Notable campgrounds
Tips for snagging a campsite
- Tent and RV campsites at Petoskey State Park can be reserved six months in advance, but the two mini cabins in the Tannery Creek Campground can be reserved 12 months in advance.
- Reservations must be made online or by calling (800) 447-2757.
- We recommend booking as early as possible for the park’s busy summer season.
When to go
The Petoskey State Park campgrounds are typically open from May through October, as Memorial Day to Labor Day marks the park’s summer season. During this time, visitors can take advantage of rentals for kayaks, standup paddleboards, and bikes from the concession stand. Even outside of summer, Petoskey is worth a visit—fall is a popular time as many of the area’s deciduous tree leaves alight in hues of red, orange, and yellow. The park’s day-use parking lot is typically open from the end of April to the beginning of November, depending on the snow pack.
Know before you go
- Rockhounders flock to the shores of Lake Petoskey in hopes of locating a rare Petoskey stone, a rock covered in hexagonal, tessellated coral fossils that can only be found in this area. Keep your eyes peeled along the shore and you may find one too!
- The park contains a few short trails to stroll through dunes and woods (Portage and Old Baldy), but it also links up to two long-distance paved trails that cyclists and joggers love—the 26-mile Little Traverse Wheelway and the 32-mile North Western State Trail.
Petoskey State Park
Bask on golden-sand beaches and hunt for rare fossils at Petoskey State Park.
On the inside shore of Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay, Petoskey State Park welcomes campers with over 300 acres of beaches perfect for swimming and paddling. The waters are tame due to the lack of a boat launch (but you can head to nearby Harbor Springs if you’re looking for a liftoff). Two excellent campgrounds draw overnight tent and RV camping trips, while a concession stand with kayak and canoe rentals operates during the summer season. Just outside the park, art and culture boom in Harbor Springs. This is the only place on earth where the rare Petoskey stone fossil is found.
On the inside shore of Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay, Petoskey State Park welcomes campers with over 300 acres of beaches perfect for swimming and paddling. The waters are tame due to the lack of a boat launch (but you can head to nearby Harbor Springs if you’re looking for a liftoff). Two excellent campgrounds draw overnight tent and RV camping trips, while a concession stand with kayak and canoe rentals operates during the summer season. Just outside the park, art and culture boom in Harbor Springs. This is the only place on earth where the rare Petoskey stone fossil is found.
Activities in the park
2 campgrounds in Petoskey State Park
Snaking through the picturesque dunes of Petoskey State Park, Petoskey-Tannery Creek Campground is dotted with numerous campsites that offer fantastic views of nearby Little Traverse Lake. Though, the lake’s anything but diminutive―it’s massive and waiting for you to hop in for a refreshing swim!Read more...
Waves crashing on the white sands, sunsets painting the encroaching tide with yellow hues that canvass the adjacent sand dunes, Petoskey-Dunes Modern Campground combines the best of both worlds: modern-day amenities and natural landscapes. And, with a plethora of campsites that dot the three-hundred-plus-acres of the like-named State Park, you and Read more...
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Notable campgrounds
Notable campgrounds
Tips for snagging a campsite
When to go
The Petoskey State Park campgrounds are typically open from May through October, as Memorial Day to Labor Day marks the park’s summer season. During this time, visitors can take advantage of rentals for kayaks, standup paddleboards, and bikes from the concession stand. Even outside of summer, Petoskey is worth a visit—fall is a popular time as many of the area’s deciduous tree leaves alight in hues of red, orange, and yellow. The park’s day-use parking lot is typically open from the end of April to the beginning of November, depending on the snow pack.
Know before you go
Public campgrounds (book externally) —