Kim E.
Traveler
TravelerL'Anse Township Park & Campground
Peaceful getaway for us and the dogs.
We come up every year for the meteor shower, and every stay is a great one. New shower rooms, and huge dog park are awesome!
Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Skanee, MI
Mouth of the Huron Dispersed Camping provides rustic pet-friendly camping directly on Lake Superior's shoreline, with toilets available but no other amenities. Located near Skanee, this free dispersed site allows camping on the sand with pets, offering spectacular sunrise and sunset views. Big Eric's Bridge State Forest Campground also accommodates pets in a more established setting from April through November, though it lacks amenities beyond vault toilets. Both locations allow pets but require owners to maintain control of their animals at all times. L'Anse Township Park & Campground offers more developed options with full hookups, showers, and a huge dog park that receives excellent reviews from repeat visitors. Campers reference The Dyrt for top tips on camping near Skanee, Michigan.
The drive to Mouth of the Huron follows a manageable gravel road accessible with standard vehicles, though four-wheel drive helps when venturing deeper along the shoreline. Lake Superior's pristine beach provides ample space for dogs to explore, but owners should bring all necessary supplies as no services exist at this primitive location. Pack-in/pack-out principles apply to all waste, including pet waste. For campers seeking more amenities while traveling with pets, Baraga State Park Campground remains open year-round with electric hookups and shower facilities, though visitors note significant highway noise may disturb sensitive pets. Big Eric's Bridge requires driving on poorly maintained roads with no cell service available, important considerations when traveling with pets that might need veterinary care.
Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Skanee, Michigan (48)
1. Mouth of the Huron Dispersed Camping
10 ReviewsSkanee, MI8 miles"Awesome spot right on the waters of Lake Superior. Absolutely gorgeous sunsets and sunrises."
"Easy to find, beautiful area, lots of room, porta potties, direct lake access. Only “complaint” would be no service, but given how amazing the site is it felt more like a blessing."
2. Baraga State Park Campground
18 ReviewsBaraga, MI16 milesWebsite+1 (906) 353-6558"Nice view of the lake can see at least part of it from almost anywhere in the camp. Picnic table and fire ring on every site. There are several full hook up sites (water sewer electric)."
"There’s a 3/4 mile trail at back of park that well short, is quite nice. The campground itself is quiet, the noise from hwy 41 on the other hand, is noticeable yet not a dealbreaker. "
3. L'Anse Township Park & Campground
7 ReviewsL'Anse, MI12 milesWebsite+1 (906) 524-7377"New shower rooms, and huge dog park are awesome!"
"Great site overlooking Lake Superior. Need to walk over highway to get to water. Very orderly and great Park Manager. Family & pet friendly with awesome playground."
4. Van Riper State Park Campground
28 ReviewsChampion, MI27 milesWebsite+1 (906) 339-4461$20 - $34 / night
"Dogs are not allowed on the beach but also cannot be left unattended in your site. The rules are heavily enforced in this park."
"We found this campground located along U.S. Hwy 41 about 40 minutes west of Marquette MI. The Park sits on the west shores of Lake Michigamme. "
5. Big Erics Bridge State Forest Campground
1 ReviewSkanee, MI6 milesWebsite+1 (906) 353-6558$20 / night
6. Perkins Park & Campground
13 ReviewsBig Bay, MI23 milesWebsite+1 (906) 345-9353"It’s a County Park in Big Bay on beautiful Lake Independence. They have full hook up sites to primitive sites."
"Laundry facility is outside the camp (private) but worth noting. Close to Lake Superior, just off of the Circle Tour. Marquette is within 30 min."
7. Craig Lake State Park Campground
4 ReviewsMichigamme, MI19 milesWebsite+1 (906) 339-4461"Access is from 41 turn on the gravel road outside Michigamme coming from the East."
"The Michigan Recreation Passport Solar does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas."
