Michigan City Park

On this particular Friday morning, we had called Michigan City Park to inquire if any spaces were available. They mentioned that it is first-come, first-serve but that usually there are spaces. While they do have four sites with 30-amp electric, they do not have water available at the sites and there is no dump station anywhere in the town, necessitating a trip to Grand Forks or Devils Lake about 35 miles either direction for that service if needed. Drinking-grade water to fill your tank is available at a single spigot near the clubhouse, and a restroom that they keep unlocked, however no shower provided. They have trash cans for your refuse. The maximum length of stay is 14 days. We stayed for ten, which enabled us to get to know some of the residents of this 266-population small town. Dave works hard to keep the golf course clean and mowed, while Woody and his dog Max take care of the campsite mowing, both of which are great for conversation. Many others happily greeted us as we walked the dogs through town.

Both our MOPAR and GARMIN GPS suggested turning East on 3rd from Jeannette, but it is actually at the end of the road to the West. Be aware that there are dips at most intersections for rainwater to run off so you will want to slow down for each. The sites are narrow and mostly level on hard-packed grassy base at the edge of the 9-hole golf course. There is room for additional RV’s or car-camping if no electricity is needed. A 45-foot RV should fit but may have to be backed between the power posts and checked for slide clearance, but our 37-foot motorhome fit easily. We did pull our slides in a couple times as the winds had been rather intense.

A few of the residents may stop to chat, see where visitors are from and where they are heading. While some people may find that intrusive, we found it more welcoming. During our stay, most nights we experienced one to three additional RVs pulling in for a night of rest and leaving first thing in the morning, most of which were from the State of Michigan and many bound for Alaska.

They do not require any payment for your stay but do have a “FREEWILL” donation receptacle, with which we gladly obliged and would recommend anyone using their electricity to do the same. We largely relied upon our solar and inverters but thankfully plugged in for a couple days when the temperatures were in the 90’s.

The town has noon, 6pm and 10pm sirens, which were barely perceptible inside our motorhome, but a reminder of my childhood when more towns did the same. There are not any hills or trees to muffle the trains that pass through, but again, it didn’t disturb or wake us.

Michigan is a very clean and tidy town. There were amazing sunsets over the golf course. We saw no unkempt lawns or stockpiles of trash. They have a saloon and grille, which had great food for takeout, a convenience store, where another guest found someone to help with hardware to fix their wind-damaged awning, a bank, and a grocery store. Check their hours of operation as small towns generally mean more limited open hours. If passing through the area, I will definitely stay here again, maybe for the full two weeks.

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