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Submission
Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into state parks and recreation areas, state boat launches, state forest campgrounds and state trail parking lots. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/rec-pp
This is my favorite rustic campground in Southern Michigan. We usually visit 2-3 times per summer. We've been camping here for the last 20 years! Most of the campsites are surrounded by trees, lending lots of privacy. The sites are well spaced. The staff at Bishop Campground (where you register) are always friendly and helpful. Complaints? The out houses could be cleaned a little more frequently. Also I wish they were open during the week! I would go more often!
We stay at Murray Lake Campground every summer at least once. Our favorite campsite to date is #2. While its closet to the campground entrance, it's far enough from the road where the cars are hardly noticeable. The vault toilet is usually very clean and a short walk from site #2. All of the campsites in Murray are relatively secluded and we've always had a very quiet, enjoyable experience! Keep in mind though, Murray Lake Campground is only available to reserve on weekends during the summer! So sites book up pretty fast. The boat launch and beach is a shirt drive away; definitely recommend the beach! It gets crowded but it never seems to be over crowded and people are very polite. We love camping in Brighton/Murray Lake, we're very happy to have found a campsite we visit on the regular!
If you like rustic, hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, and relaxing its all here. Brighton Recreation Area is a beautiful place with lots to take in.
This campground has sites that are a little more private than the nearby Appleton Lake campground. Overall it is a nice campground with a vault toilet. There is not much to see at Murray Lake but does have a spot to put in a canoe, kayak, or small boat. No swimming here, you have to go a couple miles down the road to Bishop Lake for a nice beach.
While here in June the mosquitos were very bad even with spray on. Hopefully the next time we go they aren't as bad.
We spent the weekend at the campground and were thoroughly impressed. Most of the sites at Murray Lake are large and surrounded by trees and underbrush for privacy. Indeed, I found myself regularly reminding my partner that we were only an hour from home!
The ability to buy affordable dry wood and lounge at the beach at Bishop Lake only to return to the rustic seclusion of Murray Lake was HUGE for our family. Our dogs (which are our kids) were able to go everywhere without comment or criticism.
My only (very slight) negative observation is around the roads. I tow a small pop-up and some stretches of the roads in the ML campground pushed the limits of my equipment by being sandy, steep, and pitted.
