Michigan › Leelanau County › Empire › D.H. Day Campground

D.H. Day Campground, MI - Latest Reviews, Photos & Campground Map

D.H. Day Campground in Leelanau County is located 44 min west of Traverse City, MI with an elevation of 588 feet. There are a total of 81 campsites including 19 tent-only sites. The campground is normally open from the end of April to the end of November. 62 sites can accommodate RVs between 15 and 87 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Each site includes a picnic table and fire ring. Prices start at $10.00 per night. Some amenities include drinking water, sewer hookup, swimming, restroom, amphitheater, firewood. Activities include biking, boating, fishing, hiking trails, floating sports.
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AmphitheaterBeach accessBeach pathBoardwalk to the beach at D.H. DayD.H. DayD.H. Day beachD.H. Day CampgroundD.H. Day Campground entrance signD.H. Day Campground MapD.H. Day Campground Ranger StationDump stationFlooding at water spigot and restroom trail (SITES 1-31 & 85 CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE AS OF6/15/2Generator loop entranceHistorical log cabin (not for use)Ranger StationRoadway flooding in generator loop (SITES 1-31 & 85 CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE AS OF6/15/20)Site and roadway flooding (SITES 1-31 & 85 CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE AS OF6/15/20)Site flooding in generator loop (SITES 1-31 & 85 CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE AS OF6/15/20)Site flooding in generator loop (SITES 1-31 & 85 CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE AS OF6/15/20).Sleeping Bear Heritage trail accessSleeping Bear Heritage Trail at D.H. DayView of the Manitou Islands from the D.H. Day beach
$20

D.H. Day

318 reviews
Total sites: 81
Available Tonight: 0
Available this Weekend: 0
Booking Window: 6 months

588 ft
74°F
60°F

weak
Tents allowedRV's allowedTrailers allowedElectric HookupsWater hookupsSewer hookupsAccessible sitesRestroomHiking trailsBiking trailsBoatingFloating sportsFishing
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73°
63°
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72°
55°
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74°
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76°
56°
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77°
59°
Mo
78°
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Tu
72°
66°

Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)

Campsite Reviews (317)

