The best river, stream, or creek RV campgrounds near Manistee, Michigan

Welcome to Hipcamp, your go-to destination for finding the perfect camping experience. If you're looking for an RV camping trip near Manistee, Michigan with access to a river, we've got you covered with over 1180 options to choose from. Our top campsites, such as Camp Moonshadow (246 reviews), Lynx Run Wilderness Retreat (236 reviews), and House of Bear (179 reviews), offer popular amenities like toilets, campfires, and potable water. You can also enjoy popular activities such as whitewater paddling, snow sports, and wind sports. With an average price per night of $35 and options as low as $15, we guarantee you'll find the perfect RV camping spot for your next adventure.

98% (978)

Top-rated campgrounds

Welcome to Hipcamp, your go-to destination for finding the perfect camping experience. If you're looking for an RV camping trip near Manistee, Michigan with access to a river, we've got you covered with over 1180 options to choose from. Our top campsites, such as Camp Moonshadow (246 reviews), Lynx Run Wilderness Retreat (236 reviews), and House of Bear (179 reviews), offer popular amenities like toilets, campfires, and potable water. You can also enjoy popular activities such as whitewater paddling, snow sports, and wind sports. With an average price per night of $35 and options as low as $15, we guarantee you'll find the perfect RV camping spot for your next adventure.

98% (978)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. Air & Sun Acres

100%

(29)

45mi from Manistee · 5 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Leroy, MI

Tucked back in the woods of North Western Michigan. A turn down a two-track driveway takes you into a simpler world. Conveniently located, our cabins are rustic, beautiful, and timeless. Enjoy the solitude and peace not far from local amenities. We live here on the land and strive to share its beauty with you. Need some more room to spread out? Interested in hosting a retreat? We share our land and scenic walking trails with neighbors MorningStar Adventures. They offer additional cabins within walking distance for larger groups seeking connection with the land. Learn more about this land: As an Eco-spiritual retreat center, we encourage our guests to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Walk the trails or labyrinth on our 35 acres or those on the neighboring 90 acres. We share the opportunities to wander with our friends to the south for a seamless experience for our guest and theirs. A second larger labyrinth, medicine wheel and wailing wall are also on the property to the south. Overall 125 acres of woods, creek, gardens and places to wander await you. The Fred Meijer White Pine Linear State Park is only a few steps away an is a paved path way of over 90 miles stretching from Grand Rapids to Cadillac. Plan a bike excursion and stay here half way! No hunting or fireworks iallowed on the property.

2. House of Bear

100%

(319)

41mi from Manistee · 5 sites · Tents, RVs · Grawn, MI

The House of Bear is located on a spectacular 97-acre, fourth generation working Tree farm in Northern Michigan’s Grand Traverse County. Stunning Northern Michigan wildlife with creeks and an old natural beaver pond, what a wonderful place to relax, and soak in the surroundings. Step out of the hectic stress of the everyday and take a moment at one of the many areas to soak up what you have disconnected from. Feel the wind across your skin, the Earth beneath your feet and the Sun shining down. Hear the birds singing, the trees swaying in the wind and what animal was that? See the deer frolicking, birds flying, trees growing and how nature all comes together. Smell the Earth, the Pine from the trees and the wild flowers. Take some time and wonder, lose yourself in Nature and get refreshed. Natural Rustic Camping, wake up to a beautiful sunrise, listen to the birds singing away, with the chance of seeing any of Northern Michigan’s awesome wildlife. Sunsets are spectacular with so many different colors, and on a Clear night look up at the stars without the lights of a big city.

3. Sportsman's Port Wellston PineRiver

100%

(168)

27mi from Manistee · 49 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Wellston, MI

Gearing up for our 5th season as the new owners of The Sportsman's Port. We have made many updates and will continue to do so. We take pride in a clean bath house, and want everyone to have a great time at our campground. Sometimes it's crazy booked up and other times it may just be you. Feel free to ask any questions you may have and we will answer them as soon as we can. We look forward to meeting lots of new faces and hopefully starting family traditions for you and yours. We have spacious sites that are all different shapes and sizes. Depending on the site it may have 20/30/50 amp service depending on the site. There are currently only three that have 50 amp service. Also some sites have a septic hookup. Water fill station is located near the bathhouse. There is a private dump station also available for use just ask.

