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Best Winter RV Camping (& Join Our Annual Winter Campout!)

| Updated Jun 16, 2023

The weather outside is frightful, but RVing is so delightful! Don’t let snow keep you home… here are our best winter RV camping trips & tips. Plus, learn about our Annual Winter Campout!

Winter camping is awesome! Yep, I said it, and I mean it!

Jennifer and I love the crisp air and snow-covered scenery. It’s such a beautiful contrast to the shocking colors of fall. 

We have a long list of articles, videos and podcasts of winter camping that you can check out. But I’m going to list some of our favorite experiences below.

Plus, you can join us at our RV Lifestyle Annual Winter Campout! The dates and all the information you need are below.

If you buy something through our links, we may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep our lights on so we can continue to provide helpful resources for RVers. Read our full affiliate disclosure here.

Winter Camping the Wendland Way

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We've been inviting people to our annual winter camping adventure in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for over 10 years and as many as 60 RVers have joined us, camping in converted vans, 5th wheels, motorhomes, and even tents with wood-burning stoves!

We cross-country ski, snowshoe, hike, and explore the nearby area, including the stark Lake Superior winter shoreline.

We stay warm with all our adventures by layering clothes and getting lots of exercise outdoors during the day and blazing campfires in the evening.

And it's just not the Upper Peninsula that we visit. Check out this video:

Camping the Lake Michigan Shoreline in Winter 

Like what you see in these videos? We'd appreciate it if you would Subscribe to our YouTube Channel (easy to do right here) and consider “ringing the bell icon” to be notified of any new video from us. 🙂 Thanks!

In the above video, we camped at Ludington State Park near the middle part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula “Mitten” and the Platte River Campground.

As always in cold weather camping, we winterized our RV, bundled up, and had the time of our lives. Jennifer, Bo, and I were the only campers in the entire park! 

In our two days there, the only other humans we saw were a nature photographer along the river and a ranger passing us in his pickup on the park road.

You can read about our experience in this companion blog.

Tahquamenon Falls Winter Camping

Like what you see in these videos? We'd appreciate it if you would Subscribe to our YouTube Channel (easy to do right here) and consider “ringing the bell icon” to be notified of any new video from us. 🙂 Thanks!

It’s difficult finding campsites in the wintertime up north. That’s why we were so excited to discover way back in 2012 that Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the UP has dozens of campsites plowed and available in winter!

Tahquamenon Falls is one of Michigan’s premiere state parks with 50,000 acres and of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. The Upper Falls is spectacular with its frozen waters near the shoreline but flowing waters down the middle. 

It’s one of the best RV winter camping spots and ts an absolute highlight for us that we hit every winter. Including this winter on our upcoming Annual Winter Campout…

RV Lifestyle’s Annual Winter Campout 2023

Our next ANNUAL WINTER CAMPOUT is just around the corner! We’re heading to the winter wonderland of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. 

The Dates are Thursday, January 5th through Sunday, January 8, 2023. Campsites are still available!

We are staying in the Lower Falls Hemlock Campground at Tahquamenon. Jennifer, Bo, and I will be on Site 161.

The sites all have electricity, and the Michigan DNR plows the snow out of the site for those with reservations.

DNR reservation for Best Winter RV Camping (& Join Our Annual Winter Campout!)

How to Reserve a Campsite & RSVP With Us

Unlike our other gatherings, this one is much less formal. Those who want to attend must make their own reservations directly with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources at https://midnrreservations.com/

Under the Park menu, scroll down to Tahquamenon Falls. Select the dates, and then you can pick out your site, even seeing a photo.

Once you have confirmed a reservation, Private Message me on Facebook, and I will invite you to a closed group just for this event.

Good-to-Know Info

There are limited pull-through sites with 50 amps. The others are 30 amps. There is no running water and the restrooms are closed during the winter. There are vault toilets. Cell service is quite good.

Bring bottled water to drink and for your sanitation needs.

We will have a potluck dinner on Thursday night. On Friday and Saturday, we will go to a local restaurant (everyone buys their own meals). The only other expense is the cost of the site (paid to the DNR) and whatever everyone feels is right to chip in to help pay for the firewood we use.

photo from a winter rv camping trip
That's Jennifer and Mike, with Bo, on our winter camping adventure last year

LOTS of Helpful Winter Camping Tips

If you’re going to join us on our best winter RV camping event of the year, you’ll need a few pointers. We’ve written more than a few articles on this, so I’ll give you some bullet points and then point you in the direction of more information.

How to Insulate a Camper for Winter Use

It does take some work to prepare for winter camping, but it’s well worth the effort to enjoy winter camping AND stay cozy.

I outline 11 useful tips on how to insulate a camper for winter use, from windows to ceiling. It’s a must-read article if you plan to join us at our winter campout or if you plan to do some winter camping on your own.

7 Winter Camping Tips

You can read the full article here that talks about one of our winter camping trips and some of the things we learned along the way.

I’ll give you the bullet-point version of the tips:

  • Know the weather and conditions
  • Use Reflectix to keep the heat in
  • Flush the toilet with antifreeze
  • Use bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth
  • Use paper plates and plastic utensils for meals
  • Determine where you will store extra clothing
  • Make sure your smoke alarm and C02 detectors are operational

To learn more about those tips, click on the link above for the full article.

More Winter Camping Tips & Articles!

image for our ultimate winter camping tips article

We have many more tips for you! 27 more, to be exact. You can read them all in our Ultimate RV Winter Camping Tips.

Plus, you might be interested in the following articles and podcasts:

Explore a hidden gem – Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Best Winter RV Camping (& Join Our Annual Winter Campout!) 1

This ebook is a seven-stop guided exploration of the Michigan UP. We provide a suggested route and itinerary, links to multiple campgrounds and boondocking spots, and the best spots to see along the way. Don’t plan your trip to the Upper Peninsula without it!


Best Winter RV Camping (& Join Our Annual Winter Campout!) 2

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Mike Wendland

Published on 2022-12-11

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

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