LUDINGTON EAST / PERE MARQUETTE RIVER KOA
LUDINGTON EAST / PERE MARQUETTE RIVER KOA
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About
#1 of 10 campgrounds in Ludington
Location
3.5
Rooms
4.8
Value
4.2
Cleanliness
3.5
Service
3.9
Sleep Quality
5.0
Let the forest beckon you. Pere Marquette River Campground is nestled in the Manistee National Forest surrounded by streams, forest, and 1.5 miles from the national acclaimed Pere Marquette River. Large open fields, play structures, hiking trails, kamp karts, petting farm, boating trips and camp store are just a few things that set this park a set above. Family scheduled events make this a lovely place to spend time for a well deserved family fun get away. Hope to see you soon!
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Coffee shop
Canoeing
Diving
Kids stay free
Children's playground
Secured parking
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Swimming pool toys
Shallow end in pool
Fence around pool
Outdoor dining area
Wine / champagne
Hiking
Mini golf
Archery offsite
Canoeing offsite
Entertainment staff
Evening entertainment
Karaoke
Patio
Walking tours
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Kids pool
Kids' outdoor play equipment
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
BBQ facilities
Gift shop
Outdoor fireplace
Outdoor furniture
Picnic area
Shared bathroom
Shared kitchen
Shops
Sun deck
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
24-hour check-in
Clothes dryer
Self-serve laundry
Washing machine
Room features
Dining area
Seating area
Private bathrooms
Coffee / tea maker
Microwave
Kitchenware
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Pool view
Bridal suite
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Family
Great View
Languages Spoken
English
Location
11713 W 40th St, Ludington, MI 49402-9029
Getting there
1 Restaurant
within 5 miles
Reviews
Traveler rating
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- 12
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Time of year
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Detailed Reviews
This was a last minute booking for my husband and I and our two dogs. We normally stay somewhere pretty remote so the dogs can run wild.
I must say we were pleasantly surprised. The weather this weekend was supposed to have a lot of thunderstorms in the forescast so it kept a lot of people away. For being on a campground the cabins were private enough and still gave us a feeling of being remote (lack of visitors helped!)
Owners and staff were very accommodating.
Firewood and linen rental is definitely expensive. Bring your own towels and blankets to save some $$. You will pay 2-3 times on wood what it would cost to bring your own.
Overall very happy and enjoyed our time. Cabins and ground seemed brand new! Queen bed was very comfortable.
I must say we were pleasantly surprised. The weather this weekend was supposed to have a lot of thunderstorms in the forescast so it kept a lot of people away. For being on a campground the cabins were private enough and still gave us a feeling of being remote (lack of visitors helped!)
Owners and staff were very accommodating.
Firewood and linen rental is definitely expensive. Bring your own towels and blankets to save some $$. You will pay 2-3 times on wood what it would cost to bring your own.
Overall very happy and enjoyed our time. Cabins and ground seemed brand new! Queen bed was very comfortable.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was our first time camping with our 3 year old daughter and we rented the hobbit cabin. They had just poured the concrete patio and the whole site was so cute. The cabin itself was very clean and adorable, the only suggestion would be making it so that the ceiling fan can stay on without the light at night- but seriously for my little family of 3 it was perfect and we couldn’t have been happier.
On another hand, the staff was seriously so nice to us from the moment we checked in. They brought us our firewood and pizza and anything we ordered right to our campsite. Joel was so sweet to our daughter and even saw us struggling with lack of hands to help her sit down and he lifted her up into her chair for us. Then Steve working at the camp store was a phenomenal person always so positive and willing to help. The pool was clean, bathrooms were clean, and the activities were great. They really do all seem to love their jobs and helping families have a great time. Their ability to make your stay the best it can be seems genuinely important to them. It was the best camping experience I’ve ever had. We will be back for sure as much as possible. 11/10!
On another hand, the staff was seriously so nice to us from the moment we checked in. They brought us our firewood and pizza and anything we ordered right to our campsite. Joel was so sweet to our daughter and even saw us struggling with lack of hands to help her sit down and he lifted her up into her chair for us. Then Steve working at the camp store was a phenomenal person always so positive and willing to help. The pool was clean, bathrooms were clean, and the activities were great. They really do all seem to love their jobs and helping families have a great time. Their ability to make your stay the best it can be seems genuinely important to them. It was the best camping experience I’ve ever had. We will be back for sure as much as possible. 11/10!
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was our second stay at this KOA and it’s been near perfect each time. The bathrooms are kept incredibly clean and the rustic cabins are very comfortable with plenty of heat for early spring and late fall stays. They have definitely added some upgrades to the campground since the last time we were there, it keeps getting better. The stone gravel is better than the all dirt roads but it made bike riding difficult for the kids. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again. There is a lot more space between sites compared to other KOAs we’ve used, feels much more rustic yet with things for the kids which we like. The owners and new host all have been lovely and helpful.
