There are no Mackinac Island camping options that permit you to overnight on the island. The closest campgrounds are found in Mackinaw City where you can access ferries that will take you over to enjoy the island.

Tee Pee Campground

Tee Pee Campground is a privately owned campground 1 mile outside of Mackinaw City Michigan. It is relatively small but does have:

• 100 sites, some are serviced with both electricity and water.
• There is a dump station.
• All sites have fire pits.
• Pets are allowed.

Site Review:

1. We stayed here when we visited the area. As is the case with most private campgrounds, the sites are tight. Though having said that, I have seen worse.
2. We had site 26. It was fairly level and was probably fairly typical size-wise. Sites #1- #27 all back up against a forested area.
3. There is a small, but clean beach right on the lake suitable for swimming, or for launching kayaks. From the beach, you have a nice view of Mackinac Island and of the Mackinac Bridge.
4. There is a small camp store.
5. There is a playground.
6. Access to the North Central State Trail (For biking/Hiking)
7. Tee Pee Campground has no extra frills, it’s all about location. You are within walking distance to Mackinaw City and the ferries that take you over to Mackinac Island.
8. The average rate for an electric site is $46USD.

Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground

Another mile down US23 travelling away from town is a campground called Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground. We rode there on our bicycles.

1. It is a private campground but is large and has the feel of a state park.
2. There were a variety of sites and cabins, most sites appeared level and spacious.
3. There was a pool as well as beach access for swimming.
4. Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground also has a free shuttle service to the ferries in town.
5. Across the road is access to the North Central State Trail.
6. There may be some minimum stay rules depending on when you want to visit.
7. Around $45USD a night for a full service site.

Frankly, if in the area again, I would camp there instead of Tee Pee Campground.

Mackinaw City/ Mackinac Island KOA

1. Free shuttles to island ferries.
2. A nature trail that connects to a paved trail into Mackinaw City or to the North Western State Trail (Which connects to the North Central Trail for miles of hiking/biking. ) 
3. Heated pool
4. Campfire rings at each site.
5. Variety of sites: pull thrus/full hookups, pop-ups, tents and Cabins.
6. Cable TV/Wi-Fi available at sites.
7. No lake access.
8. Average about $54 USD a night for full hook-ups

Mackinac Bridge

The Mackinac Bridge is currently the fifth-longest suspension bridge in the world and is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere. The total length of the Mackinac Bridge is 26,372 feet. It opened to traffic on November 1, 1957.

Activities:

For most people visiting the area; the attraction is Mackinac Island. There are 3 tour companies that offer boat service over to the island. All offer free shuttles to pick you up directly from the campground.

There are no motorized vehicles on the island. The only modes of transportation are by foot, by horse or by bicycle.

You can take your own bicycle on the ferry over to the island. There is an additional charge (approx. $10 per bike). You can rent bikes on the island as well. Leashed pets are allowed on the ferries.

There is an 8 mile, paved, flat, bike path that travels around the island. There are several places to stop and rest, or get refreshments, as well as to enjoy various other points of interest

The historic downtown area is also quite interesting. Tours are available for some of Mackinac Island’s oldest buildings and for Fort Mackinac.

Mackinac Island has an abundance of fudge shops that share the tradition of making delectable fudge and other sweet treats. Fudge is such an integral part of the island experience that the summer tourists to Mackinac Island are called Fudgies.

Biking:

Across the road (US23) from Tee Pee Campground and Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground, you can access the North Central State Trail. This is a 61-mile trail surfaced with crushed limestone and is one of the premier cycling trails in the Midwest. Its flat terrain makes for easy bicycling.

Casino:

There is a free shuttle service from the campground that takes you across the Mackinac Bridge over to St. Ignace and the casino. This was not something we did, but I suppose it would be a good way to travel across the bridge.

Things to Know about Mackinac Island camping:

1.  Mackinac Island camping is not offered at all.
2. There are 3 campgrounds in the direct Mackinaw City area with free shuttles to the ferries over to the Island.
3. There are other campgrounds a bit further out and in St. Ignace.
4. All of the campgrounds are privately owned and amenities and rates vary.

Different spellings of Mackinac/Mackinaw

Just because this bugged me; the reason there are 2 different spellings for Mackinaw/Mackinac has to do with early settlers to the region. The first settlers were French and spelled it Mackinac and the later settlers were English and they spelled it Mackinaw. The French spelling of Mackinac is used to refer to the Bridge or the Island, and the English version of Mackinaw is used to refer to the City.

IMO:

I enjoyed the area, the cycling was awesome, the Tee Pee campground unfortunately not so much. The sites were tighter than I like, and some sites (especially those further away from the beach and down the centre of the campground) were downright awful. This is the type of campground that I generally view as “lodging only” camping, which is simply a place to park my accommodations so I can enjoy the area outside of the campground. The location was central to what I wanted to do, but I wouldn’t stay here again.

I think the Mackinaw Mill Creek campground would still afford me a central location to explore the area from but would provide the opportunity to have a more authentic camping experience. 

The KOA in Mackinaw City is typical KOA camping which is nice in its predictability since I have found the majority of KOAs to be similar. Unfortunately, for me at least, I find KOA rates to be a little high and this particular KOA while central to the attractions in the area does not have lake access or bridge views.