The cabins are super cute! If you are looking for a place to slow down the place this is the spot!…read moreI'm a little hot blooded so I was thankful I brought my own box fan to compliment the ceiling fans in the cabin.

We have been coming for years and loved it, but this year it has been nothing but MEAN! They don't…read morecare about their customers, VERY RUDE and just not worth the energy. Sad to see such a fun place become so bad. I do not recommend doing business with Northern Exposure.

I love this area. I try to camp up here every summer. The campground is clean and generally quiet…read moreand just a short hike to the beach, which is never packed like the state parks down the shore. There are several places to watch the sunset and for stargazing. A lot of people hike through the area, too. The only thing I don't like is the hike over the sand dune to get to the beach. It's a smallish hill, but if you have bad knees or you're out of shape, you might not like it. It's definitely not ADA accessible.

An ourstanding destination for rustic camping. No showers/electricity, but very quiet with shady…read moresites, miles of trails, and Lake Michigan one dune ridge away. This is the kind of place you could stop at for a few days without having having to leave to have fun. There is the beach of course, but also lots of opportunities for hiking and many other nature activities. I was in the area to fish the nearby Big Sauble river, so I didn't get out to see as much of the Rec Area as I'd have liked, but would love to return some day. The campsites all have a long, level asphalt pad that could easily accommodate a large trailer or motor home. Tenters like me have plenty of open ground behind that to set up on. Most of the sites in my loop looked level, and mine did in the preview at the USFS web site, though when I got there I saw it had a distinct slant. I was able to set up so that I was able to sleep more or less level, but be away that some sites may take creative tent placement to stay comfortable. As I said, the site was very shady, which was nice as I was there on some very hot days. Never wore sunglasses in camp, even at midday. The vault toilet facilities were clean, and water is available at a pressure tap, not a hand pump, as at many national forest campgrounds. Not too many complaints. One, which some other campers I talked to had as well, is that the trail to the beach is long and needed to be better marked. The other is the cost: $40+ per night is a lot compared to other national forest campgrounds. I shelled out since it was convenient to where I wanted to fish and would be cooler than inland campgrounds--I was paying a lake-breeze premium. And on this trip, that was a worthwhile investment. If you're looking for a secluded but convenient campground with lots of recreation close at hand, it still may be a bargain.

Went here with my dad a few times in the 70s and 80s. Was back recently for a fall getaway with…read moremy wife. We weren't there to fish, as practically everyone else there was, but we found it a nice base for hiking and color touring. It got a little noisy on Saturday night, when the place was mostly full, but very quiet the next two nights. We were in the section along the river, where most others were tenting like we were, though there were a few RVs there too. The site was level, though the ground was a little stony, which made driving tent stakes a challenge. Lots of shade, though no trees where we could conveniently set up a clothesline. The fire ring is portable, so you can move it to maximize distance from your tent, regardless of what corner of the site you want to pitch it on. The one real inconvenience is that getting to the showerhouse (and the drinking water spigot) from that section of the campground requires a fairly lengthy walk that includes a steep hill climb. But once you're up there, you'll find clean, well-kept facilities. Shower stalls were roomy. There's a small camp store on site that sells some basic gear and groceries, as well as fishing tackles and souveniers. This is a nice, cozy northwoods destination. And one of these days I'll get back to fish!

We recently stayed at Matson's campground and we're extremely pleased with our vacation. The…read moregrounds and bathrooms were very clean and well maintained. We loved the beautiful views from the bluff above the Big Manistee River and the relaxation in the glider chairs and community fire pit provided by the campground. Thank you so much for a wonderful stay Cheryl, Scott and Hank!

We take an extensive family camping vacation every 2 years or so and try to go different places…read morethroughout the US. Chose this campground based upon excellent experience/reviews with sister site in Silver Lake area and they didn't disappoint...clean plush grassy concrete sites, some open and some woodsy, very quiet considering so close to main street, all buildings/facilities kept meticiously neat/clean (specifically laundry, pool, hot tub, showers), picked up your trash bags daily for you, delivered wood directly to campsite. Paths/drives in park were perfect for teaching daughter to ride bike for 1st time...flat and smooth (not a pothole ANYWHERE). Easily in the top 5 of any camping facility we have ever stayed at in the 20 yrs. we've been camping. The most impressive aspect was the customer focused staff and specifically the facility mgr. Older son had to fly back early for internship and staff eagerly offered to print out boarding pass and assist in any way possible to help. Due to miscommunication during booking/checking in I could have been charged extra days we didn't use (had signed paperwork b4 catching mistake after vacation). Although I didn't speak w/ mgr. directly while there, mgr. still offered refund/certificate dispite not having to do so. This made what could have been a large vacation disappointment into a memorable experience to share with others. Have rarely found such cutomer focused business. Not only will we be back, but telling all who inquire about staying in central west Mighigan to seek out this place specifically.

Fantastic RV resort. Grounds are meticulously maintained. You call for service, they are there…read morewithin a half hour sometimes less. Sites are all 10/10. Perfectly maintained concrete, level. Facilities are 10/10. Warning though. This place isn't for the rowdy party animals.... This place actually repels those types of campers which was fine with us! Playgrounds, pool everything. Trees. They are also expanding to include 90 something new sites, amd a second pool. This place rocks. My kids love it. Thanks Vacation Station!!!

