Best Cabin Camping near Ottawa National Forest, MI

This is my absolute favorite place to camp, hike, kayak, fish, and just get away from it all. If you want seclusion, you can find it here with many remote campsites that are only accessible through the water or overland by hiking the trails in the park.

The park has 2 rustic cabins and 2 yurts for rent that are a fantastic getaway and a great place to take your spouse.

The wildlife include loons, eagles, bears, moose, deer and others. The lake has fantastic fishing for smallmouth, northern pike, crappie, walleye, and the occasional musky.

I CAN’T WAIT TO GO BACK!

The road in to the cabin campground is beautiful. Tall trees stand guard as you enter an even more peaceful area than the forest you were driving through. 

There is a communal parking area with a few of the cabins in sight. You can reserve the cabins individually or get several for your family or group. You can see some recreation areas near the parking area. 

The Lost Lake Campground is just down the road. This has a larger beach and boat launch. The lake is perfect for fishing. There are also several short trails and longer ones nearby.

Drive a bit further than Lost Lake Campground to Chipmunk Rapids Campground. There you will find a wonderful artesian well where you can fill up on great drinking water.

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.

I went here a few years ago when my kids were a little younger and it was great. I believe it used to be a private camp that has now been converted to a public one. The cabins are a few hundred feet apart and there's access to the lake for swimming or boating. They have a main lodge which had some games and equipment for use. There's also an on site host with firewood for sale.

The interior of the cabins are spacious and could easily accommodate a large family. Its not too far from activities in Eagle River and there is a DNR center with some educational exhibits a few miles to the east. It was a really nice place to go to introduce the kids to the camping experience while they're young without having to pitch a tent or "rough it" right away.

This campground is wide and very open. We arrived on a Sunday and the weekend crowd had cleared out, so nice and quiet. One thing is— do not plan on doing laundry on a Monday. The personnel use all the machines to wash linens and towels from the cabins after folks check out. One dryer did not heat very well. The entry to the laundry is a step up and I stubbed my toe because the threshold was not secured.

We stayed in a rental trailer here and were very impressed! There is a good mix of open and wooded sites. The weekends it gets busy, but the sites are for the most part spaced well enough apart that you don’t feel packed in. The owners/management were very friendly and responsive to all of our requests. You are close to all of the activities Eagle River has to offer, although not directly on the chain of lakes. They have a nice walking trail on the property, in addition to a bunch of activities geared toward the kids. We definitely plan to go back here again!

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 a an absolute heavenly oasis.

Access is from 41 turn on the gravel road outside Michigamme coming from the East. Do not recommend coming or going from the access road on the west, can't remember the town/landmark...starts with an N - it's a VERY bumpy road, and my cockiness convinced myself I could do it in my truck, but didn't get very far before I gave in and had to back up aways to be able to turn around. Big boulders in road/trail.

What to expect:

• Park and walk/hike/canoe/kayak in. No motors on lake.
• First few sites near the boat launch are about 1/4 Mile Walk in and are close to each other. I stayed at Site 8 which is the next accessible site by trail. Follow North Country Trail and turn left at "Sandy Beach Sites" side trail to access the other hike in spots. Beautiful site, small, fire pit, tiny launch spot, so you can get there by boat from the launch. Next site was quite a ways further down. Was there for two nights and no one camped at the sites near me.
• Most sites are accessible ONLY by boat. Beautiful quiet lake. Some cabins available to rent. Guessing you need to reserve online.
• Here in late July and lake was quite warm, not sure I'd trust it to be swimmers itch free. I suspect it's a shallow lake. Lots of fish from what I hear.
• Late July, some mosquitoes. Had my thermacell running and it wasn't bad. I was able to relax in my hammock for a while without any bug spray or the ThermaCELL and was just fine.

North Country Trail skirts the lake and there are additional trails that branch on and off it, including trails that go all the way around.

Beautiful, peaceful, place.

On insta @roaming_rebecky

This is a larger campground with a good mix of seasonal and weekend campsites. The majority of the weekend campsites are located near the prime activity locations; the pool, playground and lake areas. There are full sun and full shade sites available. The Shady sites are amongst the evergreens, so they tend to be sandier. The full sun sites are all grass. All of the sites have a gravel pad to park on; the exception to this are the lakeside sites which are concrete pads. There is a camp store and a good sized bar & grill. The weekend we were here it rained non-stop, so we did not get to use any of the available canoe/kayak/fishing boat/pontoon boat rentals. We did make ample use of the mini-golf, playground, and heated swimming pool though. The pool was warm enough that even the non-stop rain did not cool it down enough to be uncomfortable. The seasonal campers I met and talked with were all friendly and did not have the “why are you here” attitude I occasionally come across when staying at seasonal heavy resorts. I did see several people fishing in the rain and pulling keepers out of the lake to be cleaned and cooked. They were fishing from the docks. Our kids are 7 & 10 and they were never bored. There were a couple trails within the campground that were good for nature hikes. If it were a little closer to home, this campground would be on the shortlist of places to have a seasonal site at.

The Michigan Recreation Passport Solar does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas.

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!

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.

I will be totally transparent and say I definitely prefer rustic or dispersed campsites.. however, I always give state parks an honest chance.

Baraga State Park... I have tried. Ohh, have I tried to like you over the years.

However, this is the WORST example of what a Michigan DNR campground can be. They squeezed in WAY too many sites in this place. You can hear the campers next to you fart in their sleep.

Not even a stones throw from US-41 makes for constant road noise... and sites that have been submerged in water a day following rainfall. You always see campers here moving their tents, RV’s, etc... to drier portions of their sites.

The only reason I give this TWO stars is because of the well-kept and nice bathhouse.

I stop here solely to shower during my travels. I will stay on the side of the road before I set up camp here again.

Presque 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!

If 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.  

Campground 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:

1. When packed up in its little bag it fits in the palm of my hand. That means it easily fits in my gear tub for storage.
2. It weighs nothing. This was especially nice when my body was sore and tired from all of the hiking I was doing.
3. The side mesh pockets expanded to hold my nalgene water bottles with no problem. I have had other small day packs that can’t handle a 32 ounce bottle. This one handles two with no problem.
4. The front pocket is deep! Usually a front pocket is really shallow and barely holds your keys, let alone your phone. On the Matador DL16 Backpack I was able to put my key, phone, map, and granola bar in the front pocket with room for more, even with the main compartment full with my camera and rain gear.
5. The shoulder straps look flimsy but were able to handle the load without cutting into my shoulders. They also never seemed wet when I sweated through. Quick dry to the rescue! They also had easy adjustment straps that never seemed to be hanging down in the way.

Here are the things I think could be improved:

1. It would be nice to have one or two loops to clip on extra items.
2. I wish it had either a sternum strap or hip belt to help carry the load better.

Overall, I really liked this for carrying a light load on a day hike.

first come-first serve camping, few amenities for camper trailers, nature is gorgeous

This place was a great one night stop with beautiful camp spots on the lake. Beautiful waterfall.

There are about 20 campsites and a handful on the water. The sites are free for up to a total of 14 days which is really nice. We stayed at a site that was up the hill from the water. Each site has a fire pit and a picnic table and allowed for our 10 person tent. There are a few port-a-potty’s scattered throughout the campground, but no shower site. There are a few rules regarding the sites, but you can check in with the park ranger for all the details. This was our first time camping here and I would defiantly go back.

Bond Falls is beautiful! The campground is tidy but busy. There is a nearby gift shop that sells just about anything you may have forgotten. The trail system is fabulous and some trails are handicap accessible. The pit toilet is pretty gross, only downside. I highly recommend camping here!