Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Hartwick Pines State Park

    4.6 (13 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Hartwick Pines State Park Photos

    You might also consider

    More like Hartwick Pines State Park

    Recommended Reviews - Hartwick Pines State Park

    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

    Old logging equipment
    A.J. C.

    Attended Wood Shaving Days Festival. A couple of hours was the perfect amount of time to take a leisurely walk, to see the museum and demonstrations, and to visit the vendors. We snagged a couple of souvenirs. Great event. Just too bad they hit you up for parking.

    Entrance
    Debbie C.

    We went to get some exercise and learn about the logging camps and history of the old hardwood forests. What a delightful afternoon! They have done a wonderful job of explaining what we were experiencing and seeing. There were some great hands on activities for those with children. The museum and the visitor center were really well done. We could easily visit this wonderful facility and nature preserve again.

    Campsites may flood
    Richard S.

    We stayed at campsite 38, and our site flooded during a strong rainstorm. We noted several other sites along that outer stretch that also puddled up, so be prepared for that to happen if it rains. Other than that, our campsite was nice and secluded. We went canoeing and fishing on the Bright and Glory Lakes, which are near-identical, filled with trout, around 50 feet deep, and smooth as glass. There are loose-gravel boat launches for each. Elsewhere, the Logging Museum, Chapel in the Pines, and Visitor Center were very nice. They were educational, well maintained, full of artifacts, and the center had a small gift shop with good merchandise. It's definitely a place I will visit again.

    See all

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of D. M.
    134
    387
    364

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Twiggy S.
    50
    112
    445

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

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

    12 years ago

    Always a lovely time. Any time of year, it smells so good and is so peaceful to walk amongst the pines.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Hartwick Pines State Park

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Kneff Lake Campground

    Kneff Lake Campground

    4.0(2 reviews)
    8.1 mi

    I kind of randomly picked this campsite, I was headed somewhere else when I saw the sign and…read moredecided to take a chance. It really paid off. The campground was clean, the spaces are not cramped together and more than a few have lake views. There is running water, pit toilets, and steps down to the lake, and each campsite has a picnic table, fire ring, and parking spot. A few are against the forest, some are in the middle of the site, and the others kind of by the lake (these were my favorite, nothing like waking up in the morning and looking out on a clear blue body of water). Overall I was very happy with this campground, it seemed underused, which was kind of surprising given the beauty and quietude of the area. My only complain was that it had a lot of yellow jackets that wanted to eat my lunch more than I did. Bring spray or something, you're probably going to want it. Or maybe it was just my site, who knows. You can fish in the lake, it's stocked with trout. The water also seemed very clean, I almost went for a swim (it wasn't that cold either). There is also a day-use area, so you can just picnic or fish if you feel like it. To get here you have to drive down S Stephan Bridge Rd and will then take a left - keep your eyes peeled for the sign. There is also a sign on MI-72 which will point you in the right direction.

    As long as you know how to swim, it's a great lake.not much shallow. Long set of steps.read more

    Photos
    Kneff Lake Campground

    See all

    Manistee River Bridge State Forest Campground - A more wooded, shadier site.

    Manistee River Bridge State Forest Campground

    3.0(1 review)
    6.6 mi

    This is large as state forest campgrounds go, consisting of four loops with about half a dozen…read moresites each. Most of the sites are fairly open, so shade during the heat of the day can be hard to come by. Generally sites are level. Many sites overlook the river, and since the campground is on the river, it's a good option for canoe campers. Water from the hand pump is a bit rustier in appearance than what you see in most state forest campgrounds, though it tastes fine. One advantage of this campground is its central location. If you'll be visiting different places around the Grayling area (say, fishing the Au Sable as well as the Manistee river), this is a better jumping off point than the campgrounds located further up or downstream on the Manistee. It's only seven miles back to Grayling, so a grocery or ice run doesn't have to take a sizeable chunk out of your morning or afternoon. That said, this convenience comes at a price. If you're looking for a quiet getaway, this is not the place. M72 stays busy much of the day and night, so traffic noise will be a constant. There's a large, busy canoe livery directly across the river, which can get very loud when the canoeists arrive back (often a bit intoxicated) from their floats. Even so, I still make it here once or twice a year. The location plus good fishing nearby make the inconveniences tolerable.

    Photos
    Manistee River Bridge State Forest Campground - Stairs to the river.

    Stairs to the river.

