Best Camping in and near Leelanau State Park

100% (6 reviews)

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Leelanau State Park adventure.

Discover Leelanau State Park's natural beauty and outdoor adventures.

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Stay at a public campground in Leelanau State Park

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Leelanau Campground

54 sites · RVs, Tents In Leelanau State Park

Top-rated campgrounds near Leelanau State Park

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Backyard Burdickville

24 sites · RVs, Tents13 acres · Empire, MI

Nurturing the adventurous spirit through, Community, Local Food, and Live Music in Northern Michigan, Backyard Burdickville is a special place just outside of Empire, MI offering camping, Live Music, The Lively Farm, and NeighborFood Market. Visitors can explore the beauty of the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore by day and our starry landscape by night. Our 40x50 rustic campsites offer a picnic table, and about half are equipped with Fire Pits w/ Screens. Potable water hydrants and clean, regularly serviced porta-johns are available. Sites can accommodate small campers and camper vans but are not equipped for large RVs or motorhomes. If you are looking to park your larger camper vehicle or trailer, and need electricity, let us know as we do have a few larger sites with access to standard power outlets and can accommodate a larger camper. We do not have septic hook-ups, but can help you arrange a clean out from our portajohn servicer. However, out of respect for fellow campers, we do not allow generators in our campground. We aim to be family friendly! We want you to have fun, but please respect your neighbors. Quite Hours: 10pm-7am, 11-8am on Saturdays. If you need anything while you're here, we make every effort to be available onsite in the camp office (the small camper behind the wood) daily 12-4pm, and by phone, the number will be listed at our office onsite. Please send us a message if you have any questions or need anything during your stay! Address: 3805 W Empire HWY, Empire MI, 49630

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Million $ Sunset Camp

8 sites · RVs, Tents8 acres · Harbor Springs, MI

Pitch your tent and listen to the waves of Sturgeon Bay on Lake Michigan. Fantastic Sunsets. Located half way between Harbor Springs and Mackinaw City. Walking distance to famous Legs Inn in Cross Village, MI. The property currently includes 8 campsites with a board walk on the east portion of the Lake side portion of the property to access the Lake MI Beach.

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Camp Moonshadow

6 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents5 acres · Honor, MI

Our property was originally the only homestead on this road. WE offer 4 Walk in Tent sites and a RV site for small campers up 20 ft.- 20 Amp service Only!!! WE also have a 59 Vintage Shasta that rents nightly up to 3 nites The big barn was built over 100 years ago and is still standing. The farm house was built in 1907. It has been remodeled with a second story added. Pine trees were planted to prevent erosion in the 1960's. The national park began buying land near us in the 1970's and the boundary line to the park is a half-mile from Moonshadow Camp. The area is surrounded by state forests and many hiking and biking trails. Our valley is known for incredible stargazing. Amenities include full access to the Camp kitchen and dining area. You will also have access to a Portable restroom and hand washing station which is located by our BIG BARN. Hot Showers, no problem, you can enjoy a secluded private shower in our shower house which has indoor and outdoor showers. Nearby is Lake Michigan and Esch Rd beach. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake shore is nearby and The National Park is famous for attractions , trails, and hiking. Electricity and water is included at the RV site, and the Shasta Camper along with the Showerhouse and Camp Kitchen

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Camp David

14 sites · RVs, Tents8 acres · Traverse City, MI

We built our home 30 years ago on 8 acres of hay field. Everything you see on our property was put here by us!! We have had dogs, a couple of horses, cats of course and chickens too. The horses, dogs and chickens are gone but we still have cats...and we have a pond off our deck with about 50 goldfish and a couple dozen frogs!! Our kids are all grown and we are left wondering what is next. For the past 12 years or so we have had at least one or two camp outs a year on our property with just friends. Then we started thinking "why not invite others?" We know how difficult it can be to get camping reservations in the area....then I bumped into a Hipcamp Host who told me about this.... so here we are! We are animal and nature lovers and our gardens are here for you to enjoy. We'd love to give you a tour and tell you all about every plant if you are interested. Or we will ignore you and let you do your own thing in our 'backyard'! We offer rustic boondocks camping or set up nearer to our buildings and we can supply you with power....110, 30 and 50 available for a small extra charge Welcome to Traverse City and welcome to Camp David!! I have a Facebook page with lots of fun and interesting things to do and see as well as great restaurant recommendations for Traverse City and beyond, on my travel page...Towhead Travels....on Facebook. Please look me up! ******NEW IN 2023****** We have an outhouse on site!! Firewood (oak) is available to purchase when you get here. (all campsites will be provided with a fire ring no charge) https://m.facebook.com/100057592452231/

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Jackson Station Leelanau

4 sites · Tents32 acres · Maple City, MI

Our sites accomodate 2 adults and their minors, with 1-2 vehicles at your site's access point. If you're traveling more than 2 adults please book more than one camp site. Enjoy a peaceful outdoor experience in beautiful Leelanau County via Agritourism at Jackson Station on the Leelanau Peninsula! Our property has 4 private sites situated among a dense pine forest on our small-scale farm. We're located conveniently between the two popular vacation destinations of Glen Arbor and Leland, MI - both a short scenic drive in either direction. The Leelanau Peninsula is littered with recreational opportunities including hiking, biking, beaches, boating, fishing, dining, shopping and wine tasting, and of course the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore! Our farm produces pastured, all natural meat, including pork, beef, chicken and goat. Find the hens roaming around and see the pigs, cows and goats hanging out in the fenced-in areas. A variety of cuts of meat from our freezers are available for sale or get a tour of the farmstead ~ Just ask! You may simply enjoy the scene at your leisure. SITE DETAILS: Each camp site has a bed of woodchips, gravel surrounding a bonfire ring, a clothesline and neatly stacked firewood for sale. Our sites may accomodate 2 adults and their minors. We recommend that larger groups or multiple adults book more than one site next to each other (sites 1 and 2 or 2 and 3 are good for this). Quiet hours are enforced between 10pm-7am. This is our home and farm, not a campground, please think of staying here in that way. A short walk from camp, down the farm road to the north end of the livestock fence, you'll find access to a water pump for delicious drinking water straight from our well, so that you may fill containers of water or utilize for rinsing. Our land borders the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. You'll be just a few miles from access to beautiful Lake Michigan beaches. Relax in the sand, hunt for rocks, hike a trail, kayak or paddle-board and watch an epic sunset. We are just down the road from the uninhabited School Lake, known for its fishing from non-motorized boats or a quiet place to paddle. Additionally, just 2 Miles away you can access the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, a non-motorized 27 mile groomed trail that follows the scenic M-22 from our location all the way to Empire, MI. This trail is open year round to walk, run, bicycle, snowshoe or cross-country ski. 2.8 miles in the other direction from our camp, you'll find a Mountain Bikers paradise at Palmer Woods Forest Preserve, with various hiking trails and a 6 mile mountain bike trail.

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Griff's

6 sites · RVs, Tents40 acres · Rapid City, MI

Dispersed campsites on Griffs back 40 and Griff's River Lot are great locations for vacationing on Torch Lake, about 1 mile form the lake.

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Llama Meadows Eco Farm BaseCamp

9 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents16 acres · Benzonia, MI

Llama Meadows Farm is a sixteen acre organic fruit and vegetable farm. Located in Beautiful Benzie Country, in Northwestern Lower Michigan. We are one mile south of Crystal Lake and six miles east of Lake Michigan. Our-house is super insulated and passive solar. We had llamas for their wool and manure. We retired from raising llamas, we had 12 they got old and moved on. We have around 50 fruit trees. The fruit we grow includes apples, pears, figs and paw paws. We also grow grapes, and kiwis, we also put in filberts, walnuts and pecans. We have a beautiful labyrinth peace garden. Please check Extras for Pet fees, Campfire Wood and Electric.

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Hidden Meadow

5 sites · RVs, Tents5 acres · Alanson, MI

Get ready for a peaceful camping experience in this one-of-a-kind setting! For all styles of camping units as well as rustic tent camping. We live in farming country, with only a few houses on our road. We know most of our neighbors as friends or relatives. Our camping area only has three sites so it’s cozy and private. We have about 5 acres land for use around the campsite and lots of wooded trails nearby. We are about 2 miles from Burt Lake, and about 10 miles from other waterways, rivers and streams, and Lake Michigan. we are also 4 miles from biking and ORV trails.

