Escape into nature and disconnect from daily life with glamping near Marenisco. Glamping near Marenisco, MI is a great way to go camping with the tastes of home. You're sure to find glamping for your Michigan camping adventure.
The Porcupine Mountains Presque Isle Campground offers 50 rustic campsites near the scenic Presque Isle River. There are vault toilets and hand pumps for water. In addition to drive-up sites, there are also 6 walk-in sites. The campground is split into two loops. The east loop is a generator friendly side, while the west loop is generator free. There is access trails to the nearby Presque Isle River and or to the Lake Superior shoreline. Firewood is available for purchase at the campground office. At roughly 60,000 acres, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is Michigan’s largest state park. It is home to 35,000 acre old-growth forest, roaring waterfalls, miles of rivers and streams, more than 90 miles of hiking trails, the Lake Superior shoreline and vistas unrivaled anywhere in the Midwest.
$4 - $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/buy-and-apply/rec-pp
Backcountry sites: An unlimited number of permits can be issued but only 63 spots have a metal fire ring. Fires are restricted to metal fire rings. Cost $14- for 1-6 people. Maximum number per site is 6.
Although not part of the Ottawa National Forest, this beautiful waterfalls is surrounded by the Ottawa National Forest. One of the most popular Upper Peninsula waterfalls. Managed by the U.P. Power Company, a developed trail is maintained with steps and bridges across the river at the base of the falls. This is one fall that is beautiful yearlong, and a variety of plants can be viewed throughout the summer.
$20 - $40 / night
Sylvania (Clark Lake) Campground is located seven miles southwest of Watersmeet, Michigan, adjacent to the 18,327 acre Sylvania Wilderness Area. This 48-site campground provides a home base for visitors who venture into the wilderness on day outings. Also a great camping area in general or overnight camping just 5 minutes off Highway U.S. 2. Some electrical sites available, pressurized toilet facilities and an RV Dump and Water Station. Some sites are reservable but there are always sites available on a first come first serve basis as well!
Sylvania's abundant lakes provide plentiful non-motorized boating, canoeing, kayaking and fishing opportunities. Other popular activities include hiking and viewing wildlife.
The old-growth forests and pristine lakes in the region provide habitat for a wide range of animal and plant life, including rare orchids, bald eagles, loons and osprey. The wilderness contains 34 named lakes, some with sandy beaches and others surrounded by record-size red and white pines. The Ottawa National Forest is comprised of nearly one million acres and is located in the western reaches of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The forest's rolling, forest covered hills extend from the south shore of Lake Superior to the Wisconsin border. Lakes, rivers and waterfalls are found throughout this beautiful landscape.
Bond Falls located about 20 minutes North East. Porcupine Mountains located about 1 hour North West. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore located about 2 hours North East. Keweenaw Peninsula is located about 1.5 hours North.
$18 - $23 / night
$28 - $40 / night
This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature. If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.
Ranger
Have not camped here yet but the whole area is amazingly beautiful. Yurts and Cabins available. Definitely Seasonal. the road is not plowed completely in winter.
Legend
This is a beautiful area to visit even if it is just for a day, but just a days visit will leave you wanting to comeback for more! The Porcupine Mountains is located in the Northwest tip of Michigans Upper Peninsula. There are multiple entrances depending on what part of the park you want to visit. One of the most popular sites in the park is Lake of the Clouds. I have never been fortunate enough to see it on a clear day in person so you may take your chances by cloud cover or the fog. There are campsites that do sit close to the lake but require a hike. This park offers many hiking trails that pass and cross numerous lakes and streams. If you are a backpacker this is an excellent place to go. I would suggest later August or Fall. The trails can be impassable at times during the late Spring and the black flies will disappear usually by August but they can stick around. Check trail conditions often!! You can either camp with your tent or rent cabins along the trail which are usually well kept, I can not say the same about the Yurt however. You should book these cabins or tent sites well in advance as this is a popular park. I prefer tent camping but on my week long hike I decided to rent cabins instead and I am glad I did. I did hike the second week of June and the trails were unkept and the tent sites were thick mud with not much of a choice but to sleep in the mud. The cabins do have wood burning stoves, beds and benches. You will have the occasional rodent but some of the cabins had traps in them and if you set one and catch one, you will be left alone for the rest of the night. I had set the trap and reset the trap twice in 30 seconds, after catching two and coming to the conclusion I could be up all night doing this, after the third trap I just left the rodent in the trap and it must have been a deterrent because I wasn't bothered the rest of the night.
I really can't say enough about this park even though my hiking experience was miserable given the trail conditions. It is a challenge to hike but with such a vast are of wilderness there is so much more to do. Near by is the Presque Isle River Campground and Scenic Area which shouldn't be missed either.
