MIchigan Camping Trip

With all the campgrounds available to you in Michigan I would suggest that you might want to do some research at RV Park Reviews.com (below). When you've decided on a geographic location this site will help you with comments from other campers as well as campground web sites that will provide you with other valuable info.

Just find a town and click on it. That will take you to reviewed campgrounds in that area.

http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/Michigan/

One year we stayed at Tahquamenon Falls SP and then visited Mackinaw, Pictured Rocks, Shipwreck Museum, and Soo Locks. Route 2 travels the southern route of the UP - about 15 minutes (?) from the bridge you get into some great swimming areas where the water is warm.

In the LP I would definitely hit Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and do the Pierce Stocking Drive.

Duck Creek is a private park mentioned above that we've hit the last couple summers. They have a nice playground and pool. Across the street is MI Adventure which has both a waterpark and amusement park for one price. The waterpark side is perfect for 4yo and there are a few rides for them in the rollercoaser area.

Do a google image search for Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford Museum and see if anything there would entertain the 4yos .. they're probably too young but they're on the edge.

I also would do a Lake Michigan circle trip. hit a couple dunes on the west side, do Mackinaw, Mackinac island, pictured rocks, porcupine mtns in the UP.

I agree with Silver Lake Yogi Bear. We go there every year.

We just went to Hartwick Pines. The campground was very nice but I wouldn't go in the middle of summer. There's no pool and no beach anywhere close by.

Tawas Point State Park is very nice. You have both shallow calm bay and the open water of Lake Huron with big waves.

When we went to the UP we stayed at Brimley State Park and used it as a central location to go to Mackinac, Tahquamenanon Falls, and Pictured Rocks. If you're going to the UP, you have to go to Munising and take the boat tour of Pictured Rocks. It's beautiful.

Thank you for the responses. This is exactly what I was looking for.

Wilderness State Park is right on lake Michigan. I'm talking 150' walk into the water. Great swimming for little kids. It's very shallow a long way out. You may need to set an alarm to book your site though. I think it's 6 months prior to your stay. I believe that some (enthusiastic) people book extra days prior to their stay then cancel in order to ensure a choice site. The park is about 10 minutes west of Mackinaw City where you catch the ferry to the island.

Why not plan a loop around Lake Michigan? We did a similar trip years ago and it is still one of our kids favorites!

Start at D H Day campground near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore. Head up to Petkosky for a few days. There is a lake front state park there. You can then camp near Mackinaw Island. You can take the bridge to the UP and work your way over to Door County, WI. Peninsular State Park in Door County is very nice. On your way back to NJ you can spend time visiting Chicago and stay in a state park, Indiana Dunes near Gary, ID.

You are wise to plan and book in advance. I know that D H Day and Peninsular campgrounds are very popular.

Almost anything along highway 31- Silver Lake brings back memories of 30 years ago when watching the sun go down my daughter said 'daddy, do it again'. Sleeping Bear is great. Traverse City and Petoskey are really nice areas. Out near the middle, Hartwick Pines State Park gets you a lot of logging history, and either Grayling or Gaylord (I don't remember) is the Fred Bear museum. And just east of Petoskey is Indian River. Getting into the U.P., you gotta go to the Upper/Lower Tahquamenon Falls and Whitefish Point lighthouse.

Mill Creek is a nice Campground in Mackinaw City.

The kids would love Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Great fun running up and down the dunes.