Manistee Ntl Forest, share your boondock knowledge?

[GordonThree]

Anyone care to share their boondocking spot knowledge for the Manistee National, southern end like Muskegon, Oceana or Newaygo counties?

edit: oh I should add, rig is a truck + 23 ft TT, so need a little maneuvering room 🙂

This area is hard to scout from google earth, since google decided to fly while the trees were all in bloom.

[GordonThree]

The MVUM are a great resource... but I'l too chicken to blindly drive down 2-tracks I haven't scouted before hand. Found an open site at Benton Lake USFS CG, near White Cloud. Thank goodness for the Federal fireworks ban; dog and I had a restful sleep last night.

Scouted some of the fire roads nearby and tagged a few sites on the GPS to visit maybe this fall.

I found the USGS topo-quad maps contain these fire roads as well, but they're not numbered. Being able to download the quads onto my Garmin was very handy for reconciling with the MVUM.

[EsoxLucius]

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/hmnf/maps-pubs/?cid=stelprdb5275851

The MVUM maps can help one find boondocking (dispersed camping) sites.

[dewey02]

I am not very familiar with the Manistee NF, since the last time I camped there was about 35 years ago.

You might want to download a copy of the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) from their website for the lower part of the Manistee NF. MVUM - Link While this map is primarily of use for ATV riding, it shows all the National Forest System roads and specifies what type of motor vehicle can go there (RVs, TT, 5ers would be in the highway vehicle category). It also has the following statement, which at least on some other national forests, was done to still permit boondock camping along some roads: Motor vehicle designations include parking along designated routes and at facilities associated with designated routes when it is safe to do so and when not causing damage to National Forest System resources

That "facility" word was put in to address some of the wide spots adjacent to, or at the terminus of dead end roads where RVs often boondock.

[GordonThree]

redwingfans wrote:
There is a NF ranger station in downtown Baldwin. The have a lot of maps/flyers on lots of distributed camp sites. Ask them about "hidden lakes" there are more than 20 of them with distributed camping.

Weather permitting, next week I plan to just hitch up the TT on Thursday and head over that way. I'll check out the Baldwin ranger station if it's open. I appreciate the tip!

[redwingfans]

There is a NF ranger station in downtown Baldwin. The have a lot of maps/flyers on lots of distributed camp sites. Ask them about "hidden lakes" there are more than 20 of them with distributed camping.

[GordonThree]

wingsfan20 wrote:
Manistee camping

Try this

Thanks for the link, I'll check out that list. They're missing a few USFS in Manistee County; like the fishing hole Blacksmith Bayou CG and the hiker's paradise Seaton Creek CG.

I'm looking for USFS dispersed sites... for some reason USFS published a map of dispersed sites in Manistee County, but not for the other counties, dunno why! So, anyone know of forest boondock sites in Muskegon, Oceana or Newaygo counties?

[M_GO_BLUE1]

...or you have the RV Park at Little River Casino at the intersection of 31 and 22

[wingsfan20]

Manistee camping

Try this