Had an amazing stay! Our site was very spacious and well kept. Owners were very nice. Would…read moredefinitely recommend the spots beside the outdoor theater!

What a delightful experience. We initially were looking for a spot near Traverse City and I thought…read moreKalkaska was a bit too far out for our plans. The close in spots were all full so we decided to make the best of it. Our site was very cool, nice flat and wide with woods on two sides. It had electric and water. The Airstream fit easily into the spot with enough space to park. The park has a clean pool and clean showers and bathrooms, a nice kids play area and dump station etc. We really enjoyed being away from the hassle of the closer campgrounds and considering this Covid deal, it felt safer to have social distancing. We took daily trips to the local sites like the Great Bear Dunes, Traverse city, Elk Rapids, Charlavoux, and Camp Grayling. The bonus for us was they have 2 miles of beautiful walking trails, in a pine forest located on the South side of the property. Great spot to run the dogs before anybody else wakes up. The management folks are friendly and nice, they do a great job Thank you for a great stay!

We stopped here to break up our trip on the way home from up north. I'd love to go back! The Old…read moreGrowth Trail was lovely to walk through in the fall. There's a cute little logging museum along the way. I loved the beautiful juxtaposition of the fall leaves with the pines and hemlocks. The path is fully paved, and a nice walk for a quick stop along I75 between Ann Arbor and up north. I'd love to go back there.

Our stay was very nice and somewhat quiet. It is summer so kids are out until after 11 apparently…read morebut... we still enjoyed our stay. It was pretty hot and we assume all were using their air conditioning units which kept causing the power to go out. But, the campground was on top of it and got it back up quickly. So, a huge kudos to the campground and its staff for taking such great care of this park. As newbies here we'd go back. We liked it.

A very pleasant little State Park located on if course Ostego Lake. The view is spectacular. When…read moreyou drive in the beach is in front of you and is very nice. However what you can't see right away is there are no dogs allowed on that beach. Which we were told off by the staff. However it turns out they do have a Dog Beach. The bad news is, it is horribly labeled. Signs don't cost that much how about a little help! Anyways you follow the path North from the parking lot, starting behind the Bathrooms. You'll walk about a half mile and finally see the one sign Dog Beach with an arrow down the stairs. Once you get down the stairs you immediately see a sign that says no dogs on Beach, that's it. So you continue going North and about a quarter to a third of a mile down you'll see a dog baggy station, so I guess at that point you've arrived. Anyways the view here is also spectacular and they have benches. This us always a big plus to me and I wish all beaches had benches! The Dog loved it and thought everything smelled intriguing. Overall a 4 star review. Needs better signage, but a great place to spend some time. Would I return? Absolutely!

This park is local for me. The campgrounds are kept up very well. They have a Store for your…read moreconvenience. The lake is beautiful and they keep the sand clean. I like to sit in the wooden chairs in front of the Store and just kick back. With my license plate sticker, they just wave me on through. They had to do a lot of work after the freeze when all the branches came down so they haven't been as available while they do the cleanup. I'll always be back here.

I first came here for tent camping 9 years ago and had a good experience with friends. We decided…read morewe would come back with our kids and it was worth it! Booking was tricky. I knew they booked up for summer in January but I called in December to ask for a specific date and they didn't have an answer. Booking was over the phone, which seems outdated. We booked 3 nights and would have easily booked a 4th if anyone had told our group (3 separate families) that the fun activities like a glow parade and foam party happen on Saturday night. We'll definitely keep that in mind for the future! We were one of very, very few tent campers. There are no reduced costs for tents. All sites are gravel. We stayed at 2 locations - site #7 which had a bright streetlight on all night,, and site #122 which was darkness. A con of #122 was that the fire ring was next to the wall so you couldn't place chairs completely around it. Overall, there were so many wonderful activities that really made this place awesome for kids! The man made lake included inflatable trampoline, slide, and climbing tower, the pools had basketball hoops, there was a jump pad, pickleball courts, bike trails, Cornhole (BYOB - bring your own bags), sandpit dodgeball, a playground and scheduled activities/crafts. There are a few on-your-own-time activities like a scavenger hunt that took a decent amount of time because the campground is huge! They have coin-operated showers (10 minutes for 1.00) but all 3 times I tried, at different times of day, it was still a not-warm shower. The lodge had a decent selection of food. My kids enjoyed corn dogs and I loved the crispy chicken tenders! Ice cream is naturally delicious. Overall, great experience! Maybe their next enhancement will be mini golf...

Large campground, stayed early May for mud sweat & beers weekend. Campground was quiet. Bathhouse…read moreclean. Showers cost $.25 per so many minutes - fed the shower over a dollar and it never got warm.

