Are you planning a tent camping trip to Ottawa National Forest? We've got you covered. Find the best tent camping sites near Ottawa National Forest. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Planning a trip to the Sylvania Wilderness? Watch for Alerts at the top of the page for any Alerts regarding this facility. The Sylvania Wilderness encompasses 18,327 acres of primitive lands and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Visitors can camp in 50 designated campsites within the Sylvania Wilderness. Visitors enjoy endless canoeing, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities.
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 1 million acres and is located in the western reaches of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The forest's rolling, tree covered hills extend from the south shore of Lake Superior to the Wisconsin border. Lakes, rivers and waterfalls are found throughout this beautiful landscape.
Cancellations If you cancel reservation at least 14 days prior to check in date, all recreation fees, minus a $10 cancellation fee and the reservation fee ($8 if made online or $9 if made through the call center) will be refunded. If you cancel reservation less than 14 days prior to check in date, all recreation fees, minus $10 cancellation fee, reservation fee ($8 if made online or $9 if made through the call center), and first nights use fee will be refunded. The reservation fee ($8 if made online or $9 if made through the call center) is non-refundable. No Show Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. For more information about rules and reservation policies, visit the Recreaiton.gov Rules and Reservations Policy page.
This rustic campground provides visitors with access to deep woods with fishing and canoeing opportunities on the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River. This dispersed campground is just a short walk from Mex-i-mine Falls. As you overlook this jewel you can feel the history when loggers used this area to transport their product to the saw mills.
The Wild and Scenic Sturgeon River rushes out of the northern portion of this wilderness, over the 20 foot volcanic outcroppings of Sturgeon Falls, and through a gorge that reaches 350 feet in depth and a mile in width. Throughout this rugged, steep Wilderness, the Sturgeon and Little Silver Rivers and their tributaries have carved falls, rapids, ponds, oxbows, and terraces. Stunning views are possible from the eastern rim of the gorge. Except for a few naturally bare slopes, most of the land is forested with pine, hemlock, aspen, sugar maple, birch, and basswood. When the leaves of the hardwoods change color in the fall, they form a vivid tapestry. There are few established trails in Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness, and the few overgrown logging roads are hard to find and follow. The North Country National Scenic Trail parallels the northern and eastern boundaries for about eight miles. Sturgeon River Campground offers seven sites on the southeastern boundary. In spring and during peak runoff, kayaking and white water canoeing are challenging, and only recommended for advanced paddlers. Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness Map
This deep woods dispersed campground is located on Robbins Pond, a well known trout pond. It features three campsites and is located in the northeast corner of the Watersmeet Ranger District. Currently there are limited services provided at this campground.
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/0,4570,7-350-79134_79210---,00.html
From the MI DNR Porcupine Mountains website:
Union River Outpost is a small three-site rustic campground located on the Union River. The campground offers solitude and a camping experience unlike a typical modern campground. Union River is a classic UP trout stream. The sites are ideal for tent, van or compact campers.
There is a vault toilet, but no running water is available at any of the outpost campgrounds. Fill up at park headquarters or visitor center.
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-ppl
This campground is a small rural campground that offers river bank camping. Located at the fork of the South and North Branch of the Paint River it offers canoeing and fishing opportunities.
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.
Ranger
Great little campground. It's small, clean and quiet. You self register for check-in, there's a bathroom building with 3 stalls and two showers(women) and hot water. We purchased an RV site($20) even though we were camping in a tent so our truck and trailer would fit and it comes with water and electricity at the camp site. Each campsite comes with a picnic table and fire ring. The ORV Route is right outside the campground entrance and you can ride to the trail. You can also get ice and gas at the gas station in town by taking the alley. We stayed again in 2020 in Our RV. They have 4 pull through sites with full hook-ups;$25 a night. 50/20 amps, high water pressure.
Guide
This patch of wilderness within the Ottawa National Forest is unmatched. I didn’t think I was in the Midwest. Remote and not well traveled. I highly recommend heading over to nearby Silver Mountain.
Guide
Several great sites to tent camp. Caught some blue gills. Good times
Legend
This campground is one of the best in/near the Ottawa National Forest. Sites are large and there are lots of trees creating privacy. We loved the hiking trails surrounding the area! This is a more rustic place to camp, but the feel of nature surrounding you is worth it.
Scout
Out of the way. Very private. Camped all the way in the back with only a few others in the campground. Would definitely be back to tent camp here.
GuideStopped here to use shower it's a small campground had permanent sites and walkin tent sites. It was clean quiet bathroom was nice,long hot shower has dump station.
RangerCampground is very rustic and beautiful, easy trails to Lake Superior from the campground.
RV and tent sites- some have electric and some do not.
Clean and well maintained.
If you are looking for a quiet rustic campground this is for you!
