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Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, located in the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, features a modern campground, trails, a historical fort with a living history program, two 1860s lighthouses on Lake Superior and much more.
Visitors will enjoy a quarter-mile of rocky Lake Superior shoreline, Lake Fanny Hooe and a quarter-mile of sandy beach on Lake Manganese.
The park features a restored 1844 army military outpost, including 19 buildings, with a living history program provided by the Michigan History Center. Visitors can experience a look back at life on the northern frontier during the mid-1800s and a time when soldiers were stationed in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into state parks and recreation areas, state boat launches, state forest campgrounds and state trail parking lots. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/rec-pp
$30 / night
$20 - $95 / night
Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into state parks and recreation areas, state boat launches, state forest campgrounds and state trail parking lots. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79134_79210---,00.html
$25 - $50 / night
Located on the property of the old Historic Ahmeek Copper Mine in the Keweenaw's Copper Country! We have tent sites, shipping containers covered to rustic cabins, along with multiple rv/camper sites. A rockhound and metal detectors paradise! Just minutes from multiple beaches on Lake Superior!!
$19 - $85 / night
$15 - $25 / night
Traveler
Many campers have enjoyed the swimming beach and the nearby boat launch, making it easy to get out on the water. Solar As one happy camper noted,“The beach area for swimming in Lake Independence is nice with a pavilion, volleyball, and ping pong nearby.”
Traveler
Hancock campground has LOTS of RV sites as well as some really nicely hidden/shaded tent spots. You can walk down to the beach as well as some hiking trails nearby down the road. Also, it’s about a 33 minute walk to some restaurants and shops in town. Clean, heated restrooms. As of October 2024 when im writing this, their dryer is out of order, so laundry unavailable. Campground attendant is very nice as well
Scout
This place is way off the beaten path. Long dirt road to get back here. There are tent sites all along the beach front to watch the sunset and pick rocks. Most sites are fairly level. I feel like we got one of the only ones that wasn't but I'm not real picky. @ramblinsmurf
TravelerWe really liked this campground mostly for its location and beautiful beach on Lake Superior. It has a long driveway that is gravel and all of the campground loops are also gravel or sand so it can be a little dusty. The lake shore sites have beautiful, full views of the lake but just know that many sites will be a tight fit for larger rigs. We have a 26' travel trailer and stayed in the newer loop a little ways away from the beach. It didn't bother us as it was easier to park and a very short walk to enjoy the beautiful sunsets this campground is all about.
Traveler
Several spots in this rustic stop. The spot was amazing. Got to see a beautiful sunset and sunrise fun to watch bikers cross from the river and even saw a sea plane land on the beach.
Guide
Really nice and level site(62) just a short walk from the beach. Really clean and well kept state park. Hiking trails are plentiful. Centrally located on the Keweenaw Peninsula allows time for exploring many sites this location has to offer. Too bad the “Gitch” washed away some of the lakeside campsites, hopefully they rebuild soon! My family will definitely come back!
GuideGreat spot on superior
ScoutCity run operation. Close to downtown Hancock. A few sites right along the canal. Variety of site configurations - from remote tent pads to open areas that permit families to set up camp units close together. Limited sites that have sewer, water, and/or electric.
Legend
Really nice state park and campground. Sites are $30/night, and they all include 30 and 20 amp power. Dump station and water fill is available at the west campground entrance. You also need to pay a $11 daily state park fee, unless you have the $39 annual pass. The fee gets you into the state park area, and the fort was worth exploring, it's really nicely set up.
There are two separate campgrounds, east and west. We drove through the east one first and immediately hated it. Sites are open, no division between them, kids running around everywhere, big groups of people, just overall chaos. So we went to the west side and liked it much better. More tree coverage (which was fine because there’s power and we didn’t need the sun for our solar panels), sites had way more division between them (though far from completely private). There were still lots of kids and big families on this side but it was overall so much more quiet and pleasant.
