like nature walks, ranger talks, arts and crafts, etc. We didn't do any of those but it was cool to see they were offered. There are a couple swimming areas but we didn't check those out. If you walk down to the boat dock you can see the bridge, and I've heard it's great to see at night. There is a camp store about a half mile away that has a bunch of supplies, firewood, and really yummy homemade donuts! Multiple people told us to get these donuts and they are definitely worth it. The restroom facilities were always clean and they are a little more updated than you typically see at a state park. Most of the campsites are shaded, which is really nice if you don't have a canopy. Downtown Mackinaw City is a short drive away and there's plenty to do there. read more

Lovely park. Nice level spots. Good privacy between spots. And a gorgeous whit sand beach on Lake Michigan is just a short walk from the campground. read more

Was a great park. Went with my family, we had a ton of fun! We had a great site right by the lake and beach Wanted a little more water pressure in the showers,but all in all good campground read more

We spent three nights here at the end of June. We were camping in a tent and stayed in the double lettered sites (we were in site pp). Almost all of the sites in this area of the park are right on the dunes and you have your own walking trail out to the water. I spent every morning reading and drinking camp coffee on the dunes overlooking Lake Michigan with not another person in site so as far as scenery and privacy go it was the best park in Michigan I've ever stayed in! Our site was a little small but there were just two of us and we had room for both an 8 person tent and a shade/rain tent over the picnic table. The rest of the site areas (the ones with electricity) and near the water looked pretty close together, although some were practically right on the beach so if you had little ones that might be more of what you are looking for. We spent the days riding our bikes and playing on the dunes. We ventured to Leggs Inn for lunch one day, and to Mackinac Island on another day. It was a fantastic vacation! The only downside to this park is the bugs, which is just something that comes with being on the water. As long as we had heavy amounts of deet poisoning our skin the mosquitoes left us alone. Being in this end of the park the bathroom situation wasn't great. There was a vault toilet that we tried desperately not to use and instead took the short ride on our bikes to the ranger station to use the restrooms. There are showers in the park just at the opposite end of where we stayed but they were new and very nice! read more

Wilderness State Park - Campsite PP - Parks Near Me - Carp Lake, Michigan

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So where do I start!! The whole park is breathtaking and the beach is unbelievable. We go camping there every summer during the week and really love the rustic sites. They are basically on the beach and and have good distance from other sites. The starts at night are awesome and the hiking and swimming are some of the best in northern Michigan. read more

Beautiful location in the very northern lower peninsula of Michigan. This campground is right on the shore of Lake Michigan, and some of the sites are actually on the sand, not more than 15 feet from the water. Our site was in the inner circle, so we had a quick 30 second walk to the beach. I preferred this, since it was pretty windy in the evenings, so we were a bit more sheltered. These sites are extremely close together, and about 85% of people had RVs. We actually had to parallel park at the edge of our site! Bathrooms are easily accessible and relatively clean, although I recommend shower shoes. They are pretty crowded, though, especially in the morning and right after dinner. Note that the fire pit has no grill, so if you want to cook over the fire, bring your own (can be purchased at the general store down the road for $16), or expect to use skewers or cook in foil packets! The sites are gloriously not buggy at all, and it cools down at night, so tent camping is very comfortable. The hiking here was great. Lots of different trails, and they were very well maintained. There are even a few bathrooms (out toilets, but still!) on the longer routes. It's pretty buggy so I recommend carrying bug spray with you. We did the 10K loop as a hike, and we got to see a ton of beautiful wildflowers and even a beaver's dam. (They had to tear it down because he keeps flooding the trail!) Our friends brought kayaks and spent hours on the lake. They'd recommend all water based activities! read more

By far one of the best camping sites that I have been to in Michigan. My wife and I took a tent and had a wonderful time. If you do a tent I would recommend a site more back in the trees, so you are not blasted by the wind off the lake. But great site! read more

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I stayed here last week with my boyfriend & our two-year-old son. It was a really nice park & very close to the beach which was nice. The "playground" was actually just a slide which was slightly disappointing & the beach area could have been more comfortable if it were a little bigger (everyone from the campground was trying to use this small area). We stayed in a tent & it worked out well because we had an air mattress, but I wouldn't sleep on the ground because our site had a lot of rocks (although it didn't look like all of them were like that). My only complaint that would actually make me not stay there again is the closeness of the inside campsites.. there was absolutely no privacy & our neighbors' conversations kept me up at night even with a fan on inside our tent. I would recommend staying at a site on the outside ring by the woods.. that's what we'll be doing next time! We did some exploring & found some really cool trails & secluded areas by the lake which was my favorite part. We also spent a lot of time in Mackinaw City as it's just a short drive away! read more

