Best Tent Camping near Hiawatha National Forest

Bay Furnace Campground in the Hiawatha National Forest is what you expect from a NF campground. Sites are very secluded in a well wooded area with a few sites right on the Lake Superior shore with a view of Grand Island. Most sites are very level and good for tent camping. Non-electric sites gives the campground a rustic feel. The shoreline is excellent for walking the beach and looking at the beautiful washed stones, but there are no sanding areas to swim (if you could even brave the cold water).

This park is a KOA property and just did not work for us. It is a typical KOA meaning it is packed with campsites, kids screaming at the pool, and where you get a “nothing special” overpriced campsite. The campground has rental cabins, tent sites, and sites perfectly suitable for RVs of any size. Some of the roads are a little narrow and there are some low hanging branches but nothing to prevent large RVs from staying here. A number of sites have full hookups with cable, some have electric and water, and some have no hook-ups. Tent sites set off to one side of the park which is not very close to the bathroom or you can pitch a tent on RV sites.

As for amenities, they are typical of a standard private park being heated swimming pool, horseshoe pits, playground, laundry and camp store. They advertise 440 aces with hiking trails but I never found hiking trails. There is one section on the east side that has old roads you can walk but I would not call it a trail.

Let me explain some of the things we didn’t like about this park. The bathroom situation was bad. They just did not have large enough facilities for volume of people in the park using the facilities. Even though they cleaned it daily, it got wrecked in no time because of the sheer number of users and discourteous campers. The laundry room was nice and clean but only had three washers and three dryers so you either had to wait or wash at odd times. The roads, as well as your site and patio, were dust and sand which made for a constant mess. Our site (#15) was not level and we just gave up after a while. I’m not sure if they limit the number of campers on an individual site (or police it) because the two spots across from us were always loaded with people. There is a dump station but only one RV can dump at a time and it is located near the entrance/exit which caused some traffic issues at peak use times.

The location of this park is good – you are only three miles from downtown Munising and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Just south of the park is the Hiawatha National Forest which is nearly 900,000 acres of beautiful woods, rivers, and lakes with plenty of recreational opportunities. Pictured Rocks Pizza made one of the best Pizzas we have ever had. A narrated boat tour to see the Pictures Rocks coastline is definitely worth the price.

Overall, we did not have a good camping experience and would not return. Alternative campgrounds are thirteen miles south in the Hiawatha National Forest or at the Munising Tourist Park three miles east of town on Lake Superior.

Petes Lake is a great campground tucked in the Hiawatha National Forest. The campground is located about 15 minutes south of Munising. We stayed in Munising at a private RV park for a few days before discovering this place and fell in love with it. The campground has only 41 sites but because they are well-spaced and heavily treed you have some privacy and don’t feel cramped.  If you want a campsite right on the water, look at sites 4a and 5a.  Sites 7a and 8a are walk-in tent sites having lots of privacy. There are plenty of sites that are long and level enough to fit large RVs you just have to be mindful there are lots of trees. The main roads in the campground are paved and wide enough to maneuver. Campsites have no utilities but there are vault toilets and potable water.  Picnic tables and fire pits are at each site and you are allowed to collect firewood from dead and downed trees (which I love since I am a campfire lover).  Be aware that there are only two vehicles allowed per site and you will be charged $6/vehicle/night. Since this is a National Forest campground, senior pass holders get ½ off camping making this a bargain at $9/night.

For the outdoor enthusiast who is looking to get away and enjoy the outdoors this place is great. It is set on the 190-acre Petes Lake where you have a swim beach, boat launch and fishing piers. We spent a couple of hours paddling the lake which was very peaceful. Running through the campground is the Bruno’s Run Trail – a 9-mile trail traversing the woods and around small ponds. This was a great trail except for some pesky bugs that started annoying us as we heated up. Our dog loved the hike because we passed a couple of ponds letting her cool off and get a drink. We only encountered four mountain bikers during our hike which was nice compared to the crowded trails in the nearby Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  

We would definitely come back to this campground and it would be a 5-star if it had hook-ups for our RV.