Guide
We stayed for a night while road-tripping north, and the proximity to Lake Superior was a wonderful surprise. Snagged a tent site day-of on the loop across the road. Cold morning swim at the beach down the road to wake up.
Guide
Small campsite along paved road,fire ring and picnic table ,wilderness toilet. Stayed two nights in September it was quiet fishing was so so. I had 8 foot pop up could fit a 20 footer easy or tent camp. Seen two fire ring along the right shore of lake accessable by water.
Traveler
Host was very accommodating when we needed to plug in our boat. The moss-covered old growth forest provided an excellent tent site & entertained our 2 boys under 8 until they tired. The swimming area Was under kept but we still enjoyed all day. Overall our Saturday- Monday visit was very pleasing.
Ranger
Pretty rolling hills and water in leaf peeping season. Amazing trails out on the peninsula and throughout the park. Lots of birds and critters. Tent sites are very wooded. No one else was here when I was in October. Obey bear rules! Didn’t see any porcupines or mountains despite the park name!
Guide
Originally 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.
Legend
Nice campground with all the basics of a National Forest Campground. The sites offer each site a fair amount of privacy. They are all suitable for trailers and tent camping as they provide a level tent pad in each site.
I'm only giving 4 stars because the campground is about a mile from the lake. However, the distance from the water does help with the mosquitoes.
Fire rings have grills, and there are wooden picnic tables.
Lac Vieux Desert is a big and beautiful lake with excellent fishing! Although we didn't do great, others did. This is the headwaters of the Wisconsin River.
Ranger
This is a small simple campground with lovely lakeside tent sites among rather dense trees. If you walk east you’ll find a sandy beach to splash in. You can also find a long nature trail and a connection to the interstate North Country Trail. Excellent birding, including sandhill cranes, and wildlife. Pit toilets and seasonal water is provided. There are no reservations but you should be able to get a spot year-round.
TravelerThe staff is incredibly friendly and helpful for starters. Also, the campground is gorgeous and there are a wide variety of sites suitable for trailer or tent camping including some walk-in sites that are very private. There are plenty of trees to shade you from the morning sun. The campground is located right on the shore of Lake Superior so each night prepare yourself for the most beautiful sunset you’ll ever witness. You’re also located near plenty of trails that lead to water falls.
Scout
We tent camped at RV site 1 and found it to be a really great space. It was far enough away from the other RVs and really close to the boat dock. There was a great path to the lake to see the frogs. The boat dock was a quick walk to sprawl out and watch the stars. The host seemed to keep the establishment in tip top condition. We had just one night but found the fire pit and amble space to be very welcoming and great.
Traveler
Site #7 was a bit sandy and sat on the highest mound overlooking the peninsula campground. Some seasonal, some weekly, and a couple of tent campers occupied about half the sites. The 2 bath houses were well maintained and freshened each morning. Showers were clean and hot and free. The lake water surrounding was very clean and refreshing; you're able to swim at your own risk wherever you choose. Tent sites were well shaded and all lakeside. We had tents but chose an electric site. The casino close by was immaculate, an unexpected pleasure. The wife's luck on the slots paid for our 2 dinner buffets, bravo my honey! PS: Bring your best mosquito defenses as they are thick in the morning and early evening.
Guide
We left another campground for this one. We loved it here. Great buffers between most sites. Loop C have pull though sites and a very nice and roomy. Loops A and B have a variety of sizes. Some really nice tent sites and smaller campers. We have a 25ft and found several great spots. We also have a dog that needs room. Our site gave him that. Our site was clean. Vault toilets on every loop and 2 shower/flush toilet houses near loops C & B, and one near B & A. They were very clean. We had spotty reception but did receive calls and text. We only had 2 neighbors while We were there. The last 2 nighr we were alone. We were there late September. It was beautiful. By far one of the best state parks in Michigan we have camped at. Would definitely be back!
Traveler
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.
Scout
The owners, Jeff and Marcia are wonderful people, I'm fortunate to have stayed at their CG. RWT Campground is like no other, it's a private campground that has the look, feel and atmosphere of a State Park. They had planned and executed a CG design that embraces the hills, rivers, and forest.
I highly recommend RWT CG if your camping style is "off the beaten path" then RWT Campground is waiting for you. RWT has all the camping arrangements; from walk in tent sites overlooking the Wisconsin River, walk in forest canopy, to savanna style. For travel trailer and motorhome style there are electric, water, and Sewer sites.
The park has miles of hiking, biking, and cross country ski trails. Also for fun there is a Frisbee golf course too.
This is NOT a complete review of all the features and amenities offered by RWT CG, just a short list as experienced personally
Legend
I overheard a woman in Ironwood, MI talking about how this campground used to be very nice but had recently gone downhill. I had no idea where it was but coincidentally, we ended up stopping to eat lunch in Eddy Park, which is right next to the campground. No one was in the office when I visited so I could not get information. A couple I spoke with who had reservations but decided not to stay had no luck getting in touch by phone with anyone in the office. This review is based only on my observations while walking around.
