The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Copper Harbor, MI

87 Reviews

Tent camping options near Copper Harbor in Michigan's Upper Peninsula include remote wilderness sites and rustic campgrounds along Lake Superior shorelines. Keweenaw Peninsula High Rock Bay offers approximately ten primitive tent sites with spectacular views of Lake Superior, while Schoolcraft Township Rustic Campground provides five beachfront tent sites on Big Traverse Bay. Both locations feature minimal development and natural settings characteristic of the Keweenaw Peninsula's remote camping landscape.

Access to High Rock Bay requires navigating approximately 30 minutes down rough logging roads that demand high-clearance vehicles. One camper shared, "The road was incredibly rough with no cell service. DO NOT BRING A STANDARD CAR DOWN HERE." Standard SUVs or trucks can manage the terrain when conditions are dry, but rain can make roads impassable. Schoolcraft Township requires campers to obtain permits from Lake Linden, approximately 10 miles west, with limited office hours. Most tent sites include fire rings, but campers should pack drinking water and essential supplies as services are nonexistent. Vault toilets are available at both locations, though other amenities are minimal.

Areas farther from Copper Harbor offer deeper seclusion but require more preparation. During summer months, insects can be abundant, with flies and mosquitoes noted by multiple visitors. The beachfront tent sites at Schoolcraft Township sit behind a small protective hill that offers minimal wind protection, while High Rock Bay sites provide direct shore access with exposure to Lake Superior weather patterns. According to one visitor, "Camping on Lake Superior's shore is a must, and this is the place to do it." Late August campers may find wild blueberries and huckleberries near Schoolcraft Township. Walk-in tent sites require short hikes from parking areas, creating separation from vehicles and enhancing the backcountry camping experience. Despite limited facilities, these primitive tent camping areas deliver authentic wilderness experiences with direct access to Lake Superior's shoreline.

Map showing campgrounds near Copper Harbor, MichiganExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Copper Harbor, Michigan (3)

    1. Keweenaw Peninsula High Rock Bay

    4 Reviews
    Copper Harbor, MI
    8 miles

    "The nearby town of Copper Harbor is very cute. Check out Jamsen's Bakery for some delicious donuts!

    You can buy a state park pass at the nearby Fort Wilkins Historic State Park if you need one."

    "You have to drive like 30 minutes down an old logging road that has atvs and dirt bikes running around. I wouldn’t suggest doing it in a car as some spots got really rough."

    2. Schoolcraft Township Rustic Campground

    1 Review
    Hubbell, MI
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (906) 296-8721

    "Located on the southern side of the Keweenaw Peninsula just south of the Schoolcraft Township Park on Big Traverse Bay, this rustic campground has 5 huge sites right on Lake Superior."

    3. Harts trail camp LLC

    Be the first to review!
    Hubbell, MI
    35 miles
    +1 (906) 369-0899
Show More
Showing results 1-3 of 3 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Copper Harbor Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Tent Camping Photos near Copper Harbor, MI

4 Photos of 3 Copper Harbor Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Copper Harbor, MI

87 Reviews of 3 Copper Harbor Campgrounds

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 23, 2021

    Trails End Campground

    Enjoyed camping here

    Lots of wooded campsites for tents, camper vans & small rigs. Several sites are in clusters. Didn't see any pull through. No electric & water hookups. 3 his/hers vault toilets; clean. Potable water near campground entrance. Campground, cabins & trails are still under construction. Although close to Lake Superior, no direct access from campground to the lake. Can hear waves crashing. Highly recommend hiking the trails at nearby Hunter's Point Park. Firewood can be purchased from the general store in Copper Harbor. No T-Mobile nor AT&T cell service. Would stay here again

  • Shari G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 24, 2020

    Trails End Campground

    A Campground Made BY Outdoor People FOR Outdoor People!!

    This campground was developed by people who love and use the outdoors, for people who love and use the outdoors! Inexpensive, clean, pretty and with campsites set spaciously apart this new campground feels like it’s been a part of the landscape for years. With nearby opportunities for mountain biking, downhill and cross-country skiing, road cycling, hiking and paddling on the big lake– or nearby smaller lakes, this campground is perfectly situated along the shores of Lake Superior to take full advantage of the best the “Copper Country” has to offer. 

