Welcome to Karner Blue Campground, where beauty, solitude and nature come together! Named after the the Karner Blue butterfly, our goal is to do what we can to preserve this federally endangered beauty living in a narrow band from Eastern Minnesota to New Hampshire. Located in West Michigan and neighboring Manistee National Forest, our campground is set within a beautiful oak grove overlooking our small lake and private beach. Assuring the integration of our campsites into this beautiful area while we strive to manage and improve the nature and wildlife in our area to keep our butterflies safe, is our primary goal. There are certain areas of the campground we plan to never develop to preserve the land for our butterfly’s home, allowing us to enjoy the beautiful Karner Blue butterfly’s presence for life!
While here, we invite you to enjoy our wild Lupine flower, the only plant Karner Blue butterflies feed on in the caterpillar stage. Once they become butterflies, the Karner Blue feeds on the abundance of wild flowers found in and around our campground and area.
Our campground boasts viewing of all types of wildlife and is just an arms-length away from the Hart-Montague Bike Trail, Hiking trails, Lake Michigan, Beautiful White Lake and many other smaller fishing lakes.
As owners, Karner Blue Campground allows us to do what we love most, connecting with people and nature. Our main goal is to provide each guest with a wonderful camping experience while exceeding their recreational needs. We look forward to having you in our campground to enjoy the beauty and activities of Karner Blue Campground and our area.
Farms
Tonight’s meal doesn’t have to only be served with fresh caught fish. Stop by the Montague Farmer’s market, Montague Foods or Lewis Farms orchards for farm to table eats.
Currently we have 25 sites: 22 electric and water, 3 rustic and plans to expand! Every site comes with a fire ring, picnic table and trees for shade. We have a dump station on site as you exit our facility. There is much more to come in within the near future!
Perfect site for a quick weekend getaway! The only negative thing I can say is the site is somewhat close to the highway so that can be slightly distracting. Other than that, everything was perfect and the hosts checked on us frequently to make sure everything was going smoothly.
Michael S.July 21, 2020
Fun campsite for the kids!
Leah G.July 7, 2020
We had a great 4th of July weekend at Karner Blue! The sites were well spaced and roomy. Brody was a great host and really made you feel welcome. It was a nice quiet camp. The trash bins supplied and the toilets were very clean and maintained. Thanks Brody for making the stay great. This was our first Hipcamp experience along with our dog, Brody’s first camping excursion and both could not have been better. We will be back again, thanks.
Nate R.July 6, 2020
The campground was secluded and very clean. Brody was super nice and attentive. We had a great time and would 100% camp here again!
Chris S.July 5, 2020
The sites at Karner Blue are perfect for hammock camping! So many trees. The lake was an added bonus and beautiful around sunset. The noise from the highway was a little bit distracting but overall a great experience and very peaceful site. The price is great and the firewood bundles were the biggest I have seen for the price. Thanks and I would definitely recommend staying here!
Dain S.June 22, 2020
This place was awesome. Simple, private, and quiet. If you’re looking for a clean, safe spot that’s close to Lake Michigan, this is it. Can’t wait to come back soon!
Chelsie W.June 7, 2020
Brody was extremely friendly and went above and beyond to make sure that our group was taken care of. Nothing but good things to say about this place. Great price, and it’s a good mix of being close to beachs/stores/other conveniences while also feel feeling a bit secluded. Would definitely stay here again.
Gary H.May 26, 2020
Great place to be!!! If I had more time, I would of spent my whole summer here!! Great job to Brody and family thar have worked so hard to accomplish... read more their dream of having a Campground. I look forward to more time next year!!!!! Great people and peace of mind to stay at. Thank you for all you've done for me.
Tim Gillett August 26, 2023
Awesome campground. My wife and I absolutely love it here.. It is a great place to relax and enjoy some peace and quiet. Very friendly people, and a great place... read more to bring the dog and hike through the woods and go for a dip in the pond. Just a short drive to downtown Montague in case you want to play a tourist for the day or to enjoy a bite to eat. If you are looking for all the bells and whistles like playgrounds and a pool for the kids this isn’t the place for you. However if you are looking for nice peaceful spot with electric and water hook up this is the perfect spot.
