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ScoutBig Knob State Forest Campground
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Camping near Gulliver, MI
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Gulliver, Michigan serves as a gateway to diverse camping experiences along Lake Michigan's northern shoreline. Merwin Creek State Forest Campground, located directly in Gulliver, provides year-round primitive camping with boat-in access and basic amenities like drinking water and vault toilets. Within a 30-minute drive, campers can access more developed options such as Manistique Lakeshore Campground with full hookups and modern facilities, or Indian Lake State Park with its family-friendly amenities. The camping landscape ranges from rustic state forest sites to RV resorts with cement pads, creating options for wilderness seekers and comfort campers alike.
Seasonal considerations significantly impact camping in the Upper Peninsula region. Most campgrounds operate from May through October, though some state forest sites remain open year-round. Road access varies considerably, with paved routes to larger facilities and rougher forest roads leading to more remote locations. Cell service fluctuates throughout the area, with stronger signals near Manistique and spotty coverage in forested areas. As one camper noted about nearby Milakokia Lake State Forest Campground, "Our campsite was on the lake side and it was perfect. Plenty of shade and shelter. Access to the lake is great. Mosquitos are thick so bring your bug spray." Insect protection is essential, particularly during spring and early summer months.
Lakefront sites consistently receive the highest ratings from visitors to the region. Many campgrounds feature direct access to Lake Michigan or smaller inland lakes, with waterfront sites typically filling first. A visitor to Manistique Lakeshore Campground reported, "Large, private cement pad sites. Spotlessly clean. Full hookups. Bath and laundry facilities are some of the nicest I have ever seen." Highway noise can be noticeable at some locations, particularly those along US-2, though lakeside sites often provide better sound buffering. Wildlife sightings are common, with campers reporting deer, turkey, and even porcupine encounters. The area serves as a convenient base for exploring attractions like Kitch-Iti-Kipi (Big Springs) and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, both within reasonable driving distance.
Best Campgrounds near Gulliver (158)
1. Manistique Lakeshore Campground
"On Lake Michigan. Large, private cement pad sites. Spotlessly clean. Full hookups. Bath and laundry facilities are some of the nicest I have ever seen. Staff is friendly and welcoming."
"RV lots are large and private, Lots of trees and there is a constant breezy that comes off of Lake Michigan."
Check Availabilityfrom $36 - $85 / night
2. Indian Lake State Park South Campground — Indian Lake State Park
"Campground Review: Indian Lake State Park, South Shore, has become my favorite State Park in Michigan! This was my first visit, and I'm in love."
"This is a great lakeside campsite just outside of Manistique. There is a main bathroom area with showers. Good shallow water to swim (and watch the beautiful sunset) but a little difficult to fish."
Check AvailabilityCampground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $27 - $60 / night
3. Merwin Creek State Forest Campground
"This campground is 15 minutes away from Manistique but feels quite remote. Campsites are in a couple loops. The first one seems set up for multiple family or friend campers."
Check Availabilityfrom $15 / night
4. Kewadin Casino Manistique
"Decent RV Site...lot adjacent to casino...economically priced..30/50 amp hook up. We stopped late in the evening needing a secure, safe site for a night....cross country RV travelers."
"We made a quick stop on our way back to Wisconsin, part along the back of the lot, there were several RVs and a large truck close to us. We felt very relaxed and safe."
5. Big Knob State Forest Campground
"Rustic campground along the shores of Lake Michigan. 23 sites. Hand pump for water available. Beautiful spot on Lake Michigan with no signs of life for miles down the beach. Pets are welcome."
"Some of these sites are on Lake Michigan and it's beautiful with a few trails. Self serve, first come first served. I got a site at 7 pm on a beautiful Saturday night in September. Very lucky!"
6. Indian Lake RV Resort and Campground
"This is a cool little retro campground with full hookup sites and lake access. It's close to a bunch of the UP attractions and the rates are very reasonable."
"Every site is close to the lake. We were there for 8 days and would stay there again. Didn’t use the bathrooms or the showers but they looked clean when I checked them out."
