Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground
9730 US Hwy 23, Mackinaw City, MI 49701-9722
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#1 of 6 campgrounds in Mackinaw City
Location
4.5
Cleanliness
4.3
Service
3.9
Value
3.7
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Property amenities
Free parking
Internet
Pool
Beach
Bicycle rental
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Shuttle bus service
Outdoor pool
Fence around pool
Canoeing
Game room
Hiking
Mini golf
Billiards
Convenience store
Gift shop
Shops
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Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Lake View
Location
9730 US Hwy 23, Mackinaw City, MI 49701-9722
Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground
Getting there
Emmet County Airport
13.6 mi•
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Chippewa County Airport
35.9 mi•
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Rental Cars
43 Restaurants
within 5 miles
542Reviews13Q+A86Room tips
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Excellent campground! The views of the bridge and lake are fabulous. The campground is great of walking and bike riding. Very family friendly. There is also a great path that leads right into Mackinaw City. The campsite were all a decent size and some allowed for full hook-up.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip: Beautiful fall colors in October
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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.
Helpful
We used to love coming here, my wife, myself and my four year old son. We loved it until they insisted on charging us a 50$ fee for smoking. No one in my family smokes, never have, never will. We don’t smoke anything unless you count brisket. That was absurd and we will patronized other campgrounds in the future.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip 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.
Helpful
Response from Frank Rogala, Owner at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground
Responded Oct 5, 2023
Yes - it doesn't matter how many places you post this and try to damage a family business - the reality is - when no one has rented the cabin before you, and it takes a deep clean and two-day ozone treatment to get the smoke smell out (which means we cannot rent the cabin for those days) - you get charged a $50 fee -- for smoking in a place where the policy is no smoking. We should charge more. Don't worry about coming back - we don't allow people who break our policies to book again - ever. Congratulations - banned for life Ken!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Pretty nice for a campground experience. Not really any cooking available, except for an outdoor grill. Neighbors were friendly and being on the lake is a big plus. It does have a view of the Mackinac Bridge in the distance.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
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.
Helpful
+1
We rented a medium cabin that slept 4. It had a large bathroom, a main room with a queen bed and a bedroom with a twin bunk bed. There was a small fridge in the kitchen as well as a picnic style table. Outside was a metal ring to have a fire, with a grate over top and a large picnic table. Cooking is strictly not allowed in cabins so you need to bring an outdoor camp stove. The cabin was immaculately clean when we arrived. There was ample parking for the car. The campground is huge and we were with others who had camped elsewhere in the park. You can get lost unless you take the map provided when you go out. Roads are well marked. The park is on the lakefront and has an amazing view of the Mackinac Bridge and Mackinac Island. It is very beautiful at night as well. Having seen some of the other cabin locations I would definitely get one on the lake next time. The park has a free shuttle to take you to the ferry to the Island. It will bring you back after. The store had ice, groceries etc. If I were to make suggestions I would say a couple of hooks in the kitchen would be handy to hang dishtowels. Also they should make a drive up drop box to leave your keys when you leave.…
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Take your map with you when you go out.
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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.
Helpful
Their reservation policy for weddings need to be tightened up. I was literally robbed one night (over $200) because I told them the 3 nights and the “coordinator” told them 4 nights even though I had already made reservations on my own. The campground would not remove the charges for the extra night because they said the “coordinator” only was emailed the reservation confirmations and was supposed to inform the rest of us. So, ultimately a third party (the mother of the bride btw) was supposed to forward the email to everyone who had reservations for the wedding weekend. It’s not like she had any other responsibilities for that weekend. Other than that the campground is lovely, the cabins are lovely, but the showers are small and the beds are very uncomfortable. I probably will never return.…
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip 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.
Helpful
Response from Frank Rogala, Owner at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground
Responded Sep 17, 2023
Just to be clear - we don't keep our doors open by robbing anyone. Thank you for staying with us, and if it helps you keep peace by blaming us for the mother of the bride not keeping you informed - we are happy to help.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Pros: - Location-wise, this is one of the best campgrounds we've been to. We had a 'narrow bridge view' site. We had an excellent view of the water and the Mackinac Bridge from our campsite. The waterfront area across the road was grassy and had firepits along it. Our campsite was narrow, but we had enough room., There were trees between the sites for some privacy, but the campers were quite close together in this area. Other sites further from the water were larger. -The campground is very clean and very well maintained. -The sandy beach area is very nice. -The check-in process is very well organized. This is a huge campground, but there were several windows for checking in. -Area attraction tickets were sold at the camp store. -There was a shuttle from the campground to the Mackinac Island ferry, which was very convenient. Cons: -For a campground this large, there were few bathrooms/showers. We were in an RV, but there were a lot of tent campers. -There is no laundry facility at the campground. There is one laundromat in Mackinaw City, and it closed at 7 PM - last load had to be started by 6. We had hoped to do our laundry one evening, but we got there too late, and had to go back a second time. -The wifi was horrible. There is an 800 number for support, but they were unable to help us. We paid for upgraded wifi, but it would not stay connected. The person at the 800 number ended up refunding our money for the upgraded wifi. -There is no cable TV and not much TV available via antenna.…
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
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Service
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.
Helpful
If you love camping this is the place for you . You can bring a tent or RV or Rent a Cabin On the Premises. They even have Handicap Cabins . Amenities like a swimming pool ,store, Private showers or community showers, Bathrooms, playgrounds for kids and you can even rent a golf cart . but the store is kind of expensive but they have a W Walmart about 15- 20 minutes drive from the campground
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Bring Bug and Fly Spray or strips and you are allergic or don't like bugs it's not for you ....
