Petoskey is a small town on Little Traverse Bay in Emmet County on the Lake Michigan shore in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula. This town is the namesake of Michigan's state stone, a type of fossilized coral unique to the Great Lakes Region. Petoskey stones commonly wash up on Lake Michigan beaches, particularly in this area. Campers have more than a dozen campgrounds in the area to choose from, including four state parks, two state forest campgrounds, two county parks, a municipal park and several privately owned campgrounds.
Petoskey State Park
Petoskey State Park is just north of downtown Petoskey along the Lake Michigan shore. This 300-acre park has two modern campgrounds with a combined 168 campsites. A rustic camping area for large groups is provided as well. The park also has one mini-cabin. A large sandy beach is popular for swimming, and petoskey stones may be found in a rocky area at the south end of the beach. A beach house, multi-use hiking and biking trails and a picnic area round out the park's amenities.
Magnus Municipal Park
Magnus Municipal Park is maintained by the City of Petoskey, and has 72 improved sites with electricity, water and access to modern bathrooms. This city park just southwest of downtown is on Lake Michigan and has over 1,000 feet of beach. A playground, picnic area and hiking and biking trails are available. An attached area called Wayside Park with a scenic overlook atop a bluff gives panoramic views of the shore, Lake Michigan and Little Traverse Bay.
State Forest Campgrounds
Pickerel Lake State Forest Campground is just east of town and has 39 rustic sites on the shores of Pickerel Lake. Water is hand-pump only, and toilets are vault style. This camp has few modern amenities, but is a good choice for those desiring a rustic camping experience. A boat launch and swimming beach give access to the lake, which offers fishing for panfish like bluegill, perch and crappie. This camp also has access to the Pickerel Lake Pathway trail system and nearby ORV trails.
A few miles east of Pickerel Lake Campground is Maple Bay State Forest Campground, located on the east side of Burt Lake. This camp has 38 rustic campsites, a swimming beach, boat launch, hiking and biking trails and access to ORV trails. Hand-pump water and vault toilets are provided.
Other State Parks
Young State Park is about 15 miles southwest of town and has 240 improved campsites with electricity and modern bathrooms, divided into three campgrounds. This 560-acre park is on the shore of Lake Charlevoix and has an excellent swimming beach, boat launch, concession area, playground, hiking and biking trails and picnic areas.
Fisherman's Island State Park is just south of Charlevoix, about 15 miles west of Petoskey. This campground is set up for rustic camping only, with some of its 81 campsites tucked in among the sand dunes on the Lake Michigan shore. Campsites are divided into two areas and have access to water and vault toilets. This large park of more than 2,600 acres has five miles of coast on the big lake. More than three miles of hiking trails wind through the park's woods and dunes.
Burt Lake State Park is about 12 miles east of Petoskey on the shore of Burt Lake. This park has more than 2,000 feet of shore on the lake, and has a swimming beach and boat launch, giving campers access to the Burt Lake Inland Waterway, a water route winding more than 38 miles through the complex of lakes in the area. One large campground with 308 improved campsites sits near the beach; a playground, camp store and picnic areas are nearby.
Whiting County Park
Whiting County Park is on Lake Charlevoix in Charlevoix County just south and west of Petoskey. The park has 58 campsites, 11 improved with electricity and RV hookups. Modern bathrooms and showers are provided along with a large swimming beach. This park has facilities for gatherings like family reunions, wedding receptions and large picnics.
Other Campgrounds in the Area
The Petoskey area has numerous privately owned campgrounds. Most of these are geared to RV campers and have fully improved campsites and modern amenities, but lack access to many of the large expanses of woods, dunes, meadows and beach available at the various public parks in the area. See the resources section for a link to a page listing all the campgrounds in the Petoskey area, with links to each.
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