Check AvailabilityCampground full next weekend
from $24 - $50 / night
7. Milakokia Lake State Forest Campground
"Our campsite was on the lake side and it was perfect. Plenty of shade and shelter. Access to the lake is great. We walked out in knee deep water and played frisbee and watched the sunset."
"Lovely inland lakeside sites. This is a large all sports lake and the campground has a boat launch. Some sites where uneven and hilly and may be a challenge for a large RV."
Check Availabilityfrom $13 / night
8. Indian Lake State Park West Campground — Indian Lake State Park
"We stayed at site 72, which was nice and flat and a quick walk to the water and bathrooms. Our site was so peaceful and we slept well. "
"We first checked out the ‘South CG’ and although it was on the lake, it was waaay too crowded for us. So we moved on to the west shore CG and it was def more our style. Quiet and rustic."
Check AvailabilityCampground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $27 / night
9. Northland Outfitters
"Despite being close to the road, Northland Outfitters is a quiet, peaceful little campground. With aonly 14 camping sites and 4 cabins, it is small. "
"Social distancing had some sinks and urinals turned off. Seemed super clean. 4-6 tent only spots are in pretty good shade. All sites had at least water and electricity."
10. Woodstar Beach
"Just yards from Lake Michigan. This is beech access nice shade, fire rings picnic tables. We were here a week in our 36 ft moterhome and tow Plenty of room 30A electric and water."
"Woodstar campground is right on the shore of Lake Michigan. It is a kid-friendly place with a long sandy beach and a large sandbar in the lake makes it a good shallow place to play in the water."
Drive Time
- 2 hrs 49 min from Green Bay, WI
- 3 hrs 8 min from Appleton, WI
- 3 hrs 39 min from Sheboygan, WI
- 7 hrs 41 min from Traverse City, MI
Recent Camping Photos near Gulliver, MI
309 Photos of 158 Gulliver Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Manistique Lakeshore Campground
Milakokia Lake State Forest Campground
Indian Lake State Park South Campground — Indian Lake State Park
South Manistique Lake State Forest Campground
Indian Lake RV Resort and Campground
Indian Lake State Park West Campground — Indian Lake State Park
Big Cedar Campground Kayak & Canoe LiveryJ
Northland Outfitters
Big Knob State Forest CampgroundT
Carr Lake Campsite — Hiawatha National Forest
Colwell Lake Campground
Camp Seven Lake Campground
Recent Reviews near Gulliver, MI
788 Reviews of 158 Gulliver Campgrounds
Gerard E.
LegendBlind Sucker #1 State Forest Campground
October 28,2026
10-28-26, Site 8
Level sandy and grass site close to pit toilet and water spigot. Empty campground, dirt roads, no electricity. The Pathway and NCt run through the campground if you like to hike.
Tmobile was 2 bars LTE, great site for large and samll campers or SxS's. Right down the road from Blind Sucker 2 and Lake Superior SF Campground.
Picnic Table and concrete fire pit, some sites are side by side and very open.
- Gerard E.Legend
Lake Superior State Forest Campground
October 27, 2026
10-27-26, Site 10
Large sandy with some grass and mostly level site. Easily fit a 30' camper and truck or trailer w SxS. 50' from Lake Superior, picnic table with concrete fire pit, partly shaded.
Tmobile had 3 bars LTE, No electric, water spigot was next to register station. Very clean pit toilets. $20 per night plus Rec pass. Site 9 is open right next to 10, would make a good group site.
Plenty of rocks on the sandy beach if you like to rock hound.
- MMichael K.Scout
Hickey Marsh Dispersed Camping
Great spot, easy to get to. Could only find two pull off spots which are both relatively small, and only one has a fire pit in good condition so you’d need to build back up the other a bit. Very convenient spot that met all my needs
- ddeep W.
