Empire, Benzie County, MI · 13 sites
Garey Lake State Forest Campground is a rustic state forest campground in Benzie County in northwest Michigan, sitting at an elevation of 854 feet. It has 12 sites with no electric, water, or sewer hookups, and no showers or Wi-Fi. Vault toilets are available. The campground offers a boat launch and equestrian sites, and sites can be reserved in advance. This is a basic, no-frills setup suited to visitors comfortable without modern hookups. The nearest town with groceries, fuel, and a restaurant is a few miles away, and the nearest hospital is about 12 miles out.
Empire, MI, 49630
Phone: 231-276-9511
Official website
Amenities
- Boat launch
- Canoe/kayak access
- Fishing
- Hiking trails
- Hunting access
- Mountain biking
- Open year-round
- Reservations
- Rustic
- Vault toilets
Reviews
No reviews yet. Been here? Write the first one.
Write a review
Nearby services
Gas stations
- BP · 6.3 mi
- Mobil · 6.7 mi
- Marathon Gas · 8.5 mi
Groceries
- Glen Lake Camp · 4.8 mi
- Bunting's Cedar Market · 8.5 mi
- Pleva's Meats · 8.6 mi
Convenience stores
- Lake Ann Grocery · 6.0 mi
- Empire EZ Mart · 6.3 mi
- M C Short Stop · 6.7 mi
Restaurants
- Bergstrom's Burgers Food Truck · 3.4 mi
- Sunset Bar And Grill At Mistwood · 4.0 mi
- Food For Thought · 4.3 mi
Hospitals
- Kids Creek Children's Clinic - Beulah · 12 mi
- Crystal Lake Health Center · 13 mi
- Munson Medical Center · 14 mi
Pharmacies
- Empire Pharmacy · 6.3 mi
- HomeTown Pharmacy · 8.8 mi
- Advanced Hearing Center · 11 mi
Hardware stores
- Northwoods Hardware Home, Garden & Nursery · 8.5 mi
- Cedar Hardware · 8.7 mi
- Honor & Onekama Building Supply · 8.8 mi
RV services
- Cherry Capital RV - Grawn · 13 mi
- Vacation Trailer Sales · 14 mi
- Leisure Time Auto & RV · 15 mi
EV charging
- VE Empire MI · 6.3 mi
- Cherry Republic Glen Arbor · 8.6 mi
- Art's Tavern Annex - Tesla Destination · 8.6 mi
Local events
Fairs — 2 of 5 within 50 miles
- Northwestern Michigan Fair 16 mi
Early-Mid August · Traverse City
- Buckley Old Engine Show 23 mi
Mid-August · Buckley
Festivals & Celebrations — 2 of 20 within 50 miles
- Cedar Polka Fest 8.5 mi
Late August · Cedar
- Port Oneida Fair 12 mi
Early August · Port Oneida
Farmers Markets — 2 of 22 within 50 miles
- Empire Farmers Market 6.5 mi
Jun-Aug · Empire
- Glen Arbor Farmers Market 8.6 mi
Jun-mid Sep · Glen Arbor
Arts & Music — 2 of 15 within 50 miles
- Leelanau Summer Music Festival 8.5 mi
July · Cedar
- Interlochen Arts Festival 13 mi
June-August · Interlochen
Antiques — 2 of 6 within 50 miles
- Antiquities Warehouse of Grand Traverse 15 mi
Year-round · Traverse City
- Traverse City 16 mi
Year-round
Flea Markets & Swaps — 2 of 4 within 50 miles
- Copemish Flea Market and Auction 21 mi
Summer weekends · Copemish
- Fair Deal Indoor Flea Market 43 mi
Seasonal · Cadillac
Food & Drink — 2 of 10 within 50 miles
- Empire Asparagus Festival 6.4 mi
Third weekend of May · Empire
- National Coho Festival 8.8 mi
August · Honor
Sports & Recreation — 2 of 7 within 50 miles
- Great Lakes Equestrian Festival 16 mi
Six weeks, June-Aug · Traverse City
- Ironman 70.3 Traverse City 16 mi
September · Traverse City
Notes & sources
Distances to nearby services and local events are straight-line, not driving distance — the real drive is longer, and around water or on an island there may be no road route at all.
Nearby services checked August 2026. Businesses close without notice; call ahead if it matters.
Recurring annual events and markets near this campground. Timings repeat each year — confirm with the organiser before travelling.
Data: (c) BrightQuery, via Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) · (c) Foursquare Labs, via Overture Maps Foundation (Apache-2.0) · (c) Meta Platforms, via Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) · (c) Microsoft, via Overture Maps Foundation (CDLA-Permissive-2.0) · U.S. Department of Energy / NREL Alternative Fuels Data Center (NREL-DOE-Alliance)