Fun Camping at Wilderness State Park
Andrew Norton
Features:
- 6 Rustic cabins with 4-8 bunks
- 3 Rustic bunkhouses with 24 bunks, available for families or groups
- 250 sites
- Average Nightly Rate - $27 (in season)
The majority of the sites are the perfect size for tent camping or pop-ups and mid-size campers. There are only a handful of sites large enough to accommodate the large RVs and none of the lakeside sites offer space for these.
The 8,000-acre Wilderness State Park is open all year and offers park visitors a variety of activities. Winter activities include twelve miles of cross country ski trails and places to snowmobile. Summer activities include sixteen miles of hiking and mountain biking trails in the park. Picnic areas are available along the 26 miles of beautiful shoreline and provide great places to observe nature and catch a glimpse of a Great Lakes Freighter making its way through the Straits of Mackinac.
The campground area of Wilderness State Park is divided into three areas. The East Lakeshore, West Lakeshore, and The Pines. The Pines campground is on the south side of Wilderness Park Drive within walking distance of the shore. Each of these three areas has their own playground and modern restroom and shower facilities.
A summer 2002 visit to site 64 in the East Lakeshore campground was quite pleasant. Site 64 is within a stones throw of the water allowing for great views of sunsets and moonlight upon Lake Michigan. The site was also far enough away from the restrooms to avoid the noise and extra traffic near those facilities, but not too far of a walk to make it inconvenient.
Many Pine trees surround all of the sites, which are small, but roomy enough to not feel closed in by your neighbors. The sunsets into the water were picture perfect and the waves crashing on the sandy beach made a pleasant lullaby for sleeping.
If you go:
Take Wilderness Park Drive 11 miles west of Mackinaw City. If you need extra food or other camping supplies don't stop for them in Mackinaw City. Stop in at the B&L Campstore for ice, groceries, souvenirs, or camping supplies. It might not look like much on the outside, but their prices are much lower than you can find in town and their unique items for sale inside make the stop worthwhile.
Make your reservation today at www.midnrreservations.com.