Camping in Central Michigan: Bluegill Family Camping Resort
Camp Michigan: I’m talking with Paul today. He’s going to tell us all about Bluegill Lake Family Camping Resort in Michigan. Paul, why don’t you get us started and tell us how Bluegill Lake Family Camping Resort got started?
Paul: Actually, my wife and I purchased the campground three years ago. We have reinvented the business model that was a sportsman’s-driven campground based on the fact that it has an 11-acre lake. Deepest in the colony. Spring fed. Some of the most spectacular fishing in Mecosta County. We’ve decided to create a family and pet friendly resort. We are very activities-driven with the children. We are a 56-acre private campground.
Camp Michigan: Excellent. And what types of camping do you offer there, Paul? Now, is it tent camping all the way up to RV camping?
Paul: It is. We can accommodate tents all the way up to class A’s. We have pull-through sites. 50amp service. Modern sites. Water and electric.
Camp Michigan: Now, we were chatting a little bit earlier and you told me about sort of your approach to technology and trying to create more of a place to get away from that at Bluegill Lake Family Camping Resort. Tell our listeners a little bit more about that.
Paul: Actually it’s kind of a misnomer. We are, in fact, pretty technology-driven, but when the people come through our threshold and they cross our threshold, we try to encourage the kids to put their electronics away and get out and actually enjoy the environment. We have hiking trails. We have spectacular fishing. We have activities every Saturday morning. Some of the activities run all day for the kids to do. Parents get involved as well. We have themed weekends. Every weekend is a different theme, which the activities are based on. We’re constantly – our goal is to wear the kids out.
Camp Michigan: Fantastic. The lake just looks absolutely beautiful. Looking at the photo gallery here, and yeah, 60-feet deep. That’s very deep, and spring fed. So, I’m guessing it also must be a pretty clean lake to swim in as well.
Paul: It is. It is very clean. I can say this. Ice Mountain, the drinking water, draws from a well located just several miles away from us.
Camp Michigan: Oh, interesting.
Paul: Yes. We can’t say we share the same water as Ice Mountain. We can’t say that. They told us we can’t, but being spring fed, okay, strike it from the record.
Camp Michigan: All right. Perfect.
Paul: We also have inflatables. We put inflatables. We’ve added inflatables every year.
Camp Michigan: Fun.
Paul: Into the lake. So, not only do we have a sandy beach. We have things. We have inflatables that are very well abused. And lake is open from sun up to sundown, and there’s constant activity in it.
Camp Michigan: All right.
Paul: We have canoeing, kayaking, boat rentals.
Camp Michigan: Okay. So, Paul, let’s say I come to do some camping in West Central Michigan there and I’m staying at your resort, and I wanted to head out for a couple hours in the afternoon, what are some of your favorite attractions around that area that you might recommend I check out?
Paul:That’s a good question. We are nestled in the heart of Amish community. We are surrounded by the Martini Chain of Lakes, which is a 21-hundred-acre State land all sports. We’re centrally located between Big Rapids and Mt. Pleasant. Both of those are University towns. Some of the area attractions are the Tullymore Golfing Resort, the Wheatland Music Festival, Soaring Eagle Casino, St. Ives Golf Course, and of course the Universities. Ferris State and Central.
Camp Michigan: So, quite a bit to do. Something for just about everybody around there.
Paul: That’s correct. If you have a desire to leave the campground, there are things to do. That’s correct.
Camp Michigan: Cool. Two more questions for you, Paul. If you were going to spend just one hour at Bluegill Lake Family Camping Resort, how would you spend your time there?
Paul: Depends on how warm it is. The fishing is always spectacular. Always. We, of course, get the proverbial question: “Are there bluegills?” Yes, there are. Bluegills average ten-inch, but the bass and other species are much more abundant and bigger.
Camp Michigan: Okay.
Paul: I would fish, myself.
Camp Michigan: Cool. And last question: if you were going to stay just one night at Bluegill Lake Family Camping Resort, which specific site would you stay at and why?
Paul: Oh, we have a premiere site, and it is our supreme site. It is Site #24. It has its own deck and it overlooks the lake. And actually, people setup breakfast tables on the deck and they have breakfast and enjoy the view of the lake first thing in the morning, and it is quite pleasant and it is quite popular.
Camp Michigan: That sounds absolutely perfect. Well, Paul, thanks for taking some time out of your day to tell our listeners a little bit more about camping in West Central Michigan at Blue Lake Family Camping Resort, and we’ll get this info out right away on the site.
Paul: Very good. Actually it’s Bluegill Lake.
Camp Michigan: Bluegill Lake Family Camping Resort.
Paul: That’s correct.
Camp Michigan: All right.
