Michigan/Wisconsin/Minnesota best time

I'm guessing July. We did Michigan in July and it was warm but not hot. Now when we got to the upper peninsula it was darn right chilly. Near or on lake superior you needed a sweatshirt. No bugs that we saw.

Mid September to mid October.

September

Having lived in the U.P. I'd be more inclined to go in late August to mid-September. I've seen it snow in the western U.P. in mid-September. You can go later than that, but if you want decent weather go earlier than mid-September.

Also, the campgrounds won't be crowded in late August, although there will be more campers Labor Day weekend, but not to the point you can't find a campsite.

Parrothead Mike wrote:
Having lived in the U.P. I'd be more inclined to go in late August to mid-September. I've seen it snow in the western U.P. in mid-September. You can go later than that, but if you want decent weather go earlier than mid-September.

Also, the campgrounds won't be crowded in late August, although there will be more campers Labor Day weekend, but not to the point you can't find a campsite.

Good point. We were in the UP this year for the second week in July. It was 38* at night, we had our furnace on and wore gloves until it was too cold to sit by the fire. During the day, we encountered swarms of mosquitoes, more than I've ever seen in my life. Meh.

Bring warm clothes, late August-September should be a beautiful time to visit.

Mid August to Mid September are great for the whole state. We'll be in Gilbert for mid to late April next year and are also hoping for great weather.

Tyrone & Gladys,

You have a good plan and pretty good information.
It seems that you understand that you are headed for the mosquito capital of North America. There are also black flies. Bring repellents even with your plan.

Mid-April, May to mid-June are usually OK, as is mid-September to mid-October. You may end up heating at either of those times, but the choice seems to be heat or bugs.

There is an amazing amount to see.

Matt

We do most of our camping in those areas in May and September.
At the same time I should tell you that we were in the U.P. of Michigan one August when it snowed.
We went around Lake Superior several times and were as far north as Hudson's Bay once and it was the only part of the trip where the bugs were really bad.
That was not the year of the snow.

Depends on just where, because there is almost a month difference in change of season, southern Michigan and Minnesota vs central Minnesota and Wisconsin, Northern Michigan and Northern Minnesota.

Bugs are a Spring and early Summer problem in the North Woods, often gone by late August. But the temperature in the U.P. and Northern Minnesota can also get pretty cool that early. So I would say mid August to early September for the far North, though I've been there that early to find it cold and wet. It can snow up there before October.

Further south, beginning of September to end of October, I've been in southern Michigan when it was warm going to cool, which was my experience the 25 years I lived there. But this year, we had snow before Halloween in southern Michigan, snow mid October in the northern L.P., and ice on the surface of the lake behind my sister's house morning of our mother's funeral, Nov 1st.

It is very seldom unbearably hot in the northern forested parts of those states, altough the southern parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin can be just as hot in Summer as Iowa and Illinois, right across the state line.

Spring is nice in all three states, in urban and rural areas, though in the forest Spring is defined as when the bugs come out. Beaches, however, are often not warm enough for swimming until Summer.

Pinning Spring down to the calendar can be difficult, usually starting mid-March to April in Southern Michigan, and well into Spring by end of May in the northern L.P., and about June in the U.P. But I've lately had glorious warm days end of April around Mackinac, and snow all through March in Battle Creek.

They call Summer "hot" up there when temperatures get into their 80s, 90s are rare except on the prairie. So the reputation for hot summers might be because someone has a different perception. Oklahoma and Kansas, I am accustomed to the idea that 80s are a nice cool Summer day, over my body temperature is hot.

Look at the advice from people who actually live in those states.
In the northern parts of those states, the skeeters and especially the black flies will be pretty bad in June and July. They begin thinning out in August, depending on the weather. If summer is dryer, they may be gone, if wet they continue to hatch out. By September, most skeeters are gone, as are many campers when kids are back in school. September is our favorite time to camp. Weather is still nice, but on the cool side.

Being from AZ, it is not clear what you consider "hot". In northern parts of these states, it rarely gets in the 90's, and much of the summer is in the mid-70's to low80's. But quite a bit warmer in the southern parts of these states.

We camp from May through October, but use lots of DEET in June and July, and lots of clothes in October. Aim for Late August through September and you'll avoid bugs and crowds. Bonus of being here during fall color season, which is gorgeous in the upper Lake States.