Places to camp in and near Traverse City range from full-service RV parks close to town to rustic state forest campgrounds and developed campsites near Sleeping Bear Dunes. Your best fit depends on whether you need hookups, want easy access to Traverse City, or prefer a quieter campground with fewer amenities.
One major change for 2026 is worth knowing before you plan: the modern campground at Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park is closed for the entire season. Michigan DNR currently lists April 1, 2027, as the scheduled reopening date, so campers will need to consider nearby private campgrounds, state forest sites, and other Traverse City-area options this year.
TL;DR
- Best for full-hookup RV camping: Holiday Park Campground is a strong choice near Traverse City, with full hookups, pull-through sites, and Campendium reviews reporting rigs up to 45 feet. Traverse City KOA Holiday also offers full hookups and is worth considering for families and larger RVs.
- Best for tents or rustic camping: Scheck’s Place and Lake Ann State Forest Campground offer a more basic camping experience with tent sites, no advance reservations, and access to fishing and other outdoor recreation.
- Important for 2026: Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park’s modern campground is closed through the entire 2026 season and is scheduled to reopen April 1, 2027. Compare nearby alternatives before planning your stay.
Traverse City Campgrounds at a Glance
Camping near Traverse City covers several very different experiences. You can stay at an RV park with full hookups, choose a campground with family amenities, or trade utilities for a quieter state forest site. Sleeping Bear Dunes also has developed camping within driving distance if the national lakeshore is the focus of your trip.
| Campground | Drive from Traverse City | Best for | Hookups | Setting | Reservations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday RV Park & Campground | About 10 to 15 min | Full-hookup RV camping | Full hookups at every site | Silver Lake | Yes |
| Timber Ridge RV & Recreation Resort | About 8 min | Staying close to downtown | Full-hookup sites available | Wooded resort near Pere Marquette State Forest | Yes |
| Traverse City KOA Holiday | About 15 min | Families and larger RVs | Full-hookup sites available | Wooded campground south of Traverse City | Yes |
| Leelanau Pines Campground | About 30 min | Lake Leelanau and family camping | Full-hookup sites available | Lakefront | Yes |
| Arbutus Lake State Forest Campground | About 20 min | Rustic camping close to town | None | Hardwood forest and lake | No advance reservations |
| Scheck’s Place State Forest Campground | About 20 min | Boardman River camping | None | Forest and river | No advance reservations |
| Platte River Campground | About 45 min | Sleeping Bear Dunes | Electric at select sites | Wooded national lakeshore campground | Yes |
Holiday Park is RV-only, with full hookups at every site, and a Campendium review from August 2026 reports space for a 45-foot Class A. Timber Ridge is about eight minutes from downtown and accommodates RVs and tents, though Campendium reviews show more mixed experiences than some of the other developed options.
For rustic camping, Michigan DNR lists Arbutus Lake as about 20 minutes from downtown, with sites divided between tent-only spaces and sites suited to small-to-medium trailers. Scheck’s Place has 30 rustic sites along the Boardman River and does not accept advance reservations.
Platte River sits farther west in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and offers a mix of electric, non-electric, and walk-in tent sites. Reservations are required from May 1 through October 31.
Best Places to Camp Near Traverse City
The best campground depends largely on how close you want to stay to Traverse City and how many amenities you need. Full-service RV parks offer hookups and family facilities, while nearby state forest campgrounds provide a more basic lake or river setting.
Holiday RV Park & Campground
Best for: Full-hookup RV camping
Holiday RV Park & Campground sits on Silver Lake, roughly 10 to 15 minutes from downtown Traverse City. The park focuses on RV camping and does not offer tent-only sites. All 219 RV sites have full hookups with 30- and 50-amp power, and its Ridge pull-through sites can accommodate a 45-foot rig with a towed vehicle.
Families have access to swimming, playgrounds, and lake recreation, while pet owners can use a five-acre fenced dog run. A 2026 Campendium reviewer reported plenty of room for a 45-foot Class A, making Holiday a good fit when hookups and rig space are high on your list.
Timber Ridge Resort
Best for: Staying close to Traverse City
Timber Ridge Resort is about eight minutes from downtown and accommodates RVs, tents, and cabin guests. The property describes itself as an all-season resort, with recreation facilities and activities that give it more of a resort feel than a basic campground.
Our latest listing shows full-hookup sites and space for larger rigs, although its listing currently shows an April through November camping season, so confirm dates directly for colder-weather stays. Timber Ridge works well for campers who want campground amenities without a long drive into Traverse City.
Traverse City KOA Holiday
Best for: Family amenities and larger RVs
Despite the name, Traverse City KOA Holiday is in Buckley, about 15 miles south of Traverse City. It offers RV sites, tent camping, and cabins, including pull-through RV sites with full hookups and 50-amp service.
KOA publishes a campground-level maximum length of 90 feet, though individual site dimensions still need to be checked before booking. A pool, playground, jumping pad, mini golf, and dog park make it particularly useful for family trips. The main tradeoff is the extra drive when most of your plans are in downtown Traverse City.
