Ultimate packing guide for Michigan camping
Essential packing tips for your Michigan camping trip with suggestions from Michigan.org.
Many prime Michigan state park or recreation area campsites are already booked for the Fourth of July, but some Michiganders may still be able to get a campsite for the holiday if they aren’t set on the most popular locations.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, home to 103 state parks, opens its campsite reservations to outdoor enthusiasts at 8 a.m. six months in advance of the start date for your camping trip. Campers can book up to 15 days from their start date, so some sites are booked deep into July.
As of 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, some spots at popular parks remained available, but Otsego Lake, South Higgins and Mears state parks showed full campgrounds for July 3-5 while Muskegon, McLain, Tawas Point, Silver Lake, Ludington, Wilderness, North Higgins, Petoskey state parks had only restricted or partial site availability.
In addition to the popularity of some state parks, others are closed for some or all of the season in 2026 for various upgrades, adding to the campsite pinch in many areas. Fees for Michigan state parks increased in 2025.
If you missed out on a popular campsite, don’t worry, the DNR’s website allows you to sign up for notifications using an email address that notifies you when sites become available.
Here’s what to know about reserving a campsite in Michigan:
How can I reserve a campground site?
Campers can choose campsites and pay online up to six months ahead of time, the Michigan DNR says.
Popular campgrounds often sell out or nearly sell out for popular dates as soon as they open for reservations.
Are reservations open for Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July in 2026?
Michigan’s camping reservation system allows bookings to be made six months in advance. For Memorial Day, that means reservations opened in late November 2025.
If you’re hoping for a July 4 campsite, don’t wait: Reservations opened on Jan. 4 and many are already gone.
Campers should keep in mind that popular sites are often reserved early, as they should take the necessary precautions to ensure they have a camp site.
Do I need a Recreation Passport to camp at state parks?
A Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into all state park and forest campgrounds, the DNR says.
How to visit state parks at a discount
The Michigan Activity Pass provides discounted access to more than 40 state parks across the state. Michiganders who are interested can visit the MAP website or their local library and selected the desired state park.
The pass offers one-day free visit to the participating state parks.
Most popular Michigan state park campsites by occupancy rate in 2025
Some individual campsites at popular parks were rarely open in 2025, including:
- Tahquamenon Falls State Park sites 4, 7, 9, 13, 15 and 82: 100% occupancy over 110 nights
- Wilderness State Park sites 205, 211, 433, 439 and 450: 99.38% occupancy over 159 nights
- Wilderness State Park site 346: 99.37% occupancy over 158 nights
- Straits State Park site 10-A: 99.35% occupancy over 153 nights
- Tawas Point State Park site 40: 99.19% occupancy over 122 nights
Most popular Michigan state park campsites by nights camped in 2025
- Muskegon State Park site A36: 252 nights occupied
- Tahquamenon Falls State Park site R55: 241 nights occupied
- Bay City State Park site 131: 237 nights occupied
- Bay City State Park site 149: 237 nights occupied
- Bay City State Park site 132: 235 nights occupied
Where can I stay for on the Fourth of July?
The state park campgrounds still have spots open for Fourth of July weekend as of Thursday, Jan. 8:
In the southern Lower Peninsula:
- Algonac State Park in Algonac
- Bay City State Park in Bay City
- Brighton Recreation Area in Brighton
- Fort Cluster Recreation Area in Augusta
- Hayes State Park in Onstead
- Highland Recreation Area in White Lake
- Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon
- Ionia Recreation Area in Ionia
- Lake Hudson Recreation Area in Clayton
- Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area in Metamora
- Muskegon State Park in North Muskegon
- Newaygo State Park in Newaygo
- Pinckney Recreation Area in Pinckney
- Proud Lake Recreation Area in Commerce Township
- Seven Lakes State Park in Holly
- Sleepy Hollow State Park in Laingsburg
- Sterling State Park in Monroe
- Van Buren State Park in Haven
- Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer
- Van Buren State Park in Haven
- Yankee Springs Recreation Area in Middleville
In the northern Lower Peninsula:
- Aloha State Park in Cheboygan
- Burt Lake State Park in Indian River
- Cheboygan State Park in Cheboygan
- Clear Lake State Park in North Atlanta
- Fisherman’s Island State Park in Charlevoix
- Harrisville State Park in Harrisville
- Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling
- Hoeft State Park in Rogers City
- Interlochen State Park in Interlochen
- Leelanau State Park in Northport
- Mitchell State Park in Cadillac
- Onaway State Park in Onaway
- Orchard Beach State Park in Manistee
- Port Crescent State Park in Port Austin
- Rifle River Recreation Area in Lupton
- Sleeper State Park in Caseville
- Tippy Dam Recreation Area in Brethren
- Wilderness State Park in Carp Lake
- Wilson State Park in Harrison
In the Upper Peninsula:
- Baraga State Park in Baraga
- Bewabic State Park in Crystal Falls
- Brimley State Park in Brimely
- Fayette Historic State Park in Garden
- Lime Island State Park in Brimley
- Muskallonge Lake State Park in Newberry
- Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon
- Straits State Park in St. Ignance
- Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Paradise
- Van Riper State Park in Champion
- Wells State Park in Cedar River
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected].
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