Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground

Campground view of the Mackinac Bridge.

Mackinac Island as seen from the park.

I have been a camper my entire life. I have rolled into many a campground & rv park during that time. I have enjoyed the vast majority of them but to say I love a particular park, that doesn’t happen very often. Matter of fact, I can only say it about 2 parks. The first is Ocean Lakes in Myrtle Beach, SC & the second is right here, Mackinaw Mill Creek. They are as different from one another as night & day. The one thing they do have in common is they are both on the water but the similarity stops there.

There’s something about being near the water, hearing the gulls cry, smelling the aromatic scent of pine & camping among the white birch that speaks to my heart. Northern Michigan, how I love this state, this area.

Big rig 50 amp FHU sites. Suite Pea is 1st on right.

Campsites along the shoreline.

Tent sites in park interior.

A tent, pop-up or small trailer site just steps from the beach

   

This park has so much to offer for all age groups. There are 200 acres of campground. 750 sites that range from rustic to 50 amp full hookup (FHU) & 80 cabins to rent. Many of the sites & cabins are on the beautiful deep blue waters of Lake Huron with a gorgeous view of the majestic, mighty Mackinac Bridge. The remaining sites & cabins are tucked in amongst the trees. This is a great park for walking, jogging, & bicycling in, especially along the shoreline. There’s a sandy beach for swimming but you will need to walk a long way out before it becomes deep enough to do so. And, if a freshwater beach isn’t your cup of tea then there’s a pool next to the store/arcade. It’s open from 10 to 10 daily. The store has a variety of camping supplies, the best offering I’ve ever seen in a camp store. There’s the popular grocery items as well as beer & wine. Sandwiches, pizza & hand dipped ice cream can be had here too as well as the usual ice, campfire wood & newspapers. Rvers don’t need to leave the grounds to get their LP gas refilled either.

Store & Arcade

One of three playgrounds.

The beach with boat ramp in background.

The pool.

One of several clean bath houses.

Early morning walk.

Don & I noticed 3 well-appointed & well maintained playgrounds for the kiddies. On weekends & holidays the park has wagon rides or you can ride around the park in the back end of a vintage fire truck.

The majority of the trailer sites are a tad tight particularly for big rigs such as ours. They are doable however & there is natural screening between the sites to give the allure of privacy. This is the only thing that I would suggest improving on. The tenting spaces on the other hand were quite spacious.

We found all of the staff we had contact with to be courteous & helpful. Don had a situation arise back in Indiana while we were parked here that necessitated having papers overnighted to him for his signature. I inquired at the office if it would be a problem having the forms sent to the park. “No problem” was the answer, “Happens all the time.” The office even called us when the papers arrived.

Two more perks of this park is free wifi, which is good & discounted golfing. The Rogala family that owns & operates this campground also runs the 18 hole Mackinaw Club Golf Course. Campers can even get a free bucket of balls at the driving range.

Ferry shuttle.

As they say in the real estate business, location is everything. This is Mackinaw City after all. It’s where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron in the Straits of Mackinac. There are beaches, fishing, sailing, boating, even parasailing. There are scenic drives along boundless coastlines or through old growth forests. There’s the historic, working Mill Creek sawmill to visit at Mill Creek State Park & you can even zipline through the treetops while you’re there. Even more historic is Fort Michilimackinac nestled in the shadow of the Mighty Mac to explore  & at least 3 lighthouses nearby to photograph. Lastly, there is the enchanting & charming Mackinac Island to visit & step back into history on. Did I mention you can view the island from the campground? That it’s so visible one can clearly pick out the Grand Hotel & Fort Mackinac on it? Did I also mention that this park offers free shuttle service to & from the island ferries? Yep, & Mackinaw Mill Creek has 2 central locations within the park to catch a ride on the shuttle. The shuttles run all day, daily, & tow trailers behind them so campers can take their own bikes along with them to the island. The park gives discounts for ferry tickets. What a sweet deal!

A favorite lane to stroll.

Now as an aside to my daughters Kristi & Leslie, & to Don’s dear friend & coworker, Kristi J., this would be the perfect spot for a family vacation. Relaxing for the adults & the kiddies would love it.

Here’s lookin’ at you kid………………….