Legend
This was a GREAT campground to stay at for checking out some of the numerous popular waterfalls in upper Michigan. Our grassy site was on the shore of the lake with lots of trees. It felt quite secluded and the park wasn't too busy. The facilities were clean and the park rangers were very friendly and helpful. We like trying new campsites on each trip, but this was pretty ideal so we might be back next year!
LegendPresque Isle is a rustic campground in the Porcupine Mountains on Lake Superior in Michigan. Not to be mistaken for the Presque Isle campground in WIsconsin.
The hiking is great and it has a majestic feel camping on top of a bluff looking out to Lake Superior. This is my kind camping. It doesn't get five stars because it lacks some amenities but it is secluded and there are plenty of open campsites.
The park is clean. There are trees everywhere with a large canopy providing a lot of shade. There is plenty of parking for your vehicle. The only downside to the campground is the campsites are very open and not very private, but there is a lot of space.
The Park is a little difficult to find if you have never been there before. It is about 17 miles from Wakefield and highway 28. Just follow the signs and you will get there.
FYI: While you are in Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park make sure you checkout Union Bay campground, it is right on the shore of Lake Superior.
Don't miss the hiking trails!
Legend
Bond Falls is a little difficult to figure out if you haven't done your homework before visiting. You will show up to Bond Falls looking for a campground. You will see a self-registration board at the falls but it has NOTHING to do with camping. It is only to register your vehicle for the daily admittance pass if you have not already done so. Problem, it is the same form and envelope in every other Michigan State park so you will see the line for camping fees on the form and it can be a bit confusing.
The falls are very pretty and worth checking out. There is no "campground" per se. There are campsites strung along the banks all around the lake, there are even a few camp sites on some islands in the middle of the lake. The camp sites are managed by a power company. They have a visitor center right off the main road outside of the park entrance where you can get all of the information you need.
Do your homework before you commit the time and resources to camping at Bond Falls.
Legend
This is a beautiful campground right next to the Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park in the U P of Michigan. After reading the reviews of the Union Bay Campground in the park, I'm glad I could get a reservation here!
This is a well established campground. There's 50 sites with water & electricity, but no sewer. There is a dump station.
Some sites have more room than others. We had site 16, which was roomy. Site 20 is also roomy & shady.
The best sites over look the Union River. Sites 27/28 are nice & site 29 is outstanding. There are a few pull throughs.
Any of the perimeter sites would be good. These have a woods view in the back.
Avoid sites 24A/45&46. these sites are very near the dump station, with 45 right by it. There's a tall fence separating you from it.
The bathrooms are beautiful! Clean with hot showers. Decorated nicely, with music also. There's a community fire pit on the front lawn with swings & chairs. A nice view of Lake Superior. The sunsets are outstanding. There's a free beach across the street. You need to take the stairs down to it. Don't try climbing down the rocks!
I didn't have much luck looking for Yooper Stones.
The gift shop is small, but has some nice things.
Out of the 3 campgrounds we stayed at this trip, this was our favorite!
RangerIf you're a person who loves waterfalls, then I recommend you don’t miss this campground. Presque Isle Campground is located at the southern edge of the Porcupine Mountains State Park in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This campground has bluff overlooking Lake Superior, there is a walkway and stairs that take you down the bluff to the shore. Walking distance from the campground is the Presque River you can hike along and see all the beautiful waterfalls this river has to offer. This is a Rustic campground that has vault toilets, and hand pump drinking water. The campground, restrooms and surrounding area’s were kept very clean. There are 50 campsites that are equipped for tents, trailers, and RV’s. Each site has a fire pit, and picnic table. There is no electrical hook up, and part of the campground is generator free. Six of the sites are walk in sites, there are parking spots for these sites, you park and walk in a little ways to your site. I recommend a site that is located on the outer sides of the campground loop. They are larger sites and more privacy from your neighbors. Inner loop sites are closer together and open. Be prepared for mosquitoes and blackflies. Blackflies bite, and bug spray does not affect them. I found keeping a hand towel or fly swatter moving around me helped keep them away. They are more active when it is humid, and down by the water. These flies seem to be common up here along the shore.
There are many things to do around the campground close to your site and others are a little bit of a drive from your site in the Porcupine Mountains State Park. If you like to stay close to your camp, you can hang out on the beach, hike along the Presque Isle River and discover the Manabezho Falls, Manido Falls, and the Nawadaha Falls. Also the Lake Superior Trail and North Country Trail are right by the campground. These trails will connect you with other trails in the Porcupine Mountains. The Porcupine Mountains have lot’s to offer anyone stopping to visit. We took and day and seen The Lake of the Clouds, and Summit Peak. They both are gorgeous areas to explore.
