Empire Township Campground

I almost don't want to give this place a great review because then more people will want to stay here and it will be harder for me to get a site! All kidding aside, we've stayed here several times over the 4th of July and LOVE it! It is quiet, away from the busy, tourist area yet so close you can easily drive to town, the dunes, hiking, etc. Yolanda, who manages the camp, is awesome, very organized and prompt about reservations (you have to email or call her office and she gets back to you pronto!). There are a few electric sites and they back up to a small airstrip, but we prefer the more primitive sites. The outhouses are newer and kept clean. And to top it all off, there are coin operated showers that are very reasonable.

Also, Yolanda sells ice and fire wood! I'd highly recommend this place if you're looking for a no frills, woodsy place to pitch your tent!!

My solar and electric went out and I needed a place to plug in for the night to charge my battery. All her electric sites were fully booked into next year but this wonderful lady found a place for me next to her office. She was so nice! I will definitely be back but I’ll make a reservation first!

The owner is very friendly and accommodating. When I called back in February to reserve a July 4th weekend spot, she let me know that she only had one primitive spot available but assured me we would be comfortable. The site is nestled in the pines, offering plenty of shade and the temperature was a pleasant 70.

The campground is close to Sleeping Bear Dunes (15 mins) and Traverse City (30 mins). We enjoyed traveling to the city for Cherry Festival and returning to a quiet campground.

It was a nice campground for our needs and I could see it being a great place for group camping. I work full time from the camper so I probably wouldn’t stay here again since the showers cost money, the restrooms are vault toilets, and there is no laundry. But again, this is a great campground for a weekend away.

We booked in February for a July family reunion. Yolanda is the manager and she was so helpful when booking. They were already mostly booked so she offered us 2 nights at her private spot and then 3 nights at another site. The day before we were due to arrive, she contacted us to confirm and said she was able to get us into one site for all 5 nights. We really appreciated all of her assistance to help us have a great stay.

The campground is very wooded with gravel roads. There is a shower house with 3 showers and flush toilet on opposite sides of the camp road near the office. The office will make change for you for quarters for the shower. I paid $1 for a 5 minute shower, which is plenty for me. I suggest bringing an extra towel for the floor when you step out of the shower. (The roads and sites have alot of sand on them given the location).

Our site was a fairly level wooded site with grass and gravel that was perfect for our teardrop camper. The electric hookup was in a good location on the site.

The campground is secluded and very quiet. There is an airport for small planes on the east side of the campground that was right behind the trees at the back of our site. We only heard one plane land on one morning during our Sunday night through Friday morning stay.

I definitely recommend this campground. It's close to Sleeping Bear Dunes -15 min and Frankfort beach- 25 minutes. Book early and enjoy!