4. The Ramblin Ranch

44mi from Manistee · 2 sites · Tents, RVs · New Era, MI

Come see our hobby farm with young growth forests for excellent wildlife spotting. Wake up with deer and turkeys walking around the food plots or take a stroll down to our creek to watch the Salmon and steelhead run for the spawn. You are truly part of nature on this unique property nestled in the heart of Oceana County. Only 15 minutes from White river, Silver Lake Sand Dunes, trailhead for ORV’s or 10,000’s of acres of Manistee National Forests.

5. Up North Rivers Camping

98%

(102)

10mi from Manistee · 11 sites · Tents, RVs · Manistee, MI

We have 20 Acres of rolling hills, mostly forested, nestled on the banks of a flowing creek, we are also a dahlia flower farm; in the summer there are hundreds of dahlias blooming, along with many other flowers. If you have a special occasion, that calls for fresh flowers, be sure to let us know (we also offer tours). Our setting is quiet, private and scenic. We occasionally see the Aurora Borealis right from our house. We are located in beautiful Manistee, Michigan where outdoor adventures abound!! Manistee is a peaceful, quaint Northern Michigan town with shopping, antiquing, fine dining and a River Walk. We are minutes from award winning fishing spots on the Big Manistee, Little Manistee, Bear Creek Trout Streams and the Platte River. There are many opportunities to canoe, kayak and paddle board. We are 10 minutes from the Lake Michigan shore, and many beaches are close by. You have a choice of gorgeous sand beaches with picturesque dunes, and rocky beaches for those looking for fossils, agates, beach glass & beautiful beach stones. We are within an hour of Sleeping Bear Dunes with award winning hiking. Traverse City is 40 minutes away with many activities, especially the Cherry Festival. This area is known for live music venues, and lots of weekend art festivals. Manistee is also home to the Little River Casino. We have firepits at each campsite, dry firewood is available to purchase, feel free to pay by cash, Venmo or CashApp, cost is $15.00 a wheelbarrow and can be found by the wood burning stove under shelter. Fresh flowers bouquets are available to purchase seasonally at our Floral Stand & Market. We have local NON GMO Pasture raised eggs $5 a dozen, Sourdough Bread $10, organically grown garlic, peaches, scones & fishing lures & our Guest Book! An outhouse is available for use and is supplied with toilet paper & hand sanitizer. There is a garbage can and recycling bin near the outhouse. We installed a water hydrant close to the flower bed near the wood pile so you can get potable water to bring back to your site, or hose off with on the spot. A scenic small creek runs by many of the campsites. We live on the property and are here to answer your questions. Feel free to text us. We hope you enjoy your stay!! Dean and Jackie

6. Secluded River Ridge Campsite

97%

(38)

23mi from Manistee · 1 site · Tent, RV · Thompsonville, MI

5 private acres on the Betsie River. 3 miles to Crystal Mountain. You can walk through the woods to get to the river. Fish from shore or find several spots to get into the river to fish. Close to Iron Fish Distillery. 20 minutes to many Lake Michigan beaches. There is a flat yard for tents and a gravel pad for an RV. 30 amp electrical hookup and water spigot available. You have the spot to yourself. You can see a family cottage through the woods, but it is about 80 yds away.

7. Platte River Playgound

33mi from Manistee · 1 site · Tent, RV · Honor, MI

Nestled around state land and on the Platte River, this space provides two 1959 campers, and all of the set up to make a rustic and enjoyable camp. We have a nice dock on the river with a space to swim, a fire pit and hammock area, a clean and well lit port-a-john. You can make a canoeiing all the way out to Lake Michigan through the Sleeping Bear National Park. There is also beautiful wilderness canoeing up stream. We are located 2 miles from downtown Honor and have an abundance of hiking trails and pristine Lakeshore just 7 miles from the property. This is our little piece of heaven and we are looking forward to sharing it with you.

Camper favorites near Manistee

Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.