Leelanau Pines Campground
Best for: Lake Leelanau and family camping
Leelanau Pines Campground is in Cedar, about half an hour from Traverse City, with direct access to Lake Leelanau. Campers can choose RV sites with water and electric hookups as well as cabins and glamping accommodations.
On-site recreation includes swimming, a boat launch, nature trails, playgrounds, and other family activities. Choose Leelanau Pines when time at the lake is a bigger part of the trip than frequent drives into downtown Traverse City.
Arbutus Lake State Forest Campground
Best for: As a rustic option close to Traverse City
About 20 minutes southeast of downtown, Arbutus Lake State Forest Campground has 24 rustic campsites along Arbutus Lake. Michigan DNR lists 12 sites for small-to-medium trailers and 11 tent-only sites with stair access.
There is no electricity, and facilities are limited to basics such as vault toilets and hand-pumped potable water. Sites are first-come, first-served with no advance reservations. Arbutus Lake makes sense for campers who want lake access and a quieter, lower-service stay without getting too far from Traverse City.
Scheck’s Place State Forest Campground
Best for: Boardman River camping
Scheck’s Place has 30 rustic sites along the Boardman River for tents and small-to-medium trailers. There are vault toilets and hand-pumped potable water but no electricity, and sites do not take advance reservations.
The river provides direct access for paddling and fishing. We currently have only two reviews for it, so the access reports are limited, but one camper noted that the dirt road was in good condition during a June 2023 visit and that some sites could fit an RV. The same review reported spotty cell service, another reason to check recent reports before arriving.
Platte River Campground
Best for: Camping near Sleeping Bear Dunes
Platte River Campground sits inside Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, roughly a 45-minute drive from Traverse City. The campground has electric and non-electric sites, plus walk-in tent sites, potable water, hot showers, and a dump station that NPS lists as seasonal.
Reservations are required from May 1 through October 31, and generator use is prohibited throughout the campground. Platte River is the stronger choice when Sleeping Bear Dunes is central to the trip and the longer drive back to Traverse City is an acceptable tradeoff.
RV Camping Near Traverse City
RV camping near Traverse City ranges from full-hookup resorts to rustic public campgrounds with no site utilities. Beyond checking whether a campground accepts RVs, compare the exact hookup setup, site dimensions, access, dump facilities, and recent camper reports before reserving a site. Campendium lets you filter nearby campgrounds by hookups, RV length, dump stations, and reported carrier coverage.
RV hookups
Holiday Park, Timber Ridge, and Traverse City KOA all list full-hookup RV sites with electric, water, and sewer service. Platte River is different: 96 of its 179 campsites have electrical hookups, while potable water and a seasonal dump station are shared campground facilities. Nearby Michigan state forest campgrounds are more basic and do not provide electrical hookups.
RV length and site fit
A campground-wide maximum RV length does not guarantee that every campsite will work for your rig. Traverse City KOA, for example, lists several individual site types with their own dimensions even though Campendium gives the campground a broader maximum length.
Recent Campendium reviews also show why site-level information matters: a 45-foot Class A camper reported enough room at Holiday Park in August 2026, while a 37-foot fifth-wheel camper at KOA described a long pull-through site but relatively narrow campground roads.
Before reserving, confirm:
- Site length: Include your RV and any tow or towed vehicle that needs to fit.
- Back-in or pull-through: A long site may still require maneuvering that is difficult for your setup.
- Slideout clearance: Trees, neighboring sites, and utilities can reduce usable width.
- Turning room: Check internal campground roads as well as the campsite itself.
- Approach roads: Review recent access reports, especially before taking a larger motorhome or trailer onto an unfamiliar road.
Dump stations and water
Tank planning matters more once you move away from full-hookup sites. Campendium lists dump stations at Holiday Park and Traverse City KOA, while the National Park Service provides a seasonal dump station and potable water at the entrance to Platte River Campground. Water spigots are also located throughout the Platte River.
Michigan’s rustic state forest campgrounds take a different approach. DNR campgrounds such as Arbutus Lake provide potable water from a hand-pump well but no electrical service. RVers choosing these sites should plan around their fresh and waste tank capacity and locate a suitable dump station before or after the stay.
Cell coverage
Campendium’s carrier reports are useful for comparing campgrounds, but check when the latest report was submitted. Holiday Park has reports from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile campers, although its latest carrier-specific entries date from 2022 and 2023. Traverse City KOA’s latest Campendium Verizon and AT&T reports are from 2023.
Platte River has the stronger recent reporting history of these options, with 15 Campendium users reporting Verizon service and the latest report submitted in August 2024. The National Park Service also lists cell reception at the campground. Signal can still vary by campsite, carrier, device, and tree cover, so use these reports as a planning cue rather than a promise.
What recent RV campers say
Campendium reviews add details that campground amenity lists often miss. Across the Traverse City-area options, a few patterns are worth checking before you choose a site:
- Site size and leveling: A 2026 Holiday Park reviewer with a 45-foot Class A reported a flat gravel pad with room for the RV and vehicle. Timber Ridge reviews are more mixed, with campers reporting sandy or uneven sites that required extra attention when leveling.
