We stayed two nights at Paradise Cove Campground in July of 2021. My husband and I were looking to…read moreget away for a weekend last minute and after calling around to a handful of places for camping which were all full (last weekend of the Cherry Festival), I reached out to Jerry of Paradise Cove and he was happy to host us. He and his wife, Barb, were so incredibly hospitable and kind - they checked the sites before we booked to make sure they weren't too wet (we had just come off a week with a lot of rain) and that they would accommodate our camper. He met us at the drive when we arrived to make sure we got parked okay (sites are on the smaller side, about 20 feet wide with large trees in between). And he even brought up a fire ring and firewood to our site when we asked about a place to have a fire! As they also own the Paradise Cove restaurant and marina just down the street from the campground, I'm sure they are busy folks and that makes this level of customer service that much more special! Currently the campground is under development, so only a portion of their current 16 sites are ready for use (some don't have electric service and they don't currently take tent or pop-up campers as there are no bathroom facilities). The view of Lake Leelanau from sites 1-10 is beautiful, the road the sites share with the residential neighborhood was quiet and peaceful, and it was a perfect jumping off point for the adventures we wanted to have in the Traverse City, Old Mission Peninsula, Leelanau Peninsula, and Sleeping Bear Dunes area. We look forward to seeing how the campground grows and to a return visit!

We stayed twice last year and it's nice to see how they improved. New owners are really nice…read more Amazing views!

Easy to find, good communication. Good amount of bathrooms and trash cans spread out. Campsite was…read moreclean. Personally prefer above ground campfires for ease of physicality and cooking

For any outdoor enthusiasts exploring around Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore...I highly…read morerecommend staying here at Empire Township Campground!! Yes...I discovered it through the trusty ole app on my phone called CAMPENDIUM! In fact, I've used Campendium to locate plenty of campsites, RV Trailer Parks and rest stops along my plenty of travels these last few years. Definitely...if you're an adventurer...download Campendium. And what's great about it is that you can find campsites at the last minute/spur of the moment. That's how I came upon this Empire Township Campground. After driving all day to Sleeping Bear Dunes...I knew I needed a place to camp out because there weren't many accommodations offered in the area. Campendium mentioned to just show up here and it's first come, first served. I visited back in late May of this year 2021. The camp host was very friendly. She mentioned had I visited over the weekend, the campsites would have been full. So fortunately, I showed up on a Tuesday evening and there were plenty of spaces available. There were 60 campsites for me to choose from. The host handed me a map and told me to pick a site that was unoccupied and then return to the entrance where she'd secure my reservation. I picked Site #6 located right near the shower house. It was $25 per night for primitive camping. Having already planned out my Sleeping Bear Dunes itinerary ahead of time...I booked for 2 nights here for $50. So...I'd spend the first night here, hang out all day at Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore the following day, return back here for my 2nd evening, and then finish up my explorations of the area the last day and eventually move onto my next destination. For being here for 2 nights...I surprisingly planned out everything perfectly! Here are some details about this Empire Township Campground... It's located 5 miles outside the Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitor Center and the quiet little town of Empire, Michigan. My cell phone reception worked perfectly so I was able to watch a movie inside my tent one night before going to sleep. They have 3 showers. But...bring quarters with you as they charge .50 cents for every 3 minutes of hot water use. I used $1.50 and took my time cleaning off for 9 minutes. Outside the shower house there were a few electrical outlets which allowed me to plug in my phone and generator to grab some power. They actually offered AMP Power at some sites. In fact, I probably should have paid extra (which I'm sure wouldn't have cost much) for the accessible AMP Power. Oh well, my bad. My campsite #6 featured plenty of space and room. I felt like I was in the heart of nature and far enough away from other campers to have some privacy. The whole setting here was really pleasant. The camp host does sell ice to keep drinks cold as well as firewood to ignite flames for chilly evenings. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. Also, charcoal grills are allowed as well. One night I barbecued some hot dogs during a scenic sunset. There's also dump stations for RV's. For locating this Empire Township Campground...simply plug the name into Google Maps and you'll have no issues finding it. They have real toilets for when using the bathroom, not vault toilets or porta potties. That's always a nice aspect. I can't think of anything else to say other than my 2 night experience here was quite memorable for all the good reasons. For anyone interested in getting ready to explore the UP (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan and heading north, I highly suggest making Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore a priority to visit and choosing this Empire Township Campground as a your place for enjoying nights in the great outdoors.

Google labels Sleeping Bear Dunes a "mountain peak" - LOL. But it is a pretty cool…read morenaturally-occurring pile of sand (and every form of life that is adapted to it). We hiked Cottonwood Trail, but *might* have strayed off it a bit in order to see Lake Michigan. It is great to know that this area is protected.

My only kind that I have about this place was that parking was really expensive! Overall, if you're…read moreinto scenic views, challenging walks, even going to the beach too or are just a avid adventurer this is the place for you. Me and my wife basically did the Dune Climb which was very extraordinary which I reviewed on a separate page. This place was very well maintained with very minimal trash. The dunes were very scenic and even the people were very friendly too. I have never seen water looks so clean and beautiful before. Getting into the beach can be a bit painful with all those rocks just stabbing your feet. I absolutely had an incredible time here regardless. I highly recommend checking this place out if you ever have to chance!

