There's a lot to recommend this place: running water and flush toilets, plenty of firewood (for sale on the honor system via Venmo, so you can grab it at any hour of the night), lots of sites, lots of trees so you don't immediately feel like there are lots of sites, and a great location in the natural beauty of the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. But: if you've been spoiled by the rugged awesomeness of southern Utah campsites, if your kids think that a good campsite has to have something interesting to climb or do within spitting distance of your tent, if you are looking for something more than basically a forested parking lot in a very beautiful place, then even this great spot will disappoint you. Alas, I am the latter kind of camper, the kind who mostly camps only as a chance to stay someplace otherwise inaccessible. So this is fine camping if you love camping, but it's not the kind of camping that makes you a camping lover. read more

We were unfamiliar with this campground, but we made reservations months in advance for two nights of tent camping in June, 2023 in Loop 4 (site 418). And, we're so glad that we did. It's a wonderful campground that is well-maintained by the National Park Service. The sites are huge, with a lot of space between you and your neighbors. The pads for pitching your tent are equally large, flat, and sandy -- and each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. The clean bathrooms and showers are down the road, as are heavy duty containers for trash and recycling. The Rangers at the office were very friendly, and helpful. They also warned us to be bear-aware, as bears had been spotted near the campground. (We didn't see any). Unfortunately, there weren't any nature programs during our 2-night stay but we were there mid-week. We were staying at this campground primarily to visit the main sites of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Most of the main attractions (Empire Bluffs hike, Dune Climb, Scenic Drive) are about ten or more miles away. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find a path adjacent to the campground that went down to Lake Michigan (about one mile each way). It mostly flat with walking in sand the closer you get to the lake. You could also drive down to a park at the end of the road. It's a wonderful place to watch the sunset. There are also nearby options for bicycling and kayaking. The campground is a bargain at $26 per night for tent camping. (You also need to pay the entrance fee for the national park). There was a nice mix of other campers ... solos with a dog or two; retirees; and young families. All were quiet and abided to the rules for quiet hours and no generators in loop 4. We also lucked out with respect to the lack of bugs. We had been fighting mosquitos and midges in other wooded areas in northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, but hardly had any insect issues at this campground. Two things worth mentioning. (1) Given the warnings about being bear aware, the NPS should consider installing bear boxes at each site for the storage of food and other scented items. (2) Firewood can be purchased at a "vending machine" for $7. While the machine for traditional firewood was working, the one for a composite substitute that we wanted to try had a broken credit card reader (and we didn't have the right denominations to pay cash). Overall, a great trip! read more

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Stayed here with my husband & our friends over the summer & had a great time! The bathrooms & campsites were clean. The sites themselves are a bit small. With 4 people, 2 tents, & a canopy, we were pretty cramped, but able to make it work! There was a trail leading to a beautiful beach area & Lake Michigan. The place for kayak/canoe rental is a super short drive & is also a general store & ice cream shop! We had such a great time & can't wait to go back! Sites book up REALLY fast, so if you are thinking of booking definitely do it well in advance! read more

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Review for Loop 1, Site 102. We tent camped in the electric area due to cooler temps and wanting to have a space heater. It worked out lovely. Our neighbors were quiet and friendly. We were directly across from a water source and the recycling (!!!) and trash bins. They're designed for bears and critters to not be able to get in, which means less stinky. The bathrooms were just a quick walk away. I will say that they were always so nice and empty. They do have walk-in sites as well as non-electric sites too. They were all sold out when we were there, so prepare accordingly! One thing we loved about this place: the close access to the beach! There was literally no one out on the beach minus us, so be sure to hike into the beach area from the campground area. It took us an hour or so and that included shell hunting. The overall location of this campground wasn't the best as you do have to drive quite a bit to get into the heart of the National Lakeshore area, but it wasn't too horrible. read more

Platte River Campground - View from Loop 1, Site 102 - Campgrounds Near Me - Honor, Michigan

We are annual campers here and we use the group campsites as we bring 5-6 families with us each year. It's difficult to find availability for the campsites since the popularity is so high but it's for good reason. This campground is run by the national park service and they do a phenomenal job mixing the innocence and peacefulness of the outdoors with the convenience of class facilities. There are fully plumed bathrooms and free showers for you to use. The grounds are excellently maintained and the location of the campground is hiking distance to platte river and (if you're extra-adventurous) Lake Michigan. You're driving distance to Pierce Stocking, Glen Arbor, Empire, Pyramid Point, and Traverse City. Honestly it doesn't get much better for this area of Northern Michigan. read more

