Barnes Park Campground — Hotel in Torch Lake Township

This is a quaint county park off Hwy 31 in Eastport, Michigan. The campground has 70+ sites, tent and RV accessible. Some of the sites are smaller than others, but for the most part any size rig would fit easily in at least a few spots. The spots are either gravel or sand depending on which one you choose. We were on site #20 for a week in early September 2018 and it was great. A little further to the beach, but the site was level and we had a ton of room for our 30’ travel trailer. They have nice fire pits at each site, although they were built a little high. There is a gentleman down the road that sells great firewood for $12 for a wheelbarrow full. The wood was hard and big pieces, so they took a long time to burn. We had three fires with our wheelbarrow full and probably could have stretched it to four fires. Most of the sites have electricity hookups although some are primitive. Having electricity was good because the trees would have severely hindered our solar. There were only 1-2 sites that were open to the sun and they were located next to the shower facilities. Access to the beach was a great perk. There are two access points, one with no stairs and one with. We always used the stairs so can’t speak to the other method. There is a spigot to wash your feet when you come up the one with stairs. The beach was rocky but nice. It was never busy and peaceful. It rained several days while we were there, and our site did not flood. The rest of the time we had beautiful weather. All the roads in are paved and it was easy to find. The park has some sites that are reservable, but most are first come first serve. We did not care much for the layout of the reservation sites. They are a bit close together and cramped for our liking. We had no trouble getting a spot so glad we didn’t reserve. It did get busy on the weekends so arriving on a weekday is best. We arrived on Labor Day and had plenty of spots to choose from. When you arrive, choose a spot and setup. Checkout is 12:00, but check-in is whenever you arrive. You can go to the office after setting up and pay either in person or they have an envelope system if there is no one at the office. There are also maps right by the envelopes. They also come around in the evenings and take money. They do not issue refunds so if you have any doubts pay a day at a time. The staff is nice and accommodating. Cell service was spotty for us on AT&T, but we used our hotspot and was able to get decent internet. We had 1-2 bars 4G LTE most of the time. We wouldn’t have had much of anything without the hotspot. The Verizon hotspot did much better and we had 5 bars 4G LTE. The campground has potable water and a dump station. The water was a brown color and did have a funky taste despite filtering twice, but it was drinkable. The water is right next to the dump station and is labeled nicely. To access both, you must circle around most of the campground. The campground is beautiful with all the trees. It is quiet and very relaxing. We spent some time outside with the hammocks and it was great. The campground is about 40 minutes from Traverse City and about 20 to Charlevoix. We visited both cities and would recommend going to them at least one day during your stay. There is a corner grocery store not far from the campsite that everyone said you could get what you need, but we did not take advantage. We went to the grocery in Charlevoix when were there one day. The cost was a little steep at $30 night for electricity only, but the scenery and easy access to the lake made it worth it. We would recommend this campground and would stay again if ever in...

I will share some pros and cons for a realistic expectation. Pros: You cannot beat the location. Behind the electric sites is the beach and Lake Michigan. You can go down the hill or walk a short distance to the steps. Beautiful beach and view. The site was nice and secluded, although I would recommend you bring an extra layer for under your tent due to rocks everywhere to prevent ripping. They had good deals on wood 5 for a stack (but down the road you can get a whole wheelbarrow for 10). It was very close to Torch-about 20 min from the sandbar if you want to be by the crowd, but there's also a northern boat launch with a small beach only 7 min away from the camp...perfect if you want privacy but to enjoy Torch's beauty.

Cons: The bathroom and shower rooms are quite dirty. You can see layers of grime, broken dirty toilet seats, feminine products just tossed in an open bucket, if not on the floor. Not the worst I have ever seen, but not far from it. Same was with the shower rooms. You can tell basic hygiene cleanliness and it does not have that. It would not prevent me from returning, but I would be packing my own cleaning supplies next time 🤣. It would also be nice to have some basic necessities for sale in the main lodge, but that is just being a little picky. But there's not a whole lot around and it would definitely be a nice perk if added.

Overall happy with location, the crowd was pleasant, employees were nice and helpful. If it wasn't for the lack of cleanliness it would...

Absolutely lovely campground and great location! Our family of six loves tent camping, and we found a gem in Barnes Park! The entire campground is within a short walk of the 1/4 mile of Lake Michigan beach owned by the campground. The beach is sandy, beautiful, and a rock-hound's heaven. The restroom/shower facilities were well-maintained and kept clean. The staff were all friendly and helpful. We had to change our reservation date and it was no hassle at all for them to accommodate our change.

The site we were on was almost pure gravel, but we made due with only a couple of bent tent stakes. Thankfully we had enough sleeping pads for all of our sleeping bags so we didn't notice the rocks while sleeping.

There were nice trails to hike through the woods, so between that, the playground, and the beach, our family didn't need any other destinations since there were plenty of adventures to be had right there at the campground. But, the park is right at the north end of Torch Lake, close to Charlevoix, close to Traverse City, and just over an hour to Sleeping Bear Dunes.

The sites have a lot of variety (shade/sun, gravel/grass, secluded/connected, etc.) so make sure you check out the map or call to know what you're getting.

There's not much of a camp store, though they do sell firewood and ice at the campground.

We will definitely...