The primary camping opportunities near Hastings, MI, are in the Yankee Springs State Recreation Area about 10 miles west of the town. State and private campgrounds are gathered in and around the recreation area that borders on the 2,680 acre Gun Lake. Campsites range from rustic and horseback sites to modern sites with electrical hookups.
Yankee Springs
The Yankee Springs Recreation Area is 5,200 acres of rugged terrain, marshes, bogs, lakes and streams. State land borders much of the east shoreline of the irregular shaped Gun Lake, interspersed with private lake-front cottages. Eight other smaller lakes, prime for fishing, fall within the boundaries of Yankee Springs. The state land includes 30 miles of hiking trails, 12 miles of rugged trails for mountain bikes, and nine miles of horseback trails. The hiking trails include a segment of the seven-state North Country Trail that runs from North Dakota to New York. Besides the lakes, Yankee Springs' geographical features include the Devil's Soupbowl, a glacially formed kettle formation accessible by the trails. The area is open year-round, and features cross country skiing, snowmobiling and hunting in season.
Modern campsites
The Yankee Springs Gun Lake modern campground is located along the lakeshore, with 200 sites equipped with electric service and access to modern restrooms and showers. The campground has its own boat ramp, and access to public beaches and picnic sites in the day-use area on Murphy's Point, which juts out into Gun Lake. Reservations for the campground can be made online. Private campgrounds in the Hastings and Yankee Springs area are also primarily modern sites.
Rustic sites
Yankee Springs has a rustic campground on Deep Lake on the Hastings' side of the recreation area. The campground has 120 sites with no electrical hookups, and only vault toilets are available. There's a boat launch on Deep Lake for fishing, and the campground is adjacent to the mountain bike staging area and trails.
Equestrian campground
The horseback camp area is a rustic campground on the southeast side of the recreation area. There are 25 campsites for the riders and their horses. Besides the trails in Yankee Springs, the equestrian campsite also has access to the adjacent Barry Game Area Horseback Trail.
Barrier-Free Features
The Gun Lake campground and its restroom and shower buildings are barrier free. A wheel-chair accessible nature trail runs from the campground for a half mile on hard surface and wooden boardwalks. The trail crosses lakeshore, wooded and wetland habitats, and ends on an accessible fishing pier on Gun Lake. A second universally accessible fishing peer is located on Deep Lake.
Member Comments