Wilderness State Park Campground — Hotel in Bliss Township

If you’re looking for a quieter slice of Northern Michigan without having to cross the bridge, Wilderness State Park might be your new favorite escape. We’re used to the slow pace and peaceful beaches of Lake Superior, so finding a Lower Peninsula park that still offers that kind of calm? Chef’s kiss.

Tucked just far enough from Mackinaw to dodge the crowds, but still close enough for a day trip, this park is ideal if you crave a bit more solitude. We especially appreciated the designated tent sites that offer a little more breathing room—perfect for those of us who like our coffee with a side of birdsong, not diesel fumes.

RV folks will find it less packed than some of the bigger resort-style parks, and beach lovers will appreciate the stretch of shoreline without the tourist stampede.

📸 If you want to see more of our Michigan wanderings—both above and below the bridge—you can find us sharing stories and trail misadventures over on Instagram and YouTube at Angela Joy Adventures. Always an...

We love wilderness state park, but we camped for two nights and the campground host walked around confronting campers about the smallest things both nights. He was very loud and unpleasant - confrontations about things like clotheslines and parking on the grass could be heard plenty of campsites away. He even cussed out a group of young people for driving the wrong way, using very colorful language. It was NOT a family friendly atmosphere. We go camping to get away from the HOA but this campground host was worse than any HOA I've heard of. Two stars because the beautiful campsites and views of the lake slightly made up for the rude...

A friend and I stayed at the wilderness site for a night while walking the NCT. The wilderness site is NOT at this waypoint, it’s only available on foot. We took a side trail to get to the campsite HQ to pick up our permit before continuing on. Plenty of room for a couple backpacking tents. Nice privy and bear hang but I’m not sure it’s worth $30. Next time I’ll stay along the lake in hopes to see the auroras that we missed when camped out...