We rolled into this campground fairly late in the day after an extremely long drive from New York…read more The check in process was super quick and we were able to purchase our Michigan recreation pass. All of the sites are super close together, but well kept and clean. We were in site 380 and were close to the restrooms, but not too close that it was a nuisance. The sunrise on the lake was beautiful. Overall, we had a great single night stay here !

Super bummed. According to the entrance attendant - who is very friendly, by the way - the park is…read morecompletely closed except for those with the boat.

They claim to be family oriented. But allow guests and employees to drive golf carts and other…read morevehicles. Well, impaired and drinking, And seem to encourage the behavior all while having Benzie County sheriff's department in their back pocket.. Definitely a fun place, but not safe. I have several videos that I have taken just this weekend, July 2023 There has been several accidents Involving minors driving golf carts and atv's in the past. The employees don't even follow their own rules Which encourages others to do so as well.

Third year. Same site, noise level is terrible. No rules enforced. Speed limit is 7 mph. No one…read morepays attention to that rule. Round and round golf carts and side by sides ride up and down the unpaved, dusty roads. Maintenance guy has radio in golf cart up full volume. Manager Terry seems nice. Odd that several seasonal residents leave before the weekend because of noise. It's impossible to have a conversation at campsite.

Sleeping Bear Dunes is one of Michigan's true gems! Such unique landscape and along a significant…read moreportion of the coastline of one of our (best) Great Lakes, there is so much you can do here! You can hike, climb, play, swim, tube, the list goes on! These dunes are MASSIVE - some of the biggest in this country! If you're Michigan raised like I am, you were taught the legend of Sleeping Bear Dunes as a kid growing up. If you haven't heard the legend, I highly recommend that you look it up before coming here, just for some fun (perhaps a bit depressing) history, but it informs our natural landscape in this area & I hold that close to my heart. I honestly highly recommend doing Sleeping Bear in all seasons BUT summer. I personally am not a huge fan of heat, let alone hot sand, with no shade anywhere, on a summer's day! Sleeping Bear is also so popular during the summer since it's one of our biggest tourist destinations for Michiganders and non-Michiganders alike. So if you want to avoid the massive crowds and also actually enjoy exploring the extensive dune system and gorgeous views of Sleeping Bear without breaking too much of a sweat, come in the spring or the fall! If you love winter sports like cross-country skiing, DEFINITELY check out Sleeping Bear in the winter when so many of the trails switch over to cross-country skiing trails exclusively! I absolutely love Sleeping Bear Dunes and it's another reason why I'm so thankful to have been raised and continue to live in Michigan. There is so much diversity and variety in what Michigan has to offer, and I'm just so proud that Sleeping Bear Dunes is one of those things.

I must admit that we are out of shape and climbing up the dunes was a bit tough. I suggest wearing…read moreappropriate shoes. We did bring a bag that had sone drinks in it as well. We got to part of the top and the view was beautiful. They had didferent pathways once you reached the top, but we were too tired to continue towards the water view. They have a lot if parking and a trail for bikers. There is typically a location where you can drove close to a pier and see the water. However, due to construction the road was closed off in that area which was unfortunate timing. Due to covid, there was not a lot of people when we went to the dunes. I imagine it does get packed though.

Very clean and well run park. Staff was very polite and helpful. Location is great. Will return…read moreagain.

Oh my gosh what a nice park... Clean well-kept and great people. They have a small beach on Silver…read moreLake which was a welcome relief after a long day of bicycling or hiking. this campground is actually owned by an Airstream club and they had more AS than any place I've been. Our, 26cloud fit right in and it was very cool to see some of the older designs all still being used. Of course, all RV brands are welcome. No motorcycles, golf carts are OK. They had a number of children activities planned for the 4th of July festivities and I even saw a kids Halloween party going by.

Quite overpriced for camping without adequate wifi. They technically have wifi, but good luck…read moreconnecting to it from your spot. $75 a night for a plot of dirt for our tent if a bit bonkers. Friendly staff, quiet camp, but the showers (that are rarely used since it's a campground designed for RV's) were full of bugs.

The pictures on the website are deceiving. A lot of sites are tight. We couldn't use our fire pit…read more There isn't much of a beach. When we went into the office to find restaurants or pizza places to deliver, we never cook on arrival day, there were 3 teen girls working that had no clue what was around and looked at us as if we had 3 eyes lol. The permanent residents behind us paid no attention to quiet time and were obnoxiously loud and partying way late, playing corn hole and the whole campsite was lit up. We are not old or prudes and we love to drink and have a good time and can be loud but we do try to keep it under control after quiet time. Luckily our fan was loud enough to drown out the noise. I would have rather have the windows open when possible. We did find a couple of really nice beaches close by. Wifi wasn't great and no internet service if you need that. There were 5 camper/couples and we all agreed, sorry, this campground was not for us.