Traverse City State Park Campground

We were camping in mid-October. It was chilly out and raining, but the bathrooms there were still nice! It has a good location in Traverse City, but unfortunately the park isn’t connected to the bay. There is a walk over bridge, so you don’t have to cross the road! But the park is right next to a busy road and near an airport, so it was a little noisy. Inside the camper it wasn’t too noisy from cars though. If a person is looking to be in Traverse City to camp just be near the city then this would be a great place to be, but if you’re looking for quiet, nature, and easy access to swimming then it’s not my #1 choice.

Absolutely loved this campground in terms of location to do things around Traverse City. Was easy to get into town. Loved how well maintained the facilities are. As a tent camper, it’s nice to have well maintained showers to feel fresh after.

WARNING ⚠️ If you’re looking for a quieter campground this might not be for you. It’s close to airport and 4 lane road. There are cars passing by frequently, but less in the evening.

Campground is basically right in town. Lots of road and airport noise. Beach is on the other side of the highway from park. Sites are not secluded but good hammock trees abound. Nice showers. Convenient jumping off point to explore NW Michigan.

Campground is next to a 4 lane highway and very close to a airport the noise was horrible. The beach was across the street from the campground but was really nice. The bathrooms were kept clean but very busy. We were fine with most of it including the lack of any privacy at all but we were packing up to go and I noticed odd bugs crawling all over the tent and surrounding area when we dropped the poles. They were wood cockroaches and boy did we go through a lot to make sure we didn't bring any home for that reason alone we will not be staying there again.

The campground is very busy and the sites are close together. We rented bikes and got to Downtown Traverse City where all the restaurants are. The best way to get there by bike is to take the TART Trail. You can get the access gat on the backside of the park between sites #46 and #47.

Located on busy US-31, but with pedestrian bridge over 4 lanes to beach. TART (Traverse Area Recreation Trail) access from campground. Easy biking to Traverse City or Acme. Difficult campground exit due to traffic. Get a site in the interior or back, away from US-31, to avoid traffic noise. I had electric-only site... I believe all sites are electric only. Some bathhouse are new and modern, others are older. I enjoyed biking trail and close proximity to Traverse City.

There’s a LOT of sites at this campground, but most are nicely spaced and there’s lots of pine trees. The ones on the south part of the loops seem more secluded, while the ones near the road would be pretty noisy. There’s a pedestrian bridge over the busy street to the beach. The shower/bathroom buildings are impressive. The one in the first camping area looks brand new and is huge.

The park and facilities were very clean

We stayed here on our first night of our 10 day expedition, and it really is a beautiful campground. If you’re looking to get away from people and actually be in some wilderness, this is not the campground for you. But it is a great place to camp if you’re looking for a pitstop to camp while traveling further north, and it would be an awesome campground to have a birthday party or family reunion, group event or something like that. It would be ideal for that sort of thing. We really enjoyed our stay there, and I would go back again. The campground is also right within walking distance to the water and beaches of Traverse Bay, and you’re within striking distance of as much shopping as you could handle in Traverse City, one of the most beautiful cities in America.

Spent my first three nights in site 74 before moving to 421 for my last night.

Great cell service allowed me to do work right from my site and I loved walking over to the beach for morning and evening swims.

Also biked east to enjoy dinner at one of the nearby brewpubs and west to get groceries one day.

The state park also has a secondary parking area on the beachfront that is great for launching kayaks and/or paddleboards

Bathrooms were clean, sites were average size for Michigan state parks. Close to the bike trail, though a little noisy from the nearby airport and roads.

The campground is located just 3 miles from downtown Traverse City but feels remote. The sites are large, shaded by tall trees. East Bay beach is beautiful and you can swim or rent kayaks and stand up paddle boards right on the beach. The TART bike path on the opposite side of the campground is very convenient and great for getting around.

For a campground wedged between a highway and railroad tracks, amazingly quiet (though there are small planes in the daytime). It’s crowded, make no mistake, but the sites are very large, and the tall pines dominate everything, so no baking in the sun. You can walk out the back to the nearby Bayside Market for your camp bacon and other needs. A pedestrian bridge to the beach means never waiting for traffic.

A very busy and crowded park with lots of road noise. That said, the beach is great and it’s close to all the area has to offer. Bathrooms were clean and well maintained, even on a busy July weekend. Not the place to go if you want peace and quiet, but it worked well as our basecamp for visiting TC, Leelanau, and Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Had a great time using this app

Not one of our favorites.  This is an "urban" campground, in that it's on a VERY busy and noisy road close to Traverse City and all the tourist attractions.  The sites are packed in tightly and have no solitude.  It's also under the flight pattern of the airport, so often has airplane traffic too.  It's a good campground if you want a cheap home base for exploring Traverse City and northern Michigan.  It's well situated to drive to many natural and tourist locations.  They have a very fun Halloween celebration each fall, which is worth the less desirable points of the park.

