If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Hiawatha National Forest, look no further. Find the best tent camping sites near Hiawatha National Forest. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Hiawatha National Forest, Michigan's most popular destinations.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore hugs the Lake Superior shoreline for more than 40 miles along Michigan's northern coast. Lake Superior is the largest, deepest, coldest, and most pristine of all the Great Lakes. In addition to boating and kayaking on the lake, the park's backcountry offers nearly 100 miles of walking and hiking trails and opportunities for solitude, inspiration, physical challenge, renewal, and camping. Access to Pictured Rocks' backcountry is primarily along the 'Lakeshore Trail', a part of the 42-mile long North Country National Scenic Trail where you can experience forests, dunes, beaches, waterfalls and wonderful panoramic views. Please download the Backcountry Camping Planner form the park website for complete details. The backcountry campgrounds are accessed by hiking or kayaking only. A backcountry camping permit is required year-round for all overnight trips into the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore backcountry. Permits are not required for day hiking. To assist in planning an overnight backcountry trip into Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, take time to carefully plan and prepare for your adventure. Pictured Rocks offers fourteen backcountry campgrounds, that are located at two to five mile intervals along the Lakeshore Trail. Private shuttle services are available. The permit holder must print and retain one copy of the permit when hiking to the campground; permit must be visibly secured to tent at campsite. You will be assigned a campsite number at every backcountry campground. Permit holder may have only one permit reserved at one time. Camp only in designated sites and follow permit itinerary. You must camp within 15 feet (4.5 m) of the numbered post at your chosen campsite. Individual campsites are available for groups of 1-6 people (2 tents or hammocks maximum, or 1 tent and 1 hammock). Groups of 7-20 people and up to a 10 tent max. must camp in designated group sites. Each campground has a specific capacity; campsites within each backcountry campground are identified by a numbered post.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore offers 100 miles (161 km) of hiking trails leading to waterfalls, beaches, forest wilderness, cultural sites, and breathtaking cliff-top views of Lake Superior. Whether you have only a few minutes, hours, or days to see a portion of the lakeshore, one of these hikes may be for you. Lake Superior's rugged shoreline invites individuals to explore the beautiful Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore with its miles of colorful sandstone cliffs and long stretches of sandy beaches. Watch the weather carefully while on the lake. The weather can change suddenly and unexpectedly. Just because it's calm in Munising Bay or Grand Marais Harbor does not mean it is calm along the more distant shores. The Pictured Rocks cliffs rise 50 to 200 feet (15 to 61 m) directly from the lake, offering precious few protected places if the wind and waves increase.
Sandstone cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, inland lakes, deep forest, and wild shoreline beckon you to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The power of Lake Superior shapes the park's coastal features and affects every ecosystem, creating a unique landscape to explore. Hiking, camping, sightseeing, and four-season outdoor opportunities abound!
Cancellation Policy: Prior to printing your permit, you may cancel any time before your reservation date and receive a 50% refund of all backcountry camping permit fees ($5 per person, per night). The $15 reservation fee is non-refundable. If you have printed your permit, there are no refunds. Change Policy:Prior to printing your permit, you may make changes to your permit before your reservation date. Changes may be made to the group size, campground, and the duration of your trip. An additional $15 non-refundable fee will be charged for changes.Changes may be made to the group size through your Recreation.gov account or through the Call Center and may incur additional backcountry camping permit fees or be refunded these fees depending on whether you increase or decrease your group size. If decreasing your numbers, you will receive a full refund of the backcountry camping permit fees for the numbers you are decreasing only. A change to the duration of the trip or campground may only be made through the Call Center. For changes to the duration of the trip, you may incur additional backcountry camping permit fees or be refunded these fees depending on whether you increase or decrease your number of nights. If decreasing your numbers, you will receive a full refund of the backcountry camping permit fees for the numbers you are decreasing only.To change your entry date, you must cancel your permit and reserve a new permit. All fees apply. No Show Policy: If you do not print your permit by 11:59 p.m. on the first day of your scheduled trip, your entire backcountry camping permit will be canceled. No refunds. Please cancel your reservation if you are unable to use it to open space for others.
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
$15 / night
This rustic campground is situated on the shore of Lake Michigan in the Upper Peninsula. Most campsites have direct access to the shoreline. Part of the shoreline is composed of large rocks, but could be hiked with caution. Near the picnic area, on the east side of the campground, there is access to the day-use beach. The beach is sandy and provides a nice area to swim and walk along the shore. There is parking for day-use visitors adjacent to the picnic area. The picnic area has tables, a fire ring and a charcoal grill.
There are 42 sites for tent and small trailer use. Campsites 7 and 32 are pull-through sites. Camping is limited to a 15-day maximum stay. Amenities include vault toilets and potable water from a hand-pump well. The campground is located 7.7 miles east of Naubinway via US-2.Sites available on a first-come, first-serve basis. No reservations.