8. McLain State Park Campground
28 ReviewsHancock, MI31 milesWebsite+1 (906) 482-0278"When we got close to the park entrance on MI 123 our GPS wanted us to go another.5 mile to the campground(CG) but a trailer was turning into a state park road so we followed."
"A short drive from Houghton brings you to the shore of Lake Superior. McLain sprawls along the shore giving almost every campsite a beautiful view."
9. Hancock Recreation Area Beach & Campground
10 ReviewsHancock, MI26 milesWebsite+1 (906) 482-7413$15 - $25 / night
"Lower level sites near the canal would be great, but can be windy. The dump station is design with one lane, so can get a backup. Some site have had fresh gravel applied."
"You can walk down to the beach as well as some hiking trails nearby down the road. Also, it’s about a 33 minute walk to some restaurants and shops in town. Clean, heated restrooms."
10. Fort Wilkins Historic State Park — Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
56 ReviewsCopper Harbor, MI44 milesWebsite+1 (906) 289-4215$30 / night
"Things I love about this campground: sites with easy access to private lakeside swimming, clean restrooms with Wifi and laundry, the fort is an interesting piece of history to explore, and the conglomerate"
"The center is blacktopped surrounded by grass and trees. Grass sites are around the perimeter- they are still great. There is nothing better than to walk on the pier at night and star gaze."
Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Skanee, MI
27 Photos of 48 Skanee Campgrounds
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Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Skanee, MI
385 Reviews of 48 Skanee Campgrounds
Debra R.
GuideL'Anse Township Park & Campground
Hidden Gem
Beautiful & clean. Great site overlooking Lake Superior. Need to walk over highway to get to water. Very orderly and great Park Manager. Family & pet friendly with awesome playground.
- SSam ..Guide
Van Riper State Park Campground
Van Riper State Park
We stayed at Van Riper State Park three times during June and July. The park is always clean and well-maintained. The bathrooms and showers and generally always nicely maintained as well, and there are plenty of both. The bathrooms do tend to run out of soap and toilet paper at busy times. Dogs are not allowed on the beach but also cannot be left unattended in your site. The rules are heavily enforced in this park. Park staff will ask you to move vehicles if you have more than two, and you will be asked to turn music completely off upon quiet hours. This is not the place to go if you want to party.
Sites 15 and 17, as well as several other sites along that side of that loop, now have a wooden fence at the back of them, so they are not as large as they appear in the photos online.
We have stayed in sites 14, 90 and 93. We travel with a 34’ trailer.
Site 14 is narrow but manageable. It is well-shaded by large pine trees on the site. Site is entirely dirt. There are trees to hang hammocks or clotheslines in.
Site 90 is on a corner by the propane tanks. It is a large site. It does have some roots and low spots. It is partial grass. It has nice shade and is adjacent to the bathrooms. There are trees to hang hammocks or clotheslines.
Site 93 is a large site that backs up to a small grass/tree buffer. It is across the road from the bathrooms. It has nice shade. There is a place to hang a clothesline but not hammocks.
Pros: Clean, well-maintained park
Quiet
Lots of playground equipment
Bike/scooter pump track
Excellent beach area
Lots of green space
Hiking trails
Wood and ice available for purchase at the entrance
Laundry is available; one washer and two dryers
Very kid and pet friendly
Cons: Park website has out of date information, specifically that there is no longer a store on the beach, nor are there kayaks/SUPs to rent
The Water Warrior Island is no longer in the lake
There are very few sites with buffers between
It is sort of far to the beach and laundry from the modern campsites
No non-reservable sites available
Nancy W.