GuideMunising Tourist Park Campground
Convenient to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
This campground is located directly on Lake Superior and operated by the city of Munising. It has 100 RV sites and 22 tent sites. About 1/4 of the RV sites provide water, sewer, and 50/30/20 electrical hookups. The rest of the RV sites provide shared water spigots (with both line pressure and with pressure reducers) and shared 30/20 electrical pedestals. Depending on the site, the water or electrical hookups may require an extension cord or another hose length to reach your RV. The campground is quite open, only the tent sites have any privacy. Do to lack of obstructions, I saw several starlink antennas on rigs..... The campground offers decent wifi and two very nice bath houses with flush toilets and showers. It also offers a dump station on site with tank flush and potable water fill stations. A beautiful sandy beach fronts the campground. One negative is that Michigan Hwy 28 runs past the campground and it has plenty of traffic at all hours.
We visited with plans to take a Pictured Rocks boat tour, but 3 days of gale force winds scrubbed those plans. The boat tours were canceled.
Coltyn C.ScoutHickey Marsh Dispersed Camping
Perfect spot to pull off and camp for the night or weekend! Big pull in area where we stayed for the night, there was one other person but we stopped once we noticed the fresh tracks and didn’t go any further back. Perfect overnight spot.
- UUrsula
RangerFayette Historic State Park Campground
Historic buildings close by, nice campground
The first thing we noticed driving in is that the wash house closes today 10/14 at 4 PM for the season, which isn’t an issue for us. Open sites, walkways to a rocky beach, but also trail to a sandy beach. Our site is not level.
Amber W.GuideHemlock Campsite on Grand Island
Peaceful Night
We stayed here on our last night, this beach was amazing! The site is set back really nice, the latrine is not very private and can be seen from both sites near. Other than that it has a bear pole and box and was very spacious, would stay again!
- Amber W.Guide
Shelter Ridge Campsite On Grand Island
Great Stay
Stayed a night here while hiking the island, you do have to walk to the beach to get water but its close. There is only a bear pole not a box but it was fine. The latrine was fine but the privacy screen is a little too short.
Guide to Gulliver
Camping areas near Gulliver, Michigan range from secluded forest campgrounds to lakeside facilities with modern amenities. Located in the Upper Peninsula at approximately 730 feet elevation, the region features mixed hardwood forests alongside Lake Michigan shoreline. Winter temperatures regularly drop below freezing, with summer averages in the mid-70s F and high humidity during July and August.
What to do
Kayaking on Manistique River: Launch directly from Northland Outfitters for paddling adventures. "We canoed and our son kayaked the Manistique River. Shuttled up and paddled back to campground. About 3 1/2 hour trip. It was serene on the river," reports Janet V. The outfitter provides shuttle service for trips using personal watercraft.
Explore Kitch-iti-kipi Springs: Located within 10 minutes of Indian Lake State Park West Campground, this natural spring offers remarkable clarity. "It is not far from Kitch-Iti-Kipi, a clear spring that you can see to the bottom of. We did not get to go, but heard it is an incredible place," notes Emily M. The spring features a self-operated observation raft.
Beach access at Big Knob: Follow trails from campsite to secluded Lake Michigan shoreline. "There are hiking trails that have some beautiful scenery (bring bug spray) and a beach front that is just amazing. Depending on the water level there is plenty of beach and great for a day in the water," explains Donna F. Sites 3-7 have direct path access to the beach, with minimal development.
What campers like
Spacious lakeside sites: Indian Lake State Park South Campground offers large campsites with direct lake access. "The sites were very large! There are three bath houses and a pavilion. The water is so nice! We used the boat launch and had no issues at all," shares Stephanie C. Sites include electrical hookups and fire rings.
Clean facilities: Modern bathrooms consistently receive positive reviews. "Manistique Lakeshore Campground is a beautiful Campground with sites a few feet or a few yards from Lake Michigan. Fantastic south facing views," notes Dennis A. Bathroom facilities are particularly praised for their maintenance level.
Quiet camping options: Less-crowded alternatives exist for those seeking solitude. "After camping at the south shore for a night (way to many people for me personally) I went to the West campground. It's very quiet this week," reports Becky S. Many forest campgrounds receive minimal use even during peak season.
