Boondocking in the UP of Michigan

Porcupine Mountains State Park primitive campground. There are a few camping sites on a bluff overlooking Lake Superior. I bet you will have the place to yourself this time of year.

Again this wasn't really boondocking but here are photos of us at site 9 at Bay Furnace. The tent next to us was in site 10 it is even closer to the water!







It was a very quite and nice rustic campground. We enjoyed it.

gkidsdlite wrote:
Has anyone on here ever boondocked in the UP on lake Superior or on the Minnesota side of the lake or the Canadian side for that matter? I would like to find a place on the shore where I can enjoy the awesome beauty of that lake and hear the waves lapping the shoreline and be able to have privacy! I know I'm not asking for much am I?

I can't speak to Canada, and it has been decades since I've been camping in the UP. But what you are seeking (boondocking, hearing Lake Superior waves, and solitude) is going to be hard or impossible to find in Minnesota. The land along the shore between Highway 61 and the lake is either privately owned, or is State (DNR State Park), Federal (Superior National Forest) Tribal (Grand Portage Band) or County Forest Land. There is literally just a narrow swath of land (from literally just a few feet to about 1/2 mile) between HWY 61 and LakeSuperior. Now there are many campgrounds at the state parks, and near towns of Two Harbors, Grand Marais, Schroeder, etc. but these will not be boondocking and are often full and reserved for months or a year in advance.
The campgrounds in Two Harbors (Burlington Bay), Schroeder (Lamb's Resort), Grand Marais (City campground) and at Temperence River State Park will put you right on the lake, if that is most important.

You can boondock on Superior National Forest land in Minnesota but those opportunities are a way off from the lake and on the uphill side of the highway. No way to hearLake Superior waves at that distance.

All those great photos you see in the "Go RVing" ads that show a solitary RV parked right on the beach of a beautiful lake are mostly a marketing ploy, at least in the Lake States. Most public land management agencies do not allow boondock camping on such ecologically sensitive site.

Email the National Forests and the State Forests in the UP for information.

You bet I will and thanks for the replies! We ride our motorcycle around up there in the fall to see the beautiful trees and sometimes we get caught in bad weather! It would be so nice to have a place to park and then unload the bike on the nice sunny days and then use the truck on those not so sunny days! Thanks again!

We didn't boondock, would have loved to. But we just got back from a little time in the UP. Four days at Bay Furnace on one of the two lake spots. Then four more days in the Porkies at Presque Isle Campground. Both of these places are "rustic" no power and nice and quite. Most nights we were the only RV or TT at Presque Isle, we shared a 100 spot campground with about 4 or 5 tent campers. If you find some nice spots let me in on them, as we would love to get back up there in a year or two.

Not asking too much. That area is favored by hunters, who leave two-track pull=offs all over the woods. Often just to get off the main road and back on. These type places may become quite muddy in wet weather, but the grass grows to make nice sites. I carry a couple bags of ready-mix to improve my favorite sites and harden my parking spots. (you can become frozen into a rut when the weather changes)

Near the lakes, the road may dead end or open into a space large enough to park. Also, many scenic view or historic marker sites offer multiple parking spaces. "Travelers Rest" sites still exist and are usually spaced about 50 miles apart. These are meant for long distance travelers. They predate the interstate system and are maintained locally.

Along rivers, the state provides parking for seasonal fishermen and hunters. These become quite crowded this time of year, however.

Be wary in the woods. It is easy to become lost and the next road may be 50 miles away. If you do find your way back to your entry road, you may be uncertain as to which way your rig is parked. BTDT