LANSING — A latest parks survey amongst Ingham County residents reveals individuals need to camp — however near residence.
County officers listened, and the primary county campsite may open by spring of 2025, mentioned Tim Morgan, the director of the county’s parks division.
Officers are planning cabins at a county park as a step into campsites, utilizing a state grant to pay for the enhancements.
However within the meantime, listed here are 10 locations to camp inside an affordable drive of Lansing.
Most campgrounds are inside a 30-minute to 60-minute drive from downtown Lansing, so individuals can squeeze in an journey with out the lengthy commute.
This is a have a look at the place you may cling your hammock close by:
Sleepy Hole State Park, 7835 E. Worth Street, Victor Township, Clinton County
The greater than 2,600-acre state park has seashores for individuals and canine, trails for strolling and horseback using, and all kinds of tenting actions, together with alongside the shore of Lake Ovid.
Reservations are nonetheless out there for the summer time, though plan on checking forward and reserving a campsite. The state park has websites for tents and RVs. The park gives 181 trendy campsites, together with one trendy cabin and one rustic cabin.
Required for state parks, Michigan residents should buy a $12 Recreation Passport by means of the Secretary of State when renewing license tabs. There’s an extra $5 price for purchasing on the parks. Non-residents pays $9 for a day go or $34 for the 12 months. Tenting is mostly an extra value based mostly on the positioning, the date and variety of individuals.
Go to www2.dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails for reservations and extra state park info.
Lansing Cottonwood Campgrounds, 5339 N. Aurelius Street, Lansing, Ingham County
The campground has been internet hosting individuals since Memorial Day 1972. It was a KOA campground for a few years. It has greater than 100 websites and may accommodate the biggest RVs or rustic tent websites with loads of in-between areas. There are 10 rustic and 25 primitive websites.
There are two small lakes on the positioning, three and 7 acres, that includes seashores in addition to leases of kayaks and paddle boats.
Ionia State Recreation Space Campground, 2880 W. David Freeway, Ionia, Ionia County
The 4,500-acre recreation space’s campground is open year-round and may accommodate RVs. There are 166 websites with varied facilities. It has 4 miles of frontage on the Grand River and a lake. Wildlife lovers can see among the 199 sorts of birds recognized by the Nationwide Audubon Society.
Reservations may be made at https://midnrreservations.com/.
Walnut Hills Household Campground and RV Park,7685 Lehring Street, Burns Township, Shiawassee County
The campground has RV websites, tenting cabins, and tent websites. It additionally has inflatable water park options, kayaking, canoeing, tubing, a seaside alongside the Shiawassee River, an arcade, sports activities fields and fishing.
The location can accommodate RVs and has cabin leases.
Fort Custer Recreation Space, 5163 Fort Custer Drive, Augusta, Calhoun County
The campground between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo gives trendy and equestrian campsites, three lakes, the Kalamazoo River, a swimming seaside and trails.
The trendy campsite is anticipated to shut in mid-September for renovations and reopen in July 2024.
Yankee Springs Recreation Space, 2104 S. Briggs Street, Middleville, Barry County
The state park boasts greater than 5,000 acres and 9 lakes, in addition to 307 campsites and cabins. A wide range of actions can be found from horse trails and metallic detecting to mountain climbing and biking trails. Deliberate enhancements to the Gun Lake campsite, which might have closed it for the 12 months, have been delayed so the positioning is taking reservations this 12 months.
Frankenmuth Jellystone Park Camp Resort, 1339 Weiss St., Frankenmuth, Saginaw County
The camp and resort caters to RVs with some tent websites out there, together with common actions. There are 340 websites on the resort. The campground additionally features a pool, spa and minigolf course.
Eaton County Fairgrounds, 1025 S. Cochran Ave., Charlotte, Eaton County
The fairgrounds can deal with RVs and tenting, with RV hookups and showers out there.
Potter Park Zoo, 1301 Pennsylvania Drive, Lansing, Ingham County
The zoo gives group tenting occasions this summer time on July 14 and Aug. 12. To register, go to right here. The zoo can also accommodate giant teams of 18 or extra with advance reservations.
A bit longer drive
Michigan is residence to a number of nationwide parks. Most of them are greater than an hour and a half drive from the Lansing space, together with one of many state’s hottest websites, Sleeping Bear Dunes Nationwide Lakeshore, and the least-visited nationwide park within the continental U.S.: Isle Royale Nationwide Park, which encompasses a Lake Superior island.
There are three nationwide parks inside a two-hour drive from Lansing, however the MotorCities Nationwide Heritage Space in Detroit and River Raisin Nationwide Battlefield Park in Monroe do not provide tenting.
The North Nation Nationwide Scenic Path is an effective possibility for seasoned hikers. The path spans eight states, with Michigan having the longest portion: 1,500 miles. The path crosses a lot of the state, together with a west-east path throughout the Higher Peninsula connecting to Wisconsin, the 5 miles of Mackinac Bridge and 600 miles of path alongside the western aspect of the state after which to Ohio.
A trailhead is in Newaygo, about an hour and 45 minutes from downtown Lansing. Tenting is obtainable alongside the path. Test northcountrytrail.org for detailed steering and up-to-date path situations.
Nonetheless to return
Ingham County cabins, Burchfield Park, 881 Grovenburg Street, Holt, Ingham County — coming quickly
Of people that responded to the county parks survey, 50% mentioned they wished to see tenting at Burchfield Park.
You are not going to have the ability to e-book these this summer time or subsequent. They are not constructed, and even designed, however a cabin campsite is within the works for Burchfield Park/McNamara Touchdown. The county doesn’t at present provide tenting on the 540-acre park.
The county has $1 million in grants for the cabins, half from a Michigan Division of Pure Sources grant and half from a county match.
The cabins are anticipated to be open by spring 2025, with extra design info anticipated this fall, Morgan mentioned.
It is step one towards getting county parks tenting, he mentioned.
Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415
