Wayne County Fairgrounds RV Park

Seems to be a lot of prolonged duration guests but otherwise many available sites at this fairground. Even with witnessing a couple arguments between couples in the area, it felt oddly cozy and safe the entire time we stayed.

Dumpsters are laid out at great distances so it’s a bit of a walk (same for bathrooms) but not terrible. Dog walk/park is hidden in the back left corner and had a bit of fence deformed but otherwise was suitable for our dogs to run about and get some exercise. Staff was accommodating and very helpful (be sure to have proof of dog vaccinations as well).

Sites have electricity and water on back middle where you back into them (hopefully not fully into them where you could cause some damage if not careful). Okay-ish space allotted around site but did feel a bit cozy/cramped. Didn’t use firepit but the grass gets moist in the evening hours (during the summer) and stays that way until just before noon. Bathrooms were a tad dirty but we’re acceptable. Lotta open sky for those that use starlink. We got good speeds during our stay even with a couple other RVs using starlink as well.

Good proximity to Henry Ford Museum and Rouge Facility (would highly recommend the tour there). Also not far from Walmart, Starbucks, Cracker Barrel, and other amenities if you need to pick up some extras.

We stayed here for a week. We picked this campground because of its proximity to the Detroit Metro airport and to some relatives. The fairgrounds are located about a half-mile north of I-94. Regardless of what your GPS might say, take the entrance to the fairgrounds with the sign: the other roads into the campground are usually shut with gates. That road will take you right to the office.

There are two sections to the campground. The larger section starts just past the office, and consists of three rows of sites: a row of back-to-back back-in water and electric sites, a row of pull-through sites (some FHU, some W/E), and a row of deep back-to-back back-in FHU sites suitable for longer rigs. The other section of campsites consists of two rows of pull-through sites at the back of the fairgrounds.

All of the sites have grass pads and grass yards. The hard-packed soil and gravel roads between sites are wide and there are no trees in or along the rows, so it's easy to maneuver into your site. The electric and water hookups for the back-in sites are located at the back (the sewer connections are further forward), and each post has the connections for two sites. The pull-through sites are also set up to share power and water connections, so RVs sharing a power pole are pointed in opposite directions. We were in site 42, in one of the deeper back-in sites, and had plenty of room to park our 21-foot truck in front of our 37-foot fifth wheel. Some sites had fire rings and picnic tables, while others (like ours) did not. But I saw a staff member deliver a picnic table to a site using a tractor, so they're available upon request.

Since this is a fairground, there's not a lot In terms of amenities, but the office does sell firewood and propane refills. On the east end of the larger camping section is the dump station and a bathhouse with a very small laundry room. You have to get a special debit card from the office to operate the machines, but they promise to refund any money you don't use on the card. There is a large gravel parking lot on the west end of the campground behind the office, where you could potentially park your RV if you arrive before check-in time. You're allowed to receive visitors (no visitor check-in required) as long as they don't stay overnight.

There is one huge dog park in the northwest corner of the fairgrounds (near the larger section of campsites). It has picnic tables for seating, a trash can for disposing of poop bags, and some trees for shade, but it has no lighting for late-night walks and has a single entrance gate. When the dog park is busy, you can walk your dog in the grass along the outskirts of the campground: the rules say you are not allowed to walk dogs within the camping area itself. On the other hand, the rules also say that quiet hours start at 10pm, but the first night of our stay campers associated with the rodeo event hosted by the fairgrounds played their music until well after midnight.

In terms of cell service, the best speed I got on my Verizon Jetpack with MIMO antenna was 48 Mbps down and 14 up, and we had no trouble streaming video. The best speed test I ran on my 5G AT&T smartphone showed 65 Mbps down and 3 up.

We would stay here again if we were in the area.

This is our second time here so we knew it was a convenient location for seeing Detroit and the Ford Museum complex. The back-in sites have more space between them than the pull-throughs, but not by much. Grass sites with dirt interior roads. Able to get level. Satellite connected easily. Utilities included 50 amp and all worked fine. Quiet at night but bright lights. Nice neighborhood and close to eateries and services. Their WiFi is adequate for email and basic surfing. Bayou Grill and Twisted Rooster for tasty lunch and dinner nearby. Easy drive to see the sights.

Made my reservations several weeks in advance because needed the guarantee that we’d find something reasonably close to family (for a family event) Found out at that time that Michigan (according to the fairgrounds) requires STRICT compliance with rabies law for animals, including our two cats that never leave the motorhome. So...delayed our trip a couple of days to get into the vet. $178 bucks (Exam & booster shot x 2 cats) later, I have proof of updated rabies certificate safely filed in our motorhome. Got an email Reservation confirmation a couple of days after making it with a message line included that said (bolded) “Per the State of Michigan: Rabies certification is required for ALL animals, upon check in.”

So upon our arrival, and because of the“No masks, No service” sign on the door, I entered with my mask. Went through all of the check in. Paying the remainder (after my pre-paid deposit made at time of reservation) and getting map directions, WiFi code, etc. but NOONE asks for the rabies certificate.

I finally can’t stand it anymore and ask if anyone wants to see it. The two clerks both say, what kind of pet? I say 2 cats. They say, “ oh well, if it’s for cats, then we really don’t need to see it”

WTH??!! So I say “Wow! Delayed my trip & spent $178 bucks for something that in 20 years of RV-ing, no one has EVER required before

So then , they say “ok, here, I’ll look at it if it’ll make you happy”.

Beyond that episode, it was quiet. Full hook ups which we took full advantage running our A/C pretty much full time so our cats didn’t die.

I didn’t use the laundry facility because they require you purchase a laundry card (with your loads & dryer time pre-paid) and also including a refundable $5 deposit on the card. It is only one washer & one dryer in a tiny non air conditioned building. I chose to go to the laundry mat up the highway. Paid more but got it all done in an hour.

10/29/2019 - Basic functional camping 20 minutes from Detroit. Only thing around here this time of year, and this one closed 11/3 for the season. Grassy sites, we had full hookups. Some rain and it was sloppy, but not too bad. Fire ring and picnic table. Easy access from highway. Grocery stores and other services nearby. Willow Run a few miles away.

We stayed here for 5 days while exploring Detroit. This is a typical, no frills fairgrounds campground. The sites are fairly tight, but this was the closest campground we could find to downtown Detroit. Took us around 35 minutes to get into town. Sites are level grass. We opted for just the water/electric site, but full hookup sites were also available. The full hookup area was much more crowded than the water/electric site rows, so I'd recommend water/electric if you can swing it.

Verizon 3 bars LTE - 16mbps up / 7mbps down