Campground Review Summary

• Name: Pictured Rocks RV Park and Campground
• Dates of stay: July 29 – Aug 12, 2019
• Location: E7781 W. State Hwy M-28 Christmas, MI 49862
• Type of campground: Private / Independent
• Cost: $37.86/night (at weekly rate)
• Additional fees: none
• Stay limit: none
• Accepts mail / packages: did not ask
• Cell reception: ATT adequate
• Website: http://www.picturedrocksrvpark.com
• Pros: moderately priced, new resort, big rig friendly
• Cons: un-level sites, oddly placed utilities

Full Review

We selected this location because it was near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, it was new, and appeared to be big rig friendly. There’s a lot to like about this campground, and a few things …. not so much.

First, the good stuff. The park IS new, including the bath house and utilities. Our site is extra long, well-compacted gravel. It is a back-in site, but the interior roads are easy to maneuver. For a new campground, the sites are well spaced, not too close together. Sites include a fire ring and picnic table. The new bath house includes the standard men/women bathroom facilities and also has 4 or 5 individual shower rooms. I love that! The shower rooms are private, spacious and function well.

For the not so good stuff:  The utilities are oddly placed way at the back of this very long site – we used every bit of cord and hose. The sewer connection is 6 to 8 inches off the ground, making for a tedious and annoying tank dump experience. And the site, although long, is not level! It LOOKS ok, but it actually is 2 to 3 percent off level front to back, AND side to side. Our auto-leveler threw up its hands and gave up, but we were able to make it livable using tire blocks and manually deploying jacks.  We looked around and all of the sites appeared to be similarly un-level. C’mon people, this is a new campground – doesn’t anyone know how to construct a level site!?

The campground is wide open; no trees except for the perimeter and no landscaping except for some struggling grass. It makes for no shade, but it is extremely satellite friendly!  That’s good, because we pulled in exactly zero over the air TV channels and the campground does not offer cable. So if you don’t have a satellite dish, bring your own entertainment!

The campground isn’t charming – but it’s functional. The location is good with Munising just down the road, along with grocery stores and other amenities.  The staff is friendly and the place is kept tidy. The place is quiet, and with no light pollution, the clear night sky can be amazing. The negatives are a bit annoying, but can be dealt with, and the cost is reasonable. We would come back.

Bottom Line: Reasonably priced new campground with a few warts, but it works.