Stayed at site 3. It was a relatively easy hike until you hit a hilly spot towards the campground. Mid July was very buggy.

Site 3 has easy access to an overlook which we made use of for photos of a storm that rolled in over North Manitou Island, our original destination. There was one vault toilet at the opposite end of the campground.

Like at Weatherstation, it was easy enough to get down to the beach for swimming and refilling our Grayls but to get back up was a bit of a challenge that grew old after a few trips.

Our last night, we stayed at the Bay campground which was nice. Fire rings are available and getting to and from the water was much easier. I'd recommend the Bay for people who want a more leisurely experience and one of the other campgrounds if you want to get some miles and get more rustic.

We ended up staying 5 days at Three Mile and day hiking from there. Shelter 10 was available on the 2nd day and it was just as amazing as it was when I was here last. This time we even had a camp fox!

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.

Trails are well maintained and offer varied terrain. The best site to get is site B3. It was perfect.

If you're wanting more camping, less hiking, there is a small dirt lot near the top of a hill on Goodband Road. Look for Blind Lake trailhead on Goodband Rd in Google maps.

*Some sites now have hammock posts

This designated campgroundon North Manitou is a short walk from the village where you have access to potable water as well as vault toilets in better condition than the toilets in the campground itself.

The sites are isolated and well off the trail. There are community fire rings which led to a fun final night on the island passing some of my flasks around with fellow hikers.

This place was truly amazing. Forests, hills, beaches, and dunes really help break up the terrain you encounter. The old village and scattered ruins and structures make for interesting stops. Visiting the cemetery was an ethereal experience as the sun began to set.

Once we disembarked, we made our way south on the primary trail until we got to the cemetery and Bournique's place. Some historical trails on the map were difficult to navigate. Having a compass made for an easier time bushwacking back to the trail but it was not easy. If you have difficulty navigating via compass and map, don't use the historical trails.

Once we got to the western shore, we hiked another mile or so to Donner Point, where we found excellent ground for our tents and it was completely isolated. Gorgeous views.

Then we hiked all along the shoreline the 2nd day, not using the trail. The first half was quite leisurely. The 2nd half was very rocky, slippery, and several downed trees had to be climbed over or cut through. Then we camped on the beach just past Crescent.

The 3rd day, we climbed the dune and got back on trail following the old railway bed to the Eastern shore where we set up in the village campground for a more comfortable night before leaving the next day.

All in all, it was a great experience and I look forward to returning. It is very rustic! Early June was comfortable at night and the bugs were at a minimum for the most part. There were many weekend visitors so I'm glad we went Sunday to Wednesday when there's typically fewer people on the island.

I can see why this place is so popular with the camper crowd. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just cramped, a bit noisy, and there's alot of traffic. Alot.

I was only taking my son for a night to try his hand at tenting and some hiking. The hiking was nice but not as challenging as some of the other places I've been.

I prefer rustic, somewhat challenging, and a semblance of solitude. You won't get any of that here. But if you're a family, especially with younger kids or older folks, who want a safe place to get outdoors, this is the place. The restrooms, showers, playground, and easy groomed trails will be great for you.

If you're like me, you'll likely be looking north.

An out and back trail, it’s well worth it to get to this lake. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more scenic vista.

I didn’t find this trail to be heavily travelled. The lake wa most definitely not crowded. But even with the people around, it was one of the most peaceful places I’ve had the pleasure to visit.

Stayed here to test out new gear before a trip to Isle Royale. Severe weather made for a great experience alone as the neighbors packed up once the tornado sirens went off.

Slightly buggy with lots of tree cover. Bring a filter and/or chemical filtration in case you need water as the pump at the stables seems hit or miss. I filled up at the Baldwin Flood.

Beautiful views and secluded sites but the air was a bit stagnant. Nice access to the lake for a dip but it seems if you want to fish, this is it. Our neighbor caught 3 pike and a walleye in about 45 minutes.

It’s a very popular and crowded site. Decent vault toilets but the dock and walkouts to the rocky beach make for easy access to the water. After hiking in from West Chickenbone, we were in need of cool swim as the interior of the island can be much warmer than the coast, not to mention the arid conditions throughout making it difficult to find water.

Having a shelter was a nice enough comfort. The place fills up quickly. It beat staying at Chickenbone but I’d prefer Moskey Basin or Three Mile.

Dropped in at Moskey Basin, hiked to Lake Richie then moved on to West Chickenbone Lake where we camped for our 1st night. 2nd day we made for Daisy Farm. The interior of the island can be quite a bit warmer than the shoreline for obvious reasons, so bare that in mind along the Greenstone Ridge Trail. For the 3rd night, we took it easy and found shelter 10 at Three Mile.

Incredible views of sunset and sunrise. A storm blew in and gave us an amazing show. Swimming off the remnants of the dock and such easy access to the lake made for a wonderful experience.