4.4 out of 5

5 star
62%
4 star
22%
3 star
6%
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@ElizabethM1936 · Camped on Jul 18, 2025 at Campsite #63
This is a really beautiful campground with very close proximity to lake Michigan!
@DaveW2940105 · Camped on Jul 14, 2025 at Campsite #7
nice beach, bike trail, great camping. close to dunes.
@KateSE01520DCD · Camped on Jul 13, 2025 at Campsite #44
EXCELLENT! came right home and booked it again. Is this the best campground ever? maybe! I love the bike path and walking path to the lake. Walking down the wooden path to the beach at sunset - ahhhhhh magic!
@AmyN4832781 · Camped on Jul 10, 2025 at Campsite #8
Lovely camping area, friendly and helpful staff. We had a great stay at the D. H. Day Campground. Water and bathroom facilities were pretty clean. We loved that everything was so close by, from the paved Heritage trail, to the beach, to the Dune Climb and other hiking trails.
@DavidR6871281 · Camped on Jul 9, 2025 at Campsite #57
The location is amazing and the campground is clean and offers a lot of space between campsites. The only negative was the flies in the outhouses. Though the outhouses were clean, there were hundreds of flies in the stalls during the day. Not for the faint of heart!
@RyanK6503156 · Camped on Jul 8, 2025 at Campsite #80
This campground is phenomenal. Sites themselves are basic, but they are well kept up and clean! There is a boardwalk trail right to the beach from the back of the campground and the heritage trail goes through camp as well. And for $20 a night, no fees, no nothing else. This is an unbelievable deal. And everyone here is super friendly. I can't wait to come back
@JoshuaW2504657 · Camped on Jul 7, 2025 at Campsite #34
The campground staff were very nice and helpful at check-in and clearly explained all rules. As someone who appreciates nature and enjoys a quiet, spread-out campground, DH Day delivered. The sites were nice with their paved driveway, good quality picnic table and fire ring, spacious and spread out well for privacy from your neighbors. Expectation of quiet rules was well explained, leading to a very respectful campground once quiet hours hit. The bathrooms were nice along with the shows, with the exception of hot water not working in the showers (leading to an ice-cold shower)! Indiana Dunes NP is spread out quite a bit and mixed between urban, residential and industrial areas. The campground was fairly central to a majority of the park and nearby to the bike trail and beach. Despite how urban and industrial the general area was, the campground was tucked off the highway a little bit and you felt a bit more remote. I wouldn't hesitate to camp here again if it naturally worked into travel plans.
@GiselaD85A466B · Camped on Jul 6, 2025 at Campsite #86
Excellent place to stay, easy access to the shore, the campground is clean and very spacious. I loved the big space between each campsite, close drive to the Dunes.
@NancyD5016529 · Camped on Jul 6, 2025 at Campsite #69
We love D.H. Day!
@PratapSa6FF2EF · Camped on Jul 3, 2025 at Campsite #15
Green spaces with good separation between the sites.
@KerryN36A68FCE · Camped on Jun 30, 2025 at Campsite #76
Shhhhh, keep this one close to your vest. Technically primitive, but if it wasnt, DH Day would be completely overrun by visitors. The proximity to all Sleeping Bear/Leelanau Co has to offer is unmatched, as is the lovely community of campers. We are immensely grateful to the Rangers and conservationists for preserving such a magical place!
@KateB7910079 · Camped on Jun 30, 2025 at Campsite #39
Campground was clean and well organized but the spaces were tightly packed. The beach was close by. It would be helpful to better signify the campsite which were long enough for even short trailers.
@CassidyD384541 · Camped on Jun 29, 2025 at Campsite #67
Loved this site, although it was a struggle to get our pop-up and car into our sites because the sites were small. Small driveways (although that couldve just been my fault for the sites we reserved!), and it wasnt super private, but it was nice to see others enjoying the campground also! Lots of amphitheater events, the dune climb was super fun (we recommend going before dusk like we did, there was only one other family there and it wasnt too hot as the sun set), and we loved being able to walk right to the beach from our sites. The general store, maritime museum, etc were so cool - we loved the accessibility, history, and easy access (by walking or driving) from camp. Glen Arbor was only a couple miles away and there was a paved trail to it as well.
@DanielV1589109 · Camped on Jun 28, 2025 at Campsite #80
Great camping area. Close to beach. Easy to reserve online. Allows dogs. Rustic but fairly clean.
@AudreyD5E2DDB1 · Camped on Jun 27, 2025 at Campsite #63
Great campground!
@Stephanie51348 · Camped on Jun 26, 2025 at Campsite #51
Excellent forest service campground. The pit toilets were even clean and roomy! The proximity to the lake was amazing and it was right on the sleeping bear Heritage Trail. So you could ride your bike, a quick 2 miles, to the dunes climb. We lucked into no bugs mid June as well, which was nice!
@MichelleW64922 · Camped on Jun 25, 2025 at Campsite #64
Clean and quiet
@JonathanV37228 · Camped on Jun 24, 2025 at Campsite #62
The campsite is great but the raccoons are no joke! Keep your campsite tidy and be wary if you walk away from it if you leave any trash behind in the evening even if its just a few minutes.
@LindseyO389527 · Camped on Jun 22, 2025 at Campsite #64
Love that this campground is right along the bike path! The water at the campground's beach was super cold which is to be expected for June on Lake Michigan; for some reason it was way warmer at the beach in Empire. Just thought I'd mention in case you're looking for a little bit warmer water but still want to avoid swimmers itch!
@marionvFF40492 · Camped on Jun 22, 2025 at Campsite #42
It is a beautiful campground very clean pit toilets
@RexM3E14D60593 · Camped on Jun 22, 2025 at Campsite #30
Generators in campgrounds should be banned.
@AliciaS4412732 · Camped on Jun 22, 2025 at Campsite #74
A beautiful, rustic campground in the heart of the national lakeshore, with a quiet beach pretty much only used by campers. You can hike/bike either way on the paved trail, or hike Alligator Hill without having to drive anywhere. Vault toilets are the modern kind, pretty tolerable. If you're concerned about lack of showers, it's a great motivation to take a dip in the chilly lake water each day. They've done their best to keep this campground rustic. Generators not allowed except in the very first set of sites (and I didn't hear one the whole five days I was there), and big RV's don't fit in the main part of the campground (closer to the lake), so you should get some peace and quiet and fall asleep to the sound of the waves.
@KristieM403229 · Camped on Jun 21, 2025 at Campsite #1
Campsite was great! The tent spot was level. The location is perfect for visits to Empire, Glen Arbor and Traverse City. Be sure to check out St. Ambrose, Empire Beach, Shipwreck Cafe, Broomstick and of course the Dune ClumbKristie M
@KateMAABB27DBE · Camped on Jun 19, 2025 at Campsite #52
Fabulous location for the primary sites of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the little town of Glen Arbor. Lots of mosquitoes in June. A very short walk to the Lakeshore. Vault toilets, no sinks. There is a dump station. Our campsite was level and quite wooded. We did see poison ivy around so didn't step into the brush at all.
@KimberlyB48851 · Camped on Jun 16, 2025 at Campsite #10
Friendly park rangers, clean campsites, convenient to the beach. The beach has lots and large pebbles so wear the right shoes!

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