Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Barnes Park Campground

    3.5 (27 reviews)

    Barnes Park Campground Photos

    More like Barnes Park Campground

    Recommended Reviews - Barnes Park Campground

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Kathy M.

    I was looking for a new campground for our annual family camping trip for the Perseid Meteor Shower (2nd weekend in August), and I wanted a campground with beach camping or a nearby lake... this campground checked all the boxes. It's a 5+ hour drive, but it was definitely worth it. Yeah, so there's pay showers, I couldn't figure out to get a hot shower...so let me tell ya, that was a BRISK and fastest shower I've ever taken. LOL! ...and I cannot wait for our camping trip this year. I look forward to getting more familiar with the campground and local attractions.

    Can't beat the view!
    Heather T.

    I almost hate to review this gorgeous beach since it seems to be one of Michigan's best kept secrets. Seriously, it's Memorial Weekend and there are only 4 other people here besides my family at the beach! The Great Lake State at its finest!

    Beach
    Charles M.

    This was a referral from a friend. One of the 2 best camp grounds I've ever experienced. If your into brewerys, Shorts brewery is a straight 14 miles west on same road, makes it even better. Our campsite was amazing. The beach was super cool, found 24 Petoskey stones, laid in sand on beach, realy nice service, fills up quick, just pick your site then set up and wait for the guy to come by and collect the fee. Restrooms were clean. I couldn't more highly recommend this camp ground. One of the best ever.

    E. C.

    Great place to camp! We camped in a tent and I really loved how you get to choose which site you want. The beach is only a short walk away and is just gorgeous. Very clean, well maintained. Campsite had a nice picnic table and fire ring and was well shaded. Very peaceful here. Definitely would come back.

    Abby L.

    Beautiful beach. Just came for the day. Clean bathrooms. The kids loved the big open playground. Sand volleyball set up. Will come back to camp.

    Grand traverse bay

    See all

    10 months ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 2
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Marin C.
    123
    1778
    910

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jeff K.
    90
    69
    13

    3 years ago

    Omg. The beach is beautiful. Lots are big. This is an Amazing county park. Enjoy the water and woods.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C H.
    0
    2
    0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Wood roaches dirty bathrooms and showers that you pay for that at filthy! These are a few of the reasons for this review!!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of A E.
    0
    5
    0

    3 years ago

    We have camped here twice. Family friendly campground with shower houses and flushable toilets. Right on Lake Michigan.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    12 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John N.
    423
    1
    1

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of E. C.
    0
    8
    26

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Elicia W.
    290
    48
    98

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C R.
    23
    63
    142

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Ron R.
    3
    86
    74

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of GG D.
    0
    27
    0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Barnes Park Campground

    Review Highlights - Barnes Park Campground

    We camped in a tent and I really loved how you get to choose which site you want.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Antrim Creek Natural Area

    Antrim Creek Natural Area

    5.0(3 reviews)
    4.7 mi

    Two parks for the price of nothing! The north entrance leads to a very nice beach with great views…read more Their are some great rocks for people into rock collecting. Their are places to park and trails to hike. At the south entrance you park then there are trails to hike. 1 leads back to the north park. The other one leads to about a 5 minute hike to a stream view area. You'll see the stream almost right away, but in the distance and between foliage. It's a very nice stream, though nothing epic. There is then a 3 minute hike to the beach where the stream meets Lake Michigan. Again here the views are spectacular. Thetrails could be better marked and better upkept to get rid of low branches. The trail connecting the two parks is about 0.8 miles. Overall a 5 star review.

    Well, this was a delight of a park - though the hike didn't work out too well. We came here for the…read moretrail/hike, but the trail was mostly washed out from rain and it became impassable the further in we went. This is actually right along a gorgeous little stretch of beach though, a nice spot for looking for charlevoix and petoskey stones. Gorgeous shore, plenty of distance to walk, dog-friendly - what could be better? Lots of fairly rocky shoreline, but some areas that were pretty sandy as well, for folks wanting a place to lie down. I will say the main area right near the parking lot was very crowded, but the further down you walked you could get to some pretty quiet areas. You can also go partly down the trail and connect to another stretch of beach that is very quiet.