The Ramblin Ranch

44mi from Manistee · 2 sites · Tents, RVs · New Era, MI

Come see our hobby farm with young growth forests for excellent wildlife spotting. Wake up with deer and turkeys walking around the food plots or take a stroll down to our creek to watch the Salmon and steelhead run for the spawn. You are truly part of nature on this unique property nestled in the heart of Oceana County. Only 15 minutes from White river, Silver Lake Sand Dunes, trailhead for ORV’s or 10,000’s of acres of Manistee National Forests.

Up North Rivers Camping

98%

(102)

10mi from Manistee · 11 sites · Tents, RVs · Manistee, MI

We have 20 Acres of rolling hills, mostly forested, nestled on the banks of a flowing creek, we are also a dahlia flower farm; in the summer there are hundreds of dahlias blooming, along with many other flowers. If you have a special occasion, that calls for fresh flowers, be sure to let us know (we also offer tours). Our setting is quiet, private and scenic. We occasionally see the Aurora Borealis right from our house. We are located in beautiful Manistee, Michigan where outdoor adventures abound!! Manistee is a peaceful, quaint Northern Michigan town with shopping, antiquing, fine dining and a River Walk. We are minutes from award winning fishing spots on the Big Manistee, Little Manistee, Bear Creek Trout Streams and the Platte River. There are many opportunities to canoe, kayak and paddle board. We are 10 minutes from the Lake Michigan shore, and many beaches are close by. You have a choice of gorgeous sand beaches with picturesque dunes, and rocky beaches for those looking for fossils, agates, beach glass & beautiful beach stones. We are within an hour of Sleeping Bear Dunes with award winning hiking. Traverse City is 40 minutes away with many activities, especially the Cherry Festival. This area is known for live music venues, and lots of weekend art festivals. Manistee is also home to the Little River Casino. We have firepits at each campsite, dry firewood is available to purchase, feel free to pay by cash, Venmo or CashApp, cost is $15.00 a wheelbarrow and can be found by the wood burning stove under shelter. Fresh flowers bouquets are available to purchase seasonally at our Floral Stand & Market. We have local NON GMO Pasture raised eggs $5 a dozen, Sourdough Bread $10, organically grown garlic, peaches, scones & fishing lures & our Guest Book! An outhouse is available for use and is supplied with toilet paper & hand sanitizer. There is a garbage can and recycling bin near the outhouse. We installed a water hydrant close to the flower bed near the wood pile so you can get potable water to bring back to your site, or hose off with on the spot. A scenic small creek runs by many of the campsites. We live on the property and are here to answer your questions. Feel free to text us. We hope you enjoy your stay!! Dean and Jackie

Secluded River Ridge Campsite

97%

(38)

23mi from Manistee · 1 site · Tent, RV · Thompsonville, MI

5 private acres on the Betsie River. 3 miles to Crystal Mountain. You can walk through the woods to get to the river. Fish from shore or find several spots to get into the river to fish. Close to Iron Fish Distillery. 20 minutes to many Lake Michigan beaches. There is a flat yard for tents and a gravel pad for an RV. 30 amp electrical hookup and water spigot available. You have the spot to yourself. You can see a family cottage through the woods, but it is about 80 yds away.

Platte River Playgound

33mi from Manistee · 1 site · Tent, RV · Honor, MI

Nestled around state land and on the Platte River, this space provides two 1959 campers, and all of the set up to make a rustic and enjoyable camp. We have a nice dock on the river with a space to swim, a fire pit and hammock area, a clean and well lit port-a-john. You can make a canoeiing all the way out to Lake Michigan through the Sleeping Bear National Park. There is also beautiful wilderness canoeing up stream. We are located 2 miles from downtown Honor and have an abundance of hiking trails and pristine Lakeshore just 7 miles from the property. This is our little piece of heaven and we are looking forward to sharing it with you.

