RV arrival guide

Michigan

Arriving in Ann Arbor, MI with a rented RV

Ann Arbor is the University of Michigan town (city population ~123,000 per US Census; U-M enrollment ~52,000) and the RV calendar is shaped by U-M sports — particularly the home football schedule at Michigan Stadium ('The Big House,' capacity 107,601, the largest stadium in the western hemisphere).

Sourced to municipal code, park-service and operator pages · last reviewed 2026-06-04

Rent a rig in Ann Arbor See the arrival briefing

MI city guideLive · open to hosts

Ann Arbor

Planning an RV, boat, or 4x4 trip around Ann Arbor? This guide walks you through the local terrain and seasons, where to find dump stations and propane, and the parking rules and campgrounds that matter most before you arrive.

Arrival briefing · MI

Your Ann Arbor arrival, on one dashboard

Every figure below is counted straight from this guide's sourced entries — parking rules that bite, where to dump and refill, and the campgrounds that actually take a rig. Nothing invented; a dash means we haven't sourced one yet.

RV campgrounds

Dump stations

Propane / diesel

Parking rules

12 field-sourced facts · last reviewed 2026-06-04

Each home Saturday in September-November draws overnight RV demand from alumni tailgaters that fills every campground in Washtenaw, Livingston, and Jackson counties 6-12 months in advance. Outside game days the demand pattern is more typical: Ann Arbor Art Fair (3rd or 4th week of July, the largest juried art fair in the United States), graduation weekend (late April / early May), and standard summer tourism.

The RV-relevant base camps are Pinckney Recreation Area (Michigan DNR, 18 mi northwest, Bruin Lake and Crooked Lake campgrounds, full hookups on most, total ~600 RV sites), and Brighton Recreation Area (25 mi north, Bishop Lake campground, 130 RV sites with electric on most). Both are reservation-required on Michigan DNR system 6 months out. Closer commercial options include KOA Ann Arbor (15 mi south near Saline) and several smaller Washtenaw County parks.

Ann Arbor city ordinances restrict overnight RV street parking in residential and commercial zones; downtown parking lots are not RV-tolerant. Routes in: US-23 from the north or south, I-94 east-west, M-14 from the northwest — all RV-friendly. Game-day specific: U-M Athletics publishes RV-permit parking for tailgaters that requires advance purchase ($75-150 per game depending on lot) and the demand sells out months in advance. Plan to be in your lot by 8 a.m. for noon kickoffs. Propane and diesel cluster at Pilot/Flying J Travel Center on I-94 and Speedway in Ann Arbor proper. Best season is April-June and September-October — Big Ten football weekends are demand-spike-positive (you may want the energy) or demand-spike-negative (you may want away from it) depending on intent.

The dunes at Sleeping Bear meeting Lake Michigan — Michigan scenery

Timing your trip

When should I plan my trip to Ann Arbor?

Best season to come

April-June and September-October — moderate Great Lakes temperatures with reasonable reservations outside game weekends.

Season to skip

September-November home-game Saturdays (extreme demand spikes) and December-February (cold + many campgrounds closed).

Read before you park

Parking ordinances that bite RVs

Ann Arbor restricts overnight on-street RV parking in residential and downtown commercial zones

Citation: Ann Arbor City Code Chapter 126

What this means for you: No street RV overnight. Plan for Michigan DNR rec area, KOA, or game-day permit lot.

Read the citation

Michigan State Parks 15-day stay limit per park per 30-day period

Citation: Michigan DNR State Parks rules

What this means for you: Pinckney Rec Area and Brighton Rec Area enforce; reservations 6 months out via Michigan DNR.

Read the citation

U-M Athletics game-day RV permit parking required; non-permitted RV parking on campus areas enforced with tow

Citation: U-M Department of Public Safety + Athletics rules

What this means for you: Advance permit purchase required for any game-day RV approach; no walk-up availability.

Read the citation

Tanks + water

Where can I dump tanks in Ann Arbor?

Pinckney Recreation Area (Bruin Lake)

8555 Silver Hill Rd, Pinckney, MI 48169

Potable water on siteYear-round

Source

Brighton Recreation Area (Bishop Lake)

6360 Chilson Rd, Howell, MI 48843

Potable water on siteYear-round

Source

KOA Ann Arbor

$15

5970 Pleasant Lake Rd, Saline, MI 48176

Potable water on siteApr - Oct

Source

Fuel + propane

Where do I top up propane and diesel?

Pilot/Flying J Travel Center (Ann Arbor)

5400 Carpenter Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Offers: Diesel + DEF at the pump

RV access: Big-rig pull-through at I-94 exit; best Class A approach

Source

Speedway (Ann Arbor)

Various locations

Offers: Gasoline + diesel; propane exchange

RV access: Workable for Class C; tight for Class A

Source

U-Haul of Ann Arbor

3645 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Offers: Propane refill all sizes

RV access: Workable for rigs to 36 ft

Source

Where to sleep

Which campgrounds actually take RVs?

Pinckney Recreation Area - Bruin Lake Campground

$30/night

Michigan DNR

18 mi from downtownMax 45 ftBooks 6 mo out

Electric on most sites; rustic loops available

Operator site

Brighton Recreation Area - Bishop Lake Campground

$32/night

Michigan DNR

25 mi from downtownMax 45 ftBooks 6 mo out

Electric on 130 RV sites; lake-frontage loops

Operator site

KOA Ann Arbor

$70/night

Private (KOA franchise)

15 mi from downtownMax 50 ftBooks 12 mo out

Full hookups; pool; family-focused

Operator site

Public-land hubs near this city

State parks, National Forests, and NPS units around the city are the anchors for an RV or boat trip — check each unit's official site for current access, fees, and seasonal rules before you go.

Upper Peninsula forest in full autumn color, Michigan — On the road in Michigan

Plan around the crowds

Which local events will move Ann Arbor RV supply?

Michigan Football home games

Saturdays September through November

All Washtenaw/Livingston/Jackson County campgrounds at 100%; game-day RV permits sell out months ahead

Event source

Ann Arbor Art Fair

Third or fourth week of July

Largest juried art fair in US; downtown closed to vehicles; commercial RV parks at 100%

Event source

U-M Graduation

Late April / early May

Hotel and RV lodging at premium; commercial RV parks 90%+

Event source

Arrival playbook

Your first hour in Ann Arbor

Before you leave the lot

Check U-M football home schedule before booking — game Saturdays change everything.
Reserve Pinckney or Brighton Rec Area 6 months out for summer or game weekends.

Within the first hour

Purchase U-M game-day RV permit in advance if tailgating.
Top off diesel at Pilot/Flying J Ypsilanti before approach.

Before bed

Read Ann Arbor City Code Chapter 126 — no in-city overnight street RV.
Stage tank dump at Michigan DNR rec area or KOA before any 3-night stretch.

Before departure

Verify Michigan DNR Recreation Passport on vehicle (required for state-park entry).
Pre-book Art Fair weekend 6+ months out.

The mistake renters make

Avoid this trap

Showing up in Ann Arbor on a Michigan football home Saturday without a reserved campsite and RV permit

All in-county lodging at 100% for 30+ miles; nearest fallback can be 60+ minutes away in Jackson or Adrian; tow risk if attempting unsanctioned street park

Read the source

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Michigan Mitten Tee — Retro RV Travel Poster

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Editorial sourcing

How we know — the sources we checked

Last reviewed 2026-06-04

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