Being in rural Michigan, this is a great place to camp. The campground was not all that big, which…read moreisn't necessarily a bad thing because you're so close to the small playground, bathrooms/showers (very clean), pool (they said it was heated, but it wasn't really when we went), and the lake. It's not the biggest lake, but definitely serves the purpose of kayaking or canoeing (in a small area) and paddle boats. It was $4 for an hour of paddle boating and not much more for kayaks or canoes. There technically is a "beach," but it's basically a small stretch of sand that serves as canoe/kayak/paddle boats storage. There was a fish cleaning station, so I'm guessing it's good for fishing? It was so convenient that they have propane fill up onsite in addition to being able to buy ice and wood. It's great that they don't overcharge the captive audience, we really do appreciate that. The spots were roomy enough, but certainly could've used another foot or two. Our friends rented the spot next to us and it was a perfect set up. The grounds were clean, the bathrooms/showers were clean, the playground was clean. I think one of the very few things it needs improvement on is the identification of the water/electric stations. It's not that big of a deal, but the camper that arrived before us was using the station that should've belonged to us. Thank goodness our friend had an extension hose and extension cord, otherwise we would've had a hard time reaching the water and electric. Our friends and I had spot 60 and 61. 61 is a corner spot. Even though we were right next to the corner, I never felt like there was too much foot traffic from people walking by. Overall, given the location, it was a great campground and I would go back again.

Great welcoming campground. The private lake has huge fish in and is the perfect size to kayak…read morearound. They rent row boats, paddle boats and kayaks. The pool is very refreshing especially on a hot summer day. They have individual bathrooms and showers which are kept clean. There is a great walking trail across the street. Atv trails are close by so there is something for everyone.

Want a peaceful place to stay? This would be it. Granted I was there early through mid-week, not…read morearound a holiday or during one of the major fish runs in the Little Manistee River, but I had the place to myself, heard little vehicle traffic on the nearby roads, or much of anything besides birds during the day and owls and coyotes at night. The sites are well shaded and the ground was free of rocks--I could push in my tent stakes. Most looked reasonably level, and several would hold a medium sized trailer or motorhome easily, if that's how you roll. Water is from a hand pump and was clear and good tasting, not rusty as you often find at primitive campgrounds. It will leave lime on your pots, though. The outhouse was fairly clean, well stocked with TP. The extra long picnic table and lantern hanger at the site proved very handy. There are a couple of group camping areas. Trails lead from some of the sites down to the river, though some are not easy to follow. The best river access is between the group campgrounds. Getting to Bear Track, or from it to other area attractions, can be challenging due to the tangle of dirt roads weaving through the national forest. But the solitude and quiet here make this minor nuisance tolerable.

Nice campground w access to the Manistee River and walking trails. Lots are nice and open w fire…read morepits and facilities are well kept. No showers. But do have bathrooms. Has person on site maintaining and also sells fire wood for $7.

We just wrapped up a camping trip here, which was our first time visiting here. We enjoyed site 12…read morewith friends. The space was slated for eight people but it was only the four of us. The driveway for our site only had room for two cars and there was just enough space for two tents that were on pretty flat ground. We really enjoyed how tucked away our spot was in comparison to some other camping spots. The length between the bonfire ring and the picnic table was a safe distance too. The site is mostly a mix of sand and dirt, making it safe to put out embers that may jump out quickly. Site 12 also was a good distance from the bathroom and had a really short trail down to the beach/recreation area. Bathrooms were very clean to our other experiences at other campgrounds. We were very happy with the availability of hot showers. There were two shower heads make it easily accessible for those in wheelchairs or those who want to clean off their dogs. Sometimes you might have to wait depending on how busy it is but it's worth it. If your spot is farther from the bathroom, you can drive there and park just outside the bathroom. If you need water or need to do a quick rinse, there are water spigots where you can quickly fetch water too. We were also able to find just enough dry wood around the perimeter of our camp for our entire stay. If you need food, there is a great grocery store a short drive from camp. The camp manager and it's workers are usually available around the camp keeping it in camping shape too. We even asked about the treatment of the lake for safety purposes and was told they had just treated it in may, giving us peace of mind to enjoy the lake with worry. The lake itself is on the smaller end but still enjoyable on a hot day. It's also quite shallow making it great for families with small children. However, we do recommend wearing water shoes given the amount of hermit crab shells and rocks found along the beach. If you have water crafts or a boat, there is a ramp for public access. There's also bathrooms close to the beach that are kept clean too so you don't have to trek all the way back to camp. There's also grills and picnic tables at the beach in case you wanted to enjoy a meal at the beach too. We were very happy with our stay here and would recommend it for friends and family in the future.

Camp sites are good, restrooms clean. Supposed to be be quite after 10PM. They allow setup after…read more10PM, making noise. Other campers were loud after hour with NO staff getting after them. Let dogs on the beach releiving them selves. Tried to get money back for not staying full stay and NO refunds. Must want to rent out site twice and pocket the extra.