Campgrounds with playgrounds give kids somewhere to burn energy between the beach and the campfire, and give parents a place to sit down. Walnut Hills Family Campground in Durand, Michigan builds its whole north end around that idea: a new playground sits next to Pavilion 2, the Kangaroo Jumper, the gaga ball pit, the ball field and the fenced dog park, so one spot keeps every age busy. Add the Wibit floating water park on the spring-fed lake, an arcade and kids’ crafts every Saturday, and the playground is one piece of a full weekend.
Here is where the play areas are at Walnut Hills, which sites to book if you have little kids, what else there is to do, and a fair look at other Michigan campgrounds known for their playgrounds.
Where are the playgrounds at Walnut Hills?
The main play area is what our team calls the entertainment zone, at the north end of the campground. A few years ago the campground installed a new playground there, and it has since added the Kangaroo Jumper (a giant bounce pillow, new for 2026), a gaga ball pit, a ball field and a fenced dog park, all beside Pavilion 2, where the Saturday night DJ dance parties, karaoke and live bands happen. On summer Saturdays the staff bring out a giant kickball for an impromptu game that pulls in kids and parents alike. You can see the layout on the Walnut Hills map (north is up).
If you’re booking with small children, the sites across from that zone are the easiest. Full-hookup sites 186 to 193 and the row behind them, 171 to 178, face the entertainment area and sit near the main bathhouse. The four electric tent sites are across the road from 186 to 193, which makes this the best tent spot for a family too. From any of those sites you can watch the playground from your camp chair.
What else is there for kids at a camping playground campground?
A playground fills an hour. The rest of the day at Walnut Hills looks like this:
- The Wibit floating water park. A 14-piece inflatable course on the spring-fed swimming lake, with slides, a climbing wall, monkey bars and a trampoline. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday, free for registered campers Tuesday through Thursday, and a wristband fee on weekends. Riders must be 7 or older and wear the campground’s Wibit-designed life jackets. A Wibit monitor checks wristbands and enforces the rules; there is no lifeguard. See the Michigan campgrounds with water parks guide for how it compares.
- The beach and lake. The sand beach sits beside the camp store at the front of the park, so parents can watch the Wibit from a towel. The lake stays cool all summer, and swimmers hit cold pockets where the spring comes up.
- The arcade room in the store, plus hand-scooped ice cream for the break afterward.
- Sports and games. Basketball, sand volleyball, horseshoes, gaga ball and the ball field.
- Bikes and golf carts. Kids ride bikes on the campground roads and need to be back at the site by dusk. Golf cart rentals are available at the store for getting around a spread-out property.
- The river. Cheff’s Canoe Rental, an independent business working out of the Walnut Hills launch, runs canoe, kayak and tube floats on the Shiawassee River, and there’s a 30 to 45 minute float inside the park for short attention spans.
Kid-friendly weekend events
From Memorial Day through September, Walnut Hills runs a kids’ craft at 11 a.m. most Saturdays at Pavilion 1 (sun catchers, birdhouses, rock painting, pinwheels), tie-dye at the pavilion with shirts sold in the store, and lawn games by the dog park and ball field: kickball, three-legged races, potato sack races, tug of war and water balloon wars. Food trucks come every weekend, and the evening ends with a DJ dance party, karaoke or a band at Pavilion 2. Themed weekends include a kids’ bike parade, a golf cart parade, Christmas in July and three Halloween weekends in late September and early October with trick-or-treating on closed roads and a haunted trail. The events calendar has the current lineup, and our fall and Halloween camping guide covers the Halloween weekends in detail.
Which Michigan campgrounds have the best playgrounds?
Walnut Hills isn’t the only family campground in Michigan with good play areas. Two others worth knowing about, depending on where you’re headed:
- Jellystone Park at North Port Huron (Carsonville). A heavily amenitized camp-resort near Lake Huron with a playground, a pool and water zone, a splash pad, a jumping pillow, mini golf and themed weekly events. It’s the closest thing in the state to Walnut Hills’ amenity list. Walnut Hills adds old-growth trees and the Shiawassee River.
- Mackinaw Mill Creek Camping (Mackinaw City). A very large campground on the Straits of Mackinac with three playgrounds, a heated pool, free mini golf and nightly hay rides in season. It’s a northern Michigan destination, about four hours from the Detroit area, where Walnut Hills is a weekend drive from Flint, Lansing and the north Detroit suburbs.
Most modern state park campgrounds also have a playground, though usually a single structure without the water park, arcade and events a private park adds. For a broader look at kid amenities, see kid-friendly campgrounds in Michigan and camping activities for kids.
Tips for camping with kids near a playground
- Book sites with a sightline. At Walnut Hills that means 171 to 178 or 186 to 193 for the entertainment zone, or the beach-area circle (118 to 131) if the lake is your priority.
- Count on quiet nights. Quiet hours run 11 p.m. to 8 a.m., kids and bikes are back at the site by dusk, and golf carts park for the night at dark, so little ones actually sleep.
- Come midweek. Wednesday or Thursday arrivals get free Wibit days and quieter playgrounds before the weekend crowd.
- Bring the dog. The fenced quarter-acre dog park sits right beside the playground, with picnic tables for the humans.
Frequently asked questions
Do the playgrounds cost extra?
No. The playgrounds, gaga ball pit, sports courts, ball field and dog park are included with your site. The Wibit is the one paid attraction, and only Friday through Sunday.
What ages are the play areas for?
The playground suits toddlers through grade-schoolers, the gaga ball pit and ball field pull in older kids, and the Wibit is for ages 7 and up in a life jacket. Guests under 16 need a parent present at the water park.
Is there a playground at The Oaks Campground too?
Yes. The Oaks, our sister park in Munith, has its main playground beside the pavilion, basketball court, sand volleyball and ball field, plus its own Kangaroo Jumper (free for campers) and an Aquaglide water park on the beach. See The Oaks amenities.