We camped there with 15 other RV's to do a Club Rally. New owners Josh and Cameo have made this an…read moreenjoyable campground. Clean and manicured lawns, great little party store with fair prices, Hot showers and very clean. All our electric services worked as expected. They have Santa Claus in July for the kids and let's not forget Bigfoot's prowling around at night. Great location at 30 minutes from Traverse city, 8 minutes from a quaint city with shopping and Eateries called Alden. About 15 minutes from the small neat town of Bellaire. Bring your Golf clubs as there are numerous Golfing resorts near by. Fine dining ? No problem try the Pelican Nest or Blue Pelican. .Both within 15-20 minutes. Cajun? We'll go about 30 minutes to Pearls Louisiana restaurant In Elkhart. Got a boat then drop it in Torch lake which is again within the small town of Alden . Oh, did I mention the beautiful ocean Blue Pool as you first pull in. Easy left or right dump station on your way out. Cabins galore and tent camping too! Nice walk around camping areas , a Pavilion that is about 50 x 80 feet and has a fire place. Firewood can be delivered to your sight and a Ice cream truck has been known to roam around too or just drop in the store for goodies! We are R.V. campers and this is one of the nicest ones we have visited in Michigan , Ohio, and Indiana. We will be back and Probably this year .thank you for such an enjoyable campground!

The new owners have really turned this place around! They have slowly renovated everything! Family…read morefriendly and very accommodating. Their rules are necessary to be respectful of everyone. Great location, we are coming back every summer!

Stayed here in July with my two kids. Friendly front desk, comfy beds, nice strong AC in Cabin 9…read more I've stayed in lots of cabin places like this, in this price range, and this was by FAR the cleanest. It was small and basic but had everything we needed. Towels were actually fluffy! The pool was an excellent bonus. Seriously though, the cabin was so spotless I think they must have done updates recently. And the location was convenient to a few places to eat and an easy drive to Sleeping Bear Dunes. I don't fish but they seemed to have a nice set up and it's right on the river.

I recently spent a week at Betsie Riverside Resort, a charming escape nestled alongside a tranquil…read moreriver. The cabins and facilities are undoubtedly the highlights of this place. Each cabin is well-maintained, offering cozy interiors that perfectly complement the serene natural surroundings. The resort's attention to detail is evident, with clean and comfortable accommodations that provide a genuine sense of relaxation. The communal areas, including the indoor pool/spa, playground, and fire pits make for a perfect family getaway. However, it's worth noting a few aspects that potential visitors might want to consider. The owners are quite vigilant, with surveillance cameras placed throughout the property. While this does contribute to a sense of security, it feels intrusive, particularly if you're looking for a more laid-back and private getaway. The owners make it no secret they actively watch the cameras and will provide real-time feedback of guest's activities. The owners also have extreme cleaning requirements for checkout. If you do not meet these requirements they will send you a followup email containing details and pictures of your transgressions. For example, there is an unwritten expectation to clean the toilet before leaving even though a toilet brush is not provided. I have never encountered such expectations at other resorts, vacation rentals, or hotels. Additionally, the owners have a clear preference for individual cabin rentals. Large groups and children are discouraged, which might be a consideration if you're planning a family vacation, reunion, or a group trip. This focus on maintaining a serene environment may not suit everyone's vacation plans. However, if you're a retiree looking to go fishing or kayaking this is your place. This was our second summer at the resort and will be our last. Our family group rented 6 cabins, some traveling from out of state. Our group ranged from grandparents to young kids. We are a fairly quiet group that doesn't "party", nor do we stay up late. We did our best to stay out of other guests way and share the communal areas. The owners made us feel like a bother and unwelcome during our stay. We cleaned up after ourselves and cleaned the cabins before we left. Even still, we received emails after our stay indicating toilets were not cleaned and a couple of crumbs were left on a counter. While I can appreciate the owners' high standards for cleaning and grounds maintenance, they do not have enough staff to maintain those standards and instead push the responsibility onto their guests. Overall, Betsie Riverside Resort is a lovely destination for those seeking a peaceful retreat in well-kept surroundings. Just be mindful of the owners' preferences, expectations, and the presence of active security camera monitoring if you're looking for a more relaxed and private experience.

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.

If I could give 6 stars I would. We stopped by without a reservation. Registration is DIY...you…read morecall and a lovely young lady named Amy will answer and talk you through making payment and filling out forms. Amy was great to work with...with a great sense of humor and was very adroit at suggesting places to get ice; a.bite to eat etc. She was like the magical hotel concierge you luck out and get when all.of your travel plans are falling apart. We loved the campground. It had direct access to the Betsie River, showers and bathrooms were very well.maintaimed a clean...hot water was never a problem. There's Frisbee golf and horseshoes available..firewood was a generous amount for the money. There's 400 acres of state land to the north directly abutting the property. Mostly trailer and tent camping ( we had hammocks and were allowed to choose the spot we liked with the best trees for setup). They do have a canoe and kayak livery that currently only operates on weekends. I rarely gush over a business that doesn't bring me hot delicious food and cocktails...this is an exception to the rule. Hands down one of the best camping experiences. I have been disperse camping the last few years in order to avoid people and some of the issues that come with group camping ( loud drunk ppl...fascist property managers etc) this was about as good as family camping will ever get and the location is incredible. There's a very clean Mobil gas w a pizza place about 2 miles from the campground...and plenty of activities in all direction. Thank you so much for helping make our fishing trip camping headache free and amazing.

it's got everything you need their website was a little confusing( booking wouldn't work) but when…read morewe got there amy figured it out with us. fire wood is a little expensive that's it.