Michigan is a Great Lakes trip: dune beaches on Lake Michigan, cliffs and waterfalls on Lake Superior, and a five-mile bridge linking the two peninsulas. RVRents does not deliver, set up or service RVs in Michigan yet. This guide covers where people base RV trips, how state park reservations and the Recreation Passport work, and what to know before driving a high-profile vehicle across the Mackinac Bridge. The box on this page links to RVs listed by owners on Outdoorsy, and you can join the waitlist for RVRents service in Michigan.
How Michigan breaks down for RV travel
Most RV trips focus on three areas. The Lake Michigan shoreline runs up the west side of the Lower Peninsula, from Holland past Ludington and Sleeping Bear Dunes to Traverse City. The Straits of Mackinac connect the two peninsulas at Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. The Upper Peninsula stretches along Lake Superior, with Pictured Rocks, Tahquamenon Falls and the Porcupine Mountains spread far apart, so plan longer driving days there.
| Region | Best months for most RV trips | Good base | Nearby park campground |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Lake Michigan shore | Late spring through early fall | Holland or Ludington | Holland State Park, Ludington State Park |
| Northwest Lower Peninsula | Summer and early fall | Traverse City | Traverse City State Park, Platte River (Sleeping Bear Dunes) |
| Straits of Mackinac | Mid-May through mid-October | Mackinaw City | Wilderness State Park |
| Eastern Upper Peninsula | Mid-May through mid-October | Munising, Grand Marais or Paradise | Twelvemile Beach (Pictured Rocks), Tahquamenon Falls State Park |
| Western Upper Peninsula | Summer and early fall | Ontonagon, about 20 miles east of the park | Union Bay, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park |
Top places to base an RV trip in Michigan
Holland
Holland puts you on the channel between Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan, with beach access and a downtown nearby. Holland State Park has separate Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan units. The DNR says the Woodstock loop (sites 117 to 211) in the Lake Macatawa Campground will close for most of the 2027 season for a new toilet and shower building, while sites 1 to 116 stay open.
Ludington
Ludington pairs a Lake Michigan beach with an inland lake for paddling. Ludington State Park sits between Hamlin Lake and 7 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, with three campgrounds, 21 miles of marked trails and a path from the Pines Campground to Big Sable Point Lighthouse. The Big Sable River runs through the park for paddling and tubing.
Sleeping Bear Dunes
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore covers a long stretch of the Lake Michigan shore west of Traverse City. Platte River Campground has sites with electric hookups, showers and modern restrooms, while D.H. Day Campground is rustic, with dirt roads and vault toilets. Michigan's Recreation Passport is not accepted here, because national parks use their own entrance fees.
Traverse City
Traverse City is a base for Grand Traverse Bay beaches and day trips around the region. Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park has a modern campground on the east arm of Grand Traverse Bay, with the day-use beach across U.S. 31. The DNR says the modern campground has reopened after a renovation that included a new entrance, contact station and expanded sanitation station.
Mackinaw City and the Straits
The Straits are the hinge of any Michigan loop, and the jumping-off point for Mackinac Island. Wilderness State Park, 11 miles west of Mackinaw City, has 26 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and a modern campground with electrical hookups (13 sites have 50-amp service). Motor vehicles are banned in Mackinac Island State Park, so plan to park the RV on the mainland and take a ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace.
Pictured Rocks and Munising
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore runs along Lake Superior between Munising and Grand Marais. Twelvemile Beach Campground sits on a plateau above Lake Superior 15 miles west of Grand Marais. Every campsite requires a reservation on Recreation.gov, there are no hookups or dump stations in the park, and the park recommends single vehicles no longer than 36 feet and combinations no longer than 42 feet.
Tahquamenon Falls
Tahquamenon Falls State Park covers nearly 50,000 acres in the eastern Upper Peninsula. The DNR describes the Upper Falls as more than 200 feet wide and one of the largest waterfalls in the eastern United States. The park has multiple campgrounds, including the Lower Falls and Rivermouth campgrounds, and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point is nearby.