- Road access: A KOA reviewer towing a 37-foot fifth wheel described the internal roads as fairly narrow but manageable. At Arbutus Lake, one RVer walked the campground before driving in because many sites were better suited to tents.
- Noise and shade: Experiences can change by section. KOA reviews mention more activity near the pool, office, and bathhouse, while shaded and more open sites are both available. Holiday Park reviewers also note differences in privacy and shade between sections.
- Cell signal: Campendium reports usable service at several developed campgrounds, but many carrier reports are a few seasons old. Check the date of the latest report before planning a workday around it.
- Proximity to town: Holiday Park and Timber Ridge keep campers relatively close to Traverse City, while KOA is 15 miles south and Platte River is better positioned for Sleeping Bear Dunes. The right choice depends on which area you expect to visit most during the stay.
What to Know Before Booking a Traverse City Campground
Booking rules are not the same across the Traverse City area. Private RV parks, National Park Service campgrounds, and Michigan state forest campgrounds use different reservation systems, operating seasons, and entry requirements, so check the specific campground before building your trip around it.
- 2026 Traverse City State Park closure: Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park’s modern campground is closed for the entire 2026 season. Michigan DNR lists April 1, 2027, as the scheduled reopening date. The park’s day-use area remains available during construction.
- Reservations versus first-come-first-served: Private campgrounds and RV resorts generally take advance reservations, while Platte River Campground requires reservations from May 1 through October 31 and allows same-day reservations through Recreation.gov. Most Michigan state forest campgrounds operate first-come, first-served, with registration instructions posted at the campground.
- Summer demand: Availability can look very different depending on the campground type. Reservable RV parks and developed campgrounds may have limited openings for your dates, while rustic state forest sites cannot usually be secured weeks ahead because most are first-come-first-served.
- Recreation Passport: A Michigan Recreation Passport is required for motorized vehicle entry into state parks, recreation areas, and state forest campgrounds. It is separate from your camping fee, so paying for a campsite does not replace the vehicle-entry requirement.
- Seasonal operations: There is no single camping season for the Traverse City area. Some state forest campgrounds operate year-round, while others close seasonally, and winter roads may not be plowed. Platte River Campground also remains open year-round, but its reservation process and available sites change outside the May through October main season.
How to Choose Where to Camp Near Traverse City
Start with the parts of the trip that are least flexible, such as your RV setup, hookup needs, and how often you plan to drive into Traverse City. From there, compare campground type, access, availability, and recent camper reports before choosing a site.
- Decide how close you need to be to downtown. Holiday Park and Timber Ridge keep you closer to Traverse City, while Platte River makes more sense when Sleeping Bear Dunes is a bigger part of the trip.
- Choose developed or rustic camping. Private RV parks offer more services and amenities. State forest campgrounds trade hookups and resort facilities for a simpler camping experience.
- Filter by camping type and hookups. Confirm that the campground accepts your RV or tent, then check whether you need full hookups, electricity only, or no utilities.
- Check your rig and access details. Review site length, pull-through or back-in configuration, turning room, road conditions, and recent notes from campers with similar rigs.
- Confirm current status and reservations. Check closures, operating dates, and whether the campground takes reservations or uses first-come, first-served registration.
- Compare recent reviews and cell reports. Look for current information about site conditions, noise, shade, road access, leveling, and reported carrier service.
- Save a backup campground. A second option gives you somewhere to go if your first choice is full, closed, or does not work for your setup.
Compare Traverse City campgrounds on Campendium to browse nearby options on the map, check reviews and photos, and narrow the results based on the way you camp.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on how you camp. Holiday RV Park is a strong choice for full-hookup RV camping, Timber Ridge keeps you close to downtown, Arbutus Lake and Lake Ann suit rustic campers, and Platte River works well when Sleeping Bear Dunes is the focus of your trip.
Michigan DNR allows free dispersed camping on qualifying state forest land. Campsites must generally be more than one mile from a state forest campground, outside prohibited areas, and not on land posted “No Camping.” Campers must also display a backpacking registration card at the site.
For more planning basics, see Campendium’s guide to dispersed camping and boondocking.
Holiday RV Park offers water, sewer, and electric hookups at every campsite. Traverse City KOA also offers several full-hookup RV site types with 30- or 50-amp service. Timber Ridge advertises full-hookup seasonal RV sites as well, but confirm the utilities included with your specific nightly site before booking.
Among the open campgrounds featured in this guide, Timber Ridge Resort is one of the closest, with the property listing itself about eight minutes from downtown Traverse City. Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park is only about two miles from downtown, but its campground is closed throughout 2026.
It depends on where you stay. Private RV parks generally accept reservations, and Platte River uses advance reservations during its main season. Most Michigan state forest campgrounds are first-come, first-served and do not accept advance reservations, although campers may need to complete same-day registration online or by phone.
Find Your Traverse City Campsite With Campendium
Traverse City camping includes full-hookup RV parks near town, lakefront stays, rustic state forest campgrounds, and options closer to Sleeping Bear Dunes. Compare Traverse City-area campgrounds on Campendium to check recent camper reviews, photos, RV amenities, cell coverage, access notes, and nearby options on the map before choosing where to stay.