    The sites have the usual fire ring and picnic table, with some overlooking the pond centerpiece of the property. The pit-toilets are clean, well ventilated, modern (automated hand sanitizer, it's the little things!) and also beautifully constructed. The campground also offers several adorable yurts and bunkhouse cabins for rent, which can sleep 6 comfortably and heated by woodstove fires. You know they have done it right by the bike hanging hooks perfectly placed on the side of the cabin. They know their clientele. 

    The quaint village of Copper Harbor,½ mile away, offers restaurants, bars, gas and a small grocery store as well as the ferry depot to Isle Royale National Park. With numerous historic sites within an hour’s drive, this makes the perfect getaway destination for history buffs as well. The Keweenaw National Historic Park has sites located up and down the peninsula. Right off Brockway Mountain Drive, the area is great for those interested in more motorized recreation as well. The view from the top, an easy 5 mile drive, is not to be missed.

  • Bruce B.
    Apr. 29, 2015

    Schoolcraft Township Rustic Campground

    Beachfront Camping

    Located on the southern side of the Keweenaw Peninsula just south of the Schoolcraft Township Park on Big Traverse Bay, this rustic campground has 5 huge sites right on Lake Superior. Ample parking with a short walk to the sites with vault toilets near the lot. A huge, covered manual water pump is available and each site has a fire ring. Campsites are located just behind the beach with a small hill affording a tiny bit of protection from the wind. There were tons of wild blueberries and huckleberries while we were there in late August. Be advised that you must get your permit to camp here in Lake Linden about 10 miles west of the grounds and the office hours are limited so you should call if you're planning to head the UP.

  • Austin B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 19, 2025

    Keweenaw Peninsula High Rock Bay

    A Tiny Little PNW

    The air is cool and crisp, the water is crashing against the rocky shoreline, there are tiny little mountains with tiny little trees, the sky is cloudy, and it's often a little drizzly this is a tiny little Pacific Northwest.

    The road in looks intimidating, but isn't that bad.

    The nearby town of Copper Harbor is very cute. Check out Jamsen's Bakery for some delicious donuts!

    You can buy a state park pass at the nearby Fort Wilkins Historic State Park if you need one.

    There are vault toilets but no other facilities.

    Nearby attractions include...

    • Keneeway Rocket Range
    • Yooperlite Rock Collecting
    • Kayaking, Fishing, Hiking

    No boat ramp, but you could get kayaks or canoes in the water easily enough.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 24, 2023

    Trails End Campground

    Great spot!

    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.

  • Art S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 15, 2022

    McLain State Park Campground

    A busy spot but enjoyable

    A short drive from Houghton brings you to the shore of Lake Superior. McLain sprawls along the shore giving almost every campsite a beautiful view. Our site has a picnic table and even a couple wooden deck chairs looking towards the sunset. Every site has electric with water available at a few locations. There is a dump station near the trash bins. With the park stretching a couple miles you can get in a good walk along the paved camp road. There are a few extra trails to add some adventure. We found some that parallel the road and head to the beach - there’s even a dog beach! There are plenty of shelters and benches to find some personal space. Humans can walk down to the sand and sit by the beach (no dogs for most of it). Some folks put their kayaks in to paddle a bit. One drawback is the sparse restrooms. A centralized shower house is by the entrance. Vault toilets are around but you could have a bit of a walk. Tips: the entrance is earlier than google will take you so keep an eye open. Another camper told us to stop by the Jam Pot in the way north along 26. The monks make and sell a variety of things but Greg kept raving about the cupcakes. It’s nearJacob falls. We are stopping by on our way out tomorrow.

  • T
    Aug. 28, 2022

    Perkins Park & Campground

    Great for Tents

    Good campground for tenting. Our no electric tent site was right on the water which was great for a quick cool off in the hot weather. Bathrooms were clean. Full hook up sites looked to be pretty uneven so be sure to bring options to help with leveling.

  • Nancy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 4, 2017

    City of Houghton RV Park

    Nice park, great location

    Loved this park. Despite the sites being pretty close, you have great water views, within walking distance to downtown and a short car ride away from lots of things to do and places to visit. 

