Booking rules by state
Michigan state park camping reservations
How far ahead you can book, what time dates open, and the rules that trip people up.
The rules
- Campsites and lodging open 6 months to the date before arrival, one day at a time. Source, checked November 2, 2026
- New dates open at 8 a.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. DNR doesn't name the time zone; we show Eastern, Michigan's main zone (four western Upper Peninsula counties are on Central). Source, checked November 2, 2026
- On Christmas Day and New Year's Day the call center is closed and that day's new dates open the next day. Source, checked November 2, 2026
- A campsite reservation can't be changed or cancelled more than five months before arrival. Changes and cancellations cost $10. Source, checked November 2, 2026
Book on Michigan State Parks reservations, the official system run for Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Check a Michigan campground
Pick a campground (or Boundary Waters permits) and your date. You'll get the day and time it becomes bookable, and a calendar reminder.
Campground guides: Ludington State Park, D.H. Day Campground (Sleeping Bear Dunes). More Michigan campgrounds follow the same rule; the tool on the home page covers them as we add them.
Some of these are affiliate links: this site may earn a small commission if you book or buy, at no extra cost to you. How that works
Mackinac Island tours
Planning a Michigan trip around Mackinac? Ferries, carriage and fort tours book ahead too.
Get the reminder by email
One email the week before the big Great Lakes openings (the Boundary Waters permit day in late January first), and when an agency changes its rules. Nothing else.
Before any reminder, you'll get one email asking you to confirm. It comes from New England Reservations (hello@newenglandreservations.com), our sister site. Unsubscribe anytime. See the privacy policy.
Sources
- Michigan DNR FAQ: Reservations, modifications and cancelations, checked November 2, 2026.
Rules change. Always confirm on the official site before you rely on a date.