D.H. Day Campground, Empire, MI

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. 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. There is a fee of $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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Campsite Reviews (269)

4.4 out of 5

5 star		62%
4 star		22%
3 star		6%
2 star		6%
1 star		1%

@HollyGD0DDFE78 · Camped on Oct 15, 2024 at Campsite #51

This campground is great for those who want to bring their dogs camping. The beach you can walk to from the park is dog friendly. They are serious about the 20 ft limit for campers/vehicles, the sites are nice but some of the entrances seem tight. Close to Glen arbor restaurants & gas, close to dune climb and other trails. Would stay again for sure!

@PaulaLCE62577B · Camped on Oct 11, 2024 at Campsite #43

That campground is well-maintained, Wood stocked, Bathrooms clean for pit toilets. Staff very friendly and helpful

@JavierR437AD06 · Camped on Oct 10, 2024 at Campsite #28

Great campground wonderful staff

@JohnH2789214 · Camped on Oct 9, 2024 at Campsite #44

We have been camping here for 43 years. The campground is always clean and well kept and generally quiet. We went over to Glen Haven to watch the Aurora., great viewing spot. I wish the campground would offer some sites that are first come first severed. Also that if you dont arrive or contact the park by a certain time of day you forfeit your site. There are always sites that are not occupied but are reserved. Many other campgrounds do both of those things.

@RichardP563677 · Camped on Oct 8, 2024 at Campsite #2

We had a nice off season stay at this National Campground. The campground has some sites big enough for an RV, and a majority of tent sites. We enjoyed the access to the lake. There are walking trails and bike riding trails as part of the Sleeping Bearr heritage trail

@JustinR3682506 · Camped on Oct 6, 2024 at Campsite #62

Such a beautiful campground. Good vibes all around. Extremely well maintained.

@PedroS99A97648 · Camped on Sep 27, 2024 at Campsite #87

First of all, while D.H. Day has more than 80 campsites, it is, even when full, very quiet. Second of all, the staff there is amazing: friendly, patient, and very knowledgeable. And lastly, it's Lake Michigan!

@BarbaraT607139 · Camped on Sep 15, 2024 at Campsite #22

Stargaze at the beach!! Bring water shoes for beach walks. The heritage bike trail is outstanding! Don't miss the Leelanau Coffee Roasting Company in Glen Arbor for coffee and unique pastries, and The Grocer's Daughter in Empire for amazing chocolate creations. The shoulder seasons aren't nearly as crowded as the summer season. Learn what poison ivy looks like if camping at the wonderful D H Day Campground - I saw many people wading through it to gather kindling. If you enjoy music, don't miss The Music Museum northeast of Traverse City. I regretted staying only a week because there is so much to do and see in that area - plan on 2 weeks if you can. Love, love, love Sleeping Bear Dunes and my unique 3-level campsite #22! I'll be back.

@JudyC6639B5FBB · Camped on Sep 15, 2024 at Campsite #75

DHDay is the highlight of my vacationing experience. I live close by and come toCamp 3-4 times a season. I absolutely love the sweet and friendly people that work here. I was so sad to hear that one of my favs had t come back, and she was replaced with a very negative worker. He does not make me feel welcome when I arrive. It's a blemish on the DHDay time. Campers are always lovely and all is fabulous. Maybe this man needs some help with his problems so he can be nice. I waited to write this, but in my continuing visits he remains sullen. Thanks for all the great stuff. Also, your hosts are the best.

@VikkiBAF4CB45B · Camped on Sep 14, 2024 at Campsite #40

The sites do have some privacy and are larger. It was just as described. I liked its remoteness. But the roadways are pretty narrow, as are the site driveways, and the gravel road kicks up a huge cloud of dust every time a vehicle passes even at a slow speed. That made it difficult to keep our camper windows open. Firewood was well stocked.

@DavidL8659169 · Camped on Sep 12, 2024 at Campsite #87

Sleeping Bear Dunes has great hiking trails throughout. We have several favorite beaches there--try them all. Save a few hours for wandering through the shops and restaurants in Glen Arbor. Unfortunately, some of our campground neighbors arrived in the middle of the night with a very noisy RV and couldn't figure out how to back it into their site so they came up into our site and walked around, flashlight in hand. Kept us awake for quite some time. This was our only complaint about our experience.