    Manistee River Bridge State Forest Campground - An open site, typical of most here.

    See all

    An open site, typical of most here.

    Mio Pine Acres Campground & Cabins

    Mio Pine Acres Campground & Cabins

    2.3(3 reviews)
    25.5 mi

    Staff is unfriendly and makes guests feel unwelcome. The charge of $5 per person to visit…read morepaid/registered campers is excessiv.

    Save your time and money! This place is a joke, their website is VERY misleading. I should of known…read morethere was a reason why this campground was only half full on a busy holiday weekend. First off they advertise a nice little pizza/snack bar on their site. Since it was later in the day we planned on having pizza for dinner the first night. We were told they weren't doing pizza on Friday this week. OK whatever, not the end of the world. We went into the store after dinner to get the kids an ice cream treat, because the websites tell us to "Try their assortment of novelty ice creams!" There was no ice cream anywhere in the store. So, fast forward to Saturday morning, we wanted to go to the store to get a hot coffee (we didn't bring any because the store said they have it). When I asked the lady about the coffee her response was "oh I didn't make any because we have all campers and cabins and figured they had their own". I'm thinking at this point she would offer to make a pot of coffee, nope. I was not impressed at all with her. If you want a hot shower here, you won't get it. I took my granddaughter to the bath house for a shower and tried to get hot water for at least 5 minutes, at which point I gave up and went to the cabin to give her one. The hot water ran out after about 4 or 5 minutes and I couldn't even wash her hair. And as for the beds, my back is still hurting! The mattresses are on top of a piece of ply wood, no box springs at all. The bathroom door was a folding accordion door that was old and broken and didn't want to stay shut. Also, when I made the reservation I asked what we needed to bring and was told all I needed to bring was shampoo, everything else was included. This was not true, there was not even hand soap in the bathroom. I asked if I needed to bring a fan (I need it for a noise when I sleep) she said there are fans in every closet. There aren't even closets in this place let alone fans! She flat out lied!! I wouldn't have minded bringing soap, fans etc. had she told the truth. There was dish soap and a dish cloth but no dish towel. Since there was a sign that stated we must do our dishes you would think they would have provided a dish towel. Oh and how can I forget the chipmunk who got in somehow in the middle of the night in the bedroom and woke us up. This place is by far the absolute worse place I have ever stayed at!

    Higgins Lake / Roscommon KOA - Fire pit trash

    Higgins Lake / Roscommon KOA

    2.2(16 reviews)
    16.0 mi

    DO NOT BOOK HERE. This place is a complete joke. Booked and lost my money due to poor…read morecommunication. I asked how far is Higgins Lake from their campground, they said oh it's a 5 min walk. Well it's not a 5 min walk. It's a 5 mile walk. So canceled the day of and the other 3 days I had, the young worker said oh you'll be able to get a refund and pay a small cancellation fee. So I cancelled. Well the manager calls me this morning saying oh there's nothing they can do because you canceled the day of and won't get any of the refund back. His only excuse is they must've been new to the job. Why wouldn't you teach them about the cancelation policy if they work at the front desk and deal with reservations? The manager didn't try to work with me due to poor employee communication. If this is how they have to make money to stay afloat, then that's horrible business. They should change the name, extremely miss leading when they aren't even on the lake.

    I thought this was a great experience. Pat that answers the phone and checks you in is awesome. I…read morecould tell she really wanted to get us the best accommodations. We ended up getting a deluxe cabin which says it can sleep 6 but the includes a double bed, 2 twin bunk beds in a very tiny room and the couch which is a futon. We only had 2 people so we had plenty of room. There is a toilet and a nice shower in the bathroom. The living room area has a tv, a table with bar chairs for 4, a microwave, refrigerator, kitchen sink and lots of cabinets to put your stuff in. You need to remember to bring your own sheets, towels, pillows and bedding. Also remember paper towel and toilet paper. Even though the Park was filled - it was surprisingly quiet. It's about 5 miles from Higgins Lake State Park which requires a recreation pass, but is very nice and has a paved bike trail and a public beach.

    Photos
    Higgins Lake / Roscommon KOA - Toilet paper/sewage all over

    Toilet paper/sewage all over

    Higgins Lake / Roscommon KOA - Toilet paper/sewage

    Toilet paper/sewage

    Higgins Lake / Roscommon KOA

    See all

    Hartwick Pines State Park - campgrounds - Updated May 2026

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