Alex Kaminski May 14, 2022
A Hidden Gem ❤️ I almost don't want to review and give our little secret away lol. However, Not too far from the highway, but far enough you don't hear... read more any road traffic. Never too busy, with nice little hiking trails right on site! Every site has electric/water hookups. Port-A-Johns are fairly clean for what they are. The owners do a drive around in the morning which is nice and welcoming. Cheap firewood provided on site. My family has been here 3 times now and intend to visit Karner Blue any time we're in the area! Only 30mins from Silver Lake Sand Dunes. 15min drive to Meinert Park on Lake Michigan. So much to see in this area, the campsites location is awesome!
I highly recommend it, 5 stars isn't a great enough rating for what you get what you come here!
We are located about an hour north of Grand Rapids near the lakeshore of Lake Michigan. To get here please take the Fruitvale exit off of US-31 N and turn down Henderson Road (currently in rough condition) which will turn into 88th Ave. Using the Roesevelt Road entrance is going to be the most forgiving route.
From the north? Take US-31 N and exit at Rothbury’s Winston exit. Turn down Michigan Ave and deviate left after a mile down Roesevelt which will become 88th Ave.
Campground Policies
We want you to have fun and enjoy your stay with us at Karner Blue Campground. The following policies and guest information are being provided to you to help ensure your stay with us is carefree and safe.
CAMPGROUND SPEED LIMIT: 5 MPH AT ALL TIMES! Please observe entrance, exit, one-way, and speed limit signs at all times.
Smoking (including the use of electronic smoking devices) is prohibited in ALL buildings and within 25 feet of all public entrances.
All fires must be out by 1:00 AM and contained to designated fire areas/fire pits. Please do not use fire pits as garbage pits. Dispose of garbage in designated receptacles. Please do not relocate fire rings. If concerned about fire ring location, please visit front store.
Pets are always welcome, but must be kept on a leash, cleaned up after, and closely monitored at all times. No pets will be allowed in any buildings on property.
Restrooms cannot be cleaned after each use, please clean up after yourself, the guests following you will appreciate it.
Waste water must be discharged into authorized receptacles only and never discharged onto the grounds.
Absolutely no grease, oil, or gas may be dumped on property.
All waste disposed of should be general household items. We do not accept tents, chairs and other large items in the dumpster.
Registration tags must be visibly displayed on all vehicles.
Campground guests are responsible for the conduct, behavior, and monitoring of their children, pets, and visitors.
Guests are financially responsible for any damage to campground property, intentional or accidental; so please respect the grounds.
Firearms, lethal weapons, and drugs are prohibited on property. No fireworks allowed within campground at any time!
Please refrain from walking through occupied sites.
Common courtesy will prevail between all guests in the park. Profane, abusive, or threatening language or actions directed at campground personnel or other guests is prohibited and can result in immediate eviction without refund!
Most importantly, be safe and have fun!!!
Site Policies:
ONE CAMPING UNIT PER SITE (a camping unit is (1) RV, Tent, Pop-up, Truck Camper or Van). If a camping unit is on a site and you want to add a tent, it’s $10.00 per night in addition to site rate.
2-3 night minimum for holidays or events may apply.
Check in time is 2:00 PM. Check out time is 12:00 PM.
Early arrival between 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM – $10 additional fee.
Late Departure between 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM – $10 additional fee.
Early and late check-in/check-out may be available and is based on site availability.
A $20 deposit is required on all reservations.
$10 Cancellation fee; no refund 7 days prior to check-in. Example: A Friday reservation needs to be cancelled Friday of the prior week. If a reservation is cancelled within the appropriate time frame, a refund will be issued to the card used less $35.00 (deposit and cancellation fee).
Visitor Policies:
Visiting Hours are 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily.
Visitor parking is located near site 1.
All visitors must abide by campground rules.
Disclosure
*All guests and vendors are responsible for abiding by campground rules and policies. Any person who fails to adhere to the campground rules and policies may be evicted from the grounds at the sole discretion of campground management without refund. Guests use the campground facilities and amenities at their own risk. The campground is not responsible for loss or damage due to fire, accident, theft, weather, or catastrophic events. This includes injuries resulting in bodily harm. Management reserves the right to refuse service to anyone. Management reserves the right to make changes to the rules and policies at any time, without prior notice
Tim Gillett
Alex Kaminski
DeAnna Madewell