Best Dispersed Camping near Mio, MI
Huron-Manistee National Forest provides backcountry dispersed camping opportunities near Mio, Michigan. Campsites are available along the Manistee River Trail with options for both riverside and ridge-top locations. The forest terrain features notable elevation changes uncommon in Michigan's lower peninsula, with marked trails that connect to the North Country Trail. Most dispersed sites include fire rings but lack facilities like toilets or drinking water.
De Cheau Lake offers another primitive camping area that requires a Michigan Recreation Passport for access. A camper noted it "feels more remote than it really is" with "lots of room for multiple vehicles/sites." Pigeon River State Forest provides additional off-grid campsites accessible by vehicle, hiking, or walking in, suitable primarily for tent camping. For equestrian campers, Goose Creek Trail Camp offers river access with "big stairs leading down to the nice footed river," making it suitable for horses to enter the water. The forest service roads throughout the region vary in quality, with some requiring high-clearance vehicles especially after wet weather.
