$25 - $50 / night

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Established Camping

Mackinaw

6 Reviews

Warning 1 Alert is In Effect

There is 1 alert for this campground. Camp safely!

Due to construction in the campground: Mackinaw is closed for the 2025 camping season.

Mackinaw, near Loa, Utah, is a charming campground tucked away in the Fishlake National Forest, perfect for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors. With its spacious sites featuring picnic tables and fire pits, it’s an ideal place to gather with friends and family around a crackling fire.

This campground is surrounded by beautiful aspen trees, providing a serene atmosphere and plenty of shade. Visitors have noted the clean facilities, including flushing toilets and multiple drinking water stations, making it a comfortable spot for a camping trip. One camper shared, “The campsites have great picnic tables and firepits,” highlighting the thoughtful amenities available.

For outdoor enthusiasts, Mackinaw is just a stone's throw from the lake, where fishing and hiking opportunities abound. The nearby lake shore trail offers easy access to the marina, making it a breeze to enjoy a day on the water. Campers have also enjoyed spotting local wildlife, like mule deer, adding to the natural charm of the area.

While the campground doesn’t allow pets and has no reservable sites, the friendly camp host is always ready to lend a hand, ensuring a pleasant stay. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a longer retreat, Mackinaw is a great choice for a memorable camping experience.

Description

US Forest Service

Fishlake National Forest

Overview

Mackinaw Campground is located next to Fish Lake and the Fishlake Scenic Byway in central Utah at an elevation of 9,000 feet. Visitors enjoy boating, fishing and exploring local trails.

Recreation

Fish Lake is Utah's largest natural mountain lake, covering 2,500 acres. It is famous for its 20-40 pound Mackinaw lake trout. Anglers also enjoy fishing for rainbow trout and splake. Boating, canoeing, swimming and scuba diving are popular activities. The 5-mile Pelican Canyon Trail begins next door at Bowery Creek Campground. It leads through meadows and dense forests of spruce, pine and aspen as it climbs to the 11,633-foot Fish Lake Hightop. The popular Lakeshore National Recreation Trail extends around the eastern side of the lake. Hikers are rewarded with stunning lake views after climbing 900 feet in elevation.

Facilities

The campground contains four group sites that can accommodate up to 20 people each. Picnic tables and fire rings with grills are provided. Several single-family sites are available as well. Most sites have lake views. Flush toilets, showers and drinking water are provided. Roads and parking spurs are paved. Three resorts are located in the Fish Lake Basin, offering camping and fishing supplies, RV parks with hookups, cabin and boat rentals, marinas, gas, restaurants, groceries, laundry facilities and showers. The resorts are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Natural Features

The campground sits on a sagebrush-covered hillside above the valley floor and offers views of Fish Lake. Aspen trees forest the site, providing partial shade.

Nearby Attractions

Johnson Valley Reservoir is just north of Fish Lake, offering additional fishing and boating opportunities.

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Location

Mackinaw is located in Utah

Directions

From Highway 24 northwest of Loa, Utah, take Highway 25 northeast 9 miles to the campground.

Address

138 South Main, PO BOX 129
Loa, utah, UT 84747

Coordinates

38.5555556 N
111.7161111 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group

Features

For Campers

Market
Trash
Picnic Table
Firewood Available
Reservable
Drinking Water
Toilets
Alcohol
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump
Pull-Through Sites
Big Rig Friendly

Contact

General Info

Visit Website

Reservations

Drive Time

2 hrs 34 min from Provo
2 hrs 59 min from St. George
3 hrs 5 min from Salt Lake City
3 hrs 46 min from Grand Junction

Erik J.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 5, 2024

Our favorite place at Fish Lake

We just finished another stay at the Mackinaw Campground and it was the best one yet, even though our vehicle broke down on the last day of our stay.

Thanks to the amazing camp host, Karen, we were able to contact local mechanics and get it quickly towed and fixed. She was so helpful, understanding, and flexible with assisting us. We couldn't have done it without her.

The campsites have great picnic tables and firepits. There are multiple small tent sites at each campsite and room for our longer travel trailer as well.

This is dry camping, but the bathrooms are clean and have flushing toilets. There are many drinking water stations around the camp.

The park service has recently improved a dump station as the south end of the lake. It is a great place to fill your fresh water tank before pulling into camp and to empty black and grey tanks on the way home.

The lake shore trail is just across the street making it an easy walk to the marina.

Aspen trees cover the campground making it a great place to hang hammocks and relax.

We will be back again and again!

Site45

Month of VisitJune

Matt B.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 14, 2022

Great place

We pulled in late on a Thursday with a reserved site. We got our tent and everything set up in the dark basically. We woke up to beautiful views. We stayed 2 nights and 2 days. We're going to be back

Site9

Month of VisitJuly

(9) View All

Doug H.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 7, 2022

Quiet Camping.

Overall we enjoyed camping here. Sites are nicely spaced apart and have nice fire pits and tables. Driving through can be tight for larger rigs. Bathrooms were okay. No garbage dumpsters on site, so be prepared to pack out trash. Saw lots of Mule deer. Easy drive to Capital Reef National Park.

Site53

Month of VisitMay

Casey W.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 19, 2020

Beautiful Lake Camping

This nice campground is exactly what you want for lake camping with fishing, forests, and beautiful hikes. If you can manage to get a boat out on the lake it makes the fishing amazing.

Alicia F.

Legend

Reviewed May. 1, 2020

Great for the summer!

This campground is next to the Bowery Campground at 🐠 Lake. Both are run by the national Forrest and reservations can be made on recreation.gov. Because these campgrounds are in high elevation it can be quite chilly even in May. Mackinaw has more trees which is beautiful but they tend to block the view a bit more. The lake has great fishing and of course boating and is definitely a great place for a family vacation.

Ultimately, if you’re coming during busy times you’re glad to get either but, if I can stay in Bowery I prefer it. Each spot has a picnic table and fire pit. Despite being on a hill most of the sites are pretty level. The bathrooms are equally spaced and throughout the campground.

Drinking water available Restroom: Flush Toilets, Shower facilities

(9) View All

Alicia F.

Legend

Reviewed Sep. 6, 2018

Aspen trees for days...

This campground is similar to Bowery Creek except filled with more trees and not every site has a view but you can walk across the street to the lake. This campground has showers and bathrooms which all the campgrounds are allowed to use.

(7) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to camp at Mackinaw?

Camping at Mackinaw can cost between $25.00 and $50.00 depending on the site.

What is the max vehicle length at Mackinaw?

Mackinaw allows vehicles up to 125 feet.

Are fires allowed at Mackinaw?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Mackinaw, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Mackinaw have wifi?

No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Mackinaw does not have wifi.

How hard is it to get a campsite at Mackinaw?

Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Mackinaw. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Mackinaw, try setting up a text message Alert at TheDyrt.com/alerts

Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Mackinaw?

There are 67 campsites at Mackinaw and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert at TheDyrt.com/alerts

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