What you should know
Bug protection essential: Black flies, mosquitoes and other insects are prevalent. At Big Knob State Forest Campground, "There are 23 sites all within close walking distance to the water, bug spray is a must." Donna F. adds, "We have camped here for 7 years and look forward to coming back each year." Insects are most problematic in early summer.
Road conditions vary: Access to more remote sites requires preparation. "It takes about 20 minutes from the main road to the campground, and the road is gravel with some pot holes," notes Angelica S. about Big Knob. Some campgrounds require lengthy drives on unpaved roads.
Water considerations: Quality varies by location. "I do not recommend drinking the water from this campground as it was yellow in color. Still, it was a cheap place to stay the night. For only $15/night, it is more than sufficient," advises Emily M. regarding Milakokia Lake.
Tips for camping with families
Shallow swimming areas: Indian Lake RV Resort and Campground provides safe water access. "Really nice employees. Cleanest campsite bathroom I've been in. Our site looked right over Indian Lake," reports Kelly C. The shallow waters warm quickly in summer months.
Playground access: Some campgrounds feature dedicated children's areas. At Northland Outfitters, visitors note "Swingset and covered sandbox for kids. Volleyball net." Activities for various age groups help keep children entertained.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Morning and evening offer best viewing times. "Perfect place for tent camping but it can also accommodated small to medium RV/campers. This place is great for relaxation and getting in touch with nature," recommends Donna F. Common sightings include deer, turkey, and waterfowl.
Tips from RVers
Site selection for larger rigs: Jack Pine Lodge and Campground accommodates larger vehicles. "Jack's Pine Lodge was an amazing neat little campground. They only have about two or three dozen sites but all are full hook ups and the location is amazing too," shares Simone N. Some campgrounds trim trees to create space for larger RVs.
Full hookup availability: Modern facilities are concentrated in specific locations. "Most sites have water/sewage and 30 or 50amp service," notes Erika P. Dump stations are limited throughout the region, making full-hookup sites valuable for extended stays.
Seasonal flooding awareness: Weather patterns affect site conditions. "The water has been high this summer as we have witnessed several other campgrounds with flooding. This one was not immune as they had several with sitting water but most were just fine. I would maybe call in advance for sure recommendations," advises Marc W.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find camping in Gulliver, Michigan?
Where can I find camping in Gulliver, Michigan?
Gulliver offers several camping options within a short drive. Little Bay De Noc provides Lake Michigan access with a pier, playground, and group fire pit. Though it has just a few sites, it's a great basecamp for exploring the area. Another excellent option is Merwin Creek State Forest Campground near Gulliver, offering a more rustic experience with basic amenities like water and toilets. For additional options, the nearby towns of Manistique and St. Ignace offer several campgrounds along Lake Michigan, all within a reasonable drive from Gulliver.
What outdoor activities can I enjoy while camping in Gulliver, Michigan?
What outdoor activities can I enjoy while camping in Gulliver, Michigan?
The Gulliver area offers abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. Water activities dominate, with Indian Lake State Park South Campground providing access to both Indian Lake and being just minutes from Lake Michigan. Kayaking, swimming, and fishing are popular in these waters. Brevoort Lake Campground offers excellent lakeside sites for water enthusiasts. The region also features extensive hiking trails and both motorized and non-motorized off-road trails. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is about an hour away, making for a perfect day trip. For a unique natural attraction, Kitchitikipi (Big Springs) is just a short drive and offers fascinating views of the crystal-clear spring.
What amenities are available at campgrounds in Gulliver, MI?
What amenities are available at campgrounds in Gulliver, MI?
Campgrounds near Gulliver offer varying levels of amenities. Manistique Lakeshore Campground provides full hookups, spotlessly clean facilities, cement pad sites, and modern bath and laundry facilities. For a more rustic experience, Hog Island Point State Forest Campground offers clean outhouses, water pumps, and well-spaced primitive sites with no electricity. Most state forest campgrounds in the area provide basic amenities including pit toilets and hand pumps for water. If you need more extensive facilities, consider the campgrounds in nearby towns that offer modern restrooms, showers, and electrical hookups.
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