Clinton County, Michigan: Sleepy Hollow State Park, Looking Glass Brewing Company

 October 2020, 3-nights, weekday-weekend

Autumn colors were beautiful when we entered Sleepy Hollow State Park. 

Sleepy Hollow State Park reservations and arrival

We had originally planned to stay in this campground in the spring, before it closed due to the pandemic. At that time, state park trails were open for no charge, although all of the campgrounds were closed. Since my husband's employer was also closed, we visited the park in April to do some hiking. We enjoyed the recreation in the park, so we made a new camping reservation for October. 

The office was not staffed when we arrived on Thursday evening, and we checked in via the yellow phone. A bottle of sanitizer and wipes were available next to the phone. 😊 Park staff left a vehicle sticker at our campsite on Saturday morning when we were out hiking.

One of the few photos I got of campsite 114. 
There are better photos on the DNR reservation site.

Campsite 114 and more

Campsite 114 is mostly open with trees around the perimeter. It has an asphalt pad, as do most of the campsites in this park. It is mostly grass, except for the mud/dirt around the fire pit. The electrical box was closer to site 116, almost 50' away, as listed in the description on the website.

View from campsite 114 at Sleep Hollow State Park. Looking at campsite 113
where the campers were [illegally] sawing branches off trees next to their site.

Gaylord, Michigan: Otsego Lake State Park, North Central State Trail, Downtown Breweries

 October 2020, 1-night, weekend

Near the boat launch at Otsego Lake State Park

Otsego Lake State Park reservations and arrival

We had originally planned to stay in this park in June on our way home from vacation in the upper peninsula; however, campgrounds were closed at that time due to the pandemic. A last minute trip came up for October, so we decided to stay then. This was our first visit to this park. We made a reservation online with minimal choices, since we only made the reservation a couple of weeks in advance. The office was not staffed when we arrived around 1:00 PM, and we had to use the yellow phone to check in. We waited for two women to finish on the telephone who had apparently set up without a reservation. I overheard one of them say that they had set up on site XX, and were checking in for one night. I then heard her say something like, "Are you sure? Because the park is mostly empty." Not that I was trying to eavesdrop; however, when people talk loudly... When it was my turn, the first thing the agent asked me was if I had a reservation. Things went smoothly after this, although it would have been nice if there had been hand sanitizer and/or wipes next to the telephone.

Campsite 54 at Otsego Lake State Park

Campsite 54

This campsite is one of the few paved sites in this campground. Apparently, it used to be a handicap site because one of the online photos has a blue handicap symbol on the tar. This symbol is no longer on the site, and the information online does not say that it is "only ADA." It is a fairly decent site considering it was a last minute reservation, and it was not on the water. We could see the lake in the distance from our campsite, as the space is open between the restroom and site 68.

Campsite 54 at Otsego Lake State Park

Marquette, Michigan: Rippling River Resort Campground, Presque Isle Park, Downtown

 October 2020, 4-nights, weekdays - weekend, campsite 24

Carp River at Rippling River Resort in Marquette, Michigan.

Reservations and arrival

We made our reservation on the website, and were able to pick our campsite. The check-in and entrance signs were well marked when we arrived, and the check-in process did not take long.

Campsite 24 at Rippling River Resort.

Campsites

I chose site 24 because online it looked like it had trees on both sides. This is a level and spacious site with some privacy. The site was shady for most of the day. It is a full hookup site, and the cost was $59 a night. I am posting a few campsite photos in this blog. You can find more photos and additional information in the Rippling River Resort album on my Facebook page.

View toward river and tent sites from campsite 24 at Rippling River Resort.

Northeast Lower Michigan: Rifle River Recreation Area

September 2020, weekend - weekday, 3-nights, campsite 153

We previously stayed in Rifle River Recreation Area in September 2019. You can find more information about this recreation area in that post, and there are photos in the Rifle River Facebook album. I am sharing a few more photos and additional information here.

Sunset from campsite 153; fire pit is on site 152

Ranch campground, primitive site 153

After staying on sites 152 and 153, we have decided we prefer campsite 152. Although site 153 seems a bit more private located on the corner, site 152 is sunnier and grassier, which we like when camping in the spring and fall. 

Slight incline from campsite 153 to river

Both campsites have access to the river. They are primitive sites, and we think they are two of the best campsites in this park. A hand water pump is located on the other side of site 152. I am sharing a few more campsite photos for reference. 

Photo above: view from fire pit on our site toward river
Photo below shows campsites 152 & 153

Iron Mountain, Michigan: Rivers Bend RV Park and Campground

 October 2020, 2- nights, weekdays

Reservations and arrival

This campground is similar to the one where we stayed in Lake Linden, in that it does not have a website or reservation system, and you can only make payment by cash or check. The caretaker was helpful choosing a site for us when we arrived, although we later wished we had asked him if we could have walked around to choose a site. I had made a reservation for a full hookup site, as this is always easier than stopping at the dump station when leaving. When we walked through the campground that evening, we noticed that some of the power and water sites (without sewer hookup) were more private or had partial views of the river.

View from campsite 115 at Rivers Bend RV Park and Campground
The fire pit is on site 115

Lake Linden, Michigan: Village Campground on Torch Lake in the Upper Peninsula

October 2020, 3 nights, weekend-weekday, campsite 27

View from campsite 26 at Lake Linden Village Campground the first night

Reservations and arrival

I do not recall how I found this campground. I viewed the village page online, looked at the campground on google maps, and then called to make my reservation. There is not an online reservation system, and payment can only be made by cash or check. The rate was $25 a night for water and electric hook up. Our reservation and check-in experience was excellent. Initially, we had planned to stay for only two nights on weekdays, and then our travel plans changed, and we needed to change our dates to Friday - Monday for three nights instead. Campground host Shirley gladly accommodated our needs.

Campsite 27 at Lake Linden Village Campground Sunday night

Campsite 27

Friends of ours decided to stay at this campground for the first two nights of our stay, so we parked facing each other. After they left on Sunday, we turned our camper around, so we were no longer facing campsite 26. The campground host did not have a problem with us doing this.

Another view from campsite 27 at Lake Linden Village Campground