Public campgrounds near Manistee

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(1)

Marzinski Horse Trail Campground

8.3mi from Manistee · 21 sites · Tents, RVs · in Huron-Manistee National Forests

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(12)

Lake Michigan Recreation Area

9.2mi from Manistee · 51 sites · Tents, RVs · in Huron-Manistee National Forests

Blacksmith Bayou Access Site

15mi from Manistee · 6 sites · Tents, RVs · in Huron-Manistee National Forests

Pine Lake Campground

16mi from Manistee · 12 sites · Tents, RVs · in Huron-Manistee National Forests

Bear Track Campground

16mi from Manistee · 20 sites · Tents, RVs · in Huron-Manistee National Forests

Sawdust Hole River Access

19mi from Manistee · 8 sites · Tents, RVs · in Huron-Manistee National Forests

Sand Lake Campground

20mi from Manistee · 44 sites · Tents, RVs · in Huron-Manistee National Forests

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(1)

Government Landing

22mi from Manistee · 3 sites · Tents, RVs · in Huron-Manistee National Forests

Red Bridge River Access Site

23mi from Manistee · 4 sites · Tents, RVs · in Huron-Manistee National Forests

Whelan Lake Area

25mi from Manistee · 6 sites · Tents, RVs · in Huron-Manistee National Forests

Sulak Campground

25mi from Manistee · 12 sites · Tents, RVs · in Huron-Manistee National Forests

Timber Creek Campground

26mi from Manistee · 9 sites · Tents, RVs · in Huron-Manistee National Forests

Stories from the community

K

Kaden

October 2025

Tent

1 night at Secluded River Ridge Campsite

It had a very pretty, open area for tents and vehicles, very close to river, and the host was very responsive. Good fishing opportunities and a nice fire ring/ grill and outhouse. And it felt secluded! I will definitely come again!

S

Sandra

October 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Sportsman's Port Wellston PineRiver

Great little campground, nothing fancy but everything was clean and well kept. The host was great and went above and beyond to make our stay perfect. Checked in with us to make sure everything was going good. Definitely planning to go back.

S

Sophie

September 2025

30 ft travel trailer

2 nights at Secluded River Ridge Campsite

What an excellent location to stay and get some nature time. It's private and serene. Randy is an amazing host, responds and accommodates quickly! We would love to come back and stay.

m

matt

September 2025

16 ft car

2 nights at Sportsman's Port Wellston PineRiver

The site were clean and the campgrounds setup was done well.

site #15, 20 and 30 amp plugins are shown in the right of the picture. They are shared with site #14. septic hookup is near the trees to the left of the electrical box. Water fill station near the bathhouse.

Cassie

September 2025

32 ft travel trailer

With pets

3 nights at Sportsman's Port Wellston PineRiver

My husband and I rented a site here for our anniversary and we had a great time! The owner was very welcoming and super chill! The showers and restrooms are very clean and smelt good. We will bring our kids here too since there’s an open area with things for kids to do and places for parents to hang out! We came up to ride the trails and there are plenty of spots to start that fun! Thank you, Thomas for being a great host! I’m sure we will be back.

Carrie

September 2025

22 ft travel trailer

With pets

Weekend Trip to Secluded River Ridge Campsite

Randy's spot on the Betsie River was truly perfect. It was a great, quiet place in the woods with plenty of open space for a camper, tent, and yard games. We really appreciated that the open space was grass and not sand or dirt like many camp spots end up being. Randy was incredibly helpful when a small problem came up and took the time to make sure everything was 100% perfect. We would highly recommend this space and would love to come back next year.

J

John

September 2025

Tent

With pets

1 night at Secluded River Ridge Campsite

Great site for a wide array of campers. Private with plenty to explore. You are very much in a secluded little bowl of a clearing.

We had plenty of space and tree cover to park and pitch a tent!

Sophia

September 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to House of Bear

We had a great time on Bear’s site. The land was beautiful and peaceful, and Bear was extremely welcoming and friendly. We would definitely go back again.

B

Brenda

September 2025

24 ft travel trailer

With pets

Weekend Trip to Secluded River Ridge Campsite

The sight is amazing with a large grassy area, nice fire pit, and is private. We enjoyed our stay and Randy was quick to respond to our question. We stayed in a travel trailer and it was an easy time leveling and setting up. The river is not visible from the campsite or very easy to access. However, there is a spot to fish or put in close by.