If you’re in an rv and levelness is important to you, then I’d really try and not make reservations, but pick a site when you arrive. Some sites were completely level, some were fixable with levelers, and a few were straight up on a hill. Though the campground has lots of trees and narrow roads, we saw some huge class As and 5th wheels rolling through- there are a bunch of massive pull through sites here that made it easy for them I’m sure.
No cell service in this entire area but there’s free wifi at the bathrooms, which weakly reached our site that was several spots away from the bathroom. Nice free hot showers that run like normal (no button to push every 10 seconds). Trash bins but no recycling (Michigan is surprisingly bad at offering recycling!). Host set up is very nice, with a ton of brochures and info and free coffee every morning!
LegendMcLain SP - MI:
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer)
Overall Rating: 4.0
Price 2023: $35
Usage during visit: Near full, mid-week.
Site Privacy: Most sites have little privacy. Lake view sites: do not count on any privacy to the sides. but what you can create with your trailer.
Site surface: Grass and Gravel sites.
Reservations: Yes.
Campground Noise: Pretty quiet during our stay.
Through Traffic in campground: None
Electric Hookup: Yes. Bring an extension cord . Required for some sites.
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: Yes
Potable Water Available: There is a dump station on the way in to the camping area. Potable water is there and there are a few scattered spigots. See the map in my photos.
Generators: All sites have electricity.
Bathroom: Pit and flush toilets.
Showers: Yes
Pull Throughs: See ‘Sites’, below.
Cell Service (AT&T): Good
Setting: 1 - 41 in open grass area with few trees. 42 + in nice wooded area
Weather: Highs in low 80s during our stay.
Bugs: Not bad. Probably the breeze from the lake is holding them at bay.
Solar: All are electric sites
Host: Never seen.
Rig size: The largest I’ve seen is about 35’.
Legend
We ended up at this campground sort of on accident- it’s way out of the way and the road there isn’t the most pleasant (it’s mostly paved but in very poor shape). There was absolutely nobody there, other than day use visitors to the creek.
Lots of bugs attacking us as we walked around.
No trash service here- pack out your trash please.
This is a state campground, but it feels like a standard USFS campground. It’s a self pay situation, no host or rangers nearby. Being that it’s a state campground, you pay the $20 camp fee, and then another $11 per day state park fee (unless you have the $39 annual pass). The state park fee feels like a money grab in situations like this. I can see if there’s an actual state park with other activities and facilities that are connected to the campground, but this is literally just a campground, with no amenities other than a vault toilet. Hmph. $31/night is way, way too much for what you get here.
Zero cell service in this entire area. The road got worse driving east across the bridge past this campground, so if you are like us and wanted to take the scenic route along the coast to Marquette, I’d recommend not doing that unless you have a beefy vehicle and don’t mind all the bumps.
GuideVery nice place, well set up. It was super hot so the bathroom floors were sweating and wet But over all clean.
If you don’t have water it’s a bit of a pain but onboard tanks or jugs are doable.
RangerFort Wilkins Historic State Park is a place of great beauty. We stayed on the west side campground (site 153) and found the nearby lake an lush green forest to be very beautiful.
For Astronomy this is a Bortle Class 2 site ( bordering Class 1) with an SQM of: 21.98 mag./arc sec2. Alas, i could not observe from this site as it was cloudy every night I was there.
There is no cell service over Verizon or ATT at the park. However, there is a nice town nearby (Copper Harbor) with restaurants and gas. The restaurants had wifi so we could go there for internet access.
Gas up before you leave. The next gas is a very long way off.
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! Ahmeek Copper Mine is a cool spot to checkout a historic mine while you camp. Check them out and share some pics on the Dyrt!
GuideVery convenient to Houghton and rest of Keweenaw Peninsula. But spots are practically on top of one another. Great if you’re camping with kids and friends, but no so great if you’re looking for some quiet.
ScoutThe bathrooms and showers were awesome and made for an easy experience even if tent camping. The view only 200 feet in front of the site was crazy and amazing. The pics are all from right out front of the site. Excellent campground!!
