TracyM

We stayed here this past October for a fall weekend trip with friends, we needed a campground with cabins and full hook up and this place fit that bill. We called to book in late August and were told that we had the best sites in the campground with a wonderful view. We were placed in the new area, which was essentially an over flow area that in perhaps 10 years of tree growth, might be nice. We can't blame the campground hosts, they can't control the weather but we had lots of mud. Parking to check in was essentially no existent. Check in went smoothly, everyone was nice to me though my fellow campers in our group had a different experience. I did have to use the public bathroom after we were hooked up to leave, it had quite a bit of mold in it and was used for those staying in the cabins. The camp sites in the more established area were okay, very tight and the long term/storage campers were run down. I do understand people can't always spend money on their camper but if your going to use it as a cottage, at least attempt to not make it look like a dump. Playground areas were plentiful and the dog run areas were nice, especially that there were two of them. Unless we were on our way some place and needed a pit stop, we would not stay here again.

Great visit. Park was maybe 1/2 full, the park stopped taking new reservations a couple of weeks ago due to limited staff. This was our first time camping at Groveland Oaks in a camper, previously we rented a cabin. Since we had full hook up, we did not need to use the public bathrooms though are friends commented that they were very clean.

We didn’t think we would like our site, #17 but found that it was on the larger side and a bit more private. Most of the sites had ample space in between though are friends site, #10 seemed a little closer to their neighbors (they were on the inside of the ring).

We have been camping during the week while my sons have been in school and husband worked. We were under the impression, mistakenly that this park offered WiFi. Well, not exactly. There is a hotspot near the restaurant but it doesn’t work. Thankfully we had our Verizon hotspot.

Nothing was open in the park with regards to boats, arcade, putt putt, etc. but it did not take away from our entertainment. Evening campfires, long walks, basketball, playing on the playground and biking.

First time to visit, looking forward to coming back during the summer months. We camped with friends to see the fall colors , all were booked on full hook up sites with a view of the lake. Sites were tidy and minus the rain, set up went quick. No one was present to check us in, so we did the self checkin via the phone at the ranger station.

Only one half of the campground was open due to the time of year but that still left many sites available. Bathrooms were clean, stopped in a couple of times during walks.

Took two hikes at Marl lake, loved it’s proximity to the campground. Having sites with a view of the lake but not directly on allowed for walking down to the mini beaches to watch the sunrise or do a little star gazing without going onto someone’s site.

Part of one of our walks through the park took us to the actual beach, boat launch and camp store (closed for the season).

The sites were decently spaced, had lots of room to park our truck without the site feeling cramped. We didn’t have any tree coverage, those sites were further from the lake.

No on site WiFi from the campground, our phones had very limited service in the park but our Verizon hotspot was excellent with 4g lte 3 bars.

We arrived on Labor Day hoping to avoid crowds leaving the campground and we did. Check-in was very smooth, positioning the camper was interesting. We had a pull-through site, which by pulling through on the one-way road, left us with the front of our camper pointing the wrong way. Easily fixed but a bit of a time-waster. The sites are close together but we did not feel crowded as our site was a bit bigger and the other campers were positioned in a way to give privacy. We really loved the campground and do plan on trying to make reservations next summer. Unfortunately, we had a bit of rain, but sometimes that is just how it goes. Everything was very clean, friendly staff, and the proximity to Pentwater is fantastic.

For the negatives, the camper pad could have been just a bit wider. To leave our camper and to get to the road or our truck, we did have to walk through the sand. Not a huge deal, but a few more inches would have been nice. I was not expecting wi-fi at the park, and there was a note that the wi-fi had been shut down due to budget costs. We did have our hot spots to use. Fruit flies..crazy issue. Never run into that issue before camping. When we go back, I will have something to catch them outside before they enter the camper.

Loved the water hose for filling the tank, very handy. Had an excellent time walking the trail, the stairs were a surprise but a good one. For our phones and hot spot, the strongest single we consistently got was 2 bars. An occasional 3, and sometimes 1 but for the most part 2 bars on Verizon.