Platte River Campground in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Campground · Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Platte River Campground

A wooded basecamp for the Platte River and Lake Michigan.

Photo: Public Domain
Type
Campground
Nearest trail
0.3 mi
Audio stories
7 nearby
  • Restrooms
  • Parking
  • Picnic tables
  • Ranger station

Hear the audio tour

Platte River Campground: A Wooded Base

Overview

About Platte River Campground

Why stop

  • Wooded sites, hot showers and quick access to river activities.

Heads up

  • Summer mosquitoes can be heavy.

Map

Where it is

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CampgroundPlatte River Campground44.71540, -86.11921
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Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to go

The mix includes electric RV sites, tent sites and walk-in or boat-in pitches. Most developed pads are paved, with trees between sites, a picnic table, tent pad and fire ring; generators are not allowed. Campground roads run one way with a 10 mph limit. Check the individual site length and access before booking if you're bringing a larger vehicle.

All sites require reservations from May 1 through October 31. In the colder months, the office is closed and a smaller group of sites uses a self-registration kiosk. Lake weather changes quickly, and snow commonly stays on the ground from late November into March. Summer campers report that mosquitoes can be intense, especially early in the season, so bring repellent.

River access, trails and the beach

Walking paths link the loops and facilities. The campground map marks a canoe launch near the northeast river access, and the Railroad Grade Trail connects with the camping area. You can walk to the Platte River; the Lake Michigan shore at Platte River Point is a short walk or drive away. Some of the more than 25 miles of nearby Platte Plains trails are reachable on foot from camp.

2 active Sleeping Bear Dunes alerts

  • ClosureManitou Islands closed during dock constructionNorth and South Manitou Islands have major access and facility closures during dock construction; the passenger ferry will not operate in 2026.Official details
  • CautionHunters may be present during fall seasonsHunters may be present in Sleeping Bear Dunes while fall hunting seasons overlap with visitor use. - Several Michigan hunting seasons overlap and begin in mid-September.Official details
Sleeping Bear Dunes alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Sleeping Bear Dunes Tour Guide

Your drive to Platte River Campground, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

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Recorded for this place

Platte River Campground: A Wooded Base
0:00 / 0:33
“You're approaching Platte River Campground, a wooded base for days on the river and Lake Michigan. If you're camping, sites require reservations from May through October, and the park entrance pass is separate.”

Plays as you drive up to Platte River Campground in the Parkwolf Sleeping Bear Dunes Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • Platte River Picnic Area: Lunch beside the River
  • The Weather Behind Maple Syrup
  • Loon Lake Access: Launch, Fish or Picnic
  • Peterson Beach: A Quieter Shore
  • 73 audio storiesacross Sleeping Bear Dunes’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Piping Plover, Bald Eagle, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 34 trails, 89 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
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Guide

More about Platte River Campground

A wooded base for river and beach daysPlatte River Campground is the large National Park Service campground in the southern district…

Platte River Campground is the large National Park Service campground in the southern district of Sleeping Bear Dunes, with 179 sites across four loops and separate walk-in and group areas. It suits campers who want a tree-lined place to sleep within reach of the river, Lake Michigan and the Platte Plains trail system. Reserve ahead from May through October; the park entrance pass is separate from the campsite reservation.

Facilities and suppliesFlush and vault toilets, hot showers and potable water are available year-round, with trash and…

Flush and vault toilets, hot showers and potable water are available year-round, with trash and recycling and a seasonal RV dump station. The ranger station and an outdoor amphitheater sit near the entrance. There is no camp store or ice sales, so bring groceries; firewood is sold seasonally. The park lists nine wheelchair-accessible sites, including different site types, with accessible restrooms, showers and water nearby.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Sleeping Bear Dunes

All Sleeping Bear Dunes wildlife maps

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Sleeping Bear Dunes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Parkwolf’s Sleeping Bear Dunes ranking

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Take Parkwolf to Sleeping Bear Dunes.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

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