What a lovely park! We were looking for a one night stopover on our way north to the Soo Locks. We pulled in with no reservations and were treated like a welcome friend! Staff was very friendly and helpful, despite working in 100* heat. They saw we had two small dogs and suggested a site with the most shade to make things easier for the dogs! Sites are concrete slab and lovely grass with picnic table and fire pit. Power pole was quaint little lighthouse looking thing with low voltage lighting that was lovely at night. There is a nice lake for swimming. It is fairly new and the trees are a little young so shade is not what it would be with mature trees, but lovely none the less. Park is spotless and well groomed. Would have loved spending a couple days here. Will definitely stay here again. - oosuzieqr

Very clean, nice county park close to Kalamazoo. Has a spring fed lake with fishing, bike path, cement pads, full hookups, all for $26.00 nite. No cable But good TV over air reception. No WiFi

Easy access off I-131 take exit 44 or D Avenue to north westnedge Ave the go south about 2-3 miles. Make reservations on weekends - Casy

A county park this beautiful !!?? What a great find. It's quiet, spacious, long pull-throughs, clean bathrooms, places to walk, bike and run. A lake that you can swim in. Quiet at night. No WiFi. Water pressure was good. A very nice place to stay for a restful couple of days. Lots of staff around to make sure the place is clean and safe. Oh, when you arrive from the south, you have to swing WAY wide to turn right into the park. It's more than a 90 degree turn. - Lastrick

We arrived the day after a major rain event and the park experienced some flooding. We had to cross a flooded bridge over a small creek which was a little scary but safe enough! There were two sites on the edge of a large pond that were completely flooded out! Our site was soft but we were able to situate our rig on the firmest part for a safe setup. Pretty park otherwise. We would stay here again. Our rate reflects the RPI rate. - Rick & Karen

We made our reservations through Coast-to-Coast online, based on the route we were taking through the area. We encountered complications earlier in our trip and needed to check in a day earlier, but we could never reach anyone on the phone. In fact, the voicemail box was FULL and not accepting more messages! Coast-to-Coast people contacted them and assured us of an earlier check-in. When we arrived at the gate house we were handed a map and told to go find a spot, "It's pretty muddy." and that was all the assistance we got. We unhooked the car and drove around until we found a pull-thru spot. This park could be a nice place if management took some care with the grounds. After being here a couple of days/nights I agree with previous reviews - management is absent and no one cares. Many sites look like people live there full time, golf carts everywhere, trash in fire pits. We are sandwiched between 2 5th wheels in such a way we can't enjoy sitting outside. Two small lakes on the property with a lot of geese. Today we went to one of the lakes and walked to the water's edge to get pictures. A young boy at a campsite nearby said matter-of-factly "Watch out for snakes." On a good note, the camp store is well stocked and the mini-golf area looks nice. The hand-out map with all those Rules mentions an internet cafe and big screen TV in the clubhouse. The lady in the guard house scoffed when we asked and said they had been stolen long ago! Although this place is "free" we will not stay here again. - NewmarTexans

I agree with other reviewers. This campground does not have the attention of the owners. Personnel were non existent having been laid off a few weeks earlier. Phones are shut down and office is locked. Literally no services. We were told we had to leave because campground was shutting down early. We purchased membership here mainly to camp in The fall and early spring because of too many people being there in the summer. Now that opportunity is lost. Owners are rumored to be buying more camps while letting this one deteriorate. Wish we knew how to contact other members. We feel our membership at this campground has been seriously devalued. Many improvements that were promised never carried out. Would not buy membership here again. - Sandy2422

After reading some of these reviews, I was starting to wonder if I was in the same park. This place is gorgeous. Huge sites with lots of privacy. We were in site 119, next to the bathrooms and had no issues except for a rude dog owner who didn't scoop. - MSSW

We stayed in this park while we were handling some family business in the area. Great value for the money. Roads coming in were quite rough, they are supposed to be resurfaced soon. Nice big and private sites. Many hiking, equestrian, and biking trails. We would definitely stay at this park again. - User2106

I was here before the park was ready for the season but they still let me camp for a week anyway. The bath facilities were not open yet. This is very typical of the Michigan State Park system: ie, kind of rustic, no frills, which is the way it should be. The staff was great. Roads are paved (very rough coming in) and the campsites are grass/gravel and they are spaced quite a distance apart. If you are looking for an upscale RV resort with all the bells and whistles, well, this might not be the best place. However, it is one of only a very few campgrounds in the area. This is a good place if you enjoy the woods and nature kind of thing. If in the area, I'd sign up to stay again. - Jake67

