The most dog friendly campgrounds in Michigan do three things: they welcome dogs on every RV and tent site, they give dogs a safe place to run off leash, and they give them somewhere to swim. Walnut Hills Family Campground in Durand checks all three. It has a fenced quarter-acre dog park with shade, picnic tables and tunnels, dogs can swim in the Shiawassee River at the boat launch, and there are no breed restrictions. Our sister park, The Oaks Campground in Munith, is the choice for dog owners who want trails: about 120 acres of them, where dogs may be off leash.
Here is what to look for in a campground that allows dogs, what camping with dogs looks like at Walnut Hills and The Oaks, how Michigan state park pet rules compare, and honest answers on cabins, fees and beaches.
What makes a campground dog friendly?
Plenty of campgrounds allow dogs. Fewer are built for them. When you compare dog friendly camping sites, check for:
- A fenced dog park. Every campground has a leash rule, so an enclosed area is the only place a dog can really run. Ask how big it is and whether it has shade.
- Somewhere to swim. Most swim beaches, public and private, don’t allow dogs for sanitary reasons. A river or a second lake that dogs can use is a real bonus.
- Room and shade on the site. A long, treed site gives a dog a cool spot on a tie-out and some distance from the neighbors.
- Clear rules and bag stations. Quiet hours and a leash rule keep your dog comfortable and safe, and keep the park relaxed for everyone.
Walnut Hills: a Michigan campground built for camping with dogs
Walnut Hills Family Campground sits on 42 acres along the Shiawassee River in Durand, a short drive from Flint, Lansing and the north Detroit suburbs. It has 201 RV sites, 18 tent sites and 2 camping cabins, and dogs are welcome on all of the sites. Most of the campground is under old-growth trees, with rolling hills between the flat sites, so there is shade for a dog on most loops.
The fenced dog park
The dog park went in a couple of years ago and, as a campground employee put it, “it is very nice.” It’s just over a quarter of an acre with premium fencing, some open lawn and some treed area for shade. Inside are picnic tables for owners, bag stations, tunnels, an authentic fire hydrant “for the dogs to stake their claim on,” and a dog selfie portrait frame that was added this year and has been a big hit. The park is big enough to throw a frisbee or a ball, which is the real test of a campground dog park.
Staff say it gets used about hourly through the day, often with several dogs in at once, and it sits in the main entertainment zone next to Pavilion 2, the new playground, the Kangaroo Jumper, the gaga ball pit and the ball field. So the dog can run while the kids do the same thing 50 feet away.
Where dogs can swim at Walnut Hills
Dogs are not allowed on the beach or in the spring-fed swimming lake, including the Wibit floating water park, for sanitary reasons. They can swim in the Shiawassee River. Owners take them down to the campground boat launch at the front of the park, next to the store, and let them wade and swim from there. The Shiawassee is a designated water trail, and the stretch at Walnut Hills is deep enough for a dog to actually swim.
Cheff’s Canoe Rental runs float trips out of the same launch. It’s an independent business, so if you want to bring your dog on a canoe or tube trip, ask Cheff’s directly about their dog policy when you book.
Dog friendly RV and tent camping
Dogs are welcome on every RV site, from the 80 full-hookup 50-amp sites to the water-and-electric loops, and on all 18 tent sites. For dog friendly tent camping, the 4 electric tent sites sit near the main bathhouse across the road from RV sites 186 to 193, which puts you a short walk from the dog park. A quieter option for a dog that startles easily is the back fence line (sites 74 to 170B), where there are no rear neighbors, just a 30-foot band of old trees and a farm field where deer graze every morning. Dogs stay leashed there, which is part of why the deer keep coming back.
Site rates vary by date and site, so check the booking system for your dates.
Pet rules at Walnut Hills and The Oaks
The rules are simple at both Michigan parks, with one notable difference from many campgrounds on breeds:
- At Walnut Hills, dogs stay on a leash (6 feet) everywhere except inside the fenced dog park. At The Oaks, dogs are leashed in the campground and may be off leash on the back trails and in the dog run.
- Pick up after your dog everywhere, including in the dog park.
- Don’t leave dogs unattended at the site or tied out alone.
- No dogs in the cabins, the store, on the beach or in the swim lake. Dogs swim in the Shiawassee River at Walnut Hills and in the fishing lake at The Oaks.
- No breed restrictions. Breed isn’t a reliable predictor of behavior: a dog of a so-called aggressive breed can be very calm, and a dog of a gentle breed can be aggressive depending on its history, so we judge each dog by how it behaves. All we ask is that every dog is friendly around people and other dogs, so the whole park stays relaxed.
- Quiet hours run 11 PM to 8 AM, so your dog (and your kids) actually sleep.
