Drive-In Camping Within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Our drive-in campsites are currently offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
However, that will be changing this year:
In 2019, we will be putting all the park drive-in campgrounds on recreation.gov. All campsites will be reservable. No start date for making reservations has been determined yet. We will give as much notice as we can for when the sites go live on the reservation system. Check back for updates. Thanks for your patience.
(For Backcountry Camping information, click here.)
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore drive-in campsites are rustic and do not have electric, water, or sewer hookups. Campsites provide a picnic table, fire ring with grill grate, and tent pad. The campgrounds have vault toilets and well water. Typically there is no cell phone reception.
Camping is on a first-come, first-served basis (no reservations) with a fee of $20 per night. Holders of the
America The Beautiful Senior Pass (62 and older) and the
America The Beautiful Access Pass (disabled) receive a 50% discount.
Campground services are normally available and fees collected beginning the Friday on or just prior to May 15 through approximately October 31. The campgrounds may be used year round.
(For information on winter camping, click here.)
Campground Rules and Regulations
- Camping is limited to 14 days per calendar year within the lakeshore.
- Register and pay upon arrival. NO REFUNDS. Registration for any site(s) other than the one you physically occupy is prohibited.
- Camp only within the confines of a designated, numbered site. Overflow camping is prohibited.
- Checkout time is 11:00 am.
- No more than eight people are allowed per site.
- No more than two vehicles per site, including towed vehicles. Any extra vehicles will have to park in parking lots.
- Two tents are allowed per site, or two sleeping hammocks (or one of each). One tent must be on the tent pad, and the other must be within 10 feet of the pad. Any hammocks must be within 10 feet of the tent pad. No overflow camping allowed.
- Only one screened porch/tent may be placed over the picnic table per site. A screened tent does not count towards the two tents per site limit.
- Pets must be on a leash (six feet or less) at all times.
- Campground quiet hours are 8 pm to 8 am. There are generator-free areas at Twelvemile Beach and Hurricane River Campgrounds. Music should be for private listening.
- Campfires are permitted in fire rings only. Fires cannot be left unattended. Gather only down and dead wood. Ash firewood is prohibited. Beach fires are not allowed.
- All food items, beverages, cooking equipment, food storage containers and pet food must be kept sealed in a hard-sided vehicle when not in immediate use (day or night). Those camping without a hard-sided vehicle must use the park-provided metal boxes for food storage.
- Garbage must be placed in bear-proof trash cans. Dispose of waste water in the toilet.
Because of the popularity of these campgrounds, an early morning arrival is suggested.
You may also wish to identify an alternate nearby campground in your plans as the park campgrounds fill up quickly, especially on weekends and all of July and August. Have a Plan B ready!
Wheelchair accessible campsites are available at each campground and are reserved for those campers who need a barrier free site until 3 pm each day. If they are not filled by 3 pm, other campers may occupy the accessible campsite
for that night only and must vacate by 11 am the following day.