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Owner was very friendly upon checkin, took us to our site which was in their new area of larger wooded sites. The loop for these sites was up the hill and a bit of a walk from the rest of the campground and restrooms. They were large sites which was nice but the campground has not finished construction in that area which affected us. There is a bath house that is yo be built up there, but construction has not started yet so we had to walk a 1/4 mile each way yo the bathroom....way too long....and there are no lights installed on the road yet either so very dark st night. Another note is the cenent pads on these lots have not been poured either. The roads in this part of the campground and the area where you park your dampervis stone, stone with sharp edges that you cannot walk on without shoes or hurting your feet. Rv cement pads have not been poured, but regardless this stone is on the roads through the campground so makes walking long distances or biking at all uncomfortable. There was also a trench dug at the backside of our campsite for them to run a water line and the trench was not filled in. Very easy there for someone to step in and injure themselves in what could be a quick easy fix for them. The one bathroom in the campground available for women featured 3 toilets and 2 showers. This was for the whole campground! As I said before if you are in the new loop its a 1/4 mile walk on hard stones and the showers were very dirty. We showered late afternoon and they obviously had not been looked at since the morning rush, people's hair, trash and dirt in them. We didn't want to shower there again. It might help big they put a trash can in the shower stall and maybe a bench too instead of just a few hooks. Water temperature and pressure was good so that was nice.
Activities- their website is not accurate with the listings. We have teenagers and there were no activities for them. Everything is geared towards young children. Were were expecting volleyball, basketball, mini golf, canoes - none of it is there as listed online. We asked about the activities listed on the website that were not there and they said they got rid of those a couple years ago to put in the (small but nice ) pool and addition to the campground.
Positive for the owners, they will deliver firewood and ice to your sight which is great.
We usually don't write reviews which aren't completely positive but did this time because we spoke to staff/owners about these concerns and they just brushed us off. We couldn't believe we were charged over $80 a night in a campground and have to deal with this, our takeaway from the response we got is they feel they have a great campground and don't want to hear feedback.
Activities- their website is not accurate with the listings. We have teenagers and there were no activities for them. Everything is geared towards young children. Were were expecting volleyball, basketball, mini golf, canoes - none of it is there as listed online. We asked about the activities listed on the website that were not there and they said they got rid of those a couple years ago to put in the (small but nice ) pool and addition to the campground.
Positive for the owners, they will deliver firewood and ice to your sight which is great.
We usually don't write reviews which aren't completely positive but did this time because we spoke to staff/owners about these concerns and they just brushed us off. We couldn't believe we were charged over $80 a night in a campground and have to deal with this, our takeaway from the response we got is they feel they have a great campground and don't want to hear feedback.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lydia Fodor, Owner at LUDINGTON EAST / PERE MARQUETTE RIVER KOA
Responded Oct 4, 2020
Thank you kindly for your time that you took in your response. We take every concern and comment to heart positive and the negative ones. After your stay we dove into our website and tried to find the listings that you mentioned about additional activities that we had in the past but they were removed from KOA.com as well as Facebook and in print. The ones we removed from the campground was done so because they were not being used. We do all kinds of events for all ages and we are hopeful that out of these there is something that everyone can enjoy. Tie Dye, Pool Parties, Movie Night, Arts and Crafts, Bingo, Night Hike, Ceramic Painting, boat trips right from the campground and we continue to add more and more each year geared towards family time. An additional bathhouse is on our list of additions but we are 95% self contained RVs and the current bath house suites the 5% that use it as there is never a line and they are 100% clean all the time as our staff checks/cleans them every hour. We strive for excellence with each and every guest and are sorry that we fell short for you we are growing and some items take a little time. Once our sites have some time to take some more shape please give us a call in the future as we would love for you to give us another try.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

This campsite was the best place we have ever stayed at and we camp a lot so that is saying something! The staff was incredibly friendly, extremely accommodating especially during the pandemic. If you didn’t want to go into the store, they would bring you anything you needed right to the campsite. They had all kinds of activities throughout the day for families and even had a wine and beer tasting event for the adults! They sent notifications throughout the day to let you know when each event would start and reminded us of being on a cruise! I 100% recommend choosing this campsite and we will definitely be back! I’ve been too many many KOA campsites and nothing compares to this one! Thank you so much for such a great time!!!
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Being off season, we did not expect all amenities to be available, but there was no store, no recreational activities, and no apparent staff except for one person. We purchased overpriced firewood as outside wood was not allowed. My party as well as our neighbors received wet wood that could not burn. It was not replaced or refunded. Camping without a fire isn’t ideal. We also purchased linen rentals, which doesn’t include enough to keep you warm. Be sure to bring your own. The location is at least 30 minutes to anything you may need. I wouldn’t recommend this campground. Especially for the cost. Perhaps the experience is better in the summer months.
