Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Ottawa National Forest

This campground is located just off the Sturgeon River in the Ottawa National Forest and is first come first serve with no reservations. From speaking with a local who frequents the campground, it is usually quiet with few sites actually in use at a time; it seems this year (2020) there have been more people out camping, though, so getting there earlier is better to ensure finding a site. 

It is rustic -- there is no water pump, but there are pit toilets in the center of the site. If you don't bring enough water the river next to most sites can provide drinking water with the proper filtration. The national park website says there are 9 sites, but only 7 are actually available. My best guess is the MIA sites existed in the central part at one time. 

Two sites can fit a camper, but they also happen to be the sites with the best view of the river. The remaining sites are tent-only due to a set of rocks blocking off the sites so vehicles do not drive in. From what I could tell with observations, 4 or 5 sites are either right on the river or have a short trail to get to the river.

The locations are sparse enough that the only thing really heard from other campers is the occasional shutting of a car door. The soft sound of the river drowns most noises out. Each site has a fire ring, most have a grate on the ring, a lantern hook, and a picnic table.

This was our first time camping in Michigan and we loved being so close to Lake Superior. We're used to MN state parks, so we found the campsites in MI to be a bit small and too close to each other. The fire ring for the site behind ours was very close to the bed area of our camper. Our spot was campsite #98. There's not a lot of shade or vegetation between campsites in that row, but it was easy walking distance to the modern restroom/showers and Lake Superior. Next time we would like to camp along the lake. The trail around Lake of the Clouds was well worth it!

Black River Harbor Campground is a rustic campground on the shores of western Lake Superior. It’s a 38 site campground, and accommodates everything from tents to RVs; however all sites are non electric and there are no pull thru sites or dumb stations, so keep that in mind. It’s part of the the National Forest, so going online and reserving it was super easy. The sites are large and give you plenty of privacy, and we even scored an awesome view of the lake. Unfortunately there’s no lake access, but we weren’t upset by that (Lake Superior is like 10 degrees anyway). The vault toilets were... well typical vault toilets. There were also water faucets around, which was really convenient for cooking and drinking water! Now for the down side: black flies. They. Are. EVERYWHERE. We went early-mid July and it was so bad we left with at least 20 bites each. Deet does nothing. In fact, we were told by a local that “no bug spray works, any spray that says it does is lying.” All you can do is either hide in your car and hope they don’t fly in or buy a solid anti-itch stick. Although we loved the campground setup and location, the black flies alone were enough to dock a star.

As far as things to do around the area, there’s PLENTY! At the harbor, there a place to put a boat in and a large picnic area that was actually kind of busy for such a hidden gem. I’ve read that there are fishing charters that’ll take you out on Lake Superior from there as well, but we didn’t look into them since we were only there 1 night. The main attractions are the 5 waterfalls, each with their own short trail and parking area. There are all along Black River Scenic Byway, so they are easy to find. The NCT also runs through the area, and if you’re looking for a longer hike, it connects all 5 falls. My personal favorite was Sandstone falls, we were able to walk out on the falls themselves. About 20 minutes away is the worlds largest freestanding ski jump, it’s called Pine Mountain Jump and it’s in Iron Mountain. Being in the heart of the Ottawa National Forest, there are plenty of trails and things to see, these are just some suggestions (:

Overall, it’s an awesome campground in an AMAZING area, but don’t forget your anti itch stick for all those flies!

Campground Review:

A nice well maintained campground in the Ottawa National Forest. This campground is very close to the North Country Trail, Lake Superior, and to several beautiful waterfalls. A large loop, there are 38 sites to pick from of varying sizes. If you are lucky, you will score a site that is set back a bit from the road and has some good hammock trees. Try to get a site on the outside of the loop, closer to the lake. No sites are on the lake with beach access, but there are a few that have lake views. The vault toilets are older but well maintained, and there are water pumps scattered around the campground. There are no hookups for RV’s, but they are permitted in the campground. There are no pull through sites. Just up the road is the Harbor with a boat ramp and large picincing area with some historical buildings and signage. There is some construction going on here, so be aware there might be some parking lots and access points closed. Further inland is a series of four spectacular waterfalls that can be accessed either individually from pull outs and parking lots or along the North Country hiking trail. Be forewarned: there are LOTS of stairs to access the waterfalls. Not too far away is Copper Peak, the only ski flying facility in North America. In the summer you can ride up to the top to see pretty far. It’s not for the faint of heart, you really can’t mind heights if you are going up there. The Red Bull X Games used the ski launch for some crazy competition earlier this summer.

Product review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, from time to time I get to test products. On this camping trip I tested the Matador Camera Base Layer while hiking and photographing the waterfalls. I think some of the purpose of the Matador Camera Base Layer is to provide some insulation for sensitive cameras from extreme cold air, but I was hiking in July so this was not something I could really put to the test. However, I could test the padding and the water resistance of the 30D Cordura fabric and the integrated rainfly.

Here’s what I liked:

1. The padding was nice in that I was really comfortable tossing my camera in my day pack and not worrying about the screen getting scratched or losing my lense cap.
2. It was really easy to use: put the camera in the bag, roll the top closed, and clip like a dry bag.
3. My camera strap becomes the base layer bag strap, which means no added weight of extra straps, and no extra straps getting in the way.
4. The rain fly is integrated in a small pouch in the bottom of the base layer bag, and since it is attached, it won’t get lost or left behind.
5. I like the black color, makes it look like the professional, high end piece of equipment that it is.

Here’s what could be improved:

1. I would like some sort of clip or tie or velcro that I could use to attach this to my camera strap. Currently when you take it off your camera, you are left holding the bag, literally, in one hand and your camera in the other. Then you need to find a place to stash it while you use your camera. A single connector would allow this light as air bag to hand from the strap while you use the camera.
2. I wish the sides were closed up just a tad (an inch or two at most) more. I feel like the side openings are maybe too big and sewing them up just a bit more would provide a deeper, more protective bag for my camera (time to get out the sewing machine!).

Overall, I like the product and am glad I had it with me while out clambering around the ravines and waterfalls.