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Camping at state parks
General rules for camping at state parks and recreation areas
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- Check-in starts at 3 p.m.
- Checkout is by 1 p.m.
After-hours assistance:
If the campground office is closed when you arrive, please use the yellow phone located at the campground office. You'll be automatically connected to our call center during the following hours:- Monday -Thursday; 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Fridays; 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Saturdays and Sundays; 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
If you arrive after the call center has closed, please refer to the office window for site availability and self-registration instructions.
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- Check-in starts at 4 p.m.
- Checkout is by noon.
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Quiet hours are between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Please keep noise to a minimum, including radios, generators or other amplified devices. All activities must be quiet enough that they do not disturb neighbors or neighboring sites.
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To register for a campsite, you must be 18 years or older. Additionally, an adult (18 or older) must occupy the campsite each night of the reservation.
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To give everyone a chance to enjoy the park during peak season (May 15–Sept. 15), the maximum stay is 15 nights. Once you hit that limit, you'll need to take a 5-night break before returning to the same park.
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Campsites are for overnight stays. If a campsite is left empty for more than 24 hours, it’s considered abandoned.
Automatic cancellation policy enforcement:
Check in for your campsite reservation no later than 3 p.m. one day after your scheduled arrival date to avoid being automatically cancelled. If you need to arrive later, you must adjust your arrival date by calling 1-800-44 (PARKS) or visiting MiDNRReservations.com. If you don't check in or update your arrival date, our system will automatically cancel your reservation and you’ll incur the loss of two nights' fees, the non-refundable reservation fee, $10 cancellation fee and the reduced-stay fee. Staff are unable to override this process. -
For liability reasons, the DNR cannot accept mail or personal deliveries (ie. Amazon packages containing food or camping gear) on behalf of campers. Instead, we recommend having your items shipped to a local post office or a designated package shipping outlet.
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Pets are welcome in all campsites and some overnight lodging locations. However, to protect local ecosystems and visitor safety, they are restricted from park buildings, toilet and shower buildings, designated swim beaches, endangered species habitats and other posted areas. Service animals are exempt from building restrictions.
All pets must remain under immediate control at all times and on a leash not more than 6 foot in length. Animals cannot be left unattended anywhere in the park, including inside vehicles, campers or at campsites.
To ensure a pleasant experience for everyone, camp permits may be revoked or guests required to remove pets that bark excessively or cause a nuisance.
Guests should remove any fecal material resulting from a dog or other animal and dispose of it properly.
Leash laws do not apply on state park lands if the dog is being used for hunting, field trials or while being trained for hunting purposes on land open to such use.
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- No more than six people allowed per campsite.
- No more than two standard cars, vans, pickups or street legal side-by-side ORVs; no more than four motorcycles, mopeds and 2- or 4-wheeled ORVs (dirt bikes and 4-wheelers); no more than one standard car, van or pickup, and two motorcycles, mopeds or 2- or 4-wheeled ORVs.
- One primary camping unit (ie. truck camper, trailer, RV, etc.) may be allowed per campsite. If you’d like to pitch tents alongside it, just make sure equipment stays within your site's boundary and you don't exceed six people.
- Tent-only campsites are limited to the number of tents that can fit within the site, which means as many tents as necessary to accommodate a single camping party are permitted within site boundaries.
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Campfires are permitted in designated fire rings (only) and must never be left unattended. Do not burn garbage.
Don't move firewood. Invasive insects and diseases have destroyed MILLIONS OF TREES in Michigan – often after hitching a ride on firewood. Hauling firewood, even a short distance, from one part of the state to another is a common way for these invasive species to infest new locations. Please purchase local or certified heat-treated firewood sold in state parks, local stores and roadside stands. -
While you're welcome to bring your own camper unit or RV into campgrounds, please note that only permitted vendors are able to transport camper unit or RV rentals in and out of state parks.
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Visitor hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Please remember that only two vehicles are allowed on each campsite.
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The use of fuel-powered generators is not allowed during established quiet hours (10 p.m. to 8 a.m.).
The use of electric and solar-powered generators are allowed for help with medical and other needs.
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To help reduce impacts to park infrastructure and protect natural resources, non-registered campers are required to pay a $10 fee and have a Recreation Passport to utilize sanitation or dump stations except for locations where infrastructure can't withstand additional use.
Locations that do not allow non-registered campers to utilize sanitation/dump stations include Baraga, Burt Lake, Cheboygan, Fort Custer, Hoeft, North Higgins Lake, Port Crescent, Rifle River and Twin Lakes state park/recreation areas.
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A $5 per person per use charge applies to non-campers for the use of the showers.
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If you're using state lands for commercial operations an agreement with the DNR is required.
Commercial operations are defined as "any activity that involves, directly or indirectly, the buying or selling of goods or services, or the exchange or attempt to offer to exchange goods or services for money, barter or for anything of value.
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Discharge of firearms, air guns, slingshots or arrows aren't permitted in campground boundaries.
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If you are arriving by foot, bicycle or nonmotorized watercraft, we'll always find space for you. Even when the campground is at full capacity, we reserve sites for self-supported "Leave No Trace" campers. A safe designated area will be assigned upon arrival; please note that amenities may vary. The following requirements apply:
- Camping permits for locations other than designated campsites will be written for one night only.
- If assigned space other than a designated campsite, campers must leave by 10 a.m. the following morning or register for a designated campsite.
- Camping fees are determined by amenities available with up to six people per camp allowed.
- Campfires are prohibited unless a designated fire ring is available in the designated camp area.