Bear Lake / Manistee KOA Holiday General Information

2026 SPRING: MAY 1 - MAY 17
Sunday: 10am - 5pm
Monday: 10am - 5pm
Tuesday: 10am - 5pm
Wednesday: 10am - 5pm
Thursday: 10am - 5pm
Friday: 10am - 7pm
Saturday: 10am - 7pm

2026 SUMMER: MAY 18 - SEPT 7
Sunday: 9am - 6pm
Monday: 9am - 6pm
Tuesday: 9am - 6pm
Wednesday: 9am - 6pm
Thursday: 9am - 6pm
Friday: 9am - 8am
Saturday: 9am - 8am

2026 FALL: SEPT 8 - OCT 14 (Last night of camping)
Sunday: 10am - 5pm
Monday: 10am - 5pm
Tuesday: 10am - 5pm
Wednesday: 10am - 5pm
Thursday: 10am - 5pm
Friday: 10am - 7pm
Saturday: 10am - 7pm

***Hours may be extended for holidays and special events.

Check in times for RVs - 2:00 pm
Check in time for Cabins - 3:00 pm

Check Out for RV's - 12:00 pm
Check Out for Cabins & Rental RV's - 11:00 am

Heated Pool: 10am - 9pm or dusk (Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day)
Laundry: 9am - 9pm
Quiet Hours: 10pm - 8am

• Every site has a fire ring.
  
• All fires must be kept in designated fire rings only.
  

Firewood is available for purchase at the camp store - Please do not bring firewood from out side the county into the park (per State of Michigan DNR)

Connecting with nature and wildlife. Various types of wildlife big and small may be found on and around this campground. Be alert and give them distance and respect. Keep dogs on a leash and properly store food, trash and cooking supplies.    
Your safety and the future of wildlife depend on you.

Propane & Ice are available for purchase through the store.

• Must be 21 years of age or older AND a licensed driver to rent a cart.
• Drivers must have a valid driver's license and have proof of insurance.
• Unlicensed drivers are NOT ALLOWED to operate carts on the Bear Lake / Manistee property.
• Driver MUST provide a valid driver's license when requested.
• Never can a child sit on your lap or steer the golf cart.
• No pets on the cart.
• No smoking on the cart.
• Only drive on roads and approved trails. Never drive through vacant sites or other people's sites.
• Do not park on the beach. Park in designated parking only.
• The renting person is responsible for any damages and repair costs. The cart will be taken away if any violation is found. No refund will be given for the unused portion of the rental.
• Necessary trips to restrooms only from Dark – 8:00 a.m. -  Must use headlights!
• Please drive 7 ½ mph or less at all times
• Using your golf cart at Bear Lake / Manistee is a privilege. Please do not abuse our rules.

• The visiting golf cart fee is $50 (for 1 day to 1 week) OR $100 for the season. It is required that you provide the office with proof of insurance and that you abide by campground rules/policies.
• Please display the current wristband on the steering wheel.
• Drivers must have a valid driver's license.
• Unlicensed drivers are NOT ALLOWED to operate carts on Bear Lake / Manistee property.
• Driver MUST provide a valid driver's license when requested.
• Young adults who have received their learner's permit (temps) may drive with a licensed driver (ie, parent), seated in the front seat. Licensed drivers must be at least 18 years old.
• Violations of Bear Lake / Manistee KOA rules/policies will be required to load their cart on their trailer, and no refunds will be given for unused time of stay.
• Everyone must be seated. Please do not drive recklessly.
• No more than 5 people on the cart at a time.
• Necessary trips to restrooms only from Dark – 8:00 a.m. – Must use headlights
• Must be 4-stroke gas or electric-powered.
• Never can a child sit on your lap or steer the golf cart.
• Drive only on the roads and approved trails. Never drive through vacant sites or other people's sites.
• No driving on the beach. Park in designated parking areas only.
• Please drive 7 1/2 mph or less.
• ATVs, 4-wheelers, Gators, side-by-sides, etc. are NOT allowed in the park.
• Adult Motorized Scooters are allowed to go in and out of the park, but NOT to drive in the park,   site to site.
• Using your golf cart at Bear Lake / Manistee KOA is a privilege. Please do not abuse our rules.

• Drivers MUST have a valid driver's license and have proof of insurance.
• Unlicensed drivers are NOT ALLOWED to operate carts on Bear Lake / Manistee KOA property.
• Driver MUST provide valid driver's license when requested.
• Young adults that have received their learner's permit (temps), may drive with a licensed driver (ie. parent), seated in the front seat. Licensed drivers must be at least 18 years old.
• Everyone must be seated. No more than 5 people on the cart at a time. Please do not drive   recklessly.
• Never, can a child sit on your lap or steer the golf cart.
• Only drive on roads and approved trails. Never driving thru vacant sites or other people's sites.  Park in approved parking spaces only.
• Only necessary trips to restrooms after dark to 8:00 am
• Please drive 7 1/2 mph or less.
• Using your golf cart at Bear Lake / Manistee KOA is a privilege. Please do not abuse our rules.