    Photos
    Antrim Creek Natural Area
    Antrim Creek Natural Area - Area info

    Area info

    Antrim Creek Natural Area - Area info

    See all

    Area info

    Mt McSauba Park & Recreation Area

    Mt McSauba Park & Recreation Area

    4.3(4 reviews)
    16.6 mi

    This spot isn't even a secret but it feels like one when you are there. Easily one of my favorite…read morespots in Charlevoix. You are basically driving through a neighborhood and just come up to the dirt road path and it feels like you're not supposed to be driving on it but there is a little dirt parking lot with signs where you park. Then you take a quick 5-10 minute walk down the path and it opens into the beach! It's basically a sand dune so be aware that it may be kind of a journey to get back up. But definitely do-able. There isn't buoys or anything for swimming boundaries but you can definitely swim here. The beach is so sandy and nice. And there is very rarely crowds here. There has never been no more than 15 people here when I've been on the beach. There is tons of room to spread out too. A beautiful spot to watch the sunset as well.

    BAD management, awesome little hill with a cool progression terrain park for any skill. Sadly Bo…read moreBoss the manager discourages any progression on this park. I did a front flip 180 (misty 540) and all the local kids loved it and filmed me until Bo Boss said that it wasn't safe and also wasn't allowed on any hill in Michigan. This is not true as I have done flips in many competitions and during free-riding in Michigan at Boyne, Pine Knob, Mt. Holly, Alpine Valley, and Nubs Knob just to name a few. Also after politely agreeing to Bo Boss' skewed rules of how a ski hill is supposed to be run, I attempted to shake his hand but he disrespectfully did not want to take part. Great Hill but unfortunately since Bo Boss is stuck in the 1970's and discourages any modern progression of the skiing sport I would not recommend this hill until Bo Boss gets with the time or until management changes.

    Photos
    Mt McSauba Park & Recreation Area - Lake Michigan

    Lake Michigan

    Mt McSauba Park & Recreation Area - Dunes

    Dunes

    Mt McSauba Park & Recreation Area - Twilight

    See all

    Twilight

    Leelanau State Park - Beautiful Lake Michigan sunset

    Leelanau State Park

    4.3(33 reviews)
    11.2 mi

    Stopped here on a whim to checkout lighthouses during our mini getaway. This beach did not…read moredisappoint! It was so calm and peaceful. Beautiful water. Hardly any people. The people who did visit didn't stay for long so we had the whole beach to ourselves. We had camping chairs in the car so we just put them in the water and sat right in the water and enjoyed the view. They have a gift shop and the only restrooms I noticed were portajohns. We built some rock towers but put the rocks back when we were done because some of the rocks had snail eggs on them.

    Gorgeous park at the tip of the Mitten's pinkie finger. I got there shortly before a spectacular…read moresunset where the sky was all lit up with pinks and oranges and purples. I took a short walk where my friends who had camped there the previous night as well showed my the historic lighthouse and some message in a bottle painted sign that was very reminiscent of Steve "ESPO" Powers. I set up my trusty old dome tent and camped on the same site as my friends and nobody said peep about doubling up like that. I left out around 10:30 or so and didn't hit any trails as I had packed some snacks for late but no breakfast. Not much in the way of restaurants or groceries around here so I hit the road. Can't speak to the trails or day use part of the park but the campground and adjacent beach was beautiful.

    Photos
    Leelanau State Park - Grand Traverse Lighthouse

    Grand Traverse Lighthouse

    Leelanau State Park - Nature's palette

    Nature's palette

    Leelanau State Park - Lake Michigan

    See all

    Lake Michigan

    Thorne Swift Nature Preserve

    Thorne Swift Nature Preserve

    4.7(15 reviews)
    27.8 mi

    I'm not much of a nature walking person, but it's been a very long time since I've been up to this…read morepart of Michigan. We discovered this place while on our way to the tunnel of trees, and I said "hey, let's stop here and check it out!" So we did. Pulling in, the parking and area isn't all that huge, but it's cute none the less. It's kind of an off shoot of the Tunnel of Trees, and we also wanted to catch a glimpse of the water if possible. There was a nice gentleman who greeted us and told us about the paths. He said to stay on the trails, check out the water and it's about a mile and a quarter of a walk. So, off we went. There's a nature center at the front with bathrooms and some educational stuff, but we skipped it and went right to the trails. They have a little map area at the front, but basically this place is one big circle and a designated path so you can't really get lost here. While it is cool to look at, it's also a lot of dead and down trees. They have signage throughout about what you're looking at, and tells you a little bit about it. Things like flowers, trees, bugs and birds. It was pretty busy even for a cooler September day, which was impressive. The coolest part of the walk was getting to see Lake Michigan. It was really super cool and you walk right onto the beach. It's not a huge area at all, literally enough to have one person at a time. There's some great photo opportunities along with a view of the lake and boats, which was fabulous to see. Overall, the place is a good stop to get some exercise at if you've been cooped up in the car and start getting antsy like me. LOL. There is a bathroom along the trail, but it's not a flushing toilet one of those holes in the ground with very little privacy. No doors just walls. Kind of weird because I was afraid someone was going to walk in. Anyway, go check it out, you can do this in less then an hours time!

