What Makes Our Campground Different

While we are most well-known for the paddling side of our business, we also operate a campground at the same location as our livery. We offer a truly unique camping experience in comparison to most campgrounds in Michigan and we wanted to share a bit about what makes our campground stand out. First, because it is one of my most asked questions, I need to share that we are not an RV park. While we do allow RV’s, we do not have electrical hook-ups for them (some of the sites do have water spigots) and we do not have pull-through sites. Because of these things, we mainly attract tent campers (which is a unique niche these days!).

One of my most favorite parts about our campground is how spaced out and private the campsites are from one another. They are all hedged around on three sides with woods and have a generous tree buffer between the sites. This forest-barrier gives each site a very private feel. It is like you are camping by yourselves, but with the comforts of a campground.

One of my other favorite aspects of our campground is our unique quiet policy. Our quiet policy isn’t from 10pm – 7am, as many campgrounds are. Rather, ours is 24/7. We define our policy like this: You shouldn’t be able to hear your neighbors, and they shouldn’t be able to hear you. We know how frustrating it is to go camping and to be subjected to your neighbor’s loud radio or boisterous conversation while you are trying to enjoy a peaceful evening with your family. So, we decided that our campground would be a haven from such behavior. I should include that we understand laughter and ‘kid noise’ (as long as there isn’t yelling and screaming) – we definitely encourage having fun and laughter while camping!

The campsites themselves come with a fire pit with an adjustable grate (nice for cooking over the fire!), picnic table(s), a lantern hanger, and a trash can with a locking lid that we come by daily and change for you. Some of the sites also have water spigots at them (all the water spigots at our campground have potable water). We also offer two different sizes of campsites – our smaller ‘family’ sites that are for groups of up to six people, and then our larger ‘group’ sites that can accommodate groups of around 30-40 (depending on how many tents). To see a map of our campground, follow this link: https://www.thepineriver.com/page/campground-map (the larger ovals are the group sites).

Our modern bathroom facility is also worth mentioning. We pride ourselves in keeping a very clean restroom. There is both a men’s and a women’s side and they are centrally located (you can see the restrooms on the campground map). We have flush toilets, hot, running water, and coin-operated showers (we have quarters in the office we can exchange for dollars). We often have essential oil diffusers running in the restrooms as well. We know our campers appreciate a clean restroom, as do we!

Many RV parks and campgrounds these days are packed full of activities for campers to take part in – they are very activity-driven. While this is appealing for many families, it is not the niche market we serve. Rather than going on vacation to follow an activity-agenda, we offer a space to slow down, experience nature, and reconnect with one another. With our smartphones and fast internet, we are so programmed to be constantly entertained that many of us have completely lost the art of just being. At PRPC, we are offering you a chance to stop the daily hustle and experience what it means to truly slow down.

Going along with the previous point, cell phone reception isn’t great at the campground (which we think is a plus!). This can be especially helpful if you have teenagers in your house that you can hardly convince to put the phone down. Verizon does not get good reception in our area, while AT&T does much better. We do have WiFi available at the office if you have an important call to make or email you must send. Otherwise, enjoy being disconnected!

While we may not get good WiFi and we don’t have a whole host of activities lined up for you to do while you are here, you certainly don’t have to sit at camp all day. We have non-electronic and screen-free options here for you. Obviously, we rent watercraft for both the Pine and Big Manistee Rivers. The paddlecraft rentals and campground office are one in the same, so it is very convenient for our campers. Also located in our campground is a Frisbee golf course (free for campers to use). The Frisbee golf course can also double as a great place to stargaze on a clear night, too. If you’re not into Frisbee golf, there is a neat ¼ mile deer trail walk through the woods that leads to a beautiful overlook of the river. Going to the overlook while the sun is setting is one of my favorite times to hike it. Like most campgrounds, we also have a retail office where we sell souvenirs, a small selection of snacks and drinks, and camping supplies. In addition, we also sell firewood (good, seasoned hardwood) on site, as well as ice.

If you and your crew want to drive to find adventure, we offer a great, central location to area hiking and sight-seeing opportunities. We are located about 30 minutes from Cadillac, 35-40 minutes from Manistee (great Lake Michigan beaches!), 1 hour from Traverse City and about 25 minutes from Baldwin. All of these towns offer lots of fun activities and festivals throughout the summer. If you’re looking for some great hikes in the area, we are only about 15-20 minutes from the Silver Creek Pathway (4-mile loop on the Pine – one of my personal favorites), and 15 minutes from both the North Country Trail and Manistee River Trail by Red Bridge. We are also about 20 minutes from the Big M – a great Mountain Bike trail! And of course, we can’t forget about Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. We are about 1 hour, 15 minutes away from Sleeping Bear – it is one of our favorite places to go if we can get a day off in the summer. And of course, if your crew wants to rent canoes, kayaks, rafts, or stand-up paddleboards, we can help you out there.

Thanks for taking the time to read more about our campground. If this sounds like it would be a good fit for you and your crew this summer, please feel free to reach out via email or by calling the office at 231-862-3471 if you have any questions. You can also reserve either online or by calling the office. We are happy to provide this unique, quiet camping experience to campers that are looking for something a little different. We frequently get positive feedback about how secluded and quiet our campground is, and we are so happy that we are able to provide this unique experience for others. Being disconnected from screens is one of my very favorite things, and I hope you will enjoy it, too!

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