LegendCountry Village RV Park
Nice Place to Stay
This park is located about 15 minutes from the town of Marquette and is a great alternative if you can’t get a site in the Marquette Tourist Park (which is closer to town and very popular in the summer). It is located off US-41 which is a major Upper Peninsula thoroughfare but set back about ½ miles so you don’t get road noise but it is still convenient. The campground is located behind (and within walking distance of) a shopping area that has a meat market, grocery, gas station, movie theater, bowling alley, a few restaurants and a brewery (which has good, inexpensive beer and food). It is also located next to an RV dealer/service center/camp store which is convenient if you need anything. Nearby are some interesting museums including the National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and the Michigan Iron Museum. You are only about 20 minutes from the town of Marquette which is worth a visit.
The park and facilities are well-maintained. The restrooms were super clean as was the pool and all the grounds. The people in the office were super nice in helping us pick a site and with information about the area. The park has over 105 RV sites with varying services and some being held by seasonal people. There are lots of amenities (which we did not use) including swimming pool, hot tub, playground, basketball courts, and more. The pool was super crowded and noisy so if you don’t want to hear kids screaming, stay away from sites close to the pool. The park does not take online reservations so you must call them directly.
We were assigned site #104 but could tell our motorhome was not going to get level in the site so we had to straddle the site and park partly in the adjacent grassy area. Luckily, the ground was dry to we didn’t make any deep ruts. Our site did have a nice shade tree on the patio which was welcomed because of the hot weather. The WiFi never worked at our site. We were able to get a clear view of the sky for our satellite television.
MickandKarla W.LegendMcLain State Park Campground
Good Base to Explore the Area
When we got close to the park entrance on MI 123 our GPS wanted us to go another.5 mile to the campground(CG) but a trailer was turning into a state park road so we followed. Good choice as this was the correct road that led to the gate where you register and checked in. The road the GPS was taking us to is currently only used as an exit from the CG. After a not-so-informative check-in, we headed into the park to find water. From the online map, we believed there was a water spigot near our site so we drove to the site only to find it was not a water hose assessable spigot. Then we headed to the dump station where we did find two potable water spigots on each side of the dump station. There was a permanently fixed hose coming out of the spigots, but the first one’s threads were worn out and wouldn’t stay screwed in. We had to wait for another rig to get fresh water and dump before we could move forward to the second one that did screw in so we could fill our fresh water tank. After that, we headed to site 110 that’s an easy back-in but only electric(50 AMP/30/20). The 100s loop is newer and it's big rig friendly with sites nicely spaced apart. Site 110 is probably the most spacious and private site in the CG as it sits in a little berm. Site 112 is nicely spaced, but you will get highway noise. Concerning RV sites in the main CG area, there is a separate tent-only area on the lake, and RV sites closest to the lake tend to be smaller in site length but we saw a couple of 36 to 40-foot 5th wheels with the tow vehicle parked wherever. In the 20 to 40 numbered sites that are not on the lake, we noticed larger class As and a couple of toy haulers. In the mid-30s sites across from the lakeside, large rigs were parked willy-nilly to make their rig fit. All the original sites are pretty much crammed in together but if you want to be where all the action is i.e. partiers and kids, this would be your area. When you get past site 40 there are 90-degree back-in sites of various lengths with most having a lot of trees and vegetation between sites giving more privacy. The 35ish-foot 5th wheels we saw in there, didn’t seem to care about tree branches scraping the roof. One note about the 41- 60s area is that the power boxes are behind every two sites and shared. Depending on how you are positioned on the pad, and where the power cord connects to the rig, you may need about 60’ of power cord to reach the power box. We also noticed on our walks around the CG that due to the poor to nonexistent cell signal here(1 bar on Verizon), people especially teenagers were sitting around talking to each other versus staring at phones. There were plenty of nearby trails to explore with the dogs, including a dog beach. McLain makes a great staging point to explore the area and take in Eagle River and Copper Bay attractions.
