Medium Demand — Gun Lake Camping With Two Campground Options

Yankee Springs Recreation Area

Barry County · Lower Peninsula · Middleville, MI 49333
230+
Campsites
5,200
Acres
From $17
Per Night
2
Campgrounds
Season: April – November
Hookups: Electric at Gun Lake
Pets: Allowed on leash
Reservation: MiDNRReservations.com
Phone: (269) 795-9081
Book on MiDNRReservations.com →

About Yankee Springs Recreation Area

Yankee Springs Recreation Area is one of the largest state-managed properties in southwest Michigan, spanning roughly 5,200 acres of rolling, glacially-carved terrain southeast of Grand Rapids. The park centers on Gun Lake, a popular boating and fishing destination, but its size also supports a genuinely large trail network for hiking and mountain biking, plus a scenic overlook known as the Devil's Soup Bowl.

Camping is split between two campgrounds: the modern, electric Gun Lake Campground for RVs and families who want lake access, and the smaller, rustic Deep Lake Campground for a quieter, more primitive experience away from the main lake.

CampgroundSitesHookupsBest For
Gun Lake Campground~200 sitesElectricFamilies, RVs, boating
Deep Lake Campground~30 sitesNone (rustic)Quiet, tent camping
Heads up: Gun Lake Campground and Deep Lake Campground are quite different experiences — double-check which one you're booking, since Deep Lake has no electric hookups.
Local tip: Hike or bike out to the Devil's Soup Bowl overlook for one of the better views in southwest Michigan's rolling glacial terrain — it's a short but worthwhile detour from the main trail network.

Gun Lake & the Devil's Soup Bowl

PHOTO PLACEHOLDER

The park's centerpiece is Gun Lake, popular for boating, fishing, and swimming, while inland the terrain rolls through kettle lakes, hardwood forest, and prairie remnants. The Devil's Soup Bowl, a steep glacial depression with an overlook, is one of the park's most distinctive features and a favorite stop for hikers and mountain bikers exploring the trail network.

How to Get a Reservation

The 6-Month Booking Window

Like all Michigan DNR campgrounds, Yankee Springs Recreation Area opens reservations exactly 6 months in advance through MiDNRReservations.com.

Set a CampDrop Alert

If your dates are sold out, CampDrop monitors MiDNRReservations.com around the clock and texts you the moment a site opens up at Yankee Springs.

Reserve directly: MiDNRReservations.com · Park phone: (269) 795-9081

What to Know Before You Go

Hookups & Site Types

Gun Lake Campground offers electric sites; Deep Lake Campground is entirely rustic with no hookups.

Season

The park typically operates April through November; confirm exact dates on MiDNRReservations.com.

Pets

Pets are welcome throughout the park on a 6-foot leash.

Trails

The park has an extensive network of hiking and mountain biking trails through varied glacial terrain — check trailhead maps for current conditions and loop lengths.

Directions

Yankee Springs Recreation Area is located at 2104 Gun Lake Rd, Middleville, MI 49333, in Barry County, about 25 miles southeast of Grand Rapids.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are two: the modern, electric Gun Lake Campground with about 200 sites, and the smaller, rustic Deep Lake Campground with about 30 sites and no hookups.

Yes, Gun Lake is a popular destination for boating, fishing, and swimming, with a boat launch accessible from the campground area.

It's a steep glacial depression with a scenic overlook, one of the park's most distinctive natural features and a popular stop on the hiking and mountain biking trail network.

Reservations open exactly 6 months in advance through MiDNRReservations.com. For sold-out dates, a CampDrop alert will text you the moment a cancellation opens up a site.

The park typically operates April through November. Confirm exact dates on MiDNRReservations.com.

It's about 25 miles southeast of Grand Rapids, near Middleville in Barry County.