This state park has a lot of sites.  It is very wooded and some of the sites can be difficult to get into. There is beach access with a pedestrian bridge going across US31 to get between the campground and the beach. There is also a paved bike path that gets you to a lot of local restaurants and other activities. It is a short drive to downtown Traverse City and Old Mission Peninsula. Leelanau Peninsula and Sleeping Bear Dunes are about a 30-40 minute drive. This is a noisy campground due to the traffic on US 31 and its proximity to the airport.

Nice campground. The bathrooms were well kept and showers were clean, although we had a hard time keeping hot water. Location is great for visiting downtown TC or the wineries and distilleries.

Stayed: 8/14-8/16/20 - $33/night

Site: 130

Huge sites, but very close to neighbors, so no privacy. They are in the process of updating all bathrooms and showers, so that will be nice. The “old” ones aren’t terrible, but only two showers for each section. Never had an issue however, even on a sold out weekend.

Wood ($5) and ice ($2) available on-site until 10pm. That was great!

If it wasn’t for the construction, would have been miserable turning left towards downtown. Beach access across a pedestrian bridge.

#DareToEverywhere

Nice park right in town. Can be noisy with the traffic but the rail trail stretches most of town and provides great bike riding. The beach is right accross the road!

While I typically prefer more rustic camping, this was a fantastic and easy way to enjoy Traverse City. The campground was very family oriented and offered plenty of amenities - power outlets, bathrooms (including showers). The camp sites were large and spacious (we fit 3 tents on one) with a picnic table and fire pit. While we didn't have time, the campground is located directly across the street from Lake Michigan. There is a pedestrian bridge for easy crossing. 

I'd highly suggesting bringing your bicycles. There is a paved path right from the campground into downtown TC (about 20-30 min ride). You avoid parking and have access to the fantastic food and breweries in town. 

If you're looking to for more of a more rustic, nature-oriented camping experience this may not be the best option for you. You could hears the cars from the road and the airplanes started flying overhead at 7am sharp.

This campground is in a great location close to everything. Can access the TART trail at the back of the campground. Easy ride in to town. Close to everything you would ever want to do. We stayed at site 62. Our shower house was newer with more showers and always clean. Close to road, but didn’t bother us. Not a campground if looking for peace and quiet. Sites close together. We will definitely stay here again just because of the location and ability to get everywhere!

Small sites that are grouped pretty close to each other, but really you can’t beat the location. 2 minute walk across the overpass to the state park beach, easy walk to downtown and shops. Fantastic place.

Best part is parking so close to your own site. Parking can be hard to come by this close to downtown. Great place for a family and making memories.

We love Traverse City and being able to camp somewhat near downtown. One of our favorite things is being connected to the bike paths so we can bike to downtown area while staying on bike trails!Campground is busy and small sites but our favorite place to camp is along the back fence with great hammock trees and the fire pit behind our trailer. It makes it feel like your not in a big busy packed campground. The bath houses on the end we like are very dated and are usually clean but still show their age! The other end had nicer newer shower/bath houses. You do need to walk across a bridge to get to the bay but not a long walk.

The Traverse City area has a lot to do!

Not your "camping" quiet being off the main drag into TC. (And always busy) However, it's in the heart of TC right by the bay beach and bike trail. Great camp ground if you want to be convenient on TC.

Great place to camp in traverse! I prefer state parks to private campgrounds, and I don’t mind the crowds, but it is a very busy place to camp in the the summer. Basic state park facilities, with a fire ring and picnic table combo at every site, as well as electric. There are three loops with a bathhouse centrally located in each loop. There are lots of places to go see in the traverse area like sleeping bear sand dunes, mission point, and of course getting some cherries! It’s a well maintained campground with nice facilities 😌 will be back!

This campground is really busy but its definitely worth it to be in Traverse City! It is right across from the bay so its easy to go swimming. It is also close to all of the wineries which was awesome.

The campground itself is great. Big roomy sites. Walkway to the beach. Some updated restrooms. Not busy when we stayed. However, it is close to the major artery going into/out of the City. The closer you are to the highway, the louder the noise. Since the park is long and narrow going with the highway, you can hear the traffic from everywhere.

When we stayed (September) the rangers were only on property 2 hours a day. That made our check in a nightmare. We could talk with a reservation system through a phone mounted near the ranger station. However, to pick a site, we had to compare sites we wanted with a listing of reserved sites. The listing of reservations was a piece of paper with the sites and days they were reserved. The listing was confusing and it took us several trips through the park to find a site we liked that was not on the list.

Pros: Tons of great sites Across the street from a beautiful beach Close to wineries, breweries and a fun downtown Clean showers and rest rooms

Cons: Summer is packed and some sites are very close Road noise from the highway

Near an airport and can be loud at times but the flights stop, overnight. The lot spaces are small, always packed, super sandy and be careful to note if unleveled when you visit with an RV. Any smaller truck with stock tires would not have been able to get out. The campground is a short walk to the beach, and just off the Tart Trail. come to camp but bring a bike. it’s the most popular mode of transport. tiny showers, plenty of water stations, but narrow roads into the grounds.