Camping With Toddlers (and Babies): A Parent’s Guide to Walnut Hills

Camping with toddlers is easier when the campground does some of the work for you. At Walnut Hills Family Campground in Durand, little ones have a sand beach, a free Kangaroo Jumper, a playground, a short in-park river float and weekend kids’ crafts, and parents have a renovated bathhouse, a store for forgotten essentials and quiet hours that start at 11 PM. Here’s how to plan it.

Choose the right site for little kids

• Near the entertainment zone: the north-end full-hookup sites 186 to 193 and 171 to 178 face Pavilion 2, the new playground, the Kangaroo Jumper and the ball field, and they’re close to the main bathhouse.
• Near the beach: sites 104 to 117 and the circle across the road (118 to 131) are steps from the beach and the store. These sites are sunny, so bring shade for nap time.
• For shade: the north end has trees throughout the sites and all-day shade on many of them.

If you’re not sure, call the office and tell us your kids’ ages. We’ll point you to the right area.

What toddlers can do at Walnut Hills

• The beach: a renovated sand beach on a spring-fed lake, with sand running into the water. There is no lifeguard, so stay within arm’s reach; kids under 13 must be with an adult when swimming.
• The Kangaroo Jumper and the new playground in the entertainment zone.
• The in-park float: a 30 to 45 minute float from one end of the campground to the other, great for short attention spans. For longer river trips, families with small kids usually choose a canoe so the kids can ride along; Cheff’s Canoe Rental provides life jackets.
• Kids’ crafts at Pavilion 1 most Saturdays at 11 AM, plus tie-dye and lawn games.
• Halloween weekends: trick-or-treating with the roads closed, and a haunted trail that is mild early in the evening while it’s still light.

What about the Wibit?

The 14-piece Wibit floating water park is for ages 7 and up, so toddlers will watch this one from the shore. Older siblings can go, with a parent present for kids under 16. A lawn by the dock near the Wibit is a good place to set up chairs and keep an eye on them.

Camping with a baby

• Pick a shaded site near the bathhouse so night trips are short.
• Our two camping cabins (43 and 46) have air conditioning, a fridge, a microwave and a coffee maker, with a double bed and a twin bunk bed. There is no plumbing, so bring your own linens; cabin 46 is a short walk to the main bathhouse.
• Quiet hours run 11 PM to 8 AM, and golf carts park at dark so headlights don’t shine into campers’ windows.
• Bring layers. Michigan nights can be cool even in summer.

Safety basics for little campers

• The speed limit is 5 mph everywhere in the park.
• Kids and their bikes are back at the site by dusk.
• Children under 10 go to the restrooms and showers with an adult.
• Keep campfires attended, and build them only in your site’s fire ring.
• The gate reads license plates, so the park is limited to registered guests and visitors.

Packing less

Every site has a fire ring and picnic table, and we deliver firewood to your site. The camp store carries groceries, ice, snacks and hand-scooped ice cream, and food trucks visit every weekend from Memorial Day through the end of September, so you can skip cooking one night.

Camping with toddlers: questions