    All the sites are designed to be back-in but we asked if we could pull in forward so the view of the river was out our front window and our door opened right onto the patio. Luckily they didn’t have a problem with that so we had a great view. The patio is a wooden deck that hangs over the river bank and was suck a perfect to sit after a long day of exploring and enjoy a glass of wine. There is a picnic table, bench, BBQ grill, and fire pit and the patio providing nice shade during the day. The park is divided into two tiers and we were lucky enough to be in the lower one that was directly on the water. The upper tier has a view of the water too and the same patios but you are overlooking other RVs.  All sites are paved (as are the roads) with 20/30/50 amp electric, cable with 16 channels, and Wi-Fi. A nice feature about this park is that they do allow washing vehicles and your RV for a nominal fee.

    The park is small with just 25 sites so book early if you are coming during the summer and they do have seasonal stays with good rates. We called with just a couple weeks notice but scored a site because someone cancelled. Added bonus is that this park is next door to a large waterfront park which is great for kids with lots of things for them to play on (just know dogs are not allowed). There are also picnic areas, sandy beach, and a boat launch. Continuing past the park is a four-mile paved, non-motorized pathway leading to downtown. 

    There are no bathrooms or showers in the park so you must have a self-contained RV meaning pop-up campers and tents are not allowed. There are flush toilets in the waterfront park just outside the campground but were used heavily and not always clean if the park was very busy.

    Loved that fact that you could walk to town. We strolled into the Keewenaw Brewery for a beer a couple of afternoons, checked out a museum that pays homage to the birthplace of American hockey (which started in Houghton), did a little window shopping, and ate the best pasties at Roy’s Pasties and Bakery. It is well worth the time to venture up the Keewenaw Peninsula to explore the other towns like Copper Harbor and Calumet. Calumet is an old copper mining town and there are lots of museums and interesting sites to see there including a very nice National Park Service visitor center. We toured the Quincy Mine and really enjoyed that. 

    Pros:

    ·        Great water view

    ·        Nice patio with picnic table and bench

    ·        Within walking distance of town

    ·        Nice walking path

    ·        Lots to do and see in the area

    ·        Paved sites and roads

    ·        Full hook-up with cable and good WiFi

    Cons:

    ·        Must have a self-contained RV

    ·        Sites are close to each other with very little privacy

    ·        Most sites have no shade

    ·        May be hard to get a site if you don’t book early

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 13, 2022

    McLain State Park Campground

    Good Base to Explore the Area

    When we got close to the park entrance on MI 123 our GPS wanted us to go another.5 mile to the campground(CG) but a trailer was turning into a state park road so we followed. Good choice as this was the correct road that led to the gate where you register and checked in. The road the GPS was taking us to is currently only used as an exit from the CG. After a not-so-informative check-in, we headed into the park to find water. From the online map, we believed there was a water spigot near our site so we drove to the site only to find it was not a water hose assessable spigot. Then we headed to the dump station where we did find two potable water spigots on each side of the dump station. There was a permanently fixed hose coming out of the spigots, but the first one’s threads were worn out and wouldn’t stay screwed in. We had to wait for another rig to get fresh water and dump before we could move forward to the second one that did screw in so we could fill our fresh water tank. After that, we headed to site 110 that’s an easy back-in but only electric(50 AMP/30/20). The 100s loop is newer and it's big rig friendly with sites nicely spaced apart. Site 110 is probably the most spacious and private site in the CG as it sits in a little berm. Site 112 is nicely spaced, but you will get highway noise. Concerning RV sites in the main CG area, there is a separate tent-only area on the lake, and RV sites closest to the lake tend to be smaller in site length but we saw a couple of 36 to 40-foot 5th wheels with the tow vehicle parked wherever. In the 20 to 40 numbered sites that are not on the lake, we noticed larger class As and a couple of toy haulers. In the mid-30s sites across from the lakeside, large rigs were parked willy-nilly to make their rig fit. All the original sites are pretty much crammed in together but if you want to be where all the action is i.e. partiers and kids, this would be your area. When you get past site 40 there are 90-degree back-in sites of various lengths with most having a lot of trees and vegetation between sites giving more privacy. The 35ish-foot 5th wheels we saw in there, didn’t seem to care about tree branches scraping the roof. One note about the 41- 60s area is that the power boxes are behind every two sites and shared. Depending on how you are positioned on the pad, and where the power cord connects to the rig, you may need about 60’ of power cord to reach the power box. We also noticed on our walks around the CG that due to the poor to nonexistent cell signal here(1 bar on Verizon), people especially teenagers were sitting around talking to each other versus staring at phones. There were plenty of nearby trails to explore with the dogs, including a dog beach. McLain makes a great staging point to explore the area and take in Eagle River and Copper Bay attractions.

