wilderness state park

Best campground I've stayed on Lake Michigan. We arrived there shortly after a storm without reservations on Labor day weekend. There had been a lot of cancellations, and the attendant said there were no lake side campsites left. After looking at the availability map I chose a site near the lake across from the playground/beach. The picture below was our view. Also not far from the dark sky park, highly recommend!

Be sure to buy your groceries in town before you come out this way. Once you are here you will really enjoy the lake and the view and all the nice people.

Gaylord DNR has drained O'NEAL LAKE. It's HORRIBLE!!!! Habitat has been destroyed! Don't visit......It will break your heart!

This state park is located right on Lake Michigan. It's only 15 minutes from Mackinaw City/Mackinac Bridge. The view from the lake side campsites is spectacular. It's away from the road so all you hear at night is the waves washing ashore.

We stayed on the water front side, which was pretty nice. Water was really clear and not unbearable as far as the temp. The sites on the water side are all sandy and in the pines are cement pads. The only drawback I have about it is the bathrooms are dirty.

Not the quiet place we'd imagined - considering its name - but it takes about 5 miles of winding roads through dense woods to get there. High concentration of people packed into our loop over weekend - less on weekdays, but still plenty (all those families out for their last summer camp-outs). Shower water temp and pressure were good, but sprays come out in wide, pre-measured bursts that might douse your dry clothes, if you're not careful. We chose this park with intention of visiting nearby Headlands Dark Sky Park, but Wilderness beach offered much easier access to lovely dark sky, too. Headlands features special sky events and lots of public activity all night long, so it just depends on what you're after - we may have missed out, but we decided to stargaze and attempt night pics on Wilderness beach, without the crowd or sky guides. Some GREAT beachside campsites here (probably reserved far in advance), but I love being surrounded by the bird and squirrel sounds that come with trees. And whether it is a legitimate concern or not, still happy to report: NO bear sightings.

First time camping in a MI State Park, what a huge disappointment. Stayed here three nights and three nights at McClain.To start with staff are less then welcoming, they check you in but that is about it. No warm and fuzzy here.There is no water hook up at sites and only 3 shower stalls for all the campers in loop sites 1 - 75 (that is three unisex shower stalls for well over 140 people) and the same arrangement exists on other 2 loops. You are unable to adjust water temperature, it is what it comes out as and you have to push a button several times to complete the shower. There was a line to shower at 10:00pm and stalls did not appear to have been cleaned in months and with the constant use no telling what was growing.The camp sites are on top of each other. We are talking a camping parking lot. Not a lot of bushes or shrubs to buffer between sites. The only trees are at the edge of the site by the loop road which only serve to make it difficult to back into site. The worst part is the kids.........the camp ground is a free for all, with out of control kids everywhere. Right now it is 11:30 pm and kids are still yelling, screaming and running around in campground as I type this. No body enforces quite time! Rudest Campers I have ever encountered.I stayed here one night on way to Isle Royal and two nights on the way back a week later, What a huge disappointment. Nobody appears to manage this campground which is a huge shame as it is located right on the beach of Lake MI.

We spent a few nights in the Big Stone Cabin, which is away from the campground and very isolated. It was so nice to camp without neighbors. A short walk takes you to a private beach (very rocky, bring water shoes!) but clear with a wonderful view of the bridge. Our kids truly enjoyed this spot.The cabin offers 4 bunk beds with very hard mattresses so bring extra blankets and sleeping bags. There were only 4 of us so we doubled up the mattresses which helped. There is a fire pit and a charcoal grill to prepare food. There is no electric or running water, but there is a hand pump and a rustic toilet (which was much cleaner and sterile than I anticipated). The only true downside to this spot is the horrendous poison ivy. It is literally creeping onto every path you need to walk on. It made walks too nerve racking, especially with children who want to run through the woods. Overall, this cabin is a wonderful place to stay if you enjoy camping and know how to do it in Michigan. Bring bug spray for the flies and mosquitoes. Park your car in the enclosure to avoid damage from porcupines and tie everything down to keep the raccoons from running off with it. They were pretty loud at night and I had to retrieve my shoes from the weeds and wipe paw prints from my car.

Stayed in the Pines campground - sites are generally nice with paved pads, although they are a bit closer together and tighter to maneuver than what we are accustomed to in Indiana. Lakeshore campground has awesome sites right on the lake shore, but the sites and the road looping around the campground are very tight in spots. Sandy beach areas are fairly small but were not crowded, the water was crystal clear, and the view spectacular. Firewood is available at general stores at both the east and west ends of the park. Would definitely go again. Be prepared to take it slow and easy - the county roads leading into the park are not at all smooth. Still, it's only about a 15-20 minute drive into town.

Was a bit disappointed in the fact that dogs were not allowed on the beach. However, the camp site was nice, albeit a bit dirty. The views of Lake Michigan were nice and there were plenty of hiking trails available.

Campground hosts available till midnight making check in easy. Campsites are large yet close together. If you want a lakeside sunset, pick 77-81 I think. The time of year perhaps didn't have much to do with the bugs, but it was damp so the bugs were bad. The trails were lengthy and diverse, but water and tall grass ruined some parts of the trails. Mosquitos and deer flys didn't make it enjoyable for us or the dogs. All the sites seemed to have electric. Bathrooms were easily accessible and clean. Not the best and not the worst.

You cannot beat the location of this campground if you love the beach and nature trails! It's a beautiful setting and the sites are quite large. The rangers are very helpful in pointing out good trails in the area. The only critters we worried about were the food stealing seagulls :) And their Book Nook was a great place to grab some games for a rainy day! Only downside is the showers open up to the outside and therefore are bug infested. We made the mistake of trying to shower in the morning and were horrified by the showers...mosquitos, moths, water bugs and spiders everywhere. Even after being sprayed down ("cleaned") there were lots of bugs! Another traveler gave us a tip of showering around 4pm and that was a great idea! Mosquitos were bad on the trails, but not the actual campsites (other than the bathroom) so that is another plus! If they updated the bathrooms to inside showers this would be a 5 star campground.

Miles of shoreline, deep forests, hiking trails and views. Doesn't get much better than this. This area is also home to the Piping Plover nesting ground so areas of the beach may be off limits during nesting time, no worries- there is plenty of beach area left. FYI, lots of bugs in early June.

This Memorial Day we stayed at the Sturgeon Bay cabin and were not disappointed. From the cabin it is just a quick walk down to the shore line. (Though this spring it was QUITE wet and we were glad we had boots to trek through the mud to get down there.) The kids loved checking out the pitcher plants along the path and searching for frogs.Firewood was plentiful and we had no trouble finding enough wood to cook over the fire pit. There is also a grill if you prefer to cook that way. The cabin sleeps five (two bunk beds and one single,) and has a stove in case the nights are chilly. There is a picnic table outdoors and a nice table indoors if it happens to rain. There's a vault toilet, a water pump, no electricity, and no cell service. It was perfect! If you want to get away for a few days, this cabin may be for you.

The name says it all, you are pushed back deep into the wilderness. That's what makes this park great! Your surrounded by Lake Michigan and trees. There are so many trails and shoreline to explore and the campsites are always impressive.