Manistee, Michigan: Lake Michigan at Manistee/Lake Michigan Recreation Area

July 2024, 4 nights, weekdays – weekend, campsite 73

We have stayed in this campground a few times, and you can find more information in my previous posts from: July 2021 and August 2016. This is a brief post with a bit of updated info.

View of Lake Michigan from Lake Michigan at Manistee National Forest Campground

Facility information

This campground has two reservable loops: Oak and Orchid, and two First Come, First Serve loops: Violet and Hemlock. There are flush toilets in Hemlock and Orchid loops, only. There is fresh water and a trash dumpster in each loop. There is no electricity, dump station, or showers. Generators can be run during non-quiet hours. It was very hot during our stay, yet this was the quietest experience we have ever had at this park, in terms of generator use.

Campsite 73 in Lake Michigan at Manistee National Forest

Reservable campsite in Oak loop, #73

Our campsite had a reserved tag on it when we arrived. There was also the addition of new pink signs on each post in the reservable loops, stating that the sites could be taken for one night, if there was no reserved tag present. Reservations need to be made 24 hours in advance, so if a site was not reserved, anyone arriving could stay for one night, and potentially longer, if no one reserved it online for the following days.

Campsite 73 in Lake Michigan at Manistee National Forest Campground

We were very happy with campsite 73. It is spacious, and offers a bit of privacy. The fire pit is located at the back of the site near the walking path, so that area is open to people passing by. We had a scenic and private view on the other side of the trailer facing the woods.

Beach area in Lake Michigan at Manistee National Forest Campground

Recreation and misc. 

The beach in this park is beautiful! Many tenters were dispersed camping in the walk-in areas near the beach. There are several hiking trails accessible from the park, and you can find more details in my previous posts. Cell reception is almost non-existent in the campground. My husband and I both had occasional reception (Mint and Charter Spectrum). About the only place everyone had reception was Dunes Viewing Deck.

Another new addition to the park, were speed bumps in the loops and entrance roads.

Let me know if you have any questions or info to add!