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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.
Helpful
Great spot along the lake! We had a narrow bridge view (which had plenty of room). We were across from the park area along the shore. What a great feature of this park - pristine lakeshore for all campers to enjoy. We loved seeing the families and kids playing and enjoying evening campfires. It’s nice for campers who have spots elsewhere in the park.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip 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.
Helpful
Noisy, crammed in like sardines, crappy gravel sites, paid extra for the beach / bridge view, many hogged the view and grass in front of the beach, dogs not picked up after, kids running wild, can’t swim due to unruly children . Supposed to be quiet time,but not enforced. Only been here 2 days and ready to leave. Website is very misleading, we will never come back, even though the lake was beautiful. For 90.00 a day I certainly expected more. No laundry, no real amenities. Don’t recommend
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Don’t come if you want to relax
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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.
Helpful
Response from Frank Rogala, Owner at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground
Responded Aug 19, 2023
We are a campground. My parents picked this location and designed the camp after the great National Parks like Yellowstone, Sequoia National Park, etc. When you become a highly rated "favorite" campground the downside is that people may expect you to be "Disneyland." We do a lot of work to set our guests' expectations by listing our amenities, maps, and information on our web page. We post a toll-free number on signs for night disturbances and put it on all of our camp maps. If you call, we have staff on call 24/7 who respond. I am not aware of any other campground that goes to this much effort. It is always disappointing to hear a complaint from someone who does not take advantage of using the number. If you don't report a disturbance, we may not be aware. We are upfront that we do not have laundry due to wastewater restrictions imposed due to our location on the lake. It took many years of work with a half dozen government agencies to even get permission to allow full hookups on the lake. There is a nice laundry in Mackinaw City. We have the only lakefront full hookups with a bridge view and those were hard won and very difficult to make possible. I am sorry they did not meet your approval. It would be a lot more profitable to remove those sites and put cabins or a gated community - but we take seriously our parents' (yes this is a family-built and operated campground) vision to create a place where people can enjoy reconnecting with each other and the great outdoors. Mackinac is one of the top vacation areas on lists by organizations like Tripadvisor - it is popular. If you are not someone who enjoys the communal camping experience - we do have many months in the spring and fall where you would have a lot more space. The peak season here is definitely an experience that is shared with others. Our sites are maintained and picked up daily, however, even our excellent staff can miss things, so if you let us know - we will take care of anything that gets missed. Most of our campers are very responsible about picking up after their dogs, many people mistake goose waste for dog waste. It looks similar and one group of geese can make a mess in a few minutes. We have very intense weather due to our location on the Straits of Mackinaw. Yes, we have processed gravel sites so that after a rain you are not sitting on firm drained ground, not soft mud. After years of lots of engineering, after a large rain, it is a matter of pride that there are very few puddles and few wet areas. We thank you for giving us a try.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I have been coming to this campground for 20 years and seen many changes for the good. Recently they changed to an online system for reservations and you can view pictures of the site before making reservations. This time I reserved a cabin (not the first time) the pictures being advertised for the site was not what was given. It was the complete opposite and when I asked the office staff if I received the wrong cabin I was brushed off. Basically they will give you what they want. Be very careful when booking and call to make sure you’re getting the correct cabin your booking.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Value
Location
Service
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.
Helpful
Response from Frank Rogala, Owner at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground
Responded Sep 17, 2023
I'm sorry, I'm confused by this note - you are talking about a site, and then a cabin? I assume you mean "cabin." We would not have a wrong photo on purpose. We try to make all of our cabins clean and beautiful so there is no motivation to show an incorrect cabin. I do not say you are wrong, and I admit I do make mistakes, but I can't understand how you say this is not the first time this has happened. I literally have found no other reviews or have had no other person tell the office of this issue. I do want to get to the root of this. If there is a wrong photo, please email the office Attn: Frank - with your reservation and the cabin you booked which had the wrong photo and I will double-check it. If you remember something previous that happened I'd like to know as well. This is the time of year we update photos for sites or cabins that have been updated or modified, so I really want to know. Between the 25 different cabin types, there are different floorplans, however, we have separated those so that should not be an issue. I first job is setting our guests' expectations, so if there is something that is not right, I will want to correct it. We intend to show each unique cabin as it is - for the pleasure of the person booking it. Thanks for staying with us and I hope we can get to the bottom of this.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Not the right property for you?
There are more places to choose from in the Mackinaw City area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
mackinaw mill creek campground hotel mackinaw city
LOCATION
United StatesMichiganCheboygan CountyMackinaw City
NUMBER OF ROOMS
675
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Claim Your ListingMACKINAW MILL CREEK CAMPGROUND - Updated 2023 Reviews (Mackinaw City, MI)
Frequently Asked Questions about Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground
Which popular attractions are close to Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground?
Nearby attractions include Jack Pine Lumberjack Show (1.0 miles), Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum Inc. (2.6 miles), and Colonial Michilimackinac (3.4 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a pool, free parking, and kids activities.
Is parking available at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground?
Conveniently located restaurants include The Chippewa Room, Darrow's Family Restaurant, and Mackinaw Bakery & Coffeehouse.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground have an airport shuttle?
Yes, Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground offers an airport shuttle for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are pets allowed at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Are there any historical sites close to Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground?
Many travelers enjoy visiting McGulpin Point Lighthouse & Historic Site (4.9 miles) and Historic Mill Creek (1.0 miles).
Does Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the lake view available here.