Thurston Park — Attraction in Central Lake Township

Horrible. Seriously. Stayed here for the State Little League championship. Booked weeks ago for a three night stay as there were not enough rooms made availble to arriving famlies- and besides, we love to camp. Now- if you love to camp- think about going somewhere else. Lots here are tiny and crammed together. Our lot- and others next to us had zero trees- which meant nowhere for a hammock and no shade. I now see why more pictures of the lots are not made availble on the website. Quiet time is stated as 11-7am in the paperwork but that means NOTHING. It took my husband yelling at fellow intoxicated campers at 12:30 to turn down the blasting rock oldies and stop howling (yes-howling)!!- nothing was done by camp personnel to control the out of control campers - dogs barking, people drunkly vomiting- yelling MF this! And MF that! drones hovering that sounded like swarms of bees- and this wasnt even a holiday weekend! Firepits are on top of each other- hope you like your neighbor- we didnt, so the wood we bought will go unused. Useless to have a campfire really because the park is lit up like a Christmas tree all night long -giant, bright street lights stay on- burn your retinas- and never turn off. It is 1am and my husband has pleaded with me to just tough it out tonight- but it has been a total nightmare. I am so upset that I packed up what I could so we can leave for elsewhere- ANYWHERE- tomorrow morning. And I thought I should leave this review for anyone curious about the campground- because I really wish I would have...

Price was cheap and electric is included on all spots, but avoid ANY & ALL spots in the middle of the park.... There are literally 2-3 LED light poles that stay on ALL night. You will wake up and not be sure if it's day or night still. We asked Lyle the park manager about turning them off so that our groups may actually enjoy the stars and sleep a bit better, but he said it was our safety.... Apparently they're not as concerned with the others area of the park that lack such lights.

Sad that a public park is ok with so much light pollution... Wish they would take a nod from Torch Lake and limit such light to help in viewing of the stars.

Also, their placement of fire pits is the most random and poorly placed. Often places near the back end of the campsite against other campsites, so unfortunately if you'd like to talk around the fire with friends, you're probably keeping the neighbors behind you awake. Oh, and campsites are very small. Sardine camping with no privacy.

They do have a nice area where you are able to store your boat overnight if you bring one. 30min to Torch Lake if that's what you've come to explore & it's minutes walk to a little downtown with...

The bad part is that the sites are very close together with little to no natural barrier, however this seems to make for a good experience because campers around us were so friendly, quiet and respectful, that I kind of enjoyed ir. The good part is it is so clean and well run. Their bathrooms have free showers that you can control the faucets like you would at home as do the sinks, you can also choose between 4 PRIVATE bathrooms with shower that you can lock and use for your own use. No pooping or showering with strangers. Decent toilet paper, fully stocked and immaculatly clean and free of bugs. Firewood is cheap and well stlccked. Lakefront sites with dock, green grass, babbling brook, no goose poop, flowers adorning quaint wooden bridges. We were totally impressed. Best campground I have ever been to. Highly reccomend to those willing to give up a little privacy to get a beautiful surrounding with great amenities and a clean, quiet unforgetable experience. Dog friendly, playground, sandy beach, clean lake, respectful campers and top...