This was my first experience with tent camping and I had a great time! We stayed in loop 4 at site 451 and a few of our friends stayed on the sites next to ours. Our site had a downward slope to the camping area so we were always careful walking down. It was gravel so it was a little tricky carrying our stuff down to set up. Also, our fire pit was right at the bottom of the slope. Unfortunately I ran into it coming back from the bathroom one night and got a nice bruise on my shin. Other than that the site was nice and equipped with a large picnic table, fire pit with grate, and a flat area for our tent. We did have a walk in site directly behind us that was visible from our site, but we never heard them. Our site was one of the furthest from the bathrooms. We were pretty much equidistant from both bathroom options on our loop. One was on the paved road so I mostly used that one. There are hot showers and a dishwashing area there as well. The bathrooms were very clean the first day of our stay, but the second day the sinks and counters were full of bugs. We walked the 0.8 mile path to the beach from the campsite. It's a nice and wide path. The beach was great and there was only one other group there since this beach has no car access. The kids played in the cold water and we walked along the beach. The campground has a firewood vending machine and the box of wood material was $5. There was an additional charge for the national park fee when we checked in at the ranger station. This was a nice, quiet, and clean campsite. We took a drive to Sleeping Bear and made a stop at the Grocer's Daughter for chocolates. It's close to several kayak and rafting rental places which we hope to try on our next visit. The location is really awesome! read more

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SO clean. Made a totally spontaneous trip up here as COVID had everything closed down. We popped up here & the grounds were uber clean & orderly. No bears though. ALTHOUGH we saw bear tracks! If you go hiking to see the cool lake michigan sunset maybe you TOO will get to see the bear tracks. It was actually kinda scary. But cool. read more

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We chose this location the week of August 18th because of it's proximity to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. We were not only in a perfect location right on Lake Michigan, but in the heart of all there is to do in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Forest. Being able to walk to the Platte River to Tub/Canoe/Kayak/Fish or Lake Michigan to Fish, Picnic, have a bonfire on the beach while watching the sunset each night was a bonus. The campsites are amazing and the bathrooms, which you are never far from one are the cleanest I have ever seen. For last minute items there is Riverside Canoe rental that sells grocery items, which is on the Platte River, so you could walk to it if you wanted. When looking for items that only a bigger store could carry, we were only 20 minutes away from Honor, Michigan. As you can see from my pictures, the beach is clean, the water is clear and weed free. We enjoyed it so much we are going back again this weekend for the fall colors. read more

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I've stayed at Platte River campground twice. The first time my dad and I went in (late) September and stayed in one of the loops with no electric hook up. We had no trouble getting a site even though we arrived in the evening. The camp ground has four "loops" (some have electric hook ups), one group area and an area with "walk in" sites (all of the sites are hike in to some varying degree). The loop sites vary in size and how close they are/or seem to other sites. This year my friend and I went in mid July. We tried to make a reservation a month ahead of time, but all of the reservations were taken (they only allow so many and the rest are first come). We arrived late in the afternoon and got lucky to grab the last site. This happened to be the handicapped walk-in. This site is right off of the parking lot and close to the rest room. The other sites are more of a walk, and there is only one rest room for this area. The benefit to this area is that the sites are spread apart from one another. The entire campground is very clean and well kept up. The restrooms are also clean and modern. There is also a room for cleaning dishes. A couple extra costs to be aware of: the showers are paid by tokens ($1 a token) and they have strict rules about buying firewood in the area (due to bugs being released). All of the camp sites have access to the beach and the beauty that is Lake Michigan. The sites have a trail though the woods, which is a bit of a walk from some of the sites. The closeness of the beach is the biggest appeal to me. We walked out in the early evening and there were only two other people, making it almost our own private beach. The camp ground is also close by to several of the small towns in the area as well as plenty of other activities. We rented kayaks and took a lazy trip down the river to the lake, hiked, checked out the local shops and had breakfast at the Platte River Inn. We ran out of time to do everything we wanted to in Sleeping Bear and already planning a trip back next year. read more

Took the family on a Sleeping Bear Dunes trip and stayed at the campground for the weekend. Very beautiful campground and well maintained by the park rangers. Rangers were very friendly and made sure we fully understood the park rules and attractions. Very close to the National Lakeshore and other attractions. It's also the only park that allows trailers and reservations. While we really enjoyed our stay, the placement of the fire pit and picnic table on the "fire pad" was not thought out very well. The trailer pad is also very narrow. Putting the fire pit in the corner of the pad only allows a limited amount of people to circle around it. We ended up down wind of the smoke our entire weekend. Not enough of a reason to take a star away though, still loved our stay. read more

Platte River Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Honor, Michigan

Nice campground. The site that we had was a little close to some other sites but overall not bad, I prefer a little more rustic and less crowded but for families and location this is a good spot. Fills up pretty fast so either have to reserve the percentage of sites that you are able to do so or get there early. Convenient location to canoe access and a few miles from the beauty of Lake Michigan and the dunes at the mouth of the Platte River which are awesome! Yelp til next time, read more

