Waterfront Camping in Michigan: Campgrounds on Lakes and Rivers

Waterfront camping in Michigan comes in three kinds: Great Lakes shoreline, inland lakes, and rivers. The state has about 10,900 inland lakes of five acres or more, 3,300 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and more than 52,000 miles of streams, and the Michigan DNR likes to point out that you’re never more than six miles from a body of water. For families in the Flint, Lansing and Detroit areas who want camping spots near them with water, the two GatherGrounds parks in southern Michigan each put you on the water without the long drive north: Walnut Hills Family Campground in Durand sits on a spring-fed swimming lake and the Shiawassee River, and The Oaks Campground in Munith has a spring-fed swim lake, a separate fishing lake, and the Portage Lake boat launch nine minutes away.

Here’s how the three kinds of Michigan waterfront camping compare, what’s on the water at each of our parks, which sites actually touch the water, and what lakefront and riverfront sites cost relative to the rest of the park.

Great Lakes, inland lakes or river: which waterfront camping fits your trip?

A campground with two kinds of water on one property is rare. Our team calls what Walnut Hills has a “natural dual water feature”: a spring-fed lake for swimming and a river for floating, both natural, both on site. As a campground employee put it, you can add a pool to a park that already has a lake, “but having a dual water feature that is natural is highly rare and uncommon.”

Walnut Hills: a spring-fed lake and the Shiawassee River at one campground

Walnut Hills Family Campground is a 42-acre park with 201 RV sites, 18 tent sites and two camping cabins, about an hour from Flint, Lansing and Detroit’s northern suburbs. The water is the reason it has been popular with short-term campers since the 1960s, when it started as a canoe float and swimming hole.

• The swim lake. Spring-fed and naturally clear, with cold pockets you can feel jetting up from the springs on a hot day. The campground works with a lab on a water-treatment program using products designed for swimming lakes, so weeds, surface algae and bottom muck don’t build up. The sand beach sits next to the camp store at the front of the park.
• The Wibit. A 14-piece floating water park on the lake, open Tuesday through Sunday and free for campers Tuesday through Thursday. Ages 7 and up, campground-provided life jackets required, guests under 16 with a parent present, and a monitor (not a lifeguard) on duty.
• The Shiawassee River. Cheff’s Canoe Rental, an independent outfitter, runs canoe, kayak and tube floats from the campground launch next to the store, with a 30-to-45-minute in-park float, 2-hour tube floats and 2- and 4-hour paddle trips. You can also launch your own boat from the campground. The river is part of an 88-mile National Water Trail. See our guides to booking a float trip and checking river conditions.
• Dogs on the water. Dogs can swim in the river at the boat launch (not in the swim lake or on the beach). They’re leashed around the park, with off-leash time in the fenced quarter-acre dog park.

Which Walnut Hills sites are on the water?

“Waterfront” means different things at different parks, so here is exactly what it means at Walnut Hills. The site map on the map and rules page has north at the top.

The sites near the lake are the sunniest in the park because the sandy soil there doesn’t support big trees. If you want shade and water, the river-frontage row is the pick.

Camping in Michigan near a lake for swimming and fishing: The Oaks

The Oaks Campground in Munith, about 30 minutes from Ann Arbor and Jackson, is the lake-camping option in our family, and the one for people who want water plus a lot of land: 155 acres, about 120 of them trails.

• Swim lake and sand beach. The swim lake is fed by a natural artesian spring. In 2026 the beach was rebuilt with hundreds of tons of new sand, run out into the lake so you step onto sand instead of mud, and the water is treated regularly for weeds. The campground sets out lounge chairs at the beach; get there early on a hot Saturday.
• Aquaglide water park. A floating water park on the swim lake, new in 2026, with wristbands from the store. Ages 7 and up, life jackets required, guests under 16 with a parent present, and a monitor on duty rather than a lifeguard.
• A separate fishing lake. The spring-fed swim lake spills into a warmer fishing lake with a dock. Kids do best from the dock; the back side of the lake is for quiet bank fishing. Our team has seen “fish the size of children” come out of it, including a customer photo of a boy next to a fish nearly as tall as he was. Keeping fish is allowed, though most people release. The store sells bait and gear (no loaner rods). Dogs may swim in the fishing lake, which is downstream of the swim area, and can be off leash on the back trails and in the dog run; elsewhere at The Oaks they’re leashed.
• Lakefront RV sites. A short walk to the beach with a view of the Aquaglide. These are water/electric sites, like everything at The Oaks (no sewer; 50 amp is available on short-term sites).
• Portage Lake, 9 minutes away. An all-sports lake in Waterloo Recreation Area with a public boat launch, so campers with ski boats and fishing boats have big water close by. Seasonal campers get free boat storage at the park.