This is such a fun campground! Super dog and kid friendly, and the lake is so beautiful! read more

Wilderness State Park - The beach at wilderness state park - Parks Near Me - Carp Lake, Michigan

Fun place to hike. I found a few winterberries here -- they are small, red berries that grow on green plants near the ground. Related to spearmint, and they taste minty. Be careful about eating things in nature that you are not experienced with though! read more

Unlike most people, we stayed in one of the rustic cabins in the park. The campground is extremely over crowded, and if I couldn't get in on one of the putter loops, they have tent only camping. More my speed there. But the cabin we had was extremely rustic. No running water or electricity, vault toilet set a little ways off from cabin. We rented Sturgeon Bay which is said to be a short walk to Sturgeon Bay beach. There is no beach. It is all swamp/marsh. Completely inaccessible. Not sure if it was due to the water levels, but everything around us was wet and swampy. The cabin itself has broken screens in the windows, broken window locks, and pretty sure a resident mouse. A broken warning radio as well. Forget about cell service up there btw. Bring a portable battery radio for weather updates at least. The wood burning stove was nice, but they didn't give us a key for the firewood meant to be used in it. Believe it or not, it was chilly in there, especially after the rain storm that came in. If you are looking for complete seclusion, the cabins are about a mile apart from each other, and miles from the campground. There was nothing but the sounds of nature out there. Looking to unplug- it is perfect for that. The bathrooms in the campground are less than desirable. Wear your flip flops or water shoes for sure in the showers. And there always seems to be a line for the showers. For such a large campground, you would think they would have more restrooms and showers. 4 showers per loop, 4 toilets, 2 sinks. Might work for the guys, but the woman were always waiting for something. If you have read this far, the hidden gems here... take the road to the wilderness camp general store. Go in the morning and grab yourself some donuts and coffee. Ken does an amazing job here! You will be thanking me for this advice! Follow the first road till it almost ends, past all the cabins. There is a quiet beach on Lake Michigan. It's not groomed perfect, but if you are looking to get away from the crowd, not too many will take the trip to find this beach. Happy camping! read more

We've enjoyed camping here through the years with and without kids.. They have sites right on a bay of Lake Michigan. They don't have the more modern shower/toilet facilities like some other state parks but the ones they have are very clean and well mintained. It's a nice place to stay if you want to check out northern lower peninsula and Mackinac Island. Go to the nearby boat launch for a nice view of the beautiful Mackinac Bridge. read more

Beautiful park and great view from site 40. He were able to keep the kayaks on the beach in front of our camp site. We will come here again.

This park is beautiful, friendly and well kept. It is a typical awesome Michigan State Park... and like all the rest I've stayed at, I always want the bathroom/shower area to be a little more picked-up. However, the campsites were well marked, the beach handy, activities for the entire family, friendly campers... I highly recommend a stay. read more

I shouldn't rate it so high because it seems to be getting more and more popular. Great waterfront sites. The pines campground is really nice with blacktop road and level sites. Mature white pines. Great hiking/Mt bike trails. Over 10k acres with awesome beaches. read more

This place was one of the most beautiful places i have ever visited. There was a small park with a slide and swings right on the beach. The slide was not a crappy plastic it was the old metal kind that was in great shape and my son loved it! There were places to hike all over and it was a short drive from the bridge. read more

Wilderness State Park is magical and truly wild, if you stay out of the campground. Rent a cabin instead, either deep in the woods, or on the shore of Lake Michigan. Bunk beds, an outdoor water pump, a port-a-john and a wood stove provide your only modern comforts, leaving you to your own devices to make your own fun. Miles of trails for hiking and biking wind through the woods and out onto a giant spit for incredible views of nature. Get ice, beer and bug spray at the store right before the park entrance, and freshly made doughnuts at the store in the middle of the park. See and hear Great Lakes freighters plying the waters of the Straits, and on a clear day, look for the Mackinac Bridge in the distance. read more

Visited friends there, beautiful forest and beaches. The rangers should enforce the dog rules, some were running loose and some were being taken down on the beach, both are against the rules. Other than that it was a very nice camping area. read more

Started camping here with my parents as a toddler and continue to visit even today. The hiking trails are great, the beach is amazing, and the restrooms are clean. The staff is USUALLY friendly and helpful, although last fall we had an issue with 2 female park employees that were rude and overbearing. Had we not had such wonderful memories and positive experiences in the past, I doubt we would have returned. A little kindness and patience go a long way. Especially when your livelihood depends on your guests! read more

love this place we go up for the fall fest in sept.. the grandkids love it trickand treats games hunted forst so much more to do with the grandkids.... read more