Platte River Campground - Camp Site 432ish @ Platte River Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Honor, Michigan

I absolutely love this place the vibe it has is unbelievable this year was my second annual trip up there and it was just as good as the first time. Gorgeous views from the lake with an amazing trail leading up to it. The bathrooms are extremely clean and the showers are as well. This is a beautiful place to camp with a ton of wild life all around from black bears to coyotes and deer. Nothing but stars they light up the night sky. I highly recommend coming here but you will need to book at least 3months if not more in advance. read more

Platte River Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Honor, Michigan

I enjoyed tent camping here. The way to the campground was a bit remote and there could have been better signage both inside and outside the campground. However, the rangers are super helpful and friendly. Our site was beautiful and not too far from the bathrooms, which were incredibly clean for a campground. I felt like the site was a bit buggy, but it was a quiet campground. The cons were that it was a long walk to the beach from our camp site in loop 1, and that they do not allow kick scooters. We brought our scooters so we could use them to go to the bathrooms but they are not allowed even though bicycles are allowed. It was difficult to get reservations so you need to make them well in advance. read more

So, one day a couple of my friends, my partner and I decided that we wanted to go camping and go to the Sleepy Bear Dunes. After researching, we found the Platte River Campground. We heard that in order to get a spot, we had to get there early. So, we got a tent, rented a Jeep, loaded it up and started our drive from Chicago to Michigan. We left on Friday evening after work and drove up to Michigan for a late evening arrival at a hotel. After a few hours of sleep, we awoke early to drive the rest of the way to the campground. We arrived at the campgrounds around 9am and found that there was only one space left... OMG were we lucky. It was a great spot for the two tents that we had. We got a fire going with the left over firewood at the site and bought some extra at the awesome firewood vending machine. The bathroom and shower (25 cents for a couple of minutes) were a short trail away. Across from our site was a watering spic-it for drinking water. We were set. =) The campground/forest reserve was beautiful and perfect for a great weekend away from the big city. We had a great time. The forest rangers were even so awesome to give me 15+ coloring books and badges for my daycare class to learn about Michigan wildlife. So, if you want to get away make sure you get to the campground before 9am or you will miss out on a great adventure.... And as always, Have Fun!!! Note: If you have extra wood, it is best to leave it for the next person coming instead of just burning it... When we arrived, there was wood for us, so we left our leftover wood for the next person... You should do the same... read more

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Absolutely beautiful and stunning campground. The restrooms are well maintained, the shower stalls are big enough to fit 2 people, and the water pressure is great - the hot water doesn't stop. There aren't huge lights in front of the restrooms to ruin the night sky. You can see the Milky Way from your campsite. For an even more spectacular view of the night sky, head to the end of Peterson road and have a bonfire and a beer on the beach. Watch the sunset and the stars come out and you're in for a real treat. The park is very well maintained and has many attractions. There is a scenic drive for those who do not wish or are unable to hike with beautiful overlooks of the sand dunes. The Dune Climb is fun, it's about a 200ft or more climb to the top of the sand dunes. Spectacular views of the stars at night here as well. They have a Star Party here often where astronomers come out with their telescopes - we saw Saturn so close that you could see the ring and 2 of its moons! Heading north from there is D.H. Day campground and scenic village, where there is a real blacksmith shop. The views of Lake Michigan from here are amazing with bright blue water. The lakes around the Platte River area are stunningly clear, so much that you can see the fish and the bottom. Take your kayak and go down the Platte River, into Loon Lake, and then continuing down the river until you get to Lake Michigan. What a great kayaking trip. The river and adjacent road is setup in such a great way that if you were to ride your bike back to your truck, they make it very easy to do so. Hiking in the Platte Plains was very fun as well and a great way to get away from it all. They offer back country camping too. Drinking is completely legal, just use cans and be respectful and clean up after yourself. Being from Ohio, where everything is illegal, this was certainly a nice feature. You can drink a beer while eating your sandwich in the park if you'd like. We did not see any bears in the area however they have been known to exist here, so you just have to be safe with your cooking and food storage and you'll be fine. Best word of advice I can give you - bring extra hoodies and blankets. We visited in early September, when the night lows got down to 45. Very cold and had to go buy a beanie. Too much to see and not enough time, and we stayed for 5 nights! We will be back with the whole family next summer! read more

A wonderful and beautiful campground in Sleeping Bear Dunes! It was our first time to the dunes and we heard great reviews about this campsite! It is a wonderful campground! Four loops of electrical and non-electrical and even group sites and sites you hike to! We had to arrive before the ranger station opened to grab a non-reservable campsite because of the Labor Day weekend traffic, but it was worth the wait! We had an awesome corner campsite which was perfect for us and our dog! The campground has the cleanest bathrooms I've even seen at a campground, plenty of activities to do around the area and Lake Michigan is right there too! Friendly staff and the perfect atmosphere to relax and be stress free! We are definitely coming back again! read more

