Summer tip up thru MI, WI and Mn

[agesilaus]

I am thinking about a summer trip up to Wisconsin, Minnesota and maybe the Upper Peninsula. The UP part is in doubt because of the black and sand fly infestation. My wife has a clear memory of the other time we were up there and it isn't a pleasant memory.

We are not urban types and prefer parks and national forests. We'd like to boondock at least 50% of the time. So I'm looking for suggestions of places to camp and visit. We do moderate amounts of hiking and walking but no 10 mile trips.

We will probably proceed west on Hwy 2 when we are done. Time frame is early June for several weeks anyway, we have all summer so no time pressure.

I did post this on the boondocking forum 2 days ago, but got no responsive replies.

[BarabooBob]

I have lived in WI for 63 years and have not run out of places to go for weekend trips. You an send me a PM and we an talk if you want.

[rockhillmanor]

Do Door County instead of the UP. I did the UP once and never again. I won't even drive near there!

Actually do a search on all the wonderful places to RV to in Wisconsin. I used to live there and never even scratched the surface of all the interesting places to go to.

Even along the Wisconsin Illinois borders are some real nice places.

[agesilaus]

I'm beginning to think that we should put these states at the end of our trip, late July and early August. We can head out west first and then circle back around thru these states at the end of the trip via Hwy 2. Then down the great lakes shore.

Nice blog Beth and Henry, you need to syndicate it via RSS if your blog site allows that. It makes following it automatic.

[wanderingdawgs]

Minnesota - Itasca State Park for the Headwaters of the Mississippi River has two nice campgrounds, Temperance River State Park on Lake Superior to see the beautiful Minnesota North Shore. My blog post about Minnesota

Wisconsin - We enjoyed the Door County Peninsula and on another trip camped beside the Mississippi River at Grant River COE in Petosi. My blog post about Wisconsin

Michigan - Muskegon State Park on Lake Michigan, Lakeport State Park on Lake Huron and Porcupine Mountains on Lake Superior. We enjoyed going to Sleeping Bear Dunes, Macinac Island, Soo Locks, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and seeing the waterfalls at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. My blog post about Michigan

[2PawsRiver]

Got to be right on the timing in the UP....early spring is Black Fly and then followed by two weeks of biting black flies, after that it settles down.

Late June, early July you should be fine. Over 100 waterfalls. Porcupine Mountains is incredible, have dinner an the Konteka and watch the black bears out the back windows, Kitch-Ipi-Kipi Spring, Pictured Rocks, Copper Hunting....the list goes on.

We will spend most the summer of 