The terrain is characterized by rolling hills, glacial depressions and leatherleaf bogs. This section provides motorboat opportunities with a lake fishing atmosphere. This river is not navigable for canoeing or boating, however it is an excellent river for cold-water fishing. After European settlement of the area, the Au Sable River was a major throughway for floating white pine to sawmills or waiting barges at ports on Lake Huron. While dispersed camping in Michigan still remains elusive for many, weve put together a list of ten (10) boondocking sites that may interest you, The following campsites were selected based on our own experiences camping there and based on popularity with other boondockers. However, youll want good background information as well as intel on the best campsites before you set out on your own Michigan dispersed camping trip. President Ronald Reagan signed the law establishing the segment of river as a National Scenic River on October 4, 1984. You can access the Camp Registration Card here. Youre advised to arrive early in the day if you want to secure a site. And even though you should have no trouble driving down this road in your regular passenger car, keep in mind that turning around in a larger vehicle may be a bit difficult. The trail maps are set to printon 8.5x11 paper. A 23-mile loop trail is formed with the Manistee River Trail along the Manistee River. (GPS 46.288597, -86.698681) Hiawatha National Forest This is a free campground located on the banks of Hovey Lake. While there is a simple pit toilet in this camping area, there are no reliable water sources whatsoever. May 25, 2017 Anyplace on state land unless posted or within a mile as noted above. Please sign in to ask a question dispersed => false: fiftyfiveplus => false: aarp => false: senior_discounts => false: The Hovey Lake Dispersed Campground is located in Hiawatha National Forest on Michigans Upper Peninsula. Crazy Jug Point offers lip-of-the-canyon car side camping that blows away the notion that Grand Canyons grandeur comes with a crowd. Official websites use .gov A .gov The US Forest Services manages three National Forests within Michigan. There are, however, vault toilets at a few trailheads situated in the area. While it doesnt have any reliable water sources, the Marzinski Horse Trail Camp has vault toilets. If you want to get a nice camping spot here on a summer weekend, youll have to arrive a few days in advance. (GPS 46.89123, -89.09722) Private Property This is located on land owned by Timber Resource Group (TRG), a logging company. The following sections have all the critical info you need to understand the rules and regulations around dispersed camping in Michigan. I would recommend packing a quality bug spray as well a lot of people who have been here reported that mosquitoes can get pretty bad. The Manistee River between Tippy Dam and the M-55 Bridgewas designated as a National Recreational River in 1996. The 3,500 acre Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is a beautiful and complex feature along Lake Michigans eastern shoreline, in the Huron-Manistee National Forest, located between Ludington and Manistee. Haymeadow Creek does not have trash service, so please be sure to bring a bag, pack out your trash, and leave your campsite in better shape than you found it. However, the rules for pitching a tent in these forests are somewhat different than the ones concerning the aforementioned Forest Service lands. WebRules for Dispersed Camping Groups of over 75 people who wish to use the forest, need to obtain a special use permit. Reservation Rules. Scenery is one of the most outstanding attributes of the river. Another great resource for finding dispersed campsites in Michigans State Forests is their excellent interactive State Forest Map. Never knew there were so many places like that to camp. The North Country National Scenic Trail is being constructed across federal, state, county and private land. A total of 1,145 acres of NFS lands and 368 acres of private lands are within the boundary of the Bowman Lake area. Several observation sites along the trail provide hikers with vista views of the Manistee River and surrounding area. The Au Sable National Scenic River stretches 23-miles, from Mio to Alcona Pond. Dispersed foot traffic and primitive tent camping within the Forests is allowed almost anywhere, unless otherwise posted closed and/or "No Camping". Michigan RV Parks Union City Turtle Lake Resort Turtle Lake Resort RV Park To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. (GPS 44.58597, -84.29064) Huron Manistee National Forest This is a free, developed campground for horseback riders, however it is not required to have a horse to camp here. You can primitive camp anywhere in the boundaries of the national forest fee free. Camping, fishing and boating facilities are accessible from the byway. Gaia GPS - Download offline maps for easy navigation! 