Porcupine Mountains
The Porcupine Mountains are at the western end of the Upper Peninsula. The DNR calls Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park Michigan's largest state park, with 60,000 acres of old-growth forest and Lake Superior shoreline, and the town of Ontonagon is about 20 miles east. Union Bay Campground is the only modern campground in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, with electrical service, a sanitation station and sites sized for both small campers and larger RVs.
Campgrounds, reservations and the Recreation Passport
Michigan state park campsites are reserved at MiDNRReservations.com or 1-800-447-2757, up to six months before arrival. A non-refundable reservation fee applies. Most state forest campgrounds do not take advance reservations.
A Recreation Passport is required for motor vehicle entry to state parks, recreation areas and state forest campgrounds, and it is separate from your camping fee. Michigan residents can buy it when they renew their license plate tab. Out-of-state vehicles need a nonresident daily or annual pass. A trailer does not need its own passport; only motor vehicles that will be driven in the park do. If you tow a car behind a motorhome, the DNR sells a towed-vehicle passport for the stay when the RV has an annual nonresident passport and stays parked as your camp.
Worth knowing: The Recreation Passport is tied to a vehicle's license plate. The DNR says that even a Michigan resident must buy a nonresident pass for a vehicle with a non-Michigan plate, so check the plate on a rented RV before you arrive at the park gate. The passport is also not accepted at Sleeping Bear Dunes or Pictured Rocks.
Driving an RV in Michigan
- Mackinac Bridge speed and lanes: The Mackinac Bridge Authority sets a 45 mph maximum on the bridge. Bridge staff ask drivers in the Straits area to tune to 530 or 1610 AM for conditions.
- High winds: The Authority lists RVs and trailers as high-profile vehicles. In sustained winds of 20 to 35 mph, high-profile vehicles should cross at 20 mph or less. From 35 to 50 mph, they must wait for an escort, and from 50 to 65 mph the bridge is closed to them. At 65 mph and above, it closes to all traffic.
- Driver Assistance Program: If you are not comfortable crossing, the Authority offers a program where bridge staff drive your vehicle across, 24 hours a day. Drivers and passengers must be 18 or older. Request it at the toll booth or administration building on the north side, or from the shoulder north of Exit 339 on the south side by calling Bridge Services at 906-643-7600.
- Placarded loads: The bridge requires an escort for flammable liquids, liquid gases and other placarded loads. That rule is written for hazardous cargo; call Bridge Services if you have questions about extra propane you are carrying.
- Road conditions: MDOT's Mi Drive map shows construction, lane closures, incidents and cameras on state I, M and US routes. Check it before long Upper Peninsula drives. General information is at MDOT.
Seasons and weather
Michigan's RV season centers on summer. Modern restrooms at Wilderness State Park are open from mid-May to mid-October, and Pictured Rocks' drive-in campgrounds are open May 15 through October 15, with water and toilets shut down after that. By mid-October, many campground services start shutting down for the season. Winter camping exists at some state parks, though snow, lake-effect storms and frozen water lines make it a trip for experienced RV users.
Weather on the Great Lakes changes fast, and wind matters for both the bridge and beach campsites. Check weather.gov for forecasts and alerts before you leave, and again before you cross the Straits.
If, then
- If this is your first RV trip, start on the Lake Michigan shore at Holland or Ludington, where drives are short.
- If your RV has Michigan plates, the resident Recreation Passport may already be on the registration; ask the owner.
- If winds are forecast over 35 mph at the Straits, plan your crossing around the escort rules or wait it out.
- If you want Pictured Rocks, book on Recreation.gov early, since there is no drop-in camping.
- If you need hookups in the Upper Peninsula, look at state park modern campgrounds like Union Bay rather than the national lakeshore.
How RVRents fits a Michigan trip today
RVRents does not deliver, set up or service RVs in Michigan yet. You can use this guide to plan, rent today from RV owners listed on Outdoorsy through the link on this page, and join the waitlist to hear when RVRents service starts in Michigan.