Michigan is home to an expansive wilderness. More than 1,000 campgrounds are spread across the state including sites in both national and state parks and forests. You can camp on an inland lake, river, Great Lake or hiking trail. Michigan campgrounds range in amenities from RV-friendly state parks to secluded forest campgrounds with limited services and limited crowds.
Lakeshore Camping
Michigan has more than 3,200 miles of coasts following four of the five great lakes. Campgrounds offering beach access and dune hiking trails are prolific along the coast. Some of these campgrounds, like Grand Haven State Park on Lake Michigan, provide campsites on the beach. Others, like Lake Superior Campground near Grand Marais, offer wooded sites a short walk inland.
State Park Campgrounds
All state parks in Michigan offer electrical hookups and indoor restroom and shower facilities in their campgrounds. Those along lakeshores may offer boat launches in addition to dune hiking opportunities. The largest state park in Michigan is Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon. This park features one modern campground with electric and indoor restroom services as well as four rustic campgrounds with hand-pumped water wells and vault toilets. The park also features hike-in cabins and yurts spread across the park's wilderness area.
State Forest Campgrounds
Michigan has more than 3,000 campsites located throughout 4 million acres of state forests. All state Fofest campgrounds are rustic, providing only hand-pumped wells for water and vault toilets. They operate on a first-come first-served basis. Every campground is on a lake or river and 60 of them are on or near a hiking or equestrian trail. Some campgrounds offer a more remote experience than others. Rainbow Bend Campground on the AuSable River, for example, is only accessible via canoe or kayak.
National Park Camping
Isle Royal National Park, located in Lake Superior, North of the Keweenaw Peninsula is known for its undisturbed wolf and moose populations. The only way to the park is in a boat or seaplane, most of which come from nearby Houghton, Michigan. If you plan to camp on the island prepare for backcountry camping. Campgrounds in the park are hike-in only. No services, including water and toilet, are provided at the parks campsites, and all trash must be hiked out.
Trailside Camping
Two major, non-motorized, trails criss-cross the state of Michigan. The North Country National Scenic Trail passes through state forests and state parks, where hikers can make camp for the night. Dispersed camping is also permitted on state land. You can obtain a dispersed camping permit from the Department of Natural Resources and set up camp in the forest near the trail.
The Michigan Shore-to-Shore trail stretches from the mouth of the AuSable River on the Lake Huron shore, to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan. The trail is set up for both hikers and equestrians. State forest campgrounds along the trail provide equestrian accommodations as well as typical rustic campground services.
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