Camping with dogs at The Oaks: the trails option
If your dog’s idea of a vacation is a long walk in the woods, The Oaks Campground in Munith, next to Waterloo Recreation Area, is the better fit. The property is 155 acres, about 120 of them trails through forest and grassland, and dogs may be off leash on those back trails. Several loops run for miles; one heads toward the wetlands along Haehnle Sanctuary, where you’ll likely see sandhill cranes, and others wind through woods where deer are common. The trails are shared with bikes and golf carts, so your dog needs to be reliable around both.
The Oaks also has an off-leash dog run, an open area at the front of the park away from the campsites, with its own dog selfie station. Fencing and toys are planned for future seasons. Dogs can’t use the sand beach or the swimming lake, but they can swim in the fishing lake, which sits downstream of the swim lake. In the campground itself, the leash rule applies. The Oaks has water-and-electric sites (50 amp on short-term sites) and the biggest campsites in either park, but no cabins and no full hookups; for those, Walnut Hills is the park.
Michigan state park dog rules vs. a private campground
Michigan state parks and state forest campgrounds welcome pets, and the rules are close to ours. Per the Michigan DNR, pets must be on a 6-foot leash and under the owner’s immediate control at all times, including in the water. They’re not allowed on designated swim beaches or in buildings such as bathrooms and showers, and most lodging is not pet-friendly (a short list of cabins and lodges allows up to two dogs or cats for an extra nightly fee). Pets may use the shoreline outside the buoyed swim areas where it isn’t posted otherwise, and the DNR’s park finder has a “pet-friendly shoreline” filter.
The practical difference is off-leash space: state parks don’t have fenced dog parks, so your dog is leashed for the whole trip. At Walnut Hills the dog park is open all day, and at The Oaks the back trails are off leash. The other difference is what’s going on around the dog: weekend food trucks, pavilion events, a Wibit water park that’s free for campers Tuesday through Thursday, and a renovated bathhouse. Public parks are funded and priced differently (fees, the Recreation Passport and public capital investment) and offer fewer on-site amenities, while a private park pays for its amenity stack, staff and utilities through the site rate.
Campgrounds that allow dogs near me: where Walnut Hills and The Oaks sit
Walnut Hills draws families from Flint and Genesee County, Lansing, Owosso, Saginaw and Bay City, and the Oakland and Macomb County suburbs. The Oaks is the closer option from Jackson, Ann Arbor and the Detroit metro’s west side.
Both parks use a license-plate gate instead of office check-in, which is handy with a dog in the back seat: book online, arrive, and drive straight to your site. Arriving after the store closes? Call ahead to pre-check in.
Dog events and a dog’s weekend at Walnut Hills
Dogs are part of the weekend here. Each of the three Halloween weekends (late September and early October) includes a dog costume contest, and the dog park has hosted a dog event in the campground’s family Olympics. A typical summer day for a camp dog: a morning run in the dog park while the coffee brews, a leashed walk on the river nature trail, a swim at the boat launch in the afternoon heat, and an evening under the picnic table while the family listens to the band at Pavilion 2. The park is quiet by 11, so the dog sleeps too.
Frequently asked questions
Are there campgrounds with pet-friendly cabins in Michigan?
Yes, but Walnut Hills isn’t one of them. Our two camping cabins (sites 43 and 46) don’t allow pets, for sanitary reasons. Dog owners who want a roof can rent a delivered RV set up on their site before arrival, or camp in a tent or RV.
Is there glamping in Michigan with dogs?
Not at our parks. Neither Walnut Hills nor The Oaks has glamping units or kitchen cabins. The closest thing is a rental RV delivered to your site, which is pet-friendly if the rental company allows it.
Can my dog go on the beach or the Wibit?
No. Dogs stay off the beach and out of the swimming lake at both parks. At Walnut Hills they swim in the Shiawassee River; at The Oaks, in the fishing lake.
Do you have breed or size restrictions?
No breed or size restrictions. We simply ask that every dog is well-behaved around people and other dogs.
How many dogs can I bring?
There’s no posted limit; every dog is leashed outside the off-leash areas, supervised and picked up after. If you’re bringing more than two, mention it when you book so staff can suggest a site with room.
Do dogs have to be on a leash at Walnut Hills?
Yes, on a 6-foot leash throughout the campground. The fenced dog park, just over a quarter acre next to Pavilion 2, is the place to let them run.
Is there a dog park at The Oaks?
The Oaks has an off-leash dog run, an open area at the front of the park away from the campsites, with a selfie station. Dogs may also be off leash on the back trails as long as they’re under your control.
Can I leave my dog at the site while we’re at the Wibit?
Not outside. Dogs can’t be left unattended outdoors. If your dog is comfortable inside your RV, that’s fine, as long as it’s cool and quiet so neighbors aren’t disturbed.
What happens if a dog acts aggressively?
Any dog that shows aggressive behavior has to leave the park right away. That rule, rather than a breed list, is how both parks keep kids and other dogs safe.
