Weather Station Campground is located near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. The area features sandy terrain with nearby dunes and forested sections. Campers can experience temperatures ranging from 20°F in winter to 80°F in summer, and they can explore attractions like the South Manitou Island Lighthouse and the island's natural trails.

The Weather Station campground overlooks Lake Michigan on the island's south side, about a mile beyond the lighthouse. The campsites are located within a forested area and are pretty well secluded from each other. This location affords inspiring views of the Manitou Passage and Sleeping Bear Dunes on the mainland. The lighthouse, Lake Florence, the Morazan, and Giant Cedars are all within easy walking distance. Follow the signs to take a pleasant walk along a woodland path, past the lighthouse to this campsite, or follow Burdick Road, turning left at Ohio Road for a less scenic but more leisurely walk. Bring water filtration equipment because there is no source of purified drinking water.

There are 20 individual sites (maximum of 4 people or two tents per site) and 3 group sites (maximum of 20 people or ten tents per site). There are several fire rings in the campground that can be shared by campers.

Weather Station Campground — Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Find the best campgrounds near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

The Best Camping Near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan

bring what you need. filter your water, beautiful hikes, beautiful views ...bloodthirsty mosquitos.. but worth it...bring deet.

very rustic

Weather Station Campground is located on South Manitou Island and offers 20 individual sites and 3 group sites nearby.  The campground is located on a sandy bluff overlooking Lake Michigan and the mainland with picturesque places to enjoy your morning coffee.  Access to the island is by boat only (obviously, because it's an island) and from there, you'll have to hike to the campground through the woods or along the beach.  All sites are located in the woods, however they are close to the shore.  You must camp at one of the designated sites.   

  

The campground offers a shared fire pit, log benches to sit on, and access to a pit toilet (which was pretty smelly, but usable).  There is no access to clean drinking water at the campground, so plan on filtering water from Lake Michigan, or walking approximately 1.5 miles to the dock area to collect water there.  There are no food storage lockers, so food must be properly hung from a tree or stored in a bear canister to avoid being stolen by the microbears (aka chipmunks)!   

  

Keep in mind that this is a backcountry camping experience, so you'll need to be adequately prepared and carry in all your supplies.  In addition to a water filter and a first aid kit, bringing extra food with you is also a must.  The ferry is unable to reach the island in dangerous weather conditions.

Backcountry Experience with Designated Campsites

A relatively short hike and simple hike, Weather Station offers some great scenic views of Lake Michigan. 

In my opinion, site 16 is the site to stay at, with relatively easy access to the lake for water. We used a carabiner to secure a line to a tree in the camp and tossed the other end down to give us a hand in climbing back up to the site as well as dragging our bag of containers back up. 

Proximity to the edge of the dune and the lake also helped with a breeze that kept mosquitoes to a minimum. Be warned, it does seem like Weather Station is buggy during summer. 

All in all, should I return to South Manitou as opposed to North, site 16 at Weather Station is where my party will be posting. 

Photos of Weather Station Campground — Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Real photos from real campers