Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore camping

APT: Overbooking to get a site is in very poor taste and then saying they weren't 'nice' because they hadn't contacted you before giving the site away because you overbooked and didn't show. Doesn't it bother you that you're keeping others from getting a site by overbooking? :(

I had a reservation @ Platte river a few years ago. I overbooked 6 months prior just to get a site and then called later to modify. We showed up after a 6 hour drive 7pm Friday and to find no site available. Well the person I called to modify the reservation did not actually change it. So when we didn't show up for our original checkin they canceled, refunded the credit card, and gave our site away. Some kind of notification would have been nice since they had email and phone contact. After an hour wasted complaining, I called a few private places and found some available. We ended up at Indigo Bluffs. They were most accommodating given our circumstances. We returned last summer and plan to this year as well. I prefer this location, the middle of SBNP. 10 minutes from Glen Arbor, duen climb, Pierce Stocking driving tour, and 5 min to the Empire city beach.

We love the area. Welcome and enjoy!

You could also try Interlochen State Park. It's a bit of a drive (30 miles) to Sleeping Bear but you can almost always get a site. There is also the advantage of proximity, right across the road, to the famed Interlochen Music Camp. There are scheduled concerts, both free and paid, and if the camp is in session you can walk, wander the campus and enjoy the music from the supremely talented young people in attendance.

travelnutz - you're correct, it is Indigo Bluffs RV Resort. Thanks, Jim.

Tonijim,

I think you might mean INDIGO Bluffs RV Resort at M-72 and CR 677. We camped there several times back 25+ years ago when it first opend as "Sleepy Bear CG".

Was sold later as I was told and the new owners completely rebuilt the CG and added the very nice FHU section closest to the corner of the 2 highways.

Decent location and close to lots of things in SBNL. Nice swimming beach on Lake Michigan at Empire and there's a few places you can park your 32' "C" there but not many. The beach is only a few blocks from the main street so it's even walkable.

At the west end of the main street in Empire and going south takes you up the big forested hill/dune to Empire Bluffs lookoput parking area so you can walk out on the top of the dune for some great views etc. Lots of hanggliders launch from there and some will ride the dune uplift air currents for many hours until they get too tired to go on. Going further south on M-22 takes you to the Platte River and Platte Lake area etc and the NP CG. Adequate/decent grocery stores etc are at Glen Arbor, Empire, Honor, Frankfort, and even Leland which also has fresh smoked there many varieties of fish including local wild caught salmon plus they make a smoked fish sausage right there too. Lots of shopping or window shopping etc. Leland is worth the trip and there are lots of excellent award winning wineries all over the whole region. Bet you never had real 100% Cherry Wine before direct from the orchards. Many varieties to sample. We love it! Traverse City has about anything you could ever need or want in cluding many of the big box stores and outlets.

The SBNL Park headquarters and info center etc is just east of the stop light on the corner of M-22 and M-72. Best to get your info, maps, and ask questions there for the area and they have a very large paved parking area for big RV's behind the building. So many attractions on M-109 that veers left off M-22 about a mile north of Empire. sAbout 30 miles south of Empire is the inspirational roadside park lookout on M-22 just north of Arcadia and what a view.

So many more great attractions and scenic areas and overlooks. Just ask when or if you want to know or anything else as we know the area well. Been going there more than twice a year since the early 1960's.

Again - thanks for the great responses. Based on bid-tim's (?) admonition, I checked Platte River cg - nothing till after Labor Day. I was able to get a full hookup at Indian Bluffs Rv resort (last site said the nice woman on the phone). Wow!

Travelnutz, I may send a PM in a while.

Thanks to all.

Jim

We visited Sleeping Bear Dunes last September. We stayed at Traverse City State Park and went to the Dunes for the day.
I have to admit that we weren't impressed with Traverse city at all, but most other people really seem to enjoy the area, although I have no idea why.
With that being said, it was very reasonable to stay in Traverse and drive into the Dunes for a visit. Traverse city has a casino, shopping, and lots of wine.

We usually use our 11'4" Lance TC on our diesel truck in the summer and fall because we usually have a decent sized boat behind. Because on top of 4 of the 5 Great Lakes bordering Michigan with over 50 ports and harbors there's also over 11,000 inland lakes in the State of Michigan. Boating and camping is a way of life in Michigan and has been for over 75+ years and many CG's are even open year a round. "travelnutz" isn't only for RV'ing/camping! The 5th wheel etc is for when we plan to stay in one spot for over 2-3 weeks.

Tonijim,

So are we very active seniors and a little over age 72. We RV and camp all over and for more than 100 nights each year and not about to stop or slow down until they close our caskets. Only been doing it for 51 years so far.

You may PM me anytime.

When we travel we take 2-3 laptops with us depending if we're in the TC or the 5th wheel as we have the Verizon Jet Pack MIFI and always have WIFI for up to 10 computers/hookups. Also, our main cell phone is the very new Samsung 5 which has total WIFI and so much more and it's as fast as out fastest laptop. 4G is everywhere in West Michigan.

BTW, just noticed that they are replacing the bridge over the Platte River presently on M-22 and there's one lane traffic during the week days but it's open all summer. Not a big problem but something to be aware of. The bridge is about .2 miles from the Platte River CG entrance which is towards Lake Michigan across the road from the river.

The river to Lake Michigan with a canoe or kayaks is a lot of fun as it's crystal clear water and mostly a sand bottom and you can standup in it almost everywhere so no problem if you a novice or tip over on purpose and can't swim, haha. Rented right next to the bridge and they come down to the park at Lake Michigan every about 20 minutes and pick you up with vans and bring you back to the CG entrance or where you rented from where your car may be, but you won't have a car there. About a 2-3 block long walk to your campsite depending on which loop and which site. Yes, in August you will need reservations at Platte River CG. Don't give up as there are cancellations that happen. The CG has hundreds of sites. Also check other CG's too as you can still drive to the area. Platte River CG is at the south end of the national park and the roads are excellent all over the area. August is a too late for tree picking of fresh cherries as the Northwest side of Michigan is where 70%-75% of the nations cherries are grown. Mostly red cherries for pies and wines etc but lots a big black sweet cherries too. Too early by a month for the superb peaches, pears, apricots, and apples etc. Lots of excellent wineries as it's a superb grape growing region and wins so many international fine wines awards.

Plan a trip to Leland and maybe over to North or South Manitou Island on the boat. Can't miss the Pierce Stocking dune drive either. So much for retired folks to do and see that it would be very hard to list them all.

If you don't have a reservation by now, you won't get into one of the reservable sites in Platte River campground. That's also true of the State Parks in that area also. Further north you will find better chances for a reservable site. Your chances of getting into one of the non-reservable sites is hit and miss. So how lucky do you feel?

On Edit - I had forgotter but just thought of; your best bet may be Interlochen State Park just a bit down the road.