Best Glamping near Wakefield, MI

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!

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.

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.

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.

This is a beautiful campground right next to the Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park in the U P of Michigan. After reading the reviews of the Union Bay Campground in the park, I'm glad I could get a reservation here!

 This is a well established campground. There's 50 sites with water & electricity, but no sewer. There is a dump station.

 Some sites have more room than others. We had site 16, which was roomy. Site 20 is also roomy & shady.

 The best sites over look the Union River. Sites 27/28 are nice & site 29 is outstanding. There are a few pull throughs. 

Any of the perimeter sites would be good. These have a woods view in the back.

Avoid sites 24A/45&46. these sites are very near the dump station, with 45 right by it. There's a tall fence separating you from it. 

The bathrooms are beautiful! Clean with hot showers. Decorated nicely, with music also. There's a community fire pit on the front lawn with swings & chairs. A nice view of Lake Superior. The sunsets are outstanding. There's a free beach across the street. You need to take the stairs down to it. Don't try climbing down the rocks! 

I didn't have much luck looking for Yooper Stones.

The gift shop is small, but has some nice things. 

Out of the 3 campgrounds we stayed at this trip, this was our favorite!

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.

Upon pulling into the Alpine Campground after hours,  we were approached by an elderly women while looking at the board for after hours check in protocol.  Inga, who was the owner, had my husband go into the office which had hanging taxidermy mounts all over as well has "stuff" she has been hoarding.  If this campground cost less and had a working bathhouse, I would have given it higher stars. It was $38 for 2 adults, 2 kids electric and water hook up.   (FYI cash only).

Once we paid she found her missing golf cart and drove it like a maniac!   She literally almost hit out truck twice.  She hit the gas instead of the break and swerved to miss us.  She drove it pedal to the metal in circles trying to find our spot in the empty grassy field behind their house.  When she finally decided upon our spot, she drove around again and literally almost hit our truck.  I am so thankful that she didn't because I can't even imagine what would have happened to her if she did going as fast as she was and her age.  Her son, who apparently works there, needs to take the keys from her!  She was a very kind women, but for her safety and sanity she needs help running the place or to sell it!  

The cost was overpriced for what we received.  We were told the toilets didn't work because there was a piece on order for over 2 weeks, the sinks weren't working so we couldn't use those either, but you could get a hot shower for a $0.25. She also asked that we not use the sanitary dumping station unless we really had too. The garbage was overflowing and in desperate need of pick up.  You could save this campground was mosquito heaven.  My son had 9 mosquito bites on his back when he woke up the next morning.  We were barely outside because this was just a quick overnight stop on our way home.  Mosquitos are part of nature so that isn't a complaint just an observation for future campers- bring mosquito spray!   

We were happy to pull out the next morning and be on our way.   We wouldn't chose this campground again, nor the city campground in Ironwood we passed on that landed up as Alpine.  There is another up the road a mile or two we should have considered.   

This spot could be a real gem with a little bit of money and work.  Someone please help Inga out!!

Willow River State Park in Wisconsin is an amazing camp site and since it's in a state park the rates are quite reasonable as well. There are tons of hiking trails that start right In the campground. My favorite hike is to the waterfall and walking up the steps to get to the top of it. I am actually surprised it's not a lot bussier then when I've been there.

We had a lovely spot looking at beautiful trees and the river. But the sounds of big semi trucks going down and up the big hill got old pretty quick. Lady in the office was super cute. Wanted to put her in my pocket. We hiked Wolf Mountain and the Porcupine Mountains. We’ve done the ski jump thing too. All are great!

Great place to stay. Right next to Black River. Sites sit back from highway so easy access and quiet. Open year round. Showers. Owner is friendly and very helpful.

We were able to stay here in the fall during the leave changing season...greatest thing was we were all alone practically. Not many people in October 2014. It was very close to some great hikes and the Lake nearby was a nice feature. Had some great cover and unique campsites back in the trees a bit. Amenities/facilities were limited to toilets, but we made due.

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!

Porcupine mountains wilderness area is truly amazing!! I recommend a few nights backpacking so you can stay at both presque isle and the lake of the clouds area of the park. Late summer early fall is nice time to visit. Lake Superior has an absolutely beautiful flat rock lake shore. I've seen moose and black bear here. If you're brave enough for fall weather camping in the northwoods I promise you the colors are worth it. Happy Adventuring!

Far enough from town to feel a million miles away. Large wooded camp sites. Rather basic state park setting & facilities, “rustic” is a good word but it’s still taken care of. Some small trails leave from the camp site, many backpacking options nearby. If you’re in the area you need to check this one out.

Both of the campgrounds, in the park, are extremely nice. I prefer the northern end of the park, with camping right on the shore of Lake Superior. Spring time scavenging, on the shores of Superior, can lead to all kinds of artifacts washing up on shore. The facilities were clean, and park rangers very nice, taught us a lot about the history of the area. Nice hiking trails, hilly, and so worth it.

I decided to try camping on my own here. It's fairly easy to get to... just long drives of nothing but beautiful forests and coastlines. Once I arrived, I had already missed check-in hours but was still able to set up in my reserved site. They still would have allowed you to set up in one of the open sites for the evening and to pay for it in the morning. The campground was small, but not crowded. The sites were spaced far enough apart to not feel like you were camping with your neighbors. There are plenty of hiking trails and things to see. The views here are just breathtaking. Between Lake Superior and the waterfalls there is so much to see. Compared to some parks this one doesn't have many extras. It's mainly hiking and camping. It truly is a gem and I plan on returning many times.

Later in the fall, high winds off the lake, great location

I had a great time here, the campground is very secluded and the closest town is about 15-18 miles away Porcupine mountains is a huge area to explore and there’s so much around it that you kinda jump around trying to see everything. You should probably make sure you have a full tank of gas when you hit that last town before you get here there is a lot of miles between the campground and civilization. I have AT&T and didn’t have phone signal which is very nice I don’t like phones disturbing my Adventures

Well maintained campground. No service with Verizon phone. Went in early june and very cold because of lake superior, so bring sweatshirts. Has divided campgrounds for generator and non-generator sides for people who like the quiet. Great hiking around the area for all ages, kida loved it

So the drive-in sites are literally all right next to each other, no privacy at all. There are some drive-in sites next to the shore (enscarpment) and those looked nice with trees and a bit more privacy. The walk-in sites have some distance between them, but not visual privacy, as the tree canopy is very tall. Walk-in was not too far, we kept our food in our car and walked back and forth for it. Bears visited a few of the walk-in sites on our last night, so be very good about keeping food, etc. in your car. No bear boxes in this park. Beautiful Lake Superior sunsets! Because it's on the border of the Eastern time zone, day light lingers for a long time in the summer. Water and pit toilets were close by. Water was clear and cold! Many families, children, and dogs present and everyone was quiet and well-behaved. Will definitely be back. The biting flies were a bit much and caused us to literally run out the last morning we were there, but that happens. We will definitely be back!

Great little campground on the south end of the park. Campground was quiet at night and everyone camping was very friendly. The vault toilets were clean and not smelly. Make sure to bring bug spray that works for both mosquitos and biting flies though!