Wilderness State Park Campground

The sites are extremely small. On our second morning I was awoken by the snores of the man in the site behind us. I wanted to be mad at him because his tent was under our back window, but that was exactly where the state of Michigan thought a tent should go.
Our set up is fairly long, but not totally unheard of. The truck is a crew cab with a long bed and our trailer is 30 feet plus tongue & bumper. There was no way we could have parked if the site across from us was occupied. Of course when we were leaving the site was occupied - total nightmare!! Everyone parks their truck beside the road because the site isn’t big enough for it besides the trailer. This creates a horribly unsafe situation for all involved (kids, campers, drivers) when you try to pull a trailer through the campground.
The site cost about $50 and provided electricity - no water or sewer.
Save your money and a headache and just go to a less developed National Forest campground.

PROS

Good basecamp for exploring Mackinaw Island area
Extremely quite during a weekend
Most campers were respectful of dark sky conditions
Site 205 level gravel parking pad surrounded by sparse grass and sand with some views of Lake Michigan
Not held to 3pm check-in
Large metal and concrete fire ring
Moveable wood and metal picnic table

CONS

No senior or veteran discount
$8 transaction fee to make on-line reservations
Half mile hike to shower/toilet facility from campground 201-218
Signage states PETS prohibited on beach but all you see are dog tracks in the wet sand and people with their dogs
Never saw any ranger patrolling campground
TMOBILE 1 bar LTE

Late fall and only the Pines Campground was open. Water was turned off to modern facilities. Sanitation station was closed for the season, but potable water was available at the park office and dump was available at the check in station. Couple of weeks to the park being closed for the season, the campground was quiet and shared mostly by a few hunters there for opening of deer season. Mild sunny weather provided a peaceful stay.
Day use fee is not included with the camping fee.

East & west Lakeshore loops are newly redone. Quite nice. Plenty of concrete ADA sites for those that need them. Most sites can see Lake Michigan from them. Constant breeze from lake. Has been pretty quiet. Be aware that MI DNR are being jerky and charging more for weekends. Only a few bucks, but still.. Also be aware that this park is VERY STRICT about the 3pm check in. VERY. Can't imagine why you can't check in earlier if your site is empty, but that's how they play. Makes for a big inrush of vehicles at 3pm. Never been to a MI state park that's this strict on check in time.

New rebuild added a three lane dump station with dumpster area, and for those with totes, at each loop's dumpster station, there's a dump there too with rinse water. (Again, NOT for RVs, just black waste totes.). Restrooms/showers were also updated. Clean, nice.

T-Mobile was like a dial-up modem here, .68Mbps down.

NO playground for kids. Very decent beach along both loops with enough access paths.

Note that the Pines loop was not updated. All sites there are asphalt pad with mainly dirt. It's *very* wooded, and a bit of a walk to the East/West loops and beach access. No water views from here. If you want a more rustic feeling, Pines is for you.

As with most MI state Parks, sites are electric only. There *is* a small loop that's full hookup, but we found it very underwhelming. We recommend Wilderness.

No real shopping nearby, and you have the very touristy (and overpriced) Mackinaw City a drive away with only a small grocery store. About 4 miles from the park is the "town" of Cecil, with a convenience store that sells firewood at a reasonable price.

Check out McGulpin Lighthouse. Not far, and vastly cheaper and quieter than the Mack City lighthouse.

In early October we camped at Wilderness State Park Campground in the West Shore Loop next to the beach. Level site with 30 amp hookup, picnic table, fire ring, and great views of the ships passing through the Straights of Mackinac. Our cost per night was $38.00 with our Michigan State Parks Pass. Restrooms were new and very clean with hot showers. Water was available in the loop and the trash receptacles were located at the loop entrance. The sites are a little closer than we prefer, but the closeup views of the water were magnificent. The warm campfires and the sounds of the crashing waves made for a very pleasant evening. Mackinaw City is a short drive away with so many historic sites to visit, and great restaurants as well. This campground is definitely worth returning to again.

We've been here once before; one of our favorites. We were right on the Lake Michigan shore and could see freighters in the distance headed for the straights. 30a and 20a hookup only . Our site #448 was almost level. Mackinac City is close by with lots to do. Bare necessities and firewood at a near-by "general store". There's a boat launch near-by. The CG is going through a renovation which didn't affect us, but might mean it'll be even better when we return.

We walked about 15 miles on various trails to earn the local GPS geocache trail award. Was a great time doing that. The campground spots are tight but manageable if you have a 25 foot long travel trailer. Electric only, which is expected at most state parks (given managing frozen water pipes is impossible). Take advantage of being close to Macanaw City for ferry service and to see the bridge. Had some kind of electric power problems in our showers, so we had to go to a different section for showers. try to take advantage of the DARK SKY designation at this place to watch the stars off the shoreline at night. They also have a nice used book and toys shed if you want to borrow something for yourself or the kids. Neighbors had fires in almost every spot, which of course is choking cold smoke everywhere (people just don't know how to do smokeless hot fires); and being close packed makes it difficult for anyone with asthma or allergies. Good luck, and pray for wind. -- Note as with all state parks you need the RECREATION PASSPORT sticker which is $33 for out of state per year ($9 for single use) and well worth the cost to support state parks.