This is not a campground in the traditional sense, but rather it is a city park that has four parking spaces with services for RV’s. Two of these spaces have concrete pads and two have just grass parking. There are also sites for tent camping, but I couldn’t tell exactly where these are. This campground is no longer free, but it’s close. The charge is now (May 2014) an almost nominal $10 per night. You must register and pay at the police department, which is less than a mile from the park. The address of the PD is 127 Court Street, but directions are not given. The phone number is also not given, but it is (269) 692-6111. I advise that you park your RV first and then drive or walk to the PD; parking at the police station with a big rig would be difficult. If you visit the park’s web site, be aware that it covers all of Otsego, MI, parks, not just Brookside Park. You may camp here for only three days in a row, and may do this only two times per calendar year. I assume that these restrictions are to prevent full-time camping, but three days is still not very long. If no one is waiting for a space, or if there are two or three open spaces you may be allowed to stay longer than the three day maximum, but only under some circumstances. You must ask at the police department for permission. I didn’t see anything that indicates that camping is limited to certain months of the year. I am pretty sure it’s open year-round. I was told that they do not take reservations, but you can double check by calling ahead. Alcohol is not allowed in the park, but I doubt that they will search your RV. I wouldn’t drink any alcohol outside of the coach. (This is merely a suggestion and does NOT constitute legal advice.) The park is directly off of State Highway 89, which is also Allegan Street, but is set down a slight hill so that when you are in the park you don’t even know there’s a street nearby. There is almost no traffic on the park’s single interior road. The park closes at 10:00 p.m., but the road is not physically blocked so you can still get in and out. So can everyone else, of course. The police receptionist told me that the police cruise through the park once or twice per night. One just went by at 9:55 p.m. checking the area with a searchlight. It’s nice to know they are here. The park is not listed by name on Google maps and could be difficult to find. If you search for it by name you will find a location that’s miles away in Indiana. The GPS coordinates for the campsites are: N42o 27' 19", W085o 41' 02". If you copy the following coordinate string into a Google Maps search window (https://maps.google.com/) the green arrow will point directly to the campsites. The satellite view shows the park well. N 42 27' 19 W 085 41' 02 The park has 30 amp and 20 amp electrical service to each of the four sites and one freeze-proof water spigot for each two sites. If you are sharing a water faucet, one of you must have a two-way splitter. If not, there’s a Wal-mart just down the road. Each RV site has its own picnic table, and three sites have a small concrete pad for them. Each site has a steel grill mounted on a post. Campfires are not allowed. Two of the RV sites have a 10' x 30' concrete pad. The other two have only grass, but the soil appears solid, even after several days of rain. There are enough trees to make you feel like you’re in a park, but only one that will block satellite reception from one of the RV sites. There are no real restroom facilities, although while we were here there were one or two porta-potties in the park. There is no dump station for either black or gray water. There is no Internet service of any kind, but cell phone reception is good if you use that for your Internet. Dogs are allowed only on leash and only in the vicinity of your RV site. They are not allowed in the rest of the park. It should go without saying that you should clean up after your dog, but I’ll say it anyway because there’s a $20 fine if you are caught failing to do so. I say this also because I didn’t appreciate having to clean up after the previous camper’s dog. One attraction you shouldn’t miss if you are in this area is the Gilmore Car Museum, which is less than 20 miles away in Hickory Corners, MI. My wife and I couldn’t see it all in the three and a half hours we had. See: www.gilmorecarmuseum.org. This park is a very nice place to stay for a very reasonable price as long as you are okay with the minimal services provided. I highly recommend it if you want to see this part of Michigan. - User2497

We stayed here because there was nothing else in the area. Registration is cumbersome as you have to go into town to the police station, pay and get a permit. The receptionist who handled this was ---less than efficient. Campground is next to a marsh, so expect mosquitoes. Supposedly there are 8 sites; however, only two water connections of which each is to be shared by 2 sites. There are chemical toilets in the park, but that is it. We would travel on rather than stay here again. - judb

This city park has 4 free sites. You can stay there for 3 nights. First come, first served. - skigramp

Would have given this park a 10 if we had had a sewer hook-up. There is a dump station and since we were only here for 3 nights we were fine. This is a lovely park and close to both Battle Creek and Kalamazoo and points in between. We would stay here again. - User2209

Nice clean quiet basic park. Spacious grassy sites that are mostly shaded. Each site in the improved area includes accessible water and 20amp/30amp electric hookups, fire ring and picnic table. Two sites are handicapped accessible. There are two playgrounds, a fishing pier, boat landing, beach, two pavilions, horseshoes and disk golf. Firewood is available to purchase. There are paved roads to all the main areas except the rustic camping area. The rest rooms and showers are basic but clean. Staff was friendly and helpful. I will come back and stay here again. - HobbyTalk

Pretty average campground, part of a larger Kalamazoo County park. 29 sites with water and electric on one loop, 22 rustic in a separate area. Large trees, so most sites get good shade. Water is at every third site, so you may need 75' of hose to reach, 30a and 20a electric is at each site. Within 15 minutes to Binder Park Zoo, and Kellogs Cereal City. Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Spent most of our time away, instead of doing camping activities, so no good handle on amenities. Beach was on the other side of the lake as part of the park, would have been a long walk or a short ride. Would return again if going back to Zoo or Cereal City. - Cdash

This is a very nice, clean, friendly campground. The owner is helpful and friendly and will give you a cell phone # when you make your reservation so you can call him upon arrival for guidance to your site. I didn't give this a higher rating because it does not have Wi-fi, the playground equipment is getting old, and the showers/restrooms are dated. However, the pool is very nice and well kept. This is the second time we stayed here and we plan to stay again next year when in the area, so it is much more than adequate. Note that this is a cash only campground (no credit cards). - JB in Indy

This park is actually located on the grounds of the Gilmore Car Museum and its primary use is as an overnight parking area for those wanting to visit the museum. A museum visit can easily span 2 days, so it is nice to spend the night without having to leave the grounds.