LegendCampground Review:
There are a couple of camping options in the Porcupine Mountains of northern Michigan. Presque Isle is a primitive campground on the western side of the park. There are 50 sites, with generator and non-generator sites clearly separated (although that didn’t stop some idiot from parking his RV on the edge of the non-generator side and running his generator until 2am- the only one running a generator in all 50 sites). On the non-generator side sites on the outside of the loop back to either the woods or the lake and have great hammocking options. Sites on the inside of the loop are kind of in the open, with no privacy and just a few hammocking trees. All of the campground is well shaded. The vault toilets were clean, but in need of being pumped out. There is a steep trail to the lake (some of this is covered in staircases, but the last scramble is down a steep slope). The trailhead to the waterfall trails is located in the generator side of the campground. There is also a trail to the lake and a small beach where you could swim.
Product Review:
As a Ranger for The Dyrt I get to review products from time to time. On this trip I got to review the Matador DL16 Backpack. I found this to be a really handy day pack to have around for this trip. While I brought my Osprey Talon daypack, I never used it, instead grabbing this little guy time and time again. This was a super convenient pack to toss in my gear tub and pull out (literally) when I wanted a small lightweight option.
Here’s what I liked:
Here are the things I think could be improved:
Overall, I really liked this for carrying a light load on a day hike.
Legend
Enjoy the road as it winds you between many lakes on the way to Henry Lake. 5 miles of well kept gravel road. It gets bumpier on the last leg to the campground.
A small campground with one loop awaits you. A variety of nice sites with plenty of shade can be found. All of them were empty when we arrived - it was mid-week. It might be different on the weekends. There really seems to be fishing and relaxing in camp as your options. It is a beautiful spot in a peaceful and quiet setting.
Side note. On our visit we passed a group hanging out by their trucks just as we turned off the highway. By the time we got to the campground one of the trucks was following us. We didn’t feel comfortable so we left (always trust your intuition). We passed the whole group of trucks on our way out as they headed back towards the campground. It may have just been coincidence but we felt better moving on to another spot
TravelerAbout 5 miles in on a dirt road, but the sites are pretty nice and secluded.
ScoutAll I remember are the mosquitoes. everywhere. Huge black flies as well. It was like an episode of Naked and Afraid. I wanted to tap out.
Scout07/02 We pulled up to the office with our RV and a trailer attached with a sxs on. The girl was nice gave me a map with directions to our campsite and sent us on our way. At our campsite we disconnected the trailer took off the sxs and set up camp. We then decided to take a ride because we had forgotten a few things and we were meeting up with my son for the 4th so we thought we would look for trails. We stopped at the office to see if they had trail maps, when I walked in the girl (Chelsey) slammed the window shut and told me she hated those things. I asked if she had a trail map and all she said was "we have no trails around here." Chelsey needs to take a class in customer service she was very rude. As we left we saw several other sxs going down the road so we knew there were tails. We stopped at the Gogebic Lodge and saw they were serving a lobster boil so we decided to go back to get money from the camper as we pulled in there was the camp ranger waiting for us and signaled for us to pull over. He then told us that sxs were not permitted in State parks. I told him we go camping in our local state park all the time and they are all over the campground. His name was Eli and took the time to talk to us and explain and did a great job but that meant we had no means of transportation at all. I also asked why when we registered or stopped for a trail map were we not told of that rule, he couldn't answer that but agreed we should have been told. He also stated it was on the website. Well it is on the state website we booked on the Gogebic State park website. I feel if state parks are going to have different rules it should be stated on the website you book your stay. He also said we could park our sxs out by the road and walk to use it but we are both handicapped and we couldn't walk that far. We felt like prisoners at our campsite we couldn't go and get wood for a fire or the extra supplies at the store down the road. Finally on the morning of the 4th i decided I could maybe walk to the office and carry 1 bundle of wood so we could have a fire on the 4th. Our original plan was to meet my son and his family and go to all the different 4th events in the area but we could no longer do that. When I got to the office the girl there took my money and told me where to grab the wood, she then asked if I was walking and I explained the situation, and she said oh your the one. But offered to drive the bundle of wood to our site which I thought was very kind. When I got back to our site we decided to call and see if she could bring a couple more bundles. I called she asked if I could hold, she put the phone down and I could hear her switching sites for someone then she asked if they needed wood or ice and they took wood and she told them it was last of the wood. So when she came back to me she said they were out of wood and I told her I had already paid for my wood and that last bundle should have been mine. I was told to try the store up the road, and that she would be dropping off my money to me. The store up the road even if she knew I couldn't. My experience at this campground was very disappointing. I felt the they did not communicate with us and when they tried to they were rude. I will never camp here again in fact I will think twice about camping at any state park again.