Smaller, quiet campground in the Hiawatha National Forest. Truly enjoyed this campground in a tent. Thunderstorms at night, woke up to rain, still happy.

Nice tent site with a lovely view of the lake. The beach area is nice for wading, but the water was a little chilly in June. The bathrooms are clean and the showers are free! The people at the front desk are friendly and helpful.

The only reason it is not 5 stars is because the tent sites were just lined up in a field. It wasn't bad, but made it a little less comfortable.

Enjoyed the campground. The site was clean and just enough privacy from the other sites. Only one complaint was there was no designated tent vs RV sites. Generator for two days and nights was not what we were looking for being in tent camping.

Went on a week long trip through the U.P. This was our first stop coming from Detroit. We had a tent site. Showers and bathrooms were clean. Was about 5 minutes outside Munising. Great place to stay if your planning on visiting pictured rocks. It’s right on the lake too with boat rentals if you just want to hang around your campsite. Friendly staff. Laundry facilities. Only thing we didn’t care for was tent sites were kinda right on top of each other. But had larger sites for RVs and electric hook ups. Again just stayed for the one night to jump to the porcupine mountains.

This campground is more for families. There are RV sites and tent sites. Laundry is available as well as as all store. The management is wonderful, friendly, and the showers always have hot water.

Otter Lake Campground was gorgeous and relaxing. The campground is remote, nestled in Hiawatha National Forest.

The owners were extremely friendly and helpful during our stay.

No cell service, but there is plenty to do to stay busy!

Bathrooms and showers were very clean and nice. Only complaint is that the shower doors don't have locks so it was difficult to know if they were occupied.

9/21/20- 9/23/20; $25/night; #43 electric

My wife and I have tent camped here multiple times and love it. We typically go mid to late September and there are very few other campers. We love the quite peacefulness. The lake is great for a relaxing canoe or kayak. We talk about going back every time we go camping.

it’s very lovely here, my favourite part is that lake superior is a walk away. If you are an adventurous person as well there is a trail that goes through the woods that leads to sable falls! People are kind and respectful for the most part. It can be hard tent camping in a campground because any outside noise is rough on sleep. But the campground in her real is lovely all around.

Located in Hiawatha National Forest on Lake Superior. We were on motorcycles & this was a spur of the moment pick for us but even though we arrived late in the afternoon we had a few sites to choose from. The sites offer plenty of privacy and are large and well maintained. Located on the southern Lake Superior shoreline, the beach area was fantastic & the water was clean/clear but cold as would be expected. perfect for a refreshing cool off in hot weather! There were waterfront sites, vaulted toilets, fire rings with grill tops. For those with Rv's there was a dump station as well. No electric or water hook ups available. Lake Superior access is a plus for us however it is not accessible by boat. Plenty of nearby stores, gas, food. Pictured Rocks is within driving distance and worth the trip.

Otter Lake Campground is nestled within the Hiawatha National Forest and a close driving distance to Munising, Michigan. There are a variety of activities available within the campground to keep kids and adults busy. This includes paddle boat, kayak, and canoe rentals, a basketball court, a small playground, a volleyball court, and swimming.

The staff are extremely helpful and polite. We had car trouble and had to go without a vehicle for a day and a half. The staff not only offered transportation but also checked on us multiple times to make sure we didn't need anything. 

The scenery is beautiful and peaceful. Otter Lake is a calm, serene lake with a small beach area. 

The sites were decent sized and clean. Excellent for the price. 

There is an on-site laundry room and place to wash dishes. 

The downsides to this campground were small. The showers were clean but didn't have locks on them. There also wasn't a place to set things down, which made it difficult to get dressed and undressed. 

Some of the sites were not well defined. This caused a problem when our neighbors sprawled out and squished us.