• All pets must be kept on a leash of 6 ft or less at all times. Unleashed pets will be asked to leave.
  
• The human walking a dog must be able to control the dog at all times.
  
• All pets must be picked up after immediately
  
• No aggressive dogs.
  
• No pets in the pool area.
  
• Pets are allowed on the beach in designated area only.
  
• Humans must address barking dogs immediately. 
  
• If pets are left alone in any cabin, they must be crated for their safety.
  
• Cabin pet fees are applicable at $30 per pet, per stay, 2 night minimum. 
  
• Please seek prior approval first if your pet is not a cat or dog.
  

Each site is allowed 2 vehicles.  A boat is considered a vehicle.  Day visitors vehicle count as a vehicle.  We do offer storage ($) for boats and extra vehicles.

For the safety and enjoyment of all guests, strict limits are enforced on the number of people who may be at the campground per each reservation. 

• At check-in, you will be asked to verify the number of guests staying at your site.  
  
• A limit of 8 people per site will be enforced - At least 1 of the 8 people must be an adult.  That total number includes both the number of people on your reservation and any day visitors.  If you have the maximum number of people on your reservation, day visitors are not allowed.  There is an additional fee for each day visitor.
  
• Camping Cabins, Deluxe Cabins, and other Lodging are limited by lodging type.  Be sure to verify allowed number of guests at reservation time.
  

If you need to cancel your reservation, please call the campground before the deadlines below to receive a refund of your deposit, less a $35 administrative cancellation fee. Text and email notifications of cancellations will not be accepted.

Cancellation Deadlines:

• RV & Tent Sites: You must give a 10 day cancellation notice. Call the KOA you made your reservation with by 4 p.m., ten days before your scheduled arrival.
  
• Lodging & Accommodations: You must give a 14 day cancellation notice. Call the KOA you made your reservation with by 4 p.m., fourteen days before your scheduled arrival.
  

Cancellation Details:

• Reservations made after these deadlines require non-refundable deposits.
  
• Cancellations made after the deadlines will result in forfeiture of the full deposit.
  
• No refunds are given due to the discomforts of nature.
  
• No refunds are given on or after the arrival date.
  
• We will not refund money for early checkouts or a reduced number of days. Customers will be charged for the number of days requested and reserved.
  
• Refunds will be processed using the original credit/debit card, with no exceptions. If a card has expired, you will receive your deposit by check within 30 days.
  
• If you do not show on the day of your reservation, your full deposit will be forfeited, and the remaining days reserved will be lost. 
  

Holiday & Special Event Deposit & Cancellation Policy: We have special policies regarding campsite deposits and cancellations during popular events, so please read this information carefully and contact us with questions.

• A three-night minimum stay is required for reservations for Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Bear Lake Days, & Arcadia Daze weekends. You are certainly welcome to stay longer.
  
• A non-refundable deposit equal to the amount of your entire stay, per site, is necessary to reserve the site and can be secured with Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. We will not reserve sites without a deposit. 
  

The park speed limit is 7.5 mph.

We do not offer trash pick up.  Please place your trash in the dumpsters at the front of the park.  Do not place in various trash cans around the park.

***Fish remains are to be disposed of in the fish cleaning stations only. Please, DO NOT place in dumpsters.

Welcome to Bear Lake / Manistee KOA!

Britny and Eden Taylor here, we are both excited to introduce ourselves as the new management team for Bear Lake / Manistee KOA! We have enjoyed the last 10 years together exploring the North West with our 2 furry friends Hank and Bogey. Almost 2 years ago we decided it was time to do something new so we sold our home in North Idaho, quit our careers of 20 years (Britny owned and managed a salon, Eden managed and was the lead sales person at a large hot tub store) and moved into a RV full time! Since then we have traveled to 16 states, visited 9 national parks, worked in campground maintenance and guest services, housekeeping, bartending and serving, and we have never been happier. Last summer while doing our laundry at a KOA in West Yellowstone we met Bobbi Jo (the owner of Kampvilla) and well, here we are! It is our dream to someday own our own campground so this opportunity to learn and grow means a lot to us! We both love seeing and helping others enjoy the outdoors as much as we do! We look forward to meeting and building relationships with the long term guests as well as the weekend warriors. Let's make this summer great!

Britny & Eden Taylor