S

Shauna

September 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Up North Rivers Camping

My partner and I tent camped at the Fairway Pilot lot on Dean and Jackie's land and had the most beautiful experience! We booked the site at 11am the day we planned to show up and got there around 4pm. We were directly next to the bridge which connected to walking trails through the woods and had a creek at the back side of our site. The fire ring was large and allowed for amazing fire cooked meals, and the outhouse was a short walk away-always lit at night and easy to find. We purchased a wheelbarrow of firewood and collected some fallen sticks in the woods to use in the morning and nights. It was late summer and they had flowers blooming in the garden-just stunning! The entrance to the property was easy to find and marked by pink flags, and we were greeted by Dean and his friend as we arrived. They had a cute self service market at the front with fresh cut flower bouquets, sourdough loaves and scones, hand made gifts and fresh eggs (which we stopped at on the way out). The property is 10 minutes from downtown Manistee-close enough to get what you need/explore the town but far enough away to have beautiful starry skies and quiet time without the state park hassle. Was such a great experience, and would definitely come back! 10/10!

Brittany

September 2025

Tent

1 night at Air & Sun Acres

Krista's hospitality helped make my trip much more enjoyable and accessible. Her providing the amenities of the outhouse, firewood, and water were greatly appreciated. Great little spot to camp.

Jessica

August 2025

20 ft travel trailer

Weekend Trip to Sportsman's Port Wellston PineRiver

Nice campground! Clean bathrooms and nice campsites. Would stay here again.

S

Sarah

August 2025

Tent

With kids

Weekend Trip to Sportsman's Port Wellston PineRiver

Fantastic little campground! My family and I had a wonderful time. The site we stayed at was super private and spacious and they had everything we needed. 5 stars for the family that ran it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, they were the best hosts.

A

Ally

August 2025

Tent

Group trip

Weekend Trip to House of Bear

We really liked how wide open the spaces were here! Bear was a very nice host and also provided our site with a bucket of water for putting out our fires at the end of the night.

A

Ami

August 2025

Tent

With kids

Weekend Trip to House of Bear

What a great spot to camp and explore Northern Michigan! It was nice to have the ability to choose from a few different sites since Bear has about 11 but only hosts 4 reservations at a time. Also allows for peace and quiet. We definitely will be coming back!

B

Bram

August 2025

12 ft pop-up camper

With pets

4 nights at Secluded River Ridge Campsite

We really enjoyed our trip on Randy's land. Beautiful spot. Quiet, private. Water and electrical were a great addition. It was hot and humid so we were able to run our campers air conditioning. Our dogs had plenty of open space to enjoy. Short walk to the river and caught a couple trout. I would definitely recommend.

S

Sean

August 2025

30 ft travel trailer

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Secluded River Ridge Campsite

We had a great stay here on Randy’s site. He was very prompt in responding to messages regarding any questions we had. Site is very secluded with a nice large pit (and grate) for cooking. There are also nice size bundles of wood for sale on site. We will definitely be back!!

Stassia

August 2025

Tent

Group trip

4 nights at House of Bear

We really enjoyed our time at Bears property. It was very clean and Bear was a great host! We especially appreciated the clean, sturdy picnic tables and the well maintained fire pit. We also really enjoyed the cranes that flew over in the evening, the bats and the coyote serenade. Would definitely recommend!

E

Elaina

August 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Up North Rivers Camping

Dean and Jackies property was cute and suited our needs well for a single night of camping near our car! The campsites are all marked with nice little name cards and easy to locate. We didnt meet Jackie but Dean was very nice/knowledgeable about the area and seemed so ecstatic to share the property with us. I would note that most of the cites are quite close together, so if you’re looking for maximum seclusion/privacy this probably isnt the spot for you. There was a larger group of college aged students there the same time as us who were a little loud (nothing crazy, but some noise), and their car headlights were right in our campground so any time they got something from their car at night it illuminated us/our tent. Nothing Dean and Jackie could have done about it, but something to be aware of when booking. Overall we had a very nice time and the flower garden was a lovely addition to our stay.

Kyle

August 2025

19 ft campervan

With kids

4 nights at Secluded River Ridge Campsite

This site is great! The gravel pad was pretty level and having electricity AND water out In a secluded area is wonderful. There is the owners cottage through the woods, but the site is still quite secluded. The river is down the hill and the access has a somewhat clear area. The host was quick to help out when we had a minor issue. Would highly recommend!