Boondocking in Sleeping Bear Area

theoldwizard1 wrote:


Some of these fire road can go for miles with no place to even turn around.\ although that is more common in the UP.

My favorite are the ones that seem nice and calm, then they narrow and suddenly you're confronted with 3ft deep ruts some monster truck dug while mudding.

When in doubt walk it out?

Don't expect these roads to be accurately depicted "online" or on an automotive gps.

If you want, get an offline topographic map app for smart phones. The USGS maps are great.

The other name for a "2 track" is a "fire road". These roads were cut through the forest to allow fire crews quicker access into the forest.

Some of these fire road can go for miles with no place to even turn around.\ although that is more common in the UP.

I would suggest not heading down a two track in Michigan without first knowing what you are heading into. You may end up facing an unavigable water hole and no way of backing up or turning around.

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I'd recommend stopping at the local forest service ranger station to inquire instead of just picking a two-track to drive down and park wherever. Many forests have designated places where you can and cannot boondock.

As far as Sleeping Bear Dunes Nat'l Lakeshore itself - absolutely no boondocking - campgrounds only.

A two track is a primitive, less travelled woods road, where the bare ground shows through where the tires go (thus the two-tracks) and grass/weeds grow in the middle of the road between the tracks. These are generally single lane woods roads, but usually have a good surface underneath them. (That area is pretty sandy, so drainage is fairly good, and not so sandy that your tires will get hung up.)

Surely, you have two track roads in Indiana. I am certain that the Hoosier National Forest has them, as I used to work there many years ago.

GordonThree wrote:
Yes... There is National Forest surrounding the park. Drive down a few of the two-tracks and you'll find cleared out spots big enough for just about anything.

National Forest trails will be marked with a numbered brown sign post. Watch for no trespassing signs, there's sometimes small pieces of privately owned land mixed in with the federal land.

What do you mean by "two-tracks"?

Yes... There is National Forest surrounding the park. Drive down a few of the two-tracks and you'll find cleared out spots big enough for just about anything.

National Forest trails will be marked with a numbered brown sign post. Watch for no trespassing signs, there's sometimes small pieces of privately owned land mixed in with the federal land.