2 The Best Areas for Dispersed Camping in Michigan 2.1 Hovey Lake Dispersed Campground 2.2 Green Road / Nordhouse Dunes 2.3 French Farm Lake 2.4 The road in is very easy, suitable for any vehicle. In pre-European settlement times, Native Americans used the river as a travel route. Dont fret if you arrive and it is closed, as there are more dispersed campsite available if you continue north along Rayle Road as it winds its way around Pearl Lake. No amenities are provided; such as water, restrooms or trash cans. Its flow of water still serves as an important link in the production of the state's electrical power supply. Michigans National Forests are listed below along with a link to the dispersed camping guidelines for each area: In addition to the the three National Forests in Michigan there are also six State Forests managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources that allow various forms of dispersed camping. Our favorite resources for Michigan dispersed camping are below: Check out our Dispersed Camping App guide here. We recommend using a combination of online apps/websites and USFS maps to find dispersed campsites. If you feel up to it, you can likely get away with camping here, as long as you stay out of the way of logging trucks. Use the custom map layers to find public land, download offline maps, and navigate to your perfect dispersed campsite. GPS coordinates for the campground access road is (43.75468, -85.90410). For that matter, make sure to practice the leave no trace principles while spending time there. Remember, you must be at least 1 mile for a rustic state forest campground in order to dispersed camp. Although its true that this state is not the first thing that comes to peoples minds when someone mentions camping or hiking, a lot of outdoor enthusiasts end up surprised by the sheer number of places in Michigan where one can pitch a tent and enjoy the breathtaking wilderness. These forests are, in my opinion, a collection of genuine hidden gems for campers, and, fortunately, all of them allow various forms of dispersed camping. The one that is located on the Lower Peninsula of Michigan Huron-Manistee is actually not contiguous. Weve created this guide to do just that and in the sections below youll find out where to camp, what to expect, how to navigate the various rules, and much more so you can plan your perfect Michigan dispersed camping trip. In the aforementioned State and National Forests of Michigan, you will find far fewer campers than you would in the Rockies. Although not traditional dispersed camping, the sites here are free and well spaced out. For information on Lumberman's Monument, Monument Campground or the Visitor Center visit the Lumberman's Monument section of the website. In July 1978 the Pere Marquette River and its major tributaries were designated a Michigan Natural River by the State of Michigan. This free camping area has all the hallmarks of great dispersed camping in Michigan. The national forest will often close up this campsite due to presence of black bears, so make sure to check with the national forest for closures. A large portion of the river flows through the White River Semi-Primitive Nonmotorized Area. Also, due to the fact that its situated in the Huron-Manistee National Forest, this place is not only very close to the Marzinski Horse Trail but also to Lake Michigan. Hike the stairway down to the wanigan, a loggers floating kitchen, or take the short trail to the dune observation deck. This is dispersed camping in Michigan at its finest! This same year the river was added as a National Wild and Scenic River, the first in Michigan. Restrooms:Vault toiletWater:NoCrowds:LightMap. LockA locked padlock Tree species vary from cedar-hemlock, ash, elm, sugar and red maple, and basswood in the lowland portions to mixed oak, pine and aspen in the upland areas. Items like used toilet paper always need to be packed out. As Ive said above, camping in one of the State Forests of Michigan cannot be done without a camp registration card. WebWelcome to the Southern Gateway of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Some Do not camp in areas near trailheads, picnic areas, or developed campgrounds. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Outdoor Scott is a member of the Amazon affiliate program, and we may receive a small commission at no cost to you if you shop there after clicking links on our site. The Manistee River Trail/North Country National Scenic Trail connector is also the site of the largest wooden suspension bridge in Lower Michigan. This area contains all recreation sites located near the Corsair Area, located south of the AuSable River and River Road NationalScenic River in the southeast corner of the Huron National Forest. Its another very popular campground, but completely free. Our Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Story has more information on what is being done to protect this special place and how you can help. Besides the fact that its a great place to camp on its own, Lake Perrault Dispersed Campground is also close to the Baraga State Forest Area and the town of Houghton. Thats why its very important to leave archeological traces alone and report all illegal activities you notice while camping. There are only four sites here, all with picnic tables and fire rings. Can I Run My RV Air Conditioner on Battery Power? 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