Once among the largest and most popular RV campgrounds in the midwest, Timber Shores was revered as a vacation destination in the mid-60s to late-70s. After the energy crisis that began in 1973 made travel too costly and the nation endured times when gas wasn’t even available, the campground struggled and never recovered its former allure when it teemed with resorters who filled travel trailers, campers and tents on about 700 sites.

The call of the woods and the waters still resonates among its former campers, some of whom have formed a community on Facebook called ‘Timber Shores Rocked!’ to share their reminiscences.

Timber Shores summers were part of David Ks growing up and he has fond memories both of the time his family spent there and of a souvenir T-shirt he had with the TImber Shores logo on it. He sent us a note about his experience there and also his rendition of the logo he remembers from the summers of 1974 and 1975.

Another camper from Timber Shores, Phillip S., sent us this memory of the time his family spent there:

“Another happy kid from multiple summer vacations at Timber Shores in the mid-late 1960s. For several years, every summer my Dad took a week or so from his busy general (medical) practice in a small Ohio town and we hooked up the Banner (one year, Grandpa's Airstream) to Mom's Dodge station wagon and headed north. Us kids could hardly stand the excitement especially by the time we got the TC. Saw some of the same kids every year. Had a great time on the beach, thinking about rafting out to "Gull Island" (we didn't dare - but there were older kids around who claimed to have gone to see the ruins on the island), the "lodge". Dad loved the circular clusters that made it easy to back the trailer in, and the relatively secluded nature of the clusters (he slept a lot!). Mom loved the community of it all. Mom and Dad made friends too; a guy named Ron had one of the 6x6 "ATVs" that were popular back then and used to take us for rides in the swampy ground to the south of the entry road.

”What happened to the lodge? In my memory it was a cedar log building, something like would have been supplied by Lindal Homes. I don't see it on Google Maps.

”I have such good memories, good to see Timber Shores could be making a comeback. I hope to bring my family up for a vacation sometime.”

Among locals who worked there and merchants who enjoyed a significant seasonal trade with vacationers, the economic juggernaut that was Timber Shores is still a powerful memory of a thriving resort community which lifted most businesses in Northport and Omena.

Not only did Timber Shores employment help many Northport students pay for college, but it also helped launch careers.

“In the summer of 1979 I was a Recreation Supervisor at Timber Shores doing an internship for my college degree in Recreation Management. It was a fabulous summer at a fantastic resort and set the tone for my career. I went on to be the Recreation Director at Waldenwoods Resort in Hartland for 8 years then the Office Manager and eventually the Human Resource Manager. The amount and variety of activities we presented at Timber Shores really gave a fun schedule for campers to join into.” - Lisa C.

We believe that the plans we have laid out for Timber Shores are in keeping with the community visioning statement that the Leelanau Township Foundation published in 2006.  The statement read, “We the people who live and work here want to see Leelanau Township become a culturally, social, economically and environmentally viable community with a diverse population in a healthy and safe rural environment in which conservation of the environment and economic development are compatible objectives.”

We appreciate your support as we work to restore this important community attraction.