Our Michigan campgrounds with fishing and Portage Lake campgrounds guides go deeper on both.

Michigan beach camping: what to expect at a campground beach

For families with young kids, a campground beach on an inland lake often beats a Great Lakes beach: warmer, calmer water and your campsite a few hundred feet away. Things to check before you book anywhere:

• Is the beach maintained? Sand that runs out into the water, weed control and clear water take real work. Both GatherGrounds parks treat their lakes and have rebuilt their beaches.
• Who’s watching? Like most campground beaches, ours are swim-at-your-own-risk with no lifeguard, so plan on an adult with kids under 13. The water parks have monitors who check wristbands and life jackets, and guests under 16 bring a parent along.
• Hours and access. Beaches at our parks are open 9 AM to 9 PM or sunset for campers. Non-campers can buy beach day passes on weekends and holiday weekends; see the Walnut Hills rates page and The Oaks rates page.
• Pets. Dogs are not allowed on the beaches or in the swim areas at either park, but each has a river or lake where they can swim.

For a wider look at swimming options, see Michigan campgrounds with swimming, and for the inflatables, Michigan campgrounds with water parks.

What do waterfront campsites cost in Michigan?

At most private campgrounds, including ours, lakefront and riverfront sites carry a premium because demand for them is highest. Our parks use dynamic pricing: each site has a base rate, and the system adds a premium or a discount by date. Holiday weekends and lakefront, riverfront and full-hookup sites sit at the top of the range; nightly RV sites otherwise start around the high $40s and vary by site and date. The cheapest waterfront weekends are May before Memorial Day, the weekend after Memorial Day, the weekends around Labor Day, and October. A common family trick at Walnut Hills is to book one or two beachfront sites and put the rest of the group in the cheaper loop across the road.

Seasonal sites on the water go first every year. Walnut Hills seasonal sites run $3,000 to $5,500 with most availability at $3,000 to $4,000; The Oaks runs $2,500 to $3,300 with waterfront at the high end. See Walnut Hills seasonal sites.

Public campgrounds near lakes in southern Michigan

State parks are the other main option for lake camping in this part of the state, and they’re worth knowing. Waterloo Recreation Area, next door to The Oaks, is about 21,000 acres with modern and rustic campgrounds and Portage Lake. Sleepy Hollow State Park near Laingsburg, north of Lansing, has camping on 410-acre Lake Ovid. Public parks are funded and priced differently (user fees, the Recreation Passport and public capital investment) and offer fewer on-site amenities; a private park pays for its beach, water park, events, staff and utilities through the site rate. Our Waterloo camping guide covers the state campgrounds there.

Frequently asked questions

Which GatherGrounds park is better for water lovers?

Walnut Hills. It has the river and the lake, the larger water park, full hookups and 50 amp. The Oaks is the choice if you want a swim lake plus a fishing lake, big sites, trails and a quieter, more rustic feel.

Are there campgrounds in Michigan on the water with cabins?

Walnut Hills has two air-conditioned camping cabins (sites 43 and 46) that sleep four; bring linens, no pets. They aren’t on the water but are a short walk from the lake and river. The Oaks has no cabins.

Can I bring my own kayak or boat?

Yes at both parks: launch at the Walnut Hills boat launch on the Shiawassee, or paddle your own boat on The Oaks fishing lake.

When is the water warm enough?

Our parks open May 1 and close October 20. The spring-fed lakes stay cool all summer, which is the point on a 90-degree day; most families swim from mid-June through Labor Day and float the river from June into early August when the water is warm and steady.