If you're looking for a place to dispersed camp near Evart, look no further. With The Dyrt, it's easy to find peaceful dispersed camping near Evart. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campgrounds for your Michigan camping adventure.
Manistee National Recreation River This camping area is named for Government Island. The 3 campsites are part of the Forest Services' 41 designated dispersed sites along the Upper Manistee River. The main access road along the powerline is a snowmobile trail in the winter. Brochure with map : Manistee River This brochure is set to print on 11 x 17 paper, landscape (wide) orientation. To print on 8 1/2 x 11 paper set the print area to "shrink to printable area", this will make the text on the page smaller. Flickr Photo Albums Manistee River
Dispersed foot traffic and primitive tent camping within the Forests is allowed almost anywhere, unless otherwise posted closed and/or "No Camping".Plan Your Trip: Dispersed Camping
Some things to keep in mind when planning where you will be camping are: There is no camping within 200 feet of any body of water, except at designated sites. There is no camping within 400 feet of the Lake Michigan shoreline in the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area. Camping is only allowed at designated sites within the river corridors for the designated Wild and Scenic sections of the Pere Marquette, Pine, Manistee and Au Sable Rivers. Camping or leaving camping equipment (such as, but not limited to tents, camper trailers and/or tarps) is allowed in the same location for up to fourteen (14) days. After sixteen (16) days the camp and equipment MUST be moved off of Forest Service System lands. A permit is NOT required to camp on National Forest System lands outside of designated campgrounds. Motorized vehicles may only be operated on designated roads, trails or areas open to that use. To find what roads and trails are open to a particular use, visitors should obtain a Motor Vehicle Use Map.
Traveler
Beautiful spot overlooking the lake. Sites are large and a bit closer than I like, but on a Tuesday, not a person around. Might change by Friday.
Legend
Did a 1 night backpacking trip on the MRT/NCT loop and we loved the spot we had. All spots are very spread out so you get privacy at night. Spots for a fire and very peaceful! We actually had a spot on the NCT side, the spots along the MRT side were much more spacious and were on the water!
ScoutFound several spots around Sawkaw Lake, to include Little Half Moon Lake which is right next to it. Nice and quite. Depending on the spot, there could be some people around, but most the most part, it was pretty tranquil. There are even some hike paths around the area.
TravelerWas planning on staying at Highbank Campground but it was closed. Thankfully had the Dyrt App to see this spot.
It was a great little dispersed camping spot. Brand new vaulted toilet, lake view and deep forest all around. Easy access to North Country Trail.
Loved it!
GuideGreat river trail with a decent amount of campsites. We arrived late Friday and most spots were taken. I’d imagine most spots are scoped out earlier in the evening. A lot of people camping/running/hiking. The east side of the river is more hilly but has an abundance of water spots to fill up. The west side of the river doesn’t have any water spots until about the last mile north at a small bridge. Plenty of firewood to salvage on both sides, albeit some of it was wet. We went in late May and it got down to freezing temps the first night. Hammock was not the best option but always made for a good story to tell your friends. Second night was good. We stayed atop the crest of a hill on the west side down a path. There are designated camp sites with markers but we didn’t opt for making it a point to find one. Any place off the beaten path will do. You will see some spots that people have camped.
GuideAlthough this is listed as "dispersed" camping, the camping on the Manistee River Trail side of this loop is mostly at designated sites. Most sites seemed to be able to accommodate large groups. The sites along the bluffs tended to be farther from a water source, but never too far. No matter where you end up setting up camp, you're in for a beautiful and gentle hike.
RangerToo much to say about this!
Start at Red Bridge Access, and you can do a 23 mile loop covering miles on the North Country Trail (west side) and the Manistee River Trail (on the east side).
Note; NCT side allows camping anywhere. MRT has specific spots.
My review describes some of the MRT spots.
GuideGreat dispersed camping area to getaway! Can sometimes get busy on the weekends, but nothing like a normal campsite. Think it’s just this summer but I did pull 2 ticks off the dogs after this hike.
Make sure to pack bug spray and be sure to check out the mini-waterfall near mile marker 3!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Evart, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Evart, MI is Sawkaw Lake with a 4.7-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Evart, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 dispersed camping locations near Evart, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