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. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/rec-pp
$15 / night
The Indian River Campground is situated on a bluff overlooking the Indian River. There is a short trail leading down to the river. The campground is near the halfway point on the Indian River Canoe Trail, and is a convenient overnight stop for canoeists. Link to Campground Map
This rustic campground sits on the coast of Lake Superior. Located six miles west of Muskallonge Lake State Park and 12 miles east of Grand Marais, this campground is in a great location for a weekend of adventure. Explore the sandy beach of Lake Superior or take a hike on the 7.3-mile Blind Sucker Pathway which runs alongside the campground. The Blind Sucker No. 1 state forest campground is one mile southeast of the campground and is located on the Blind Sucker Flooding, which offers opportunities for fishing and paddlesports.
There are 18 sites for tent and small trailer use. Camping is limited to a 15-day maximum stay. Amenities include vault toilets and potable water from a hand-pump well. The campground is located 34 miles northwest of Newberry via M-123 and County Road 407. Sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. No reservations.
$10 - $20 / 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
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
This rustic campground is located on Lake Superior at the mouth of the Two Hearted River. The campground offers excellent opportunities for fishing, paddlesports and hiking on the national North Country Trail. There is a day-use area on the banks of the river that has picnic tables and a charcoal grill. A developed boat launch and skid pier are adjacent to the day-use area. Visitors can cross the Two Hearted River via a suspension bridge on the west side of the campground to reach the shores of Lake Superior.
There are 36 sites for tent and small trailer use. Camping is limited to a 15-day maximum stay. Amenities include vault toilets and potable water from a hand-pump well. The campground is located 31.5 miles northeast of Newberry via M-123 and County Roads 500, 414, 412 and 423. Sites available on a first-come, first-serve basis. No reservations.
$20 / night
There are many campsites on the Munising and Rapid River/Manistique Ranger Districts of the Hiawatha National Forest. Many are located on inland lakes and are in a rustic forest environment with few to no amenities and no drinking water. The rustic environment offers a wonderfully serene and peaceful setting for your next camping experience. All of these sites are nestled in hardwood trees and pines. All of them are on small inland lakes, which offer a wide variety of fishing opportunities.
Visitors will be able to enjoy swimming, berry picking, and fishing at these dispersed campsites. Licenses are required for fishing in Michigan waters. Bruno's Run Hiking Trail weaves throughout the Ewing Point area, offering 9 miles of adventure for hikers. The trail is accessible at various locations, two of which are near the Ewing Point parking area. One section of the trail leads to Grassy Lake, while the other heads along the southeastern portion of McKeever Lake.McKeever Lake offers great fishing for musky, pike, bass and pan fish, and there is boat access in the parking area. Boats must be carried to the site by hand or through the water. Because the water is quite shallow, large boats are not recommended.
Ewing Point is a beautiful walk-in campsite located on the north side of the 132-acre McKeever Lake. The grassy site is 50 ft x 75 ft, surrounded by hemlock and cedar.
For local information, please call (906) 474-6442 or call (906) 387-2512 for general information.
$8 / night
Traveler
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).
Legend
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.
Scout
Busy weekend in the area, but this little gem had some openings. My wife and I grabbed a site next to the water. We were camping in a tent, but their would have been plenty of room for a sizeable RV. Decent shore fishing near the campground. Short hike or drive to Lake Superior beaches. Easy drive to Grand Marias if you needed something. No hesitation to stay here again.
Legend
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.
Guide
Smaller, quiet campground in the Hiawatha National Forest. Truly enjoyed this campground in a tent. Thunderstorms at night, woke up to rain, still happy.
Ranger
Small, remote campground, located on a nice size inland lake in Hiawatha National Forest. Close to Au Train, Munising and Pictured Rock National Lakeshore. Great "primitive" campsites with lot's of room, and shade. For those who want showers this is not the place. This campground has vault toilets, and water pump at the entrance. Otherwise almost rustic experience. There is a boat launch. Not sure about rentals, but you can definitely bring your own boat or a kayak, to experience the lake. Few nearby hiking and biking trails. Drive up to Pictured Rock Lakeshore for some amazing trails and Lake Superior beaches. Hiawatha National Forest offers tons of trials and lakes, spend the day wondering through the woods and discovering hidden lakes. I consider Upper Peninsula in Michigan the hidden gem of the Midwest. You have to go and experience it at least once in your lifetime, especially if you live within 500 mile radius...
Ranger
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.
Scout
It was a very good site, limited facilities but good for tent camping. Some sites have view of the lake. There were 5 sites left when we got there around 9 at night.
GuideOn a last minute camping trip to Michigan, we were looking for places that didn't require reservations, so I felt very lucky and happy to find tent sites available at this campground on a Sunday afternoon. Nearly every spot for RV camping was occupied. Of the eight or so tent sites available, only two were occupied.
We were given our choice of tent site and settled on site 5 because it was the furthest from all other sites. The grass was solid enough to drive our car across, but there were several questionable spots of swamp we had to be careful to avoid. Site 5 sits next to the playground, which looks like it hasn't been maintained in years. The foliage around the lake was too tall for us to be able to see the lake from our tent and too thick, plus the swampiness of the land, to be able to walk through to access the lake.
