Camping in Michigan Two Hours From Toledo, Ohio

Overlooking the Lake Erie shoreline, the city of Toledo, Ohio, is just minutes from Michigan's rural southeastern corner, where numerous campgrounds provide accommodations for those in search of adventure and outdoor recreation. The landscape immediately across the state line is one of rolling hills, fertile farmlands and inland lakes with excellent fishing. Miles of hiking trails and hundreds of shady, secluded campsites await within a short drive of Toledo.

  1. On the Shores of Lake Erie

    • Less than 30 minutes from Toledo, Sterling State Park is the only Michigan State Park with access to the Lake Erie shore. The park is also home to one of the largest campgrounds in the region, with more than 250 sites for tents and RVs. The campsites include 20-, 30- and 50-amp electrical hookups, and many of the campsites are ADA-accessible. Centrally-located bathhouses provide modern restrooms and hot showers, and each campsite includes a campfire ring and picnic table. This 1,300-acre park also includes boat ramps, fishing access and a swimming beach on the lakeshore, along with picnic areas and six miles of trails for hiking, biking and cross-country skiing. Reservations are available through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources website.

    Quiet and Secluded

    • Lake Hudson Recreation Area spans more than 2,700 acres, with a mostly-undeveloped landscape of rolling hills, mature hardwood forest, open brush land and lush meadows. Nestled among this wild landscape is a cozy family campground with 50 tent and RV campsites. Electric service up to 30 amps is available, along with drinking water and vault toilets. Lake Hudson Recreation area lies just across the state line, about an hour from Toledo. The centerpiece of the recreation area is Lake Hudson, a 500-acre lake that provides some of the best fishing in the state for muskellunge, gamefish that can exceed 50 inches and 40 pounds. Broad swaths of land throughout the recreation area are also open to hunting during appropriate seasons. A current Michigan hunting or fishing license is required, and you can obtain one through the Michigan DNR website or at sporting goods stores all over the state.

    Camping in the Wilderness

    • Wilderness Campground is a privately owned camping area about half an hour from Toledo. Nearly 100 campsites ranging from open and spacious to shady and secluded are arranged around the shores of two small lakes where you can swim, fish, launch a canoe or rent a paddle boat. Primitive tent sites are available, along with RV sites with water and electric hookups. The campground includes modern restrooms, hot showers and an RV dump station. During your stay you can make use of the picnic area, horseshoe pits, volleyball and basketball courts, game room and children's playground. Some campsites are available on a seasonal basis from May to October.

    In the Heart of the Irish Hills

    • W.J. Hayes State Park -- often referred to simply as Hayes State Park -- sits in a region of southeast Michigan known as the Irish Hills. Named for its resemblance to the Irish countryside, the region is known for its lush green hillsides and sparkling lakes. Two of these lakes -- Wamplers Lake and Round Lake -- are accessible from the park. Wamplers Lake is the larger of the two, and includes a swimming beach and boat ramp, while the smaller Round Lake has an ADA-accessible fishing pier and lots of open shoreline where you can hand launch a canoe or kayak. The campground at Hayes State Park offers 185 wooded campsites with electrical service and modern restrooms within walking distance of the lakes.