The RV park amenities that matter most are the ones at your site: full hookups (water, electric and sewer), 50-amp power if your rig needs it, a site long enough for your RV and tow vehicle, and a dump station if the site has no sewer. After that come the things that make a stay comfortable: clean bathhouses, a stocked store, a place to swim, and something for the kids to do. Walnut Hills Family Campground in Durand, Michigan, has 80 full-hookup 50-amp sites, many sites 70 to 80 feet long for rigs up to 45 feet, a renovated bathhouse and a floating water park. It does not have Wi-Fi, laundry or a pool, and we’d rather you know that before you book.
Here is a short checklist of RV campground amenities to look for, what each one means, and exactly which ones Walnut Hills has.
RV site amenities: the checklist
- Hookups. “Full hookup” means water, electric and sewer at the site. “Water/electric” (sometimes called partial hookup) means you use the park’s dump station on the way out. If you stay more than a couple of nights or travel with a family, sewer at the site is the amenity you’ll miss most when it’s gone. Our full hookup guide covers the differences.
- 30 or 50 amp. A 30-amp pedestal supplies up to about 3,600 watts; 50-amp supplies up to about 12,000. If your RV has two air conditioners or a residential fridge, you want a 50-amp site. Many parks list “30/50 amp” sites, which means the pedestal has both outlets.
- Site length and width. Measure your RV plus the tow vehicle. Big rigs need a site in the 60-to-80-foot range and room to swing in. Ask whether the site is back-in or pull-through.
- Pull-through sites. Convenient for one-night stops because you never unhook. At most parks, including ours, they’re water/electric sites meant for stopovers rather than week-long stays.
- Shade or sun. Shade keeps the RV cool; open sites give a clear satellite signal and solar. Good parks will tell you which is which by site number.
- Fire ring and picnic table. Standard at a family campground, less so at an RV resort.
Campground amenities beyond the site
Once the site works, the rest of the park decides whether you come back.
- Bathhouse and showers. Even in a full-hookup RV, a clean bathhouse matters when the family is spread across sites. Walnut Hills rebuilt its main bathhouse with new showers, quality sink bays and private toilet stalls; our team hears about its cleanliness as often as any amenity in the park.
- Camp store. Ours carries the essentials people forget, RV upkeep supplies, ice, firewood, scooped and novelty ice cream and apparel, and firewood can be delivered to your site.
- No-wait check-in. Walnut Hills uses a license-plate gate. You give us your plate at booking, the gate reads it, and you drive straight to your site with no line at the office, even after hours (call the store to pre-check in).
- Water. A spring-fed swimming lake with a sandy beach and a 14-piece Wibit floating water park, open Tuesday through Sunday and free for campers Tuesday through Thursday. Riders are 7 and up, guests under 16 have a parent present, life jackets are required, and a monitor is on duty (not a lifeguard).
- Things to do. Two playgrounds, a Kangaroo Jumper, a gaga ball pit, basketball, a ball field, an arcade in the store, a fenced quarter-acre dog park, canoe, kayak and tube floats on the Shiawassee River through Cheff’s Canoe Rental, and golf cart rentals (reserve online or by phone; multi-day rentals are discounted).
- Events and food. Weekend events from Memorial Day through September: crafts and tie-dye at Pavilion 1, a DJ, karaoke or band at Pavilion 2, and a food truck every Saturday, often Friday dinner and Sunday breakfast as well. See the events page.
Which RV park amenities does Walnut Hills have?
| Amenity | Walnut Hills |
|---|---|
| Full hookup (water, electric, sewer) | Yes, 80 sites, all 50 amp |
| Water/electric sites | Yes, 30 amp and 30/50 amp; dump stations in the park |
| Big-rig sites | Yes, many sites 70 to 80 ft; RVs up to 45 ft |
| Pull-through sites | Site 118 and sites 47 to 51 (water/electric, for stopovers) |
| Bathhouse and showers | Yes, renovated |
| Camp store | Yes, with RV supplies and scooped ice cream |
| Swimming | Spring-fed lake, beach and Wibit water park (no pool) |
| Golf cart rentals | Yes; own electric cart $25 a night with proof of insurance |
| Dog park | Yes, fenced |
| Pavilions | Two, $100 a day; one free day for groups of 25+ sites |
| Wi-Fi | No |
| Laundry | No |
| Cabins | Two camping cabins (no plumbing) |
The amenities page and rates page have the current details; nightly RV rates start around the high $40s and change with the date and site.
Full hookup campsites in Michigan: where they are at Walnut Hills
Two areas hold most of the full-hookup sites. The north end has two rows end to end, sites 186 to 193 backing onto 171 to 178, next to the main bathhouse and across from the entertainment zone with Pavilion 2, the Kangaroo Jumper, the dog park, the gaga pit, the new playground and the ball field. Groups like this block because four tent sites sit across the road from it. The other full-hookup row runs along the back fence line, roughly sites 74 to 170B. A campground employee describes it this way: “There’s nobody behind you. Behind those sites is a row of old-growth trees about 30 feet wide, and on the other side of it you can see the neighbor’s farm field, where deer come to graze every single morning.” Those sites are full hookup with 30/50 amp, and the larger lots in that row are among the park’s premium sites.
Walnut Hills is the GatherGrounds park for full hookups and 50 amp in Michigan. Our sister park, The Oaks Campground near Jackson, has water and electric sites with 30 or 50 amp (50 amp on short-term sites), a gray-water drain and honey-wagon service, and the biggest sites in either park, but no sewer hookups. For a statewide view, see our guide to Michigan campgrounds with full RV hookups.
RV park vs. RV resort amenities
“RV resort” usually signals paved pads, a pool, a clubhouse and sometimes adult-only sections; “RV park” or “campground” signals fire rings, trees and families. Walnut Hills is a resort-style family campground: modern utilities under old-growth trees, and a water park on a natural lake rather than a pool. A campground employee says that’s deliberate: “When we rebuilt the utilities, we kept the trees. You get full hookups at the pedestal and shade over the picnic table.” If a true resort is what you want, our luxury RV resorts in Michigan guide covers that end of the market.
Arriving with a big rig
One practical note from our team: when you pull in, don’t turn right into the parking lot, which is sized for cars. Drive straight toward the gate, which you can see from the entrance, and the gate reads your plate. The internal roads handle 45-foot rigs without trouble. If you’re staying a season, the seasonal sites page explains how metered power, full-hookup and gray-water sites, and free winter storage work.
Frequently asked questions
What amenities should an RV park have?
At minimum: level sites long enough for your rig, reliable 30- or 50-amp power, water, either sewer at the site or a dump station, and clean restrooms. Everything else, from water parks to golf carts, is what turns a stopover into a destination.
Does Walnut Hills have Wi-Fi or laundry?
No. There is no Wi-Fi and no laundry at Walnut Hills. Cell service works for most carriers, but if you need to work remotely, plan on your own hotspot.
Are the pull-through sites full hookup?
No. Site 118 and sites 47 to 51 are water/electric pull-throughs meant for one-night stops. Full-hookup sites are back-in.
Can I bring my own golf cart?
Yes, electric carts only, with a $25-a-night pass, a window sticker and proof of golf-cart insurance. Carts are electric only (no gas carts, ATVs or side-by-sides), and they park at dark so the loops stay quiet.