    Our family never tires of visiting Thorne Swift. The pathways are easy to walk, some are wood and…read moresome mulch. There are steps down to the beach area and an overlook of the dunes. The pond is lovely. If you are fortunate, you may catch a glimpse of some wildlife, today there were a number of cedar waxwings at the pond. All the paths are mostly shaded. Caretakers are on hand to answer questions and give information. The nature house features some interesting animal facts and specimens. Monarch butterfly releases are scheduled and an aquarium with the caterpillars is just inside the door. A variety of classes and talks are offered. Informative signs are scattered along the trails, some with photos. Many of the trees and plants are labeled with signage. There is a donation box in front of the nature house, and ample parking.

    Photos
    Thorne Swift Nature Preserve
    Thorne Swift Nature Preserve
    Thorne Swift Nature Preserve

    See all

    Fisherman's Island State Park - Sunset at the public area right before entering park

    Fisherman's Island State Park

    4.7(16 reviews)
    13.8 mi

    This rustic state park is one of our favorites. The scenery is gorgeous, with miles of sandy and…read morerocky beachfront, walking trails, 5-mile road for biking and spacious wooded lots and a prized few water front lots. There is firewood and ice at the check-in station which is very convenient. T h e grounds are well maintained and the vault toilet stalls are mostly clean (though can become odiferous when the park is full). It is usually the case that visitors to the rustic parks are more respectful of the quiet. We are bird watchers and always love spying the eagles and variety of other birds in the area. Close to the town of Charlevoix, there are plenty of options for sight seeing, eating and finding supplies. Beautiful area of our state.

    If you love collecting Michigan rocks, come to this lovely state park. You can take the short trail…read moredown to the water, where you will find rocks om the sand. The park is secluded, and we only saw about 5 others there during the duration of our stay. It appears that because this location is not so heabily populated, you can find some Charlevoix and Petoskey rocks in the water as wel as on the rock bed. You just have to know what to look for. I suggest finding a walking stick for the water. It helps guide you, and it helps you move some rocks. The next time I come here I definitely want to bring a sifter because I saw so many cute tiny ones with the rock pile. My twchnique was to pull the ones near the water down, and I found quite a bit this way. James used the stick to look in the water, where you will find medium to large rocks. Overall the secluded atmosphere is soothing and relaxing.

    Photos
    Fisherman's Island State Park - Nothing like Lake Michigan sunsets

    Nothing like Lake Michigan sunsets

    Fisherman's Island State Park - Northern shore is both sand and rock.  Excellent for rock hounds

    Northern shore is both sand and rock. Excellent for rock hounds

    Fisherman's Island State Park - Public beach at south end of the park.  Sandy beach walking

    See all

    Public beach at south end of the park. Sandy beach walking

    Lake Bellaire

    Lake Bellaire

    5.0(2 reviews)
    13.6 mi

    Great Lake fun for everyone. Not super packed and great for water skiing and tubing. Lots of good…read morefishing out here as well.

    One of the things I hate most about the breakup with the ex is not getting to go visit his family's…read morelake cabins on Lake Bellaire. When I used to come up here I would be so surprised that the lake bottom was sandy and that the water was clear. What a shocker right?? This lake is the perfect size. It's small enough that as a good swimmer you can swim across it, but large enough that you can take out the ski boat and ski, pontoon boat and relax, or sail on the catamaran. Being part of the Chain of Lakes means that it's connected, through a series of rivers, to multiple other lakes so you can spend the day boating through nature areas and rivers to gain access to other local lakes. You can also boat your way over to the Dockside, park, and hang out on the porch. The other great thing about this lake is that it is located next to some really cute little towns like Bellaire and Alden. Day trips out to Traverse City (the only large city around) take about 45 minutes and Charlevoix is close as well. For a slightly longer trip away, about 2 1/2 hours, you could go to Mackinac Island which is an island filled with historic houses and no cars, only horse and buggies are allowed (in the summer at least). Finally, my favorite thing about Lake Bellaire is the fact that the majority of lake cabins are truly cabins, not monstrosities of the like that line the shores of southern lakes. You really feel like you are going back in time and that there is nothing better than a day at the lake minus tv and outside influences.

    Photos
    Lake Bellaire - Hobie Cats on Lake Bellaire

    See all

    Hobie Cats on Lake Bellaire

    Barnes Park Campground - parks - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...