The museum spans 75 acres and is the largest of its kind in the US.

There is adequate space for 6 RVs and electrical service is limited to 20 amp service. Other than that, it is essentially dry camping. No dump site on the grounds.

There is an original 1960s Diner on the grounds that serves good food from a limited menu. - Lakewood90

Rating is for cleanliness and attention to security. Lake very low, so boating is difficult. WI-FI there, but did not allow connection. Fireworks noise was loud, but not at the campground. Sites dirt, concrete, or gravel. Nice landscaping. Off gravel road. - mcguyvered

I could almost rate this campground a perfect 10, except for the poor quality of the boat launch. I have an 18' fish and ski boat and it requires a concrete or good rocky launch. This was my only problem and it was in NO WAY, the fault of the owners of Hemlock Lake Campground. Our stay was present, they allowed us to pitch a tent next to our cabin for the kids and the neighbors we met were all nice. A big thumbs up!! - MKajzer

A bad day of travel, then try to get some sleep on the night of the 30th before July 4th. They were not in the park, but very near and very noisy and rude people. Roads are gravel, but in decent shape. Park well taken care of. - mcguyvered

We arrived late in the day but were received with concern about our travel and joy we made it before dark developed. While we were not escorted to our site it was quite easy to get to the proper spot. We stayed there three nights and were pleased with the cleanliness of the entire park. Obviously many folks were there for the seasonal parts of the summer/fall which allowed them to return after their work week. We arrived on a Friday and left on a Tuesday so we had no noise factor to interrupt our stay. - Birdieman

Huge park that seems new, with paved roads and large concrete sites. Good utilities including good wifi. Lots of green space. A good number of permanent sites but most are not cluttered. Drawbacks are roads are not named and you're not lead to your site, which is not easy due to the many turns. Also, only trash containers are near the entrance, which is a long walk from most of the sites. Store, showers and laundry are at top of hill which also a long walk for those with sites closer to the entrance.
In our site the utilities were at the front of the site which is a long reach for electric and water. - padre

An awesome Resort. The rate was their "off season" rate minus GS. This place was prefect! All roads are paved...no dirt/mud anywhere. The only reason I rated it a 9 was the Wifi was spotty/inconsistent, and we were close to two repeaters. Wifi first thing in the morning is excellent. It is by a water feature and mosquitos early morning and after dark are fierce -not fault of park. - User3274

Yankee Springs is a relatively large campground on Gun Lake which is a flood control type man made lake. Beautiful and a great lake to ski, tube wake board etc. The campground is an older facility. During our visit the temperatures were in the low 90s. Our 30 amp service continued to cut out to the degree that the second day in I talked to the park rangers about getting my money back. They were very understanding but did suggest that I try plugging into the power pedestal with out using my Progressive Industries power and surge protector. I politely declined telling them I have more faith in the P.I. device that their power supply. A couple of real nice rangers than came by and changed the circuit breakers and plug socket. This seemed to do the trick. If it wasn't for the great service by the three rangers who addressed my power issue I would've given YS a lower rating. This campground lets anything go. They do not seem to limit the amount of people on each campsite, though the Michigan DNR reservation system asks how many people will be on a site. Next to us was a birthday party with over 20-30 people sitting around pop up shelters with numerous kids. At other sites you would see extension cords running all over the place to power all kinds of electronics beside just campers. No wonder they have brown outs when the temps get into the 90s. It a shame because YS has some real nice water front campsites that some folks had their boats tied up to shoreline posts. Swimming in the lake is easy and convenient either at the small campground only sandy beach or anywhere along the shoreline, the water is very shallow a long way out. My wife and I don't think we would return to Yankee Springs, its just to crowded and loud for our camping pleasure. - vincee

This park is nice and very quiet for as busy as it is. Fishing has several piers into the lake and the lake is large enough for all boating activities. Most sites were large enough and were arranged so groups can 'circle the wagons'. The only problem was the mosquitoes which were very bad. - dalenoel

We very much enjoyed our stay and Yankee Springs. The sites were big and wooded, the beach and fishing pier were very excellent. The playground was a bit dated but the kids still enjoyed it. My only complaint was the lack of water to each site. We knew that going in but it was a bigger issue for us than we originally thought it would be. Also I expected parking for my tow vehicle would have been included but it wasn't so I had to pay an extra $24 for a season parking permit. - tripletdad