Guide to Copper Harbor

Primitive tent camping near Copper Harbor, Michigan offers remote Lake Superior shoreline access with minimal facilities. Campers need to navigate challenging access roads and prepare for variable weather conditions at these rustic sites. During summer months, temperatures typically range from 60-75°F during day and 45-55°F at night, with potential for sudden storms moving across Lake Superior.

What to do

Lake activities and fishing: At Keweenaw Peninsula High Rock Bay, visitors can enjoy kayaking and fishing along the rocky shoreline. One camper notes, "Nearby attractions include Kayaking, Fishing, Hiking" and "you could get kayaks or canoes in the water easily enough."

Rock collecting opportunities: Search for Yooperlite rocks, which fluoresce under UV light. A camper at High Rock Bay recommends "Yooperlite Rock Collecting" as a must-do activity in the area.

Hiking nearby trails: The Copper Harbor area features numerous hiking trails through forested terrain. Trails range from easy walking paths to more challenging routes with elevation changes and rocky sections.

Visit local establishments: Make time to explore the town of Copper Harbor. A visitor mentions, "The nearby town of Copper Harbor is very cute. Check out Jamsen's Bakery for some delicious donuts!"

What campers like

Shoreline views: Campers consistently praise the panoramic Lake Superior vistas. One visitor to Schoolcraft Township Rustic Campground describes "5 huge sites right on Lake Superior" with camping areas "located just behind the beach with a small hill affording a tiny bit of protection from the wind."

Relative solitude: Despite growing popularity, the remote nature of these sites provides separation between campers. One High Rock Bay visitor notes, "More people were there than expected, but the sites were far enough apart to enjoy some solitude."

Seasonal wild berries: Late summer visitors may find edible wild berries. A camper at Schoolcraft Township mentions, "There were tons of wild blueberries and huckleberries while we were there in late August."

Pacific Northwest feel: The climate and landscape create a unique atmosphere. According to one camper at High Rock Bay, "The air is cool and crisp, the water is crashing against the rocky shoreline, there are tiny little mountains with tiny little trees, the sky is cloudy, and it's often a little drizzly this is a tiny little Pacific Northwest."

What you should know

Vehicle requirements: Standard passenger cars cannot access some remote sites. A visitor to Harts Trail Camp LLC recommends high-clearance vehicles for accessing the more remote camping areas. Similarly, a High Rock Bay camper warns, "The drive was pretty rough. My F150 with a truck camper made for a long, slow drive."

Permit process: Some campgrounds require permits obtained from nearby towns. For Schoolcraft Township, "you must get your permit to camp here in Lake Linden about 10 miles west of the grounds and the office hours are limited so you should call if you're planning to head the UP."

Weather preparedness: Conditions can change rapidly, affecting both comfort and accessibility. One High Rock Bay visitor cautions, "Make sure to check the weather before you go. If it had rained overnight, I probably wouldn't have been able to make it out."

Insect protection: Bring appropriate insect repellent for seasonal bugs. As one camper notes, "Flies and mosquitos were abundant but didn't kill my vibe."

Cell service limitations: Mobile phone coverage is minimal or nonexistent. Multiple campers report no cell service at High Rock Bay and other remote sites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Copper Harbor, MI?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Copper Harbor, MI is Keweenaw Peninsula High Rock Bay with a 4.5-star rating from 4 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Copper Harbor, MI?

TheDyrt.com has all 3 tent camping locations near Copper Harbor, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring