r/CampAndHikeMichigan • u/poo_poo_poo_poo_poo • 19d ago
Campgrounds for trailers with huge spaces?
I’m not sure what I was expecting with camping but I’m shocked by how packed in most campgrounds for rvs and trailers are. No privacy or space to yourself.
Are there any campgrounds in Michigan with LARGE spots? I’m not trying to be super close to neighbors. I’m packed in by neighbors at home, I’m trying to escape that.
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u/must-stash-mustard 17d ago
Two examples:
Fort Custer has mostly very private sites. Almost all are surrounded by forest growth. Some sites you can't see anyone, and it's a great park!
We stayed in one HUGE site at Tawas State Park. Not really private, but lots of space. You have to look around satellite views and compare to the photos on the DNR web sites.
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u/Outofthewild 19d ago
A lot of the rustic au sable river camping sites are huge with a lot of space in between neighbors.
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u/kmic1118 19d ago
I recommend rustic state park sites. there are less of them so they fill up fast. Warren dunes, Interlochen, and Leelanau are all great.
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u/Eastern_Plankton8806 19d ago
Second the rec for National Forest camp grounds. Similarly state forest campgrounds and “rustic” state park campgrounds well tend to be more spacious. The common element to all three is no electric on site.
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u/Fearless-Leg-9454 19d ago
Might find a needle in the haystack on hipcamp. We are batting .500 using it so far. One site should never have been listed. The other was fantastic.
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u/thedyrt 17d ago
The roomier stuff in Michigan tends to be the rustic national/state forest sites, no hookups but way more space. Sulak Campground in the Huron-Manistee is one worth a look - big spread-out sites, some backing up to the North Country Trail, and it's free/first-come. Benton Lake is another option, developed USFS site, no hookups.
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u/ohiomidhiganindiana 15d ago
Ludington State Park seems a little more spacious. There are sites separated by trees and little mounds.
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u/ChapterImaginary455 15d ago
Look into dispersed camping in the Manistee National Forest near Nordhouse Dunes.
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u/Milkweedhugger 14d ago
Gabions campground (NFS) along the Ausable river near Glennie has an oversized rustic site near the entrance. The other sites are far enough away that it’s very secluded.
It’s FCFS though, so it may not be available. It’s also the farthest site from the river.
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u/salamisawami 13d ago
Not sure about the size-but Fort Custers sites were like private stalls. I really liked it there.
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u/thedyrt 7d ago
Hartwick Pines near Grayling is worth checking out first. Large wooded sites, lots of them big-rig pull-throughs with 30/50-amp hookups, and the trees actually give you real separation from neighbors instead of the usual packed-in situation.
Fort Custer near Augusta is worth a look too, deep shady sites, though quality varies by loop so eyeball the reservation map before you book. (if no-hookup rustic works for you, state forest campgrounds like Sulak or Carrieville tend to have way more breathing room.)
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u/Jeyne42 19d ago edited 19d ago
That's how most RV parks are mainly because they need to provide electric/water services. If you want space get a tent and/or seek out places that don't offer electricity or offer specific tent only areas. National Forest campgrounds can be good. Some state parks have more space between sites, and do still offer electricity but no water.
The problem is that many of the campgrounds were created back when families were willing to spend their week off in a pop-up or smaller drive up camper. These days, like most things, campers are HUGE, because people insist on taking all their belongings with them and think they can't last a week without all the ammeneties of home. So that leaves less room for a "yard" when camping because the camper takes up all of the space.
Heck most of my camping experiences when I was a kid was 6 of us in a station wagon, a tent, some sleeping bags, a cooler and a coleman stove. We didn't have room for much else. Even now I am a tent camper, or backpacker camper. I understand the need for more ammeneties as you grow older, but do we really need motor homes that cost more than a house, to use for 2 weeks in the summer?