Mantrap Lake Campground and Day-Use Area

This is a State Forest Campground, and for the price of only $14 a night, you can't go wrong. Although you may get some noise from RVs with generators, we visited in late september, and there were enough sites to choose from that we could be away from that noise. Almost every site had a fair amount of space, and some privacy from neighboring sites with brush and foliage. There seemed to be pathways back to little vault toilet houses, and when we visited, they were very clean! They must have been recently cleaned, and there was no smell at all. Perhaps the cooler weather had something to do with that as well.

We had a fire ring that was tall, and deep. With a grate so you could grill. A picnic table, and again, plenty of space for our teardrop trailer. The property had a few small, short trails through the woods, and also boat access.

It's far enough off the main road that you won't hear road noise. You will, however, see and hear deer, and possibly black bear.

There's no electricity, because it's a State Forest campground, but if the price of $14, it's exactly what we wanted for this time of year.

One more bonus is that motorized two-wheel vehicles and off-road vehicles are not allowed past the entrance. That doesn't mean they can't be carried on the back of a truck, but you will not find them riding around this campground. Made things a little bit quieter!

This campground is in Paul Bunyan State Forest. First come, first serve. No ATVs are allowed, perfect if you have young kids on bikes. There are no hook ups at all. Must have a generator for power. Water is available but not at every site. Pets are allowed. Outside toilets are clean. This is a quiet camp ground. The site includes a table and fire ring. There is no place to dock your boat over night. Keep in mind these sites are only $14 a night. There is a host but no security. There are signs up warning about bears.

This is a typical rustic state forest campground, with basic amenities but meant for a quieter and simpler experience than a stste park. Water is available from a campground spigot, but no hookups of any kind. Outhouses are provided, but no bath houses. The setting is on a beautiful lake with a great boat landing, good for fishing and apparently also for duck hunting as the landing was packed. There is a large group picnic shelter as well as a hiking trail. Campsites are large and spacious, though primarily set back in the woods. Good info kiosks for nature watchers.

State forest camps have rapidly become our favorite. They have the amenities you need, without the fuss. Far cheaper too! If you need showers and electric and sewer, this isn't for you. But if you like to rough it in a tent, don't mind a vault toilet and are happy with a picnic table and fire pit, then this is it! I had the great opportunity to review my new Ledlenser MH2 Headlamp at Mantrap Lake Camp.

CAMPGROUND REVIEW:

The sites are a little more exposed than at some state forest sites I've seen, but granted, I was there in the autumn after the leaves had dropped. It might be very different in the summer. There were ample pit toilets (not much to write home about from the outside, but the inside was very clean!). Lots of sites to choose from, all with fire pit and picnic tables. Garbage cans were sprinkled here. It wasn't the prettiest campground I've ever seen, but it would work just fine if you needed to pitch a tent. There appeared to be a very tiny little playground, but it wouldn't have entertained the kiddos for very long. They'd be better off playing board games in the tent or running around the circles that go around the campground. The did appear to have a small nature trail of some kind, but the portion I tried to walk down seemed a bit overgrown. There were also a handicapped site or two, but aside from possibly being a bit closer to the bathroom and having water at the site, they were very similar to the others.

PRODUCT REVIEW:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get the amazing opportunity to review products that have been given to me in exchange for an honest review. This time, I won a Ledlenser MH2 headlamp in a contest that was sponsored by The Dyrt. Wow…just wow! What a headlamp!

This thing is amazing. I recently tested a Ledlenser flashlight, and it rocked. Its' cousin, the MH2 Headlamp, was no exception. Their specialty is something called the Advanced Focus System which is a combo of reflector and lens that creates a specialty lighting system, and it was great! Things I liked:

1. It has a wide band that is easy to size to your head. It doesn't fall off either, so it stays put where you want it.
2. It's not rechargeable, but it takes AAA batteries, which are easy to find. They say that in low mode (10 lumens) you can go about 40 hours on one set, and in high mode (100 lumens) about 10 hours.
3. It has several modes for the light, including white and red. In the white mode, you have low, high and flashing for emergencies.
4. It has a waterproof IPX6 rating, so it's good to go in the rain and even splashes from the river in a canoe.
5. There's a "lockout mode", so you can lock it before putting it in your pack to preserve the batteries.
6. The light hinges up and down so that you can send the beam where you want it. Straight ahead or at your feet.

The only things that were mildly bothersome were the weight (it's a bit heavy if you wanted to throw it in an ultralight gear pack) and the instructions. Although in English, they are more pictures than words and take some patience to understand. But if you have the time to do so, it's a very worthwhile piece of camping equipment to own.

Bottom line, if you have a chance to try this out and don't mind just a bit of extra weight to insure that you always have great light, this is your next headlamp.