Michigan Upper Peninsula camping

[camp-n-family]

Looking for recommendations for state parks in Michigan’s Upper peninsula. We’ve crossed the Mackinaw bridge and done the north side of Lake Superior before. We’re thinking of exploring the south side this summer. Family of 4 with a large dog and 35’ tt. Prefer wooded areas over open field camping and outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and fishing. Any suggestions? Thanks

[drsteve]

GordonThree wrote:
I thought the little store was the other way, near the (defunct?) private trailer park on the beach, east of the park entrance?

Every time I've visited the park, I've seen a near miss between visitors and drivers that refuse to yield right of way where the highway bisects the road linking the old lakeshore loops to the interior loops. Pedestrians shouldn't have to yield to vehicles, it's the other way around, but drivers are in too much of a hurry to care about that

There is a store a couple miles east of the park entrance, has gas, propane, etc. The guy with the donuts is west of the campground, about a quarter mile past the boat ramp.

[hornet28]

GordonThree wrote:
I thought the little store was the other way, near the (defunct?) private trailer park on the beach, east of the park entrance?

Every time I've visited the park, I've seen a near miss between visitors and drivers that refuse to yield right of way where the highway bisects the road linking the old lakeshore loops to the interior loops. Pedestrians shouldn't have to yield to vehicles, it's the other way around, but drivers are in too much of a hurry to care about that

Do you think out on a road you can walk wherever and traffic is supposed to wait for you to move? Your not in the city, walk on the shoulder you don't need to walk on the pavement.

[GordonThree]

I thought the little store was the other way, near the (defunct?) private trailer park on the beach, east of the park entrance?

Every time I've visited the park, I've seen a near miss between visitors and drivers that refuse to yield right of way where the highway bisects the road linking the old lakeshore loops to the interior loops. Pedestrians shouldn't have to yield to vehicles, it's the other way around, but drivers are in too much of a hurry to care about that

[drsteve]

GordonThree wrote:
Only one negative to Wilderness is the highway that runs through the middle of the park. The State wasn't able to purchase all of the land inside the park boundaries so there's quite a bit of private land mixed in, and the locals don't slow down at all when passing through.

I sometimes wish the state would get its heavy hand out, invoke eminent domain over the remaining private land parcels, making the park whole and shutting down the highway.

Hmm... I've been to Wilderness many times, rode bikes with my kids on the park road, and never thought the traffic was either very heavy or moving particularly fast. The road doesn't go anywhere anyway--after it passes the dozen or so private homes, it turns to gravel, passes the park's rental cabins, and eventually ends several miles away at a secluded beach. Everyone's mileage can certainly vary, but I've never seen a problem.

Besides, if the state buys it up, the little store with the fresh donuts will be gone...

[tatest]

Confused about your geography, so I'm not sure what you've already seen.

North shore of Lake Superior is in Minnesota and Ontario, northern shore of the U.P. is on the south shore of Superior. Southern shore of the U.P. is on the north shore of Lakes Michigan and Huron. Both shores of the U.P. are north of the bridge.

Most of my U.P. experience is on or near the Lake Superior shore, Munising to L'Anse and up into the Keweenaw Peninsula, geological field work in the area. I've traveled the Lake Michigan shore, south shore of U.P., several times, Escanaba to St. Ignace, but haven't camped. It is a nice drive towards the eastern end, where the road follows the shore. I don't remember much in the way of state parks, one at Indian Lake and another at the straits having camping, maybe another between Menominee and Escanaba if you are coming up from Green Bay. The likeliest location for forest camping would be in the Hiawatha National Forest, eastern unit is around Brevoort (campground on Brevoort Lake), western unit is between Escanaba and Manistique.

Most of the land along the Lake Michigan shore is privately owned, some of it developed as resorts, much of it simply private. There are more resorts and commercial campgrounds toward the eastern end of US Highway 2, west of the forest.

[hornet28]

GordonThree wrote:
I sometimes wish the state would get its heavy hand out, invoke eminent domain over the remaining private land parcels, making the park whole and shutting down the highway.

Would you wish that if you were one of those land owners. Ask yourself this. Who was there first, the land owners or the park? I think you know the answer.

[bigorange]

I haven’t stayed there myself, but a friend from work owns Clear Lake Campground in Dafter on the east end of the UP. Family-owned and operated since the 60s.

[GordonThree]

garmp wrote:
We stayed at a couple of state parks on our way to the UP and as a disabled vet were not charged use fees until we hit Brimely SP and were taken back by the sudden change of regs. Being from Missouri and unaware of the use fees it was sort of a shock. Not that I minded, it's just that half way though our trip all of a sudden we're hit with another fee.

That's a bummer. I did a quick look into anything official, and came up with nothing. Several unofficial sources claim that the day use / entrance fee is waved for disabled vets. But nothing on the State of Michigan website.

It looks like someone tried to eliminate fees for totally and fully disabled vets in 2013, HB 2013-SFA-4297, but I can't find any evidence that bill was adopted.

[garmp]

We stayed at a couple of state parks on our way to the UP and as a disabled vet were not charged use fees until we hit Brimely SP and were taken back by the sudden change of regs. Being from Missouri and unaware of the use fees it was sort of a shock. Not that I minded, it's just that half way though our trip all of a sudden we're hit with another fee.

[GordonThree]

Only one negative to Wilderness is the highway that runs through the middle of the park. The State wasn't able to purchase all of the land inside the park boundaries so there's quite a bit of private land mixed in, and the locals don't slow down at all when passing through.

I sometimes wish the state would get its heavy hand out, invoke eminent domain over the remaining private land parcels, making the park whole and shutting down the highway.

[Trekkar]

There are two campgrounds at "the Porkies": The Union Bay campground has hookups, but the Presque Isle campground (southwest) is rustic.
Both are on Lake Superior.

[drsteve]

garmp wrote:
On your way up, try Wilderness State Park. We made a day/night over there and wished we had more time. Very nice park.

One of my favorite state parks. In addition to a nice campground with a bunch of lakefront sites, it has 26 miles of beach and 10,000 acres of woods with numerous hiking trails. Oh, and the little mom and pop store just up the road from the CG has fresh, homemade donuts every morning.

[luvztheoutdoor1]

Fayette has electric, though, and maybe that is all you need. I loved it there. J.W.Wells is also very nice and has a lot of hiking trails.

I usually get an out of state park sticker every year. It's a lot cheaper than paying daily fees.

I go back every year "up north"...die-hard former Michigander.

[rexlion]

For future reference, Loranger Pines on old 76 se of West Branch MI is pretty nice.