By:
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
Take I-94 to exit 153, Clear Lake Rd. Go north on Clear Lake Rd 5 miles to Loveland Rd. Turn right on Loveland Rd and go 2 miles. Park entrance will be on the left.
We visited the South Fork rustic cabin on a chilly weekend in March. It was lovely and secluded. The wood stove is wonderful and it was very warm during the day but we had to get up multiple times and refill it during the night to stay warm. There was an amazing amount of bird species in the area , and we heard coyotes the first night. Many hiking trails close to the cabin. Quite roomy inside, with a picnic table that was excellent for family games. Be sure to grab a trail map before you come, as there was none in the cabin. Likewise matches for the wood stove, we were lucky that we had some in the car as we've had forgotten to bring any with us. There was ample wood for the wood stove although if you want an outside fire you need to bring your own wood. Lovely time had by all.
We camped for 2 nights at the Mill Lake Rustic cabins inside Waterloo State Recreation Area. The area was really natural, lots of trees, dirt roads. You definitely need to make sure that you are prepared. There was a water pump within walking distance of the cabin. There was a vault toilet, which I found was not cleaned, lots of flies and spiderwebs everywhere. I sprayed for bugs, lysol wiped, and swept in there myself to make sure that it was clean enough for my family. The cabin was clean, had lots if screened windows, and the beds were actually pretty comfortable. We brought an air mattress that we ended up not even using. There are lots of electric heaters built in and we stayed warm at night. Plenty of outlets conveniently placed. We brought a mini fridge and were able to power up all our phones (which we did have good service on there), and electronic cookers. The cabin was well lit, with plenty of room to accommodate our family of 6. Mill lake was accessible on foot via a short trail walk. The cabins didn't have a view of the lake though. The Discovery center was a short drive away and the kids loved it. There were no showers at the Mill Lake cabins, you can go to the Sugarloaf campground to shower at a cost of $5 per person. There were lots of trails to walk. If you have a boat there is a boat access for Mill lake. We let the kids fish from the shore. They enjoyed watching the little minnows and butterflies around the marshy shoreline.
I think if we camp at Waterloo again I would like to be near modern bathrooms and a shower, because we have 4 kids. Ii did like the natural wooded area that were at though. It didn't feel like we were too close to lots of other people, or like it was a parking lot. The local DNR was friendly and helpful, and didn't bother us. It was a good experience overall; we will be camping at Waterloo again next year in a different camping area.
Love the beach here. Very clean, well kept. Dog friendly, concessions, paddle board & other rentals. Sandy areas, lawn areas, grills, ample space. Plenty of parking but it is a short walk to the beach down a hill (with a paved path). I highly recommend using a wagon if you have one.