A nearby boardwalk was damaged and blocked off to foot traffic. The paved drive within the camp site was where everyone seemed to be spending their time, riding bicycles or roller bladeing in circles.
Four or five showers are available on site, with separate flush toilets for men and women. Firewood was available for purchase, as well as ice and vending machines.
The showers were great to have. However, with no easy access to the lake, not much of a view, being very crowded and catered towards RVers, I would only stay here again if I had no other options, as a tent camper.
Guide
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.
Traveler
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.
GuideThis 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.
Scout
While this is a full amenities campground, one end was mostly reserved for tent camping with well spaced sites which were backed up by the woods. We felt right at home in our tent, and the campground was exceptionally well maintained and the atmosphere was calm and pleasant. While not totally rustic our end was well suited for the quieter more laid back tenting enthusiasts
ScoutMy 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.
Ranger
Friendly staff, gorgeous sunsets from Lake Superior's shore, water + electric sites, dump station, hot showers. There are some tent sites along the shore that look amazing. Next time we'll be paddling to Grand Island. We stayed at the end of September.
TravelerOtter 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
RangerBay Furnace Campground is a pretty campground in the Hiawatha National Forest but it is filled with loads of voracious mosquitos. It was so bad that campers had to wear mosquito netting just to walk about. Other than that it is a very pretty campground.
For Astronomers this is a Bortle class 4 site with an SQM reading of 21.44 mag./arc sec2. We only stayed one night, there were lots of trees, and lots of hungry mosquitos so no observing for me.
There is no phone access via verizon or att.
TravelerNice RV park but just not our cup of tea. Sites are really open to one another although the lakefront sites have great beach access to Lake Superior. Even at the “rustic tent sites”, you will see your neighbor clearly. Bathrooms and showers were clean, friendly staff. Just wish there were more trees or sites were spread out more
Guide
This probably was one of the cleanest campgrounds we ever went to. They have everything from full hookups to rustic tent sites. Each site has a huge permanent firepit. RV lots are large and private, Lots of trees and there is a constant breezy that comes off of Lake Michigan. The only downfall is, it's more expensive than your typical campground. $40 - $60 range for the RV sites. Although $60 dollars, you can get your own private beach front lot. Bathrooms and Laundry room are super clean. You also get cable. Restaurants, shopping and a brewery are all within walking distance
Traveler
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.
ScoutJust needed a nice campsite for one night after traveling from Traverse City headed to Marquette. Made a reservation and booked a lake view site. The campground was really clean and the people were really friendly who worked there. They were dog friendly and everyone camping around us were really friendly as well. We were tent camping and there was plenty of space for more than 3 tents. We would definitely recommend this for family's as well as people like us just passing through. Great lake view and 10 minutes away from Kitch-iti-ipi "big springs".
TravelerOnly 5 sites at this campground. When I reserved through the NF website, they didn’t even have an accurate map to display how the sites were laid out.
Sites 1, 2 and 3 are all decently spaced apart. Sites 4 and 5 are seemingly connected for double reservations.
Plenty of trees for hammocks and level ground for tents. Fire rings with griddle on each site.
There is no running water or shower house. Bring your own TP for the outhouse.
All sites sit along the lake with easy access to the water. Not a great lake for swimming as the bottom is very muddy and mucky.
Tucked just far enough away from the nearest “town”, Steuben- which only has about 8 homes along the road. Steuben is nice place to drive through and has a small convenience store. Prices are a little expensive, but take into consideration the desolate location.
Great campground and one of my favorites in this section of The Hiawatha National Forest.
Legend
We did some hiking here and were pleased with the park and campground. I think tent camping would be ideal here, but we did see one small trailer. It is a small campground which meant it was very quiet mid-week. There were a couple boats that launched while we were there, but not a whole lot of other activity. We always appreciate shaded, water front sites and these were great. About a 45 minute drive to Munising. We took the cruise to check out pictured rocks and it was amazing- recommend that as well as the campground :)
TravelerCity run campground on lake superior. Beautiful views, sandy shore. Most sites have water and electricity, some have sewer hookup. Some walk in sites on the shoreline. We camped on site 5. Pros:
TravelerLocated 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.
GuideOtter 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.
Guide
Spent one night here with my dog. I was looking for a place to unplug and I sure got what I was looking for. Have to admit I was a bit out of my element for tent camping at this location. There were others camping at this site with RVs, a boat and off road vehicles. They were more prepared for the wilderness! They told me about a pack of wolves roaming around and how they would snatch up my pup if given the opportunity and my girl had a growl off with something in the woods that night. Might have been a wolf! Mosquitos were crazy and there were some giant turtles that seemed to be taking over the whole area. Beautiful view of the big lake.
Tent camping near Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan offers a serene escape into nature, with a variety of campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for a rustic experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Hiawatha National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Hiawatha National Forest is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Backcountry Sites — Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore with a 4.8-star rating from 21 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Hiawatha National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 51 tent camping locations near Hiawatha National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