Jessica P.GuideCountry Village RV Park
A nice in town campground
Our dd was excited that she could see the McDonald’s golden arches from our site! The campground is clean & well maintained. It was easy for us to park our 35 ft trailer because the sites are large & level, but also because there weren’t any trees along the campground roads. Our kids loved that there is a pool, hot tub & bouncy pillow! This is our 2nd time staying & both were because of its convenience to ‘civilization’ not to get away from it. This time we took the opportunity to enjoy the afternoon shopping in Marquette before heading to the eastern UP the next day for a week’s stay there. It is located in town, near a Camping World & just behind some restaurants, shops, a brewpub & a hotel, but the other sides of the campground are surrounded by trees/forest because it is the UP. A great campground if you want to explore the area’s history or natural beauty, shop in Marquette or if you are checking out Northern Michigan University’s campus (about 20 minutes away). Most sites are full hookup, they also have rustic cabins & a dog play area. I’m sure we will stay here again, as it’s a short trip for us, the kids love the amenities & I’d like to explore the area for more than our usual day trips.
Rino S.
RangerMarquette Tourist Park Campground
Endless bike trails
Stayed on our drive from Mackinac to see the pictured rocks lake shore. The campground is surrounded by 18 miles of trails. No camp store, but a convenience store is a quarter mile away. Northern Michigan university is at the door step as well. Lake superior is 1 mile away. We biked there and fished at the campground beach. Lots of Brook trout there.
- Richard E.Guide
Fort Wilkins Historic State Park — Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
Love it
Things I love about this campground: sites with easy access to private lakeside swimming, clean restrooms with Wifi and laundry, the fort is an interesting piece of history to explore, and the conglomerate formation rock beaches of Lake Superior are just a picturesque 5-minute hike through old pine forests. The sites are pretty compact in the east campground (though definitely not the toughest I’ve seen), but the west is more spread out.
Side note for those with sturdy shocks and off-road tires on their car, the nearby road to Horseshoe Harbor offer a short hike to a blissfully private and peaceful beach. Worth checking out!
Art S.LegendMcLain State Park Campground
A busy spot but enjoyable
A short drive from Houghton brings you to the shore of Lake Superior. McLain sprawls along the shore giving almost every campsite a beautiful view. Our site has a picnic table and even a couple wooden deck chairs looking towards the sunset. Every site has electric with water available at a few locations. There is a dump station near the trash bins. With the park stretching a couple miles you can get in a good walk along the paved camp road. There are a few extra trails to add some adventure. We found some that parallel the road and head to the beach - there’s even a dog beach! There are plenty of shelters and benches to find some personal space. Humans can walk down to the sand and sit by the beach (no dogs for most of it). Some folks put their kayaks in to paddle a bit. One drawback is the sparse restrooms. A centralized shower house is by the entrance. Vault toilets are around but you could have a bit of a walk. Tips: the entrance is earlier than google will take you so keep an eye open. Another camper told us to stop by the Jam Pot in the way north along 26. The monks make and sell a variety of things but Greg kept raving about the cupcakes. It’s nearJacob falls. We are stopping by on our way out tomorrow.
Guide to Skanee
Mouth of the Huron Dispersed Camping occupies a remote stretch of Lake Superior shoreline with seasonal weather variations affecting camping conditions. Late summer and fall camping provides more solitude with fewer insects, while spring and early summer typically see higher water levels along the shoreline. Fall temperatures range from 30-60°F with occasional frost by late September, requiring proper cold-weather gear for overnight stays.
What to do
Autumn hiking and photography: Several miles of informal shoreline trails extend from the camping area, offering opportunities to photograph fall colors against Lake Superior's backdrop. As visitor Richard O. notes, "The only thing you hear out here are the waves. Extremely peaceful. September 8."
Night sky observation: Van Riper State Park Campground offers dark sky viewing with minimal light pollution. The UP's remote location allows exceptional stargazing from open beach areas. "My kids made some of their best memories ever camping here. Lots of families, positive environment," reports Jenny G., who enjoyed the park's mix of recreation and natural beauty.