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Winding River Campground

70 sites · RVs, Tents11 acres · Benzonia, MI

Majestic River Centric Campground is nestled on 11 acres of land overlooking the Betsie River. We are right off of US-31 before downtown Beulah. We are known as a fishing destination and many locals have said our 1900ft of frontage on the Betsie has the best fishing holes of any stretch from Homestead Dam to Grace Road. We have over 100+ camping sites with approx. 75 sites available for daily, weekly, and monthly rentals with a variety of stay options that meet your needs including RV rentals, tenting and car camping sites, river sites, highland sites close to the pool and camper amenities, glamping options, two cabin rentals, and one frame rental. Weekly and monthly activities include live music, food trucks, fishing lessons, tap takeovers, electric bikes, kayak rentals, hay rides, farm animals, crocket/horseshoe/bags tournaments and much more. Make your next Northern Michigan Visit HERE at Winding River Campground! For seasonal rates please call our main office and our staff can provide you with information. Open Dates: March 16 to October 31

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Camp 437 in the Sturgeon Valley

5 sites · RVs, Tents40 acres · Vanderbilt, MI

We book only 2 sites at a time on our 40 acre property so you can enjoy a more secluded experience in the woods. Our property is undeveloped, so you will need to bring drinking water, but there's no need to worry about finding firewood before your arrive as we supply you with a free bundle waiting for you when you get here! There are 1 1/2 miles of marked, wooded trails that will guide you to the river's edge where you can enjoy the beauty and wildlife along the West Branch of the Sturgeon River. It will feel as if you are in the middle of nowhere, yet the convenience of the small town of Vanderbilt is just three miles away. We are located just three miles off of I-75. The larger town of Gaylord is only a 15 minute drive south. There's lots to do here in beautiful Northern Michigan! Only a few miles from our camp you can go for a swim at Thumb Lake Park or take a bike ride along the North Central State Trail in Vanderbilt. Drive 15 minutes north and you can canoe or kayak the main branch of the Sturgeon River in Wolverine. There are many great hiking trails in the Pigeon River State Forest and the North Country National Scenic Trail is only 6 miles away. This 40 acre parcel has been in our family since the 1950s. My grandparents originally designated it as a tree farm and planted and harvested lumber from it. As a boy scout leader, my grandfather hosted many boy scout troops here and even hosted a boy scout Jamboree in the 1970s. Back then the property was referred to as the "Tree Farm", but after my husband John and I inherited it in 2014 we started calling it Camp 437. Before we inherited the property we spent time camping there and building trails. One of the trails we built was named the "Burns Trail" in honor of my grandparents. Since we acquired the property we have added a one mile loop that circles the perimeter of the property, and a total of about 1 1/2 miles of trail.

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House of Bear

5 sites · RVs, Tents97 acres · Grawn, MI

The House of Bear is located on a spectacular 97-acre, fourth generation working Tree farm in Northern Michigan’s Grand Traverse County. Stunning Northern Michigan wildlife with creeks and an old natural beaver pond, what a wonderful place to relax, and soak in the surroundings. Step out of the hectic stress of the everyday and take a moment at one of the many areas to soak up what you have disconnected from. Feel the wind across your skin, the Earth beneath your feet and the Sun shining down. Hear the birds singing, the trees swaying in the wind and what animal was that? See the deer frolicking, birds flying, trees growing and how nature all comes together. Smell the Earth, the Pine from the trees and the wild flowers. Take some time and wonder, lose yourself in Nature and get refreshed. Natural Rustic Camping, wake up to a beautiful sunrise, listen to the birds singing away, with the chance of seeing any of Northern Michigan’s awesome wildlife. Sunsets are spectacular with so many different colors, and on a Clear night look up at the stars without the lights of a big city.

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Amelia V.’s Land

8 sites · Tents100 acres · Honor, MI

Learn more about this land: Pitch your tent on a 100 acre wildlife preserve and animal sanctuary surrounded by state forest just minutes from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Rolling Fields with native Northern Michigan Wild Cherry and Pines. Dark Skys. No Civilization in sight. Meet our Birds and Horses and have a chance to see much more wildlife:) Dogs welcome on leashes. Very close to Shore to Shore Trail. Horse camping available.Pets are welcome. Please make sure to pick up after them. 4WD recommended.

The best camping near Leelanau State Park guide

Overview

About

We have two words to say about Leelanau State Park: into it. After all, “Leelanau” does indeed translate from Native American to “A Land of Delight.” The landscape is given its personality by a rocky beach, rustic camping, 8.5 miles of hiking and skiing trails, and some big ol’ trees that “badass” falls short of describing. The whole park is a whopping 1,300 acres and plays host to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum, which we recommend visiting while you digest the delicious eats you just had at a picnic. Okay! You ready to come explore?

When to go

The best time to visit Leelanau State Park is during the summer months when the weather is warm and the park is fully accessible. Fall also offers a stunning display of foliage. Winters can be harsh, making some areas less accessible.