An Upper Peninsula Paradise at Marquette Tourist Park

RV Life

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is the perfect place to explore the Great Lakes, venture into Canada, or just enjoy some classic Midwest comfort. It’s also an ideal destination for summer travel, due to the mild weather and lush greenery. If you’re interested in exploring Northern Michigan, book a reservation at Marquette Tourist Park.

This park is lovely and it is owned and operated by the city of Marquette. Campers who stay here will be just a few minutes away from Lake Superior, which is a major attraction. The park itself is located right on the banks of the Dead River, which includes several additional lakes along its path. So no matter where you camp within the park, you’ll never be far from the water.

The Upper Peninsula is an overlooked gem in the camping world. It grants you easy access to multiple bodies of water, plus the region is heavily wooded. It’s the perfect getaway if you’re tired of busy cities and crowded roads. There are plenty of RV parks and campgrounds to explore, but Marquette Tourist Park is definitely at the top of the list.

Overview

Marquette Tourist Park is located at 2145 Sugar Loaf Avenue, Marquette, Michigan. It’s right on the outskirts of Marquette, granting guests a quiet and peaceful retreat. The Upper Peninsula is sparsely populated and there aren’t many other big cities in the area. But if you want to explore other towns, you can try Ishpeming, Palmer, and Sands.

This RV park is fairly large, especially for a more remote area. There are 110 sites available to rent and 38 of them include full hookups. The remainder only offer electrical hookups, so be sure to book in advance if you need access to water and sewage at your campsite. Primitive tent sites are also available if you want to camp outdoors for a few nights.

The Upper Peninsula is located right along the Canadian border, which means that this area gets pretty chilly once winter rolls around. Combined with the extra humidity and snowfall from the Great Lakes, this is a place that you’ll want to avoid during the winter.

That’s why this campground is only open on a seasonal basis. However, the northern climate and large lakes make it a perfect destination during the summer months. If you want to stay here, you’ll need to visit between May 17 and October 13 (although the season could end sooner if the weather is particularly harsh).

Rates

Marquette Tourist Park is a rustic campground, so don’t expect any spas or luxury features. But it’s clean, comfortable, and covers all the basics. In fact, for the quality of the park, the prices are actually very cheap.

The average nightly rates are as follows:

Primitive/Tent Camping Site: $30 per night
Electrical Hookup Site: $45 per night
Full Hookup Site: $55 per night

Early check-in is available for $10 and there is also a $7 reservation fee to claim the spot of your choice. But altogether, the prices here are quite affordable. If you want to learn more about the campground or check the availability online, visit the website at marquettemi.gov

Amenities

Although this isn’t a luxury resort, it still has everything you need to have a comfortable and enjoyable experience. The park spans 40 forested acres, granting each camper access to plenty of shade and elbow room. There’s a dedicated green space as well, which is perfect if you need a quiet spot for a picnic, an outdoor game, or a night of stargazing.

As mentioned above, full hookups are available at multiple sites, but don’t worry if you didn’t get one of these. Bathrooms with flushable toilets and shower facilities are offered to every guest so you can stay refreshed without running through your water tank too fast. There are also multiple dump stations for your convenience.

The RV sites are all level as well. Depending on your site type and location, it may be paved or gravel. Picnic tables and BBQ pits are also available at each site. This gives you a nice place to relax outside of your RV, as well as do some campfire cooking if you’re in the mood for it.

If you’re hosting a large get-together, you may want to take advantage of the campground picnic areas as well! There are three large areas available to rent. The cost is $20 per hour, with a $100 deposit. These green spaces are perfect for weddings, family reunions, corporate events, and more.

Marquette Tourist Park is located just one mile away from Lake Superior, so you won’t have to travel far if you want to explore this lake. But if you want to stay within the campground, you can also enjoy the banks of the Dead River. This park includes a large beach area that’s perfect for swimming, fishing, or just lounging on the sand.

Additional amenities include:

Playground
Paved roads
Bike pump track
Self service RV wash
Drinking fountains

Visitors can also enjoy amenities from the nearby city of Marquette. This park grants access to the city multi-use bike path, making it easy to travel between the campground and the rest of the city. The Noquemanon Trail Network is also nearby, which is perfect for walking, hiking, or biking.

Nearby Activities/Attractions

Most of the Upper Peninsula is fairly rural, but Marquette is one of the main cities in this area, so it has a bit more going on. Of course, Lake Superior is always nearby, but there is plenty to enjoy on the land as well.

During your stay, you may want to visit attractions like the Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum, The Marquette Maritime Museum, the De Vos Art Museum, or the Downtown Marquette Farmer’s Market.

Outdoorsy types will definitely want to visit Presque Isle Park, hike Sugarloaf Mountain, and trek to Dead River Falls. There are miles of trails in this region as well, making it easy to spend days exploring the woods.

If you come during the right time of year, you will be in the ideal location to enjoy the Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival. It’s not uncommon to see the Northern lights in this area as well. Be sure to check the forecast and bring a camera just in case!

There are also plenty of dining options near Marquette as well. Some local favorites include:

Reviews

Last, but certainly not least, it’s time to dive into some reviews for this campground. The Marquette Tourist Park has scored well across the board.

On RV Life Campgrounds, visitors gave it an overall score of 8.1/10. More than 600 people have also left reviews on Google and the feedback there ranked it as 4.4/5 stars. The people have spoken and the overwhelming majority have shown that they truly love this park.

Many guests stated that they loved the area around this park, especially how close it was to Lake Superior. Another common compliment was about the lot sizes and the rustic, wooded setting. The large shade trees were another feature that was greatly appreciated.

There were a few complaints that are worth mentioning, though. Some guests said that their campsite borders were not clearly defined, so it was hard to tell where their site ended and their neighbors’ began. Other campers were routed through a college campus to reach the park, which was slow and a bit awkward to navigate.

If you want to read more feedback about this campground, visit the Marquette Tourist Park page on RV LIFE Campgrounds. Here, you can find photos, honest feedback, and Q & A from real campers.

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