Seasonal water activities: Water temperatures at Mouth of the Huron remain cold even in summer months, rarely exceeding 65°F. By September, temperatures drop significantly. For warmer swimming, Perkins Park & Campground provides an inland lake alternative. "This is a very quiet and remote area. The campground and town are both very calm and quiet. The beach is very nice and the water in Wilderness Lake is clean," according to Greg S.
What campers like
Privacy during weekdays: Mouth of the Huron tends to draw weekend crowds but empties significantly midweek. "I went on a weekend and there were lots of people and kids. Most of the people left Sunday afternoon and the weekday seems to not be as bad with people," explains camper Leah H.
Self-sufficient setup: The lack of amenities encourages self-reliance. Zach J. summarizes the appeal: "You camp on the sand first come first serve, loved it no facilities pure dispersed." Visitors appreciate the genuinely primitive experience that requires careful preparation.
Natural soundscape: Craig Lake State Park Campground provides similar remote wilderness experiences. "So amazing - I almost want to give this campground one star and discourage people because it is so amazing, and I'm selfish. For someone who GREATLY values hidden gems where you can get really out and remote, this place is an absolute heavenly oasis," shares Rebecca W.
What you should know
Navigation challenges: First-time visitors should download offline maps before arrival. The gravel road remains passable in most conditions, but no cell service exists for navigation assistance. "Easy gravel road access, no clearance issues or 4wd needed," notes Andrew B. about the main access road.
Vehicle considerations: Larger vehicles face significant challenges at Mouth of the Huron. "The fact that it's parking right on a beach makes it very difficult for larger vehicles, such as my 16,000-pound bus. I did manage to park it, though. In the dark," explains Rick M.
Weather preparedness: Fort Wilkins Historic State Park offers more protected options during inclement weather. "Nice being in the bay of Lake Superior, but the highway is loud, and in between us and the bay. Teepee optional, for campers who don't want to set up tents- with bunks and furniture inside," notes Kelly M. about alternative lodging options.
Tips for camping with families
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Morning walks reveal abundant wildlife tracks along the shoreline, particularly deer and occasionally wolves. "Several spots in this rustic stop. The spot was amazing. Got to see a beautiful sunset and sunrise fun to watch bikers cross from the river and even saw a sea plane land on the beach," reports Myranda H.
Alternative dog friendly campgrounds near Skanee: L'Anse Township Park & Campground offers family-friendly amenities with dedicated pet facilities. "We come up every year for the meteor shower, and every stay is a great one. New shower rooms, and huge dog park are awesome!" explains Kim E.
Backup campground planning: During peak weekends, Mouth of the Huron fills quickly. Keep alternatives like Big Eric's Bridge in mind. Laura M. cautions about access: "It's way out of the way and the road there isn't the most pleasant (it's mostly paved but in very poor shape). There was absolutely nobody there, other than day use visitors to the creek."
Tips from RVers
Shore power alternatives: RVers without generators should prepare alternative power sources for Mouth of the Huron's primitive camping. Solar setups work well during summer but become less efficient in fall. Hancock Recreation Area Beach & Campground offers powered sites nearby. "Very nice place, well set up. If you don't have water it's a bit of a pain but onboard tanks or jugs are doable," advises Shane D.
Water management: No potable water exists at Mouth of the Huron, requiring careful water planning. Bring at least 1 gallon per person per day, plus additional for pets. Lake Superior water can be filtered but requires appropriate treatment equipment.
Surface conditions: Shifting sand makes leveling difficult. "That's a beautiful place to park for free. The fresh water Lake Superior provides water for those who have the means to filter it. There's no grey dump and no trash," notes Rick M., highlighting the need for self-containment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly
campsite near Skanee, MI?
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Skanee, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Skanee, MI is Mouth of the Huron Dispersed Camping with a 4.7-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find
dog-friendly camping near
Skanee, MI?
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Skanee, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 48 dog-friendly camping locations near Skanee, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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