Guide to Camping at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground

Sunrise at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground

Camp near Mackinaw Island at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campgrounds

Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground is one of the top rated private campgrounds in the state of Michigan. When people think of visiting Michigan, guaranteed Mackinaw Island will come up on their summer bucket list. Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground is only minutes from downtown Mackinaw City, which is a prime campground location if you’re planning a trip to Mackinaw Island for the day. Located on Lake Huron this campgrounds has an impressive 600 sites and a variety of camping options from tent sites, full hookup, 50 amp and 30amp electric and a wide variety of cabin options.

Highlights

Community Fire Pits with Views of the Mackinaw Bridge. One of the best parts of this campground is the grassy open space along the rocky shoreline with a gorgeous view of the Mackinaw Bridge. There are community fire pits set up and swings everyone can enjoy. Grab your campfire chairs during summer nights as you watch the fireworks every Friday from the shore.

Spectacular Sunrises Make an effort to wake up early because the sunrises are breathtaking.

Skipping Rocks Rocks cover the the edge of the water on Lake Huron. We spent a good bit of time skipping rocks along the shore and enjoying the panoramic view of Lake Huron and the Mackinaw Bridge.

Skipping rocks with the view of Mackinaw Bridge at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground

Location, location, location! I know I mentioned it above, but if you’re planning on visiting Mackinaw Island for the day, Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground makes visiting so convenient by providing transportation to the ferry. (Memorial Day- Labor Day) They have 3 different shuttle times to choose from so stop at the front desk to obtain times.

Review of the Campground Facilities at Mackinaw Mill Creek

Campground

This is an enormous campground which makes it quite easy to get lost. We had our kids stay close by and definitely bring your bikes to make navigating this expansive campground easier.

For reference our family of 6 stayed at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground with friends in a 27ft camper. Here is a breakdown of the campground and our honest review of the facilities. Our hope is that it will make your decision of where to camp easier. Bonus we’ve also included nearby activity suggestions and restaurant recommendations for convenience.

Campsites

A variety of options for campsites include:

Tent sites with no electric, electric 20-50 amp options, pull thru sites, full hookups with bridge views and even super saver sites that are smaller for those on a budget. The descriptions our quite accurate. At Mackinaw Mill Creek, the saying seems to hold true, you get what you pay for. The better sites are more expensive. We found some sites are close together and narrow, especially ones with the bridge view and there is minimal trees or vegetation between sites. While other sites do have some tree coverage and our more spacious.

• They will not always honor request and you don’t pick your individual sites, only an area, which can be frustrating when camping with friends or with people that have different size campers, big rigs, and tents. We requested to be with our friends and we were nowhere near each other.

Group Sites- Options for renting large group tent sites do exist, which is a nice option for boy scouts, youth groups and family reunions.

Shower/ Bathhouse

Three shower areas are located within the campground. They were kept clean during our stay and water was hot during showers. There are also changing facilities next to the pool area.

Cabins

The cabins are awesome, large variety; rustic/ no bathrooms ($50/ night) , cabins with bathrooms ($100/ night) to large cabins with lofts ( $300/night) (no pets in the cabins, although pets are allowed in campsites) Many cabins were recently built or newly refurbished. Rentals include being able to utilize all the campground amenities and facilities, including the beach, pool and miles of roads. You will need to bring your own linens and bedding. If you want convenience and don't want to bring your own bedding check out the Mackinac Island View Lake House or Mackinac Bridgeview House. No pets or smoking inside cabins, motel rooms or house rentals. No cooking inside the cabins or motel rooms

Amenities

Pool at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground by Mackinaw City

Pool

There is a large outdoor heated pool with tons of folding lawn chairs and recliners. No lifeguard is on duty. The pool is located near the camp store and nearby playground.

Playgrounds

The main large playground area near the pool has a toddler sized double slide, wooden train, swings, teeter totter, monkey bars and tires to climb. Several smaller playgrounds are situated throughout the park that have a few basic elements for kids to play on like swings and bouncers. Basketball courts are also located at the campground.

Free Putt Putt Golf

A small putt putt golf course is attached to the camp store. This is a fun activity to do with the kids during your stay.

Antique Fire Truck & Hayrides

Kid will enjoy the nightly hayrides and the antique fire truck is sure to be a hit during your stay. The rides take you around the campground.

Camp Store

The camp store is stocked with basic camping supplies, souvenirs, bike rentals and all the information about nearby activities. While at the office check for discounted tickets for various local activities like Jack Pine Lumberjack Show, as well as, the Star Line Ferry Tickets. For golfers, the resort owns Mackinaw Club Golf Course and also offers discounts for this 18 hole golf course. *They recently added bike rentals if you don’t have the option of bringing your own.

Biking

Definitely bring your bikes to this campground. The campground is enormous with over 600 sites. It took us several days to orientate ourselves with the map and layout of the campground. If you want to save money you can bring your own bikes or rent them from the campground. Rates start at $9/hour with discounts for multi-day and extended hours.