Traveler
Campground is well laid out. Location is on Torch Lake in the town of Lake Linden MI. Well maintained and friendly campers all around.
The college town of Houghton, home of Michigan Tech is nearby as well.
TravelerCampground was easy to access, and check in to at the front station. Water was easily accessible as not all camper spots had water hookup. We were able to find our spot and get into it relatively easy. We have a 25' rig so we still had quite a bit of space to maneuver. Loved the location of our spot, as it was on the back edge of the campground. Overall seemed very safe and secure with campground attendents riding around frequently. Surprisingly mosquitoes weren't awful which is always a plus this time of year. Water access is nice if you have a boat, kayaks, paddle boards, etc. Definitely would return!
ScoutNice campground, bathrooms aren’t the best. Tent camping sites are nice some are spacious, some are close to each other.
Traveler
Excellent low-frills campground. Picturesque backdrop, nicely positioned spots. First come first served. Water, picnic table, fire ring. It’s all you need! Well maintained, clean bathroom, potable water. Will be back when heading to Isle Royale. Price is now $20/night.
TravelerRestrooms are old, but clean. Sites (west campground) are close, but there are trees between. Easy access to everything you want to do in Copper Harbor. Staff crazy accommodating. Will definitely stay here again
RangerLong drive out here, but lovely area to get to relax in. A bit isolated and very quiet mid week at least. Electric only sites, decently spaced along Fannie Hooe Lake. The reconstructed 1844 fort is fun to visit. M26 closed between Cooper Harbor and Eagle Harbor.
ScoutHave been here since a little girl (now 72) I will always come back. We no longer tent, so I cannot give a review for the East Compound but the West campground is wonderful!! They are spacious and with trees between sites. The center is blacktopped surrounded by grass and trees. Grass sites are around the perimeter- they are still great. There is nothing better than to walk on the pier at night and star gaze. When you've lived in the city, that's a treat. If you're lucky you can pick Thimbleberries for breakfast (July). The park is well kept/clean. We walk across the road to Lake Superior to let our dogs swim freely. (Did you know Lake Superior is naturally "soft water?} We have camped in the summer and camped in the fall - both equally beautiful. Looking forward to being there middle July 2023. Reservations are hard to get for RV's wanting a premiere spot! If RV-ing you pretty much HAVE to have reservations.
GuideGreat state park but campground does have a few downfalls. The best spots are tent only, and most of the “big rig” spots don’t have any privacy. We also had a really hard time finding a spot that we would plug in because the boxes were so far away, even though we have a 20ft extension cord. Aside from difficulty with a spot, it was a great stay. Not a lot of people there, beautiful views, greats waterfalls all around, clean bathrooms.
RangerWe stayed for about a week and a half and used Starlink as our everyday internet source (60+ mbps download, no interruptions). AT&T cell signal was decent. We enjoyed taking the canoe and kayak out on the lake, cooked a nice steak meal in the pavilion, accessible sites w/electric and water hookups, showers were nice and hot. There is a dump station at the front of the park. Only downside is that the campground is located right next to some sort of waste treatment field. We saw a few bald eagles and a snowy owl during our stay, very cool
TravelerWe stay here several times a year with our camper and tent.
The bathrooms are a little dated, but always clean! The staff throughout the campground & Fort is always friendly and courteous.
The campground host are always full of information and informative when it comes to the local attractions and places to visit.
You are completely disconnected when it comes to cellular service & that’s our favorite part. There is Wi-Fi, but it’s spotty & only available around the bathroom area.
RangerWe didn’t stay here just visited some friends here. There site was close to others but not to close. Camp store is very nice. Area is awesome, lots to do and explore. Beautiful night skies and northern lights.
Copper Harbor, Michigan, offers a variety of pet-friendly camping options for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors with their furry companions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Copper Harbor, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Copper Harbor, MI is Fort Wilkins Historic State Park — Fort Wilkins State Historic Park with a 4.4-star rating from 52 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Copper Harbor, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 dog-friendly camping locations near Copper Harbor, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
