This year I’m planning to visit northern WI, MI or MN for a summer of fishing and exploring. What I plan to do is use the RV as a base camp and explore/camp the surrounding area in my Dodge Caravan. When I park the RV it’ll be for at least a month at a time. Last night I began researching the states for a place to park my RV. The folks in northern WI, MI and MN are really proud of their RV parks! Man alive, everywhere I looked they were wanting from $700 to over $1000 for month-long stays. The thing is I don’t need a lake front park, a swimming pool, a recreation hall, I don’t care if it has bathrooms, showers or a laundry, and I have a boat and motor. All I need is a safe quiet place to park my RV and hook up my utilities. I’ve lived in such places in TX, AZ, CA, OR, and WA and they all cost between $300 and $400 a month with full hook-ups. Do places like that exist in the north woods for someone like me?

WI at lake namokagan across from the state CG theres a small about ten rv site camp . with hookups, dock across the street , don,t no the name. very nice . mom pop set up .set camp there about ten yrs back.

Might want to check the Frontier bar and RV park in Saxon, Wi;)

Your asking a lot . Without knowing what you want and are fishing for its a huge list.Your can start here http://www.michcampgrounds.comThe western shore has the most best beaches and is the nicest IMHO. Lived here all my life. Houghton lake, Roscommon,Higgins Lake,Grayling,Traverse City,Petosky, Burt lake,Mackinaw,St.Ignace & falls area ,Pictured Rocks, Houghton Hancock, and the whole UP is absolutely gorgeous. The eastern lower Great Lakes has the best perch and walleye fishing around. Some better detail what your looking for would help to narrow it down. Hope this helps. Your UP campground and central lower are going to be the cheapest.

http://silverlakerc.com/rates-map$2400 for the season. Probably 5 months.Here's another in the UPhttp://www.summerbreezecampground.com/rates/$1900 for the season

Especially Minn and Wisc, what you are hoping to do is what EVERY resident of the state hopes to do (at least it seems like it). Buy an RV and use it as an alternative to purchasing the expensive "cabin on the lake". That drives the price of finding a place to put it.....$1,000 a month is about average up here. Most spaces are rented for the entire summer.Base camps - those not on a body of water, are pretty few and far between unless they are oriented toward the single night traveler.You may be better off doing a week or two at a time at the state park - but get going on reservations now!

Inexpensive places to summer over in WI, MI, or MN

22 Replies

Geocritter
Explorer
Feb 02, 2015
I want to thank folks who’ve posted with information. I’ve only been following the thread for the last few days, as I’ve been spending my days at a dog field trials event at a nearby sportsman’s club. It’s been very interesting and a whole lot of fun but by days end I’m pretty tired (I'd volunteered to help out).

Steve
Snowman9000
Explorer
Jan 29, 2015
There is a very nice network of state forest CGs around Minocqua. Very few if any have any hookups at all, but they are wonderful forest/lake sites. You'd have to move every two weeks, and do some research as far as larger sites.
ctpres
Explorer
Jan 29, 2015
Check out:
Glen's Cove
Goetzville, Michigan
Phone: (906) 297-5042
Even has boat dock and slips with power for battery charging etc. Rustic place and low cost. Not sure about current rates but bet it will be under $600 a month. We reserved two days and ended up staying a week. No pool, no hot tub, not really kid friendly, quiet and great boating. Two day Passport America rate $10.
BrianinMichigan
Explorer
Jan 28, 2015
Do you need more than 15 amps? and would you be willing to drive somewhere to dump. I know of a small place on a lake near my cabin. I will find out how much per day/week month if your interested. They do have well water hookups. The place is in the middle of the East Hiawatha Forest between Moran and Trout Lake.
johnsonbert
Explorer
Jan 28, 2015
You mentioned the shoulder seasons, even those are short in some of the areas you are looking at. There may still be snow on the ground and freezing nights into mid-May. And there will be freezing nights and snow as early as late September. Many private parks close before October 1, so in the UP and Northern WI, the season can be quite short. There are several parks in the Manistique area of MI That are nice and also Rapid River, MI. Northern Wisconsin, the UP of Michigan and Norther lower Michigan have some great state parks and US Forest service parks as well as private parks, and that is a summer tourism area for the Upper Midwest. Many cities or counties will also have RV parks at a reasonable price also. Do not miss the Apostle Islands and Door County in WI, Porcupine Mts in the UP, Houghton-Hancock-Calumet area, Tahquamenon Falls and The SOO Locks, Munising National Lakeshore, Fayette state park restored smelting and shipping community, and by all means, Mackinac Island. Make sure you have a Pasty somewhere along the way and while in St Ignace, try a burger at Clyde's Drive-in. You will be better served by moving to a new area every couple of weeks as you will be able to see more. Hope this may help, Happy Trails Bert
Geocritter
Explorer
Jan 28, 2015
I want to thank folks here for responding to my query. It looks as though I'll be moving around a lot this summer. Actually, seeing as how I live in a motorhome, that's not a bad idea!

Steve
TechWriter
Explorer
Jan 26, 2015
Geocritter wrote:
I’ve lived in such places in TX, AZ, CA, OR, and WA and they all cost between $300 and $400 a month with full hook-ups. Do places like that exist in the north woods for someone like me?

Lake Pepin Campground - $475/mon or $1350 per season (7 months).

Pepin is a small town on the Mississippi River and has one of the best restaurants around - Harbor View Cafe.
Geocritter
Explorer
Jan 26, 2015
It's looking as if I'll be staying at NF and CE campgrounds this summer and moving a lot. As for the RV parks earning months, yes high season is the summer months, but they also have the shoulder seasons and hunting season in the fall and early winter. The RV park I wintered at in AZ only charged $300 month and after the winter season was over it pretty much cleared out, yet somehow they make money. But I may as well face it, these folks are in business to make money and they'll charge what the market dictates.

Steve
427435
Explorer
Jan 26, 2015
Remember that those RV parks have as much capital invested as any RV park and they only have 3-5 months to earn money.

You may want to do some searching for Corps of Engineers campgrounds and National Forest campgrounds. Many are available with water and electrical and convenient dump stations. You would need to move every 2 weeks, however.
sb2bb
Explorer
Jan 26, 2015
Go here http://arborvitaecampground.com/Home_Page.php What we call "Up North" for sure. We stay there. Not a bad place.