ScoutLove this campground had water site beautiful lake quiet was by road but not lot traffic bathrooms nice site were good staff was great camp host was very nice friendly Great beach lot mosquitoes but your in woods,will come back we loved it
RangerThis state park has a beach and many sites are on the lake. We've stayed here several times over the years. Our favorite spots are along the lake - we'd drop our canoe in and paddle out for sunset views. Fishing is decent on this big lake. Showers work, most sites have electric (water and dump station are available).
TravelerLoved this camping trip. Great park. Super helpful and friendly staff/hosts. Clean bathrooms, pet friendly. Awesome location on Lake Gogebic shore. Close to Porcupine Mountains and Bond Falls and hiking trails. Would love to visit again.
TravelerWonderful location, helpful staff, will be back.
GuideNice campground. Lots of RVs but decent tent spots. Cool little park with swimming area.
GuideRoomy wooded sites right on Lake Gogebic which is the Upper Peninsula’s largest inland lake. 2 fairly clean bathroom and shower areas, volleyball net, basketball hoop, beach/ swim area, kayaks available, boat launch, walking trails.
TravelerWe loved staying at Lake Gogebic!
There’s a beach a short walk through the campground and the site hosts are super friendly. There are sites that back up to US-64 so I’d recommend the middle or lakeside sites. The sites are also really big!! Park policy says you can either have 1 RV/trailer per site (with an added tent) or as many tents that can fit on the site, which is a great policy IMO. There is also ice for sale at the front of the campground; $2 per bag. There are electricity hookups but they’re spaced out weird so, depending on site, you’ll need a long extension cord to get power to your site.
I will say there was A LOT of kids around, riding their bikes/scoters/rollerblades and yelling at each other. It was a little annoying but we looked past it; if that’s a dealbreaker, maybe look for a different campground!
The weather was cool for 2/3 nights we were there so would recommend some warmer clothes and blankets. Not terribly bugging when it’s cooler, but the 1 day it was warmer there were a lot.
Overall, it was a great stay and if we ever find ourselves up in that area again we would stay again!
GuideSites are not very private or wooded but the lake access is great and there great amenities including cable tv access at some sites. Bathrooms were closed at our visit tho.
GuideOverall a decent Campground. Lots are spacious. Layout of fire pit on sites are poor. For example lot 76, fire is offset to the left of the electrical post. This is a problem since majority of RVs have awnings on the right side and electrical hook up on the back left side. Our fire pit ended up behind the camper. Poor layout by campsite personnel. “DNR Officer” that oversees the grounds is a zealot on dog leashes! “Your dog must be on a six foot leash even while swimming,” he yelled at me. Being an owner of a finely trained Labrador Retriever that I was exercising in the water, I doubt I will be back!!!!!!!!
GuideNice large grassy sites - we were in site 50 which is waterfront. Park has two bath houses, this southern most has the hotter showers :), nice boat launch if you need it and a nice beach area. With M28 closed there is a detour that runs right along the park, this contributes to a bit more traffic noise but it is very light for the most part. Pick up supplies on your way as there are not a lot of close options but it is well worth the drive.
GuideOriginally we reserved a space by the lake. But the people at the next site were taking up our space. So we moved to another. Which was fine with us as we were tent camping and it was pretty cold(40 degree range) and windy and being off the lake seemed better. The older couple that seemed to be the ones taking care of the place were very nice and understanding.
LegendLake Gogebic campground is clean and wide open. There are enough trees to provide shade but it is very wide open. There are campsites right next to the lake with clean facilities and great views of the lake.
There is a nice picnic area and a boat ramp. This is a solid park for enjoying the lake.
ScoutI really liked this campground. The lakeshore was so beautiful and we were literally right next to the water. The lake front sites weren’t super level but worth the trouble to have the view we had. Nice shower house and flushing toilets only a few yards down the road. My husband and I won’t hesitate to stay here again
GuideLake Gogebic State Park is an ok campground compared to others I have visited. Some positive things about it that it is not that well-known of a place and one can enjoy some calmness. The site has some of the best maintained restrooms and showers I have seen. The proximity to the Porcupine Mountains is another plus. A big minus for me were the millions of mosquitoes, but I guess that comes as part of the "nature package". If you want to experience the park to the fullest you need a boat. Other than that there are many great trails in the Porcupine Mountains that deserve one's attention.
Visited July 2016
GuideSecond time staying here and it was great. I didn’t get a lakeside spot like the previous stay but it was still great. Clean facilités. Wood and ice available onsite. Beach, boat ramp, dump station, and a great view.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Marenisco, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Marenisco, MI is Presque Isle - Porcupine Mountains State Park with a 4.7-star rating from 36 reviews.
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