The campground is located right on Sunday Lake and many sites are lakefront. As is typical of RV parks, the sites are very close together with no physical separation between them. There are tent sites across the street that do have more privacy. A few sites had concrete pads, but most were on gravel. The bathroom and shower looked to be very clean.
Although not our preferred type of camping and despite what I overheard, this is a convenient location and I would consider an overnight stay.
ScoutNestled on Lake Tomahawk, this small campground is comprised of drive-in and walk-in sites. Walk-in sites being tent camp only, which is the option we took. There is a small beach on site, and a number of lake front sites to choose from. Oh, can't forget.. The sun sets over the lake! Paved roads made it easy for my children to navigate the grounds on their scooters. There are electric and non electric sites, a water pump, but no showers. Your park pass will give you access to Clear Lake campground (couple miles down the road), which does has showers, another beach, and also firewood sales. We meant to take the boat on multiple lakes, but the fishing on Lake Tomahawk was spectacular! Hiking the trails near our site, you really get a sense of being in the northwoods. We could hear the birds, frogs, found salamanders, seen an otter, musk rat, loons, and more.
The nearest town is Lake Tomahawk, where you can fuel up, get bait, or grab a bite to eat(maybe an ice cream cone for the kids).
As I said in the description, the grounds are simple. However, we booked three nights but felt the need at the end of our trip to book another. We'll be coming back. Safe travels.
Legend
General: 76 site (including five tent sites) campground stretched out on both sides of Lakeshore Drive. 50 sites are on the lakeside of the road with the remainder on the other side. Some have 50-amp electric, and some have 30-amp. No reservations are taken, and the campground appeared full when we were there on a Tuesday in September. It is located adjacent to the town park/playground/picnic area. The office is open 8 am– 8 pm and if you arrive after hours and are lucky enough to find a site, you use the pay station.
Site Quality: Sites 65-70, located directly on Lake Superior are considered Premium. There are 12 other lakefront sites (not considered premium). Sites 39-44 are located directly on the road so road noise will be an issue if that bothers you. Sites are close together with no physical separation between them.
Bathhouse: Was clean and well-lighted. Two pay showers were available.
Activities/Amenities: Wilderness trail (approx. ¾ mile), basketball hoops, disk golf, the beach, playground at the adjacent park plus a playground in the campsites across the street.
We had stopped at the picnic area next to the campground, so I checked it out for a possible future stay. As long as we don’t get one of the roadside spots, it would be good for passing through. Probably would not stay here more than one night as we prefer campgrounds with more privacy. Also, not sure why ATVs would be welcome here – for us, the noise would be an issue.
Ranger
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!
GuideWe stayed in this rustic campground mid-week in mid-September and were glad to find it wasn't busy or noisy. I think we hit it just right post-summer and pre-autumn colors (although several patches of trees along the way were blazing with fall color!). Loved that it had a 'no generator' side to help with the quiet we were seeking. While I had first booked Site 19 because all the lake sites were taken and I liked its privacy tucked into the woods a bit, we found that it was almost all dirt and, with rain expected, we didn't want to hang out in a mud bowl. We went back to the ranger and he recommended Site 11, which was actually super nice--still somewhat private but also grassy and with a slight view of Lake Superior. I think 18 would be great, too, if the lake sites are unavailable. All of those looked awesome, with my favorites being #10 and #6. Site 10 was right across from us and was vacant for the majority of our stay, which allowed us to set our chairs on the bluff overlooking the lake and read and enjoy the views.
The weather was unseasonably warm for mid-September and Lake Superior was oddly calm. This resulted in some flies, which was a bummer. Every night, though, the winds kicked up around dinner time and they were gone. When they were hanging around, though, (mostly mornings), they made cooking miserable and also the pit toilets buzzed with them, which was not fun. But I think once the autumn temps kick in and the winds sustain a bit, they'd be much less of an issue.
The park is in an amazing location, with the Presque Isle River running through it and phenomenal hiking trails/vistas right there. It was also an easy drive to Lake of the Clouds, Summit Peak, and Ontonagon. Just stunning forests, waterfalls, hills and drives and, of course, the incomparable Lake Superior all within easy reach. We also stopped at Bond Falls on our way to the Porkies from the east, which was beautiful.
Love the UP; love the remoteness yet accessibility (if that makes sense) of this campground; love tent camping on Lake Superior; love this place.
LegendCampground 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:
Here’s what could be improved:
Overall, I like the product and am glad I had it with me while out clambering around the ravines and waterfalls.
Tent camping near Ottawa National Forest in Michigan offers a serene escape into nature, with a variety of campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Ottawa National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ottawa National Forest is Sylvania Wilderness Backcountry Camping with a 4-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Ottawa National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 23 tent camping locations near Ottawa National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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