Great lakes directory?

[GordonThree]

Can anyone recommend their pick for the most comprehensive campground directory (physical not online) for the Great Lakes area, or more specifically Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota?

I'm looking for a book / guide that lists the tiny campgrounds, not the 500 site full hookup concrete and manicured lawn types. Rustic properties like tiny Forest service and State forest campgrounds ... the little ones you don't typically find on the highway maps even.

[travelnutz]

I know of NO publication that lists even 1/3 of the total CG's in the State of Michigan. Several years ago a friend naturist who worked for the Michigan DNR out of Hoffmaster SP 5 miles north of Grand Haven told us that there are nearly 4,000 total individual CG's in the state. Unfortunately he'd passed away a few years after so can't ask him again. Most not listed in publications are small and rustic and usually signified as being part of a group of CG's belonging to and maintained by another more mainstream state, county, National Forest or State Forest jurisdiction or affiliation body. Many were listed as CG-1, CG-2, CG-3 etc in the past but many are now known by names attributed to local features or explorer/founder etc. Such as a creek, river, or bay or a woods or a name/description of the one time land owner etc.

As is well known that Michigan is still today over 51% forested with vast state forests and national forests and state park lands. Over 100 state parks with 27 of them being over 1,000 to 59,000 acres in size. Michigan has more than 11,000 inland lakes not even including shoreline on the 4 of the 5 Great Lakes which has over 3,200 miles of shoreline alone. Michigan has more than 87,000 miles of rivers and streams and CG's are everywhere!

Because of the state having these various attributes and features, CG are extremely popular and everywhere in the lower peninsula and the Upper Peninsula.

Been years since I've even seen lists, pamphlets, or any publications or talking to the local DNR as to where gobs of these rustic CG's are located but we keep seeing them in our travels around the state on side roads and many on dirt roads in the northern half of the state as nearly 90% of the state's 10 million population lives in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula. The vast entire Upper Peninsula has roughly only 300,000 population so there's incredible land for camping to be had.

[Matt_Colie]

Gordon,

I am not at all sure that such a hard copy publication exists. We count on some, but few and rely on on-line sources very little as on-line is simply not available much of the time.

There are two books we carry in the coach library that might be of value. The AAA versions of Woodalls are published by regions and so are smaller the thick version.

Between that and the book "Camping with the Corps or Engineers", we can usually find someplace nice. There are no Corps camps in Michigan at all, but both Minnesota and Wisconsin do have them.

Matt

[dalenoel]

Been camping in MI for 50 years and found 3 new ones this year alone. They are listed no where else and were only found from the forums. Many of the county and small private parks only have a few, under 50 sites and don't need to advertise. None of them would put an ad in a printed listing as they don't need it. They also do not have flyers but many of them will have a Facebook page for their friends. Good luck in your search.

Do the internet search for the area or city you want and you may win that way.

[DutchmenSport]

Pick your geographical area on Google, then zero down on "campground". A lot of times there will be listings of local, non advertised campgrounds that the local Chamber of Commerce will list and appear on the city, county web sites and Google searches. Also will list non recognized campgrounds with on line phone directories.

[swphotobug]

Probably the state guide would be best but many Mom and Pop campgrounds are not listed, you just stumble across them on the road.