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Best Campgrounds In Southern Michigan

We all know the camping is amazing Up North. But what about pitching a tent a little closer to home? Silver Lake State Park, Sleeper State Park and a handful of others listed here are among the best in the Great Lakes State.
Silver Lake
(credit: michigandnr.com)

Silver Lake State Park

9679 W. State Park Road
Mears, MI 49436
(231) 873-3083
www.michigandnr.com

Shoot over to Michigan's west coast. With over 2,000 acres of sand dunes, Silver Lake State Park offers scenic dune cruising with spectacular views of Lake Michigan and Silver Lake. The northern area is an all-terrain vehicle park, and is the only dunes East of Utah to allow a private motorized vehicle from April 1 through October 31. Make your reservation early – this place fills up fast.

turtlegirl_092605
(Photo: Taylor's Beach Campground)

Taylor's Beach Campground

6197 N. Burkhart Road,
Howell, MI 48855
517-546-2679
http://www.taylorsbeachcampground.com/

One of lower Michigan's most popular, best rated, beautiful and fun family friendly campgrounds. Wooded, rolling hills, trails, great fishing, swimming and sunset lake, the up north feel close to home. Families LOVE this campground. Get money saving FREE camping coupons on their website.
Taylor's Beach Campground offers affordable family camping with seasonal, overnight, weekly and monthly campsite rentals. Yearly site rental solves storage problems and saves gasoline. It's like having your own cottage up north, but close to home!

They're on Cook Lake only 60-90 minutes from Metro Detroit.

Sleeper State Park
(credit: michigandnr.com)

Sleeper State Park

6573 State Park Road
Caseville, MI 48725-9799
(989) 856-4411
www.michigandnr.com

Over in the Thumb, these neighboring campgrounds are picturesque. Sleeper State Park is 723 acres of forest, wetlands, sandy beach and dunes located on the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron. With three miles of sandy shoreline on Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay, Port Crescent State Park offers excellent fishing, canoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing, birdwatching and more.

Harrisville State Park
(credit: michigandnr.com)

Harrisville State Park

248 State Park Rd.
Harrisville, MI 48740
(989) 724-5126
www.michigandnr.com

Nestled in a stand of pine and cedar trees along the sandy shores of Lake Huron, this park offers a beautiful beach and sizeable campsites. In the evening, watch for amazing "moonrises" over the lake.

Fort Custer Recreation Center
(credit: michigandnr.com)

Fort Custer Recreation Area

5163 Fort Custer Drive
Augusta, MI 49012
(269) 731-4200
www.michigandnr.com

You'll swear you're in the UP, instead of just north of I-94 between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. Find three lakes, a river and forest galore. Bonus: Best mountain biking trails in southern Michigan.

Brighton Recreation Center
(credit: michigandnr.com)

Brighton Recreation Area (Bishop Lake campground)

6360 Chilson Road
Howell, MI 48843
(810) 229-6566
www.michigandnr.com

It may be a short drive away, but it truly feels like a vacation. Several miles of trails are available for horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking. There's swimming and fishing here, too. Watch out for those pesky alcohol restrictions.

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