Scored a reservation a few days before heading out to the Dunes in July. The campgrounds were packed because it was the summer, and the National Cherry Festival happened to be going on in Traverse City nearby. Camp plots are closer than we would've like to one another, but besides that the restrooms and showers are clean, the grounds are a short .8 mile hike away from Lake Michigan (go to the beach at night and start a bonfire), and the rangers were helpful. read more

Wonderful campsites for tent campers! Secluded, but close to the bathhouse. A nice walk to the lake. The mosquitos are no joke and you do have to walk in more than we are used to to your site from the parking lot, but we enjoyed our stay in the Michigan woods. From here it was easy to explore the park. read more

We stayed in a walk in. The pros-- Wood vending machine onsite (cash only) Each campsite is very private It is walkable to Lake Michigan Clean bathrooms/showers Bear food locker at each site The cons-- Mosquitos everywhere Mice/small rodents at night time crawled under the tent nightly (?to make a nest) Walk in site was pretty far from parking lot We would def go back but probably would pick a closer walk in site to the parking lot. read more

When we arrived and I first had interactions with the staff, I knew I wouldn't want to stay at this campground ever again. Staff were rude and intimidating. We were "title threatened" by the volunteer of the campground who used his position as a volunteer to intimidate and dominate campers: "I'm serious, I am the volunteer at this campground!" who stalked our site and kids to "make sure" rules were being followed, he even made my 4 year-old cry. We received warning slips for our truck not being on paved roads, which were on paved roads except 1 tire which was maybe an inch off the pavement but in gravel with no vegetation around. There is NO playground for kids. You HAVE TO PAY to Shower, which according to the staff "2 to 3 minutes of water per dollar" (they don't even know how much time you get, and apparently the time varies). When our family stayed, it was determination to get away from the campground that had us adventure, not an itinerary. I will say the sites were nice, and not on top of each other. However, I will never return to this campground again, and strongly suggest others to review other campgrounds before hand. Also, the mosquito count is insane (and we are frequent campers) and I don't think bears even exist in the area anymore. read more

I have been coming to this campground with my family for as long as I can remember. Now that I'm almost 25 years old, I still recommended this place to everyone who ever asks me about camping. No place ever compares to camping here. I love that there is so much privacy in between camp sites and it's quiet. Almost like you're alone out in the woods but without actually being alone. They have flush bathrooms and they are clean for the most part. The loops are paved and I love riding my bike through the camp grounds. Everyone is so friendly up there. The stars are so bright and beautiful to see at night time. They have shows in the Amphitheater on certain days too. They have a canoe and small store just down the road from the entrance and I've been canoeing many times on the river. It was very fun, even though I'm terrified of drowning lol. There's a beach down at the other end of the road where it starts with the river and ends up into lake Michigan. Such a gorgeous view. I just had a daughter recently and I can't wait for her to get old enough so that I can show her this place. Also, this place is very close to other fun cities such as Traverse City, Leelanau, Suttons Bay, Glen Arbor. There's the sand dunes and a scenic routes up in the hills not too far as well. Great place to travel to for adventures. read more

Can't say enough about this. Awesome time swimming where the river hits the lake. Kids wouldn't stop playing even though it was cool and breezy. Campground is well organized and clean. Bathrooms are easy to get to. Lots of rangers and staff. Felt very safe. Will go back! read more

Me and my group of 21 year old friends love it here! We came here the last two summers and plan to come back again this summer! Both times we ended up with the handicap group campsite because it ws the only site available. No complaints here! Nice paved sidewalks and right by the bathrooms. The group site has 5 or 6 flat areas to pitch your tent. Big firepit, bear box for food, nicely wooded, beautiful stars, and just perfect! We always do the kayaking at the platte river and its about $36 for unlimited time. We have a blast. There's also a secluded beach nearby where you can have a fire on the beach and stay there all night. The lady at the front desk of the campground told us about it and said thats where they send the loud rambuncious kids (like us). We stay there from sunset until about 2 am.. and we can be as loud as we want. We have no idea what the name of the beach is, and we've only seen a select few groups of people there.. its usually just us (which is awesome!) Its a pretttttty far walk from the campsite, however we always walk instead of drinking and driving. read more

If I could I would have given it NO stars! Worst campground ever made reservations got to the campground and it was nothing like the webpage said it was going to be. There were bears and no lighting to the bathrooms. The ladies in the office were rude and condescending! Completely ruined our vacation with out a refund even though we only drove back to the site and found how bad it was. read more