@ChadC7363911 · Camped on Sep 10, 2024 at Campsite #78

Kid had a ton of fun on the beach

@JonathanB16578 · Camped on Sep 8, 2024 at Campsite #19

We really enjoyed our stay at D.H. Day campground. The proximity to biking and hiking trails was awesome, and we enjoyed visiting the nearby beaches and sand dunes. The site is located near the middle of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, so there are plenty of options for biking. Our site was in the middle of a loop and somewhat close to neighbours so having a net tent with side covers was helpful for privacy. The toilets in the campground are all composting with lots of flies, which you dont really get used to, and in our location we could smell the toilets depending on the prevailing wind.

@CarolG4880279F · Camped on Sep 5, 2024 at Campsite #70

Great biking, right on the trail, and great beach walking.

@KarenO2455518 · Camped on Sep 3, 2024 at Campsite #34

Site was clean and easy to find

@JPS40C7584E04B · Camped on Sep 3, 2024 at Campsite #42

Overall, the campground is great, and access to the beach a short walk away is truly special. This particular site has a very flat and clear space for setting up a tent, and is close to one of the two-stall pit toilets, which is both a pro and a con. It also feels a bit less private because it is between several other sites. So, unlike sites that have neighboring sites to only one or two sides, this one is directly adjacent to other sites on three sides, with the fourth side being the parking pad and the access road. Not a deal breaker, but we would have preferred a site less visible to others. And the fire pit is set closer to the road than to the back of the site, so hanging around the fire feels more public than private. Nonetheless, a good experience overall.

@SamD4957340 · Camped on Aug 23, 2024 at Campsite #80

Very nice camp sites that provide a decent amount of privacy. No matter where your site is, its a short walk to the beach to watch a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Check in can be a little slow as there is one ranger and only one group is allowed in the registration area at a time, but they move through everyone pretty swiftly. Would definitely stay here again!

@JoshuaF8625028 · Camped on Aug 21, 2024 at Campsite #79

Campground is great!

@MadK4370CD5754 · Camped on Aug 15, 2024 at Campsite #41

Would recommend in Fall when the weather isn't so muggy.

@AnthonyM286222 · Camped on Aug 7, 2024 at Campsite #49

Excellent camping as always

@NicholasO6C91C · Camped on Aug 1, 2024 at Campsite #28

Great location, close to a beautiful town and to the beautiful sleeping bear dunes.

@HaydenC599C918 · Camped on Jul 29, 2024 at Campsite #16

Vault bathrooms were some of the worst Ive ever been in and no running water at the beach trailhead made things a good bit harder than they had to be. Lots of sites here were going to waste each night because of prior umbrella reservations made by people trying to have a spot for the entire summer, whenever they made want or need. Firewood was $10 a bundle, the most Ive ever seen outside of Jackson Wyoming and Im not sure I ever saw it that bad there either. The raccoon problem was rampant and quickly understood; entire group campsites leaving trash, mis-contained food, and personal items were out in more than a few of the campsites that you noticed, just walking to the beach. The only place to dump trash properly was at the very front entrance, far from reach for families at night looking to throw away waste which causes build up at campsites. Trash was seen in vault toilet numerous times because there was no close trash vault. There were also no trash vaults at any of the beach trail heads. Desk staff was ready to get out of there and so was the campground manager who looked like he hadnt smiled since the last millennium. The location is unbeatable though, and thats why you all will have continued success no matter how poor the campground logistics or management continues to be.

@AnnieR14B50236 · Camped on Jul 27, 2024 at Campsite #77

We LOVE DH Day Campground. The campground hosts are friendly. The staff was well informed and alerted us to any impending weather or animals that might be around the area. The programs hosted by staff during our staff were educational, interactive and fun! The beaches were clean. Our site was clean and quiet. Visiting DH Day is a highlight of our summer every year.

@StephenI2AD7C4 · Camped on Jul 14, 2024 at Campsite #59

Pretty cool place!

@AndrewD2287388 · Camped on Jul 11, 2024 at Campsite #12

GREAT PLACE TO CAMP. AMAZING BEACH. LOTS OF HIKING TRAILS CLOSE BY.

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