Bass Lake State Forest Campground (Marquette)

A family tradition for us, the lake is wonderful. A few lake side sites are usually taken quickly. All are rustic. Water pump, bathrooms available. Haul out your trash. Nice boat launch and a beach. Been going here since we were kids.

Bass Lake is a rustic campground situated on, you guessed it, Bass Lake. It has 22 sites, nearly all of which have buffers in between them. Six of the sites are right on the lake and have their own private lake access. This campground is a first-come, first-served, self-pay operation. There is a boat launch, beach, a hand pump for water, and four vault toilets. Many of the sites are large, and we had no problem getting our 34’ trailer in and out.

This campground unfortunately receives minimal attention from the DNR. The vault toilets were awful, and the only care they seemed to receive is a toilet paper restock. There are large, dead trees scattered throughout the whole campground, so be cautious of this when choosing a site. There are no dumpsters at this campground. Trash must be hauled to the DNR Field Office in Gwinn, which is 15-20 minutes/10 miles or so away. The boat launch stays very busy almost around the clock at times; consider this if you stay near it. The whole road from the highway in to this campground is littered with potholes and sharp curves.

The lake sites are excellent and Bass Lake is great for swimming, boating, water sports and fishing. There are open grassy areas to set up games, and lots of parking for visitors. Most of the sites are shady and decently-sized. I would have rated this campground higher if the toilets and grounds in general were better maintained.

One of my favorite places to be