Bishop Lake Campground

We've found Michigan state park campgrounds to be generally pretty disappointing, but this one worked well for us. As usual there were no defined pads, no gravel, just bare dirt, and with no site separation campers tended to be on top of each other. I would never camp here without securing a site on the outer part of the loop; sites inside the loop have zero privacy and campers parked their rigs every which way, meaning there was no way to know how far away a neighbor might be.

There was also no enforcement of rules (like the limit on 2 vehicles per site) leading to a very crowded experience on weekends. However, it was much quieter and more pleasant during the week. What we liked: the bathhouse was modern and clean, with individual shower rooms, and the recreation area offers a variety of trails (both hiking and mountain biking) as well as water activities. The boat ramp area is set up well for small boats and personal watercraft like kayaks. The recreation area is close to Brighton, which offers plenty of restaurants and retail (Costco, Meijer, etc) and an easy drive to Ann Arbor. We were happy having this campground as a base to explore both Ann Arbor and the Henry Ford museums. We thought it a little weird that the most direct route to both Brighton and to US 23 were down a dirt road. When towing our trailer we used the north-south route to I96 to access the highways in lieu of towing on the unpaved roads.

Service on ATT was usable for streaming (30 Mbps down).

After picking up our RV rental in Ypsilanti (drove up from Ohio), we stopped here for a night to get settled in before heading up to Sleeping Bear dunes. We were able to book site 85 ahead of time. What a campsite! It’s one of the few pull-throughs in the park. Once set up, our door and windows faced the lake and woods around us. We had quite a bit of privacy for a fairly open campsite given how it’s situated. We also had a wide open view as if we had the whole park to ourselves. Hardware and groceries stores were close, making this a great launching point for our trip. We also had three bars of 5G (T-Mobile). We’ll definitely return on future RV future trips through Michigan.

I work in Brighton and love to stay at Bishop Lake for a work/vacation camping trip. Sites are decent size, and #86 has unobstructed lake view. Swimming in the lake in the lower campground is fine, but there is also a nice trail to the main swimming area. Bathrooms are clean. My only objection is the loud drunks around campfires after 10pm, had some real stinkers last trip (several people complained to staff the next day), and was told by Rangers to call the local police next time, as there is no enforcement in the evenings. It is only one of two state camping areas that keep restrooms and electricity on year round for the campsites (other is Mitchell), so great for those fall and early spring trips.

Nice electric only campground. Both upper and lower levels are fairly open with a few trees mixed in, so not a ton of privacy overall. We stayed in the upper loop which had more uneven grounds but mostly manageable. The lower loop was pretty flat and at lake level, but some areas seemed to get pretty muddy with some steady rains we had; upper loop fared a bit better. Bathrooms were newer, clean and well maintained with 6-8 private shower rooms each with outdoor access. The campground seems to get pretty packed for the weekends (Thurs-Sun) during the summer, but people were overall pretty respectful of the space. Good access to Brighton, Ann Arbor, and Detroit.

I camp with my four daughters and we all love it. There's something for everyone. Fun trails through the woods that lead to playgrounds and the beach. Take a bike ride, go fishing. Rent a boat or paddle board. Floating island for the kids. Hiking trails, mountain bike trails. The campground is not so big that you feel lost but not too small, and can accommodate our 35foot TT. It's been quiet at night. The bathhouse is typical for a SP. I enjoy the individual art tiles made into a wall. The lake is small, no wake, no houses. Many sites at the lower loop have great views. I prefer the upper loop and the sites that back up to the woods. To summarize, a great campground close to home. With a true feeling of getting away and into nature. Activities for all ages. Nice, neighborly campers.

We love camping at the Bishop Lake Campground during the off season. There are sandhill cranes that walk around eerily crowing, the campers are pretty spread out, and the bathroom is clean (and open year-round!). The lake isn't for swimming - fishing and kayaking only - but is beautiful to look at. The sites only offer electric with a shared central water pump. There is a dump site on the way out of the camp, however. The campground requires a recreation pass. In the off season, the office is run very sporadically, so it's likely you'll be checking in by envelope in the dark (bring a pen) and the small yellow phone box in front of the office. I've heard that the office is manned all the time during the season.

All the sites in the lower loop appear to be nice with grassy sites, a large metal fire ring, and a picnic table. There are fewer trees/more open sun in the lower loop, with more trees around the outside loop. There are no pull-through sites, but you can see the attached map to find which might be easiest for you to get into/out of. In the off season, you can often drive through adjacent spots to get to your own.

As a note, the Brighton Recreation Area is large and somewhat confusing. Make sure to use the address for Brighton Bishop Lake (Modern) Campground, and NOT Brighton Rec, or you're likely to end up at the wrong location. There are paved roads all the way to the campground, but there are many surrounding ROUGH dirt roads that can be less fun for rigs and cars alike.