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pere-Marquette KOA, Owner at LUDINGTON EAST / PERE MARQUETTE RIVER KOA
Responded Oct 27, 2021
Yes this weekend we sent out information letting everyone know in advance that it is our last weekend in operation and is mainly for self reliant campers that are looking for a place to stay while they fish the near by Pere Marquette river or spend time in the national forest. We hope you give us another chance and come back during the summer months.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This place is great! It is NOT located in Ludington (it is a bit of a drive from Ludington) but for us, who are from Ludington, is a great camping experience without having to drive too far out of town. This is our second year staying here and being a KOA rewards member, each time we visit they have done more upgrades and added more things to this campground. Everything is neat and clean, they have things for kids, a dog run for dogs, activities in the summer (movies at night, ice cream socials, glow hikes, foam thing) and the staff is SUPER helpful (even to newbie campers with campers they don't understand 100%).
Our first trip was last summer after we bought our camper this was 2020 and Covid was making any kind of travel hard. This place was amazing with the accommodations if you didn't want any contact with staff they can do anything via text (need firewood? they will deliver. need TP? they will deliver. need pizza? Yep they will deliver that too!). They really go out of their way to help you out (even if it isn't technically what they do- they helped us figure out the sewage hook up, and helped us with a leaking hot water heater plug!)
Full disclosure this campground IS a way away from Ludington, if you are wanting to camp close to Ludington, this isn't the place for that. It IS out in the middle of the forrest and down a dirt road, but it is a campground, that is kind of the point for camping. If you are looking for a city campground that you can bike to town from, don't book here, you won't be happy, but if you are looking for friendly people, family things to do and a campground that is clean and modern this place is pretty near perfect!
Our first trip was last summer after we bought our camper this was 2020 and Covid was making any kind of travel hard. This place was amazing with the accommodations if you didn't want any contact with staff they can do anything via text (need firewood? they will deliver. need TP? they will deliver. need pizza? Yep they will deliver that too!). They really go out of their way to help you out (even if it isn't technically what they do- they helped us figure out the sewage hook up, and helped us with a leaking hot water heater plug!)
Full disclosure this campground IS a way away from Ludington, if you are wanting to camp close to Ludington, this isn't the place for that. It IS out in the middle of the forrest and down a dirt road, but it is a campground, that is kind of the point for camping. If you are looking for a city campground that you can bike to town from, don't book here, you won't be happy, but if you are looking for friendly people, family things to do and a campground that is clean and modern this place is pretty near perfect!
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Date of stay: April 2021
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Any campsite is great there!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The staff were really friendly and fun for the whole family. The beer and wine tasting was a real hit. Definitely will come back here. You can have pizza and firewood delivered to your site as well as cinnamon rolls in the mornings for breakfast.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stumbled upon this KOA in October of 2020 while looking for a COVID getaway. It ended up being their annual Halloween weekend with an incredible amount of activities and families present. We made a point to drive the 5.5 hours to return for the same weekend in October of 2021 with our six- and four-year-old kids. Joel, Dennis and the Pere Marquette team are absolutely fantastic. The personal service is something we've never experienced at another KOA, which is saying a lot. Joel has invested a ton to expand and improve upon this KOA in recent years. It's a gem. Check it out.
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Date of stay: October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.


This is our third year here and we look forward to many more! We stayed in the rustic cabin which had a nice pseudo-fireplace space heater for those chilly nights and electrical outlets both inside and outside of the cabin. The campground is well kept and the main office had restroom facilities with showers and a laundromat if needed. The staff was very friendly and helpful which made the experience that much better....this also includes two very adorable kittens, Mouse & Bob, who loved to stop by the cabin for attention. We can’t wait to come back next year!
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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"Site Is located in a National Forest close to small town on shore of Lake Michigan ."Read full review
"Go during the week for quiet nights and small pool crowd. Bring walking shoes for the bathroom if your up the hill its a walk."Read full review
LOCATION
United StatesMichiganLudington
NUMBER OF ROOMS
75
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about LUDINGTON EAST / PERE MARQUETTE RIVER KOA
What are some of the property amenities at LUDINGTON EAST / PERE MARQUETTE RIVER KOA?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, a pool, and free parking.
Which room amenities are available at LUDINGTON EAST / PERE MARQUETTE RIVER KOA?
Top room amenities include a flat screen TV, a dining area, and a pool view.
What food & drink options are available at LUDINGTON EAST / PERE MARQUETTE RIVER KOA?
Guests can enjoy barbeque facilities and an outdoor dining area during their stay.
Is parking available at LUDINGTON EAST / PERE MARQUETTE RIVER KOA?
Yes, free parking and secured parking are available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at LUDINGTON EAST / PERE MARQUETTE RIVER KOA?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Are any cleaning services offered at LUDINGTON EAST / PERE MARQUETTE RIVER KOA?
Yes, self serve laundry and a clothes dryer are offered to guests.
Are pets allowed at LUDINGTON EAST / PERE MARQUETTE RIVER KOA?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.