Duck Lake Campground

The campground is separated into north and south loop with lots of sites in each one. We were in the north loop which was more level and seems like longer sites. The outer loop closest to the lake has steps with views of the lake. There is a beach area with a boat ramp and camp store.

This is a great location for a day trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore or shopping in Traverse City.

Our first camping trip. We started out at 497 but it was so sloped we had a tough time leveling the camper, (we’re newbs). The staff was helpful and found us another site, 422. A lovely little site.
Tip: make sure to bring an extension cord for your electrical hookup, we needed an extension on both sites and being newbs we didn’t have one, but their awesome staff came to our rescue with one.

There are two campgrounds here, north and south with different vibes in each. The north is quite level and open while the south is hilly and has more shade and separation between sites. The north has the newest bathrooms and nicest showers but all are well kept and very clean. This stay was in mid September 2019 and is the third time we have camped here. This was Michigan’s first state park and has more campsites than any other state park in Michigan. Arrival and check in can take awhile on weekends but it was a cinch for our mid week stay. The staff was friendly, helpful and kept quite busy doing maintenance and occasional patrols. Reservations are now a must at any popular Michigan state park especially if you want a larger site or one near the lake. Biggest drawback during this stay was the fact that the beach restrooms and all restrooms in the south campground, near the hiking trails, were closed. If the urge struck while walking or at the beach it was a long walk up to the north campground. The Interlochen Academy is an easy walk from the North Campground and there is a great biking trail into the town of Interlochen.

It might just be that we are new to RV campgrounds, but we found this place to be overwhelming. We were next to the playground at the modern site which was great for our two kids, but at the same time was a little like lord of the flies. The sites were very close to each other so there was no privacy. It is located on a lake which is nice for views, but we didn't attempt to swim (swimmers itch is found here) and instead spent one day at Sleeping Bear Dunes and the other in Traverse City. Overall, it was a fine place to stay but not one I would want to hang out at during the day as I would not find it relaxing! However, it is important to note we were there the few days before the 4th of July so I would assume it was exceptionally busy!

My wife and I had been musicians while in college, and we enjoy the close proximity to the Interlochen Music Camp. We enjoy walking through the campus and listening to free performances there with the convenience of camping across the street.

There's also a lot of shade in the campground, with hundreds of mature trees. The campsites are a little close in some parts of the park, which actually are two distinct parks combined in one. One side of the park is more rolling and the other side is flatter. The bath houses have heated floors which is nice in the cool of the morning.

In addition to the music camp, there is a golf club close by where the public is welcomed to play. Farther down the road (30 minutes) is a little town called Beulah, on Crystal Lake, and the world famous Cherry Hut. Beulah offers shopping or relaxing at the public beach by the lake.

We originally wanted to stay at the Platte River campground, but it was closed, so we settled for this one because we wanted to see Traverse City and the Leelanaw Peninsula.
This campground serves as a cheap place to sleep because motels (even seedy ones) anywhere near Traverse City will rape your wallet during the summer months. This area of Michigan is most beautiful, has the best restaurants and beaches of your wildest dreams!
This is not a campground to hang around at because there isn't much to do. Dull, very dull. You can sum this one up in two words. Cheap and convenient. There is a Subway and Wendys and a gas station 5 minutes down the road. This one has both rustic and modern sites and it's between two lakes. We stayed at the rustic site,with lots of trees, and a few pines overlooking the lake. The NOISE from the road was awful, so bring earplugs and eyemasks so the lights from the cars won't bother you at night. The swimming beach is at the modern site, and the boating lake at the rustic. You are taking a risk if you swim in either because people have came down with swimmers itch due to the amount of ducks that reside there. However, in this area of Michigan that's not a big deal because you're close to Lake Michigan, Northbar Lake and numerous other FABULOUS beaches as well as the lovely Sleeping Bear Dunes in short driving distance makes it VERY well worth it!