Biking along Lake Huron

We camped with friends and spent a vast majority of time riding back and forth between our sites because we were unable to get sites next to each other. There is also a bike trail located across the street from the campground, which is about a 3 miles path into the town. This can be a fun activity for individuals who enjoy exploring on their bikes.

Beach

The campground has a small stretch of narrow sandy beach which is available for use. The water is shallow for quite a distance. The beach is somewhat small compared to the amount of people camping. We prefer to head over the bridge on US highway 2 and pull off on the side of the road to enjoy Lake Michigan.

Pros/Cons

I’ve often heard this is a park that you either love or hate it. So to help you decide, here is a quick list of the pros/ cons we found while visiting this campground.

Pros

• The location and proximity to town are great

• Grassy green space available to everyone for nightly bon fires, with the stunning view of the bridge,

• Gorgeous sunrises,

• Seeing the fireworks at night by the bridge on Friday nights,

• Heated pool and playgrounds.

• Clean bathrooms

• Able to ride bikes into town and on the many roads throughout the campground

• Free wifi, which works decently or the option to pay for faster wifi

Watching the fireworks from Mackinaw Mill Creek on Friday and Saturday nights in the summer.

Cons

Mackinaw Bridge

• The campground is huge, making it easy to get lost.

• It’s a busy campground with some sites that are narrow, especially ones with the bridge view, not many trees or vegetation between sites.

• They will not honor request and you don’t pick your individual sites, only an area, which can be frustrating. It’s hard to get all together in groups, we requested to be with friends and were no where near each other.

• Near the end of May, first of June (weather dependent) there may be swarming bugs called midges, which are annoying mosquito like bugs. Luckily they do not bite.

• They do not allow firewood to be brought in.

• It’s a seasonal campground so there is no winter camping.

Camping at Mackinaw Mill Creek vs. Wilderness State Park

Choosing where to camp near Mackinaw City can be a hard decision. If you prefer a quieter atmosphere with secluded sites and miles and miles of trails then head to Wilderness State Park which is a 15 min drive away. If you prefer having more amenities like a pool, playground and a view of the bridge, while not minding sites with little privacy then choose Mackinaw Mill Creek. It also has the ease of a shuttle service and is only 5 minutes away.

Nearby Activities

Mackinaw City - Only a 15 minute drive, you can easily spend the day exploring, eating, shopping and playing in this popular tourist spot. Head into Mackinaw City where there are dozens of free and paid family-friendly activities. Here is a list of Top Things to Do Near Mackinaw City: Free & Paid Activities.

Tunnel of Trees - During the Fall, drive through the tunnel of trees on M-119 up from Harbor Springs all the way to Mackinaw City for stunning colors.

McGulpin Lighthouse - A nice tour is included and provides a good view of the bridge at the Rock.

Headlands International Dark Sky Park - Grab a red filter flashlight and head on over for beautiful stargazing at the dark sky park. On certain occasions you can look through the large telescope on site. Check their Facebook page for programming throughout the year.

Mackinaw Island - Take the Ferry to Mackinaw Shepler’s Macknaw Island Ferry, which is about 16-30 min ride where you can bike around the island (8 miles) for one of the loveliest & scenic rides you will ever experience! Hike to Arch Rock, grab some fudge, and visit the butterfly house, explore Fort Mackinac, or search for the free secret garden you can find located near the grand hotel tennis courts and pool path.

Letterboxing or Geocaching Go on your own treasure hunt to find a cache or Letter box.

Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park A place to combine adventure with history. Traverse through the tree tops at this outdoor adventure park with a zipline, climbing wall, and historic water powered saw mill.

Parades During our stay we randomly ran across a night time semi truck parade so check the schedule of events during your stay for special events happening.

Swim off US Highway 2

Swim at Michigan Lakeshore of US Highway 2. After crossing over the Mackinaw Bridge you can pull off on the side of the US Highway 2 and spend the day enjoying the stretch of sandy beach of Lake Michigan and jump in the waves.

Wilderness State Park : This beautiful state park has miles and miles of trails to explore and secluded beaches along the coast. It is also a designated sky park area and is only 15 minutes away.

Fort Michilimackinac The historic fort dates back from the 18th century and is a great place to explore. View a real cannon at this National Historic Landmark and State Park.

Tahquamenon Falls Visit the beautiful waterfalls in Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the Upper Peninsula. Mackinaw Mill Creek is a great base camp for day trips.

Soo Locks Visit these man made structures and the busiest lock system in the world. Between seven and ten thousand ships come through the locks during the working season every year. 

Restaurants:

Darrows: A great family restaurant for breakfast. Homemade food and amazing pies.

Scalawags: Looking to enjoy some fresh fish, head to this delicious restaurant in Mackinaw City.

Murdicks: Do not forget to stop for some fudge in Mackinaw City!

Mama Mia’s Pizza: Enjoy the free Mackinaw Bridge Museum and some arcade games for kids while you wait for your pizza at Mama Mia restaurant.

As you plan your vacation to this beautiful Great Lakes destination in Michigan make sure to Pin and Save for later. Follow Discovering Anew for more campground reviews and Michigan adventures. We’re constantly producing new content and trip reviews to help make planning your next trip easier.

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