Traverse City State Park and its surrounding areas provides families with as many activities as any camping experience. With 47 acres of land, the campsite offers several features that will make camping comfortable and care-free.

As you enter the campgrounds, you'll notice the beach of the east arm of the Grand Traverse Bay on the north side of U.S. 131 N. This beach is open to every camper and is only a short walk over the pedestrian bridge from the campsite.

Click here for a photo gallery of Traverse City State Park. 

 Once you check in and reach your site, you will notice that every camping spot on the campgrounds is spacious and relaxing with a park bench, a fire pit, and access to electrical outlets. With bathroom/shower stations located at three central points of the park, no camper is too far away from a restroom at any given time.

At any hour of the night the campground is well-lit and we often noticed park rangers and other security patrolling the area.

Another feature of the park is that it offers a connection to the Traverse Area Recreational Trail, which runs from Acme all the way through downtown Traverse City and into Leelenau County.

Prices for camping at Traverse City State Park are as follows:

Annual Recreation Passport -- Michigan Resident:
-Vehicle Passport: $10.00
-Motorcycle Passport: $5.00

Annual Recreation Passport -- Non-Resident:
-Vehicle Passport: $29.00
-Daily Passport: $8.00

Towed Vehicle Recreation Passport: $6.00
Commercial: Vehicle Recreation Passport: $15.00

Camping Rates: $27.00 per night
2 mini cabins for rent year round: $45.00 per night
Cottage for Rent Daily and/or Weekly Year Round: 3 bedrooms, fully furnished. Call park for pricing and reservation information at (231) 922-5270.

Another feature that will make your experience worry-free is the ice ($2 per bag) and firewood ($5 per bundle) available for purchase at the front entrance of the campgrounds.

If you want to get out and explore the town once you're there, downtown Traverse City is only a five-minute drive. Also close to the campgrounds is Pirate's Cove Adventure Park--located only 1/2 Mile East of the State Park on U.S. 131 N--featuring several activities including Adventure Gold, Go-Carts, Ropes Course, Zipline, Water Coaster, Bumper Boats, and Kiddy Go-Carts.

If you're making your holiday travel plans to Traverse City State Park, be sure to book your reservations early, as the holiday seasons are usually the busiest for camping.

Click here for reviews of other travel venues across Michigan.

Traverse City State Park
1132 Us-31 North
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 922-5270

Kevin Brennan is working for Oakland County Moms this summer and will be providing content and support to OCM in various ways. Brennan is a recent CMU Grad pursuing work in advertising, marketing, marketing research and communications. You can reach Kevin at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it