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Established Camping

Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest

Lake Ottawa Campground, located near Iron River in the Ottawa National Forest, features forested terrain with a mix of trees and a nearby lake. Temperatures range from lows in the 40s Fahrenheit in spring and fall to highs in the 80s during summer. Visitors can explore the nearby Lake Ottawa Recreation Area and enjoy activities such as hiking and fishing.

Description

USDA Forest Service

Ottawa National Forest

Overview

Planning a trip to the Lake Ottawa Campground? Watch for Alerts at the top of the page for any Alerts regarding this facility. Lake Ottawa Campground is in a beautiful forested northwoods setting located 5 miles southwest of Iron River, MI, on the Iron River Ranger District.__

Recreation

Located adjacent to the Campground is Lake Ottawa, a deep cold water lake that provides fishermen with a good variety of game fish. There is a boat ramp with ample parking for trailers.__ Ge-Che Trail - Length is approximately 9 miles on a dirt trail. This trail provides scenery of primarily hardwood forest. The trail can be accessed from Lake Ottawa boat landing, and from within the campground. Lake Ottawa Recreation Area day use area provides indoor facilities for a group picnic, and a large outdoor picnic area complete with picnic tables and grills. The area is large enough to provide plenty of space for all. Also located in the same area is an athletic field. The day use building provides indoor seating for eating or parties. The building has a fireplace, electricity, and flush toilets.__

Facilities

Located adjacent to the Campground is Lake Ottawa, a deep cold water lake that provides fishermen with a good variety of game fish. There is a boat ramp with ample parking for trailers.__ Ge-Che Trail - Length is approximately 9 miles on a dirt trail. This trail provides scenery of primarily hardwood forest. The trail can be accessed from Lake Ottawa boat landing, and from within the campground. Lake Ottawa Recreation Area day use area provides indoor facilities for a group picnic, and a large outdoor picnic area complete with picnic tables and grills. The area is large enough to provide plenty of space for all. Also located in the same area is an athletic field. The day use building provides indoor seating for eating or parties. The building has a fireplace, electricity, and flush toilets.__

Nearby Attractions

Stateline-Mile Post Zero Trail - Scenery is hardwood, forested with two destination points on the Brule River. The trail is not a loop, it is a relatively flat dirt trail. The length of the trial is approximately 4/10 of a mile and takes you to the historic Stateline Mile Post Zero location indicating the border between Michgian and Wisconsin.__ The combination of topography and thousands of miles of rivers and streams have created hundreds of waterfalls throughout the Upper Peninsula, with several of the waterfalls located on the Ottawa. The Ottawa National Forest has 18 named waterfalls, 53,637 acres of lakes, 2,366 miles of perennial streams, 2,890 miles of intermittent (occasional) streams, and 210,761 acres of wetlands. The falls vary in size and some are easier to get to than others. For more information on the most visited waterfalls on and around the Ottawa National Forest, visit the Ottawa National Forest website waterfall page.__

Fee Info

There is a day use fee associated with day use area and boat landing from May 15 ___ September 30, of $5 per day per vehicle, or an annual pass for $30 per vehicle. The annual pass covers Lake Ottawa Recreation Area, Sylvania Recreation Area, and Black River Harbor Recreation Area. Please plan accordingly to ensure you can pay the daily fee at the self-registration fee tube. If you would like to purchase an annual pass, contact the Ottawa National Forest at 906-932-1330 to purchase your annual pass prior to your visit.____

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Location

Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest is located in Michigan

Detail location of campground

Directions

From Iron River, Mi., travel west on US 2, turn south on M 73, travel approximately 3/4 mile, turn west on Lake Ottawa Road and travel approximately 4 miles to the campground.__ From Watersmeet, Mi., travel 28 miles east on US 2, turn south on M 73, travel approximately 3/4 mile, turn west on Lake Ottawa Road and travel approximately 4 miles to the campground.

Address

2832 Lake Ottawa Road
Iron river, MI 49935

Coordinates

46.075046 N
88.765882 W

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3 Reviews

Reviewed Jun. 27, 2018

Clean, Flushable toilets, good swimming, not too crowded

Campground has some pretty great facilities.. flushing toilets and running water throughout the campground (although not potable when we visited this June). Also has a pretty great beach in the campground as well as one just a few minutes outside of the campground. Both beaches are sandy & great for swimming especially considering most of the lake is pretty rocky, especially in the campground area. Lake has quite a few crayfish in it, but the fishing is pretty good, too - catch-and-release only for the smallmouth bass to help keep the crayfish population in check, but it can be fun to catch the bigger smallies the lake produces. Very clear water in the lake, I was able to see down 20+ feet to see the bottom and scope for fish, etc. Sites and campground overall is clean and well-kept; we ended up switching sites this year due to other campers with loud dogs & generators running all night (against campground rules, but wasn’t enforced by the host), but it’s still a family favorite to go to. Decent cell reception as well, for those who need to stay connected. also, only about a 10-15 minute drive from town of Iron River which has a few nice stores & an ice cream shop :)

Site18 & 14
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest by April K., June 27, 2018
  • Review photo of Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest by April K., June 27, 2018
Reviewed Apr. 29, 2018

Favorite place on earth!!!

Lake Ottawa is our go to campground!! We go whenever we can. We even got married in the park over 20 years ago!

SiteWe have stayed in all of them over the years. Not a bad spot in the place. #3 is our favorite though.
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest by Susan F., April 29, 2018
  • Review photo of Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest by Susan F., April 29, 2018
  • Review photo of Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest by Susan F., April 29, 2018
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Jun. 12, 2016

more primitive, but nice

The sites and facilities are not super modern, but it gives a good rustic feel to the campground. The site was amazing- wooded, secluded, level. Quite central to many hiking areas, waterfalls, and quaint towns.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are fires allowed at Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest?

    There are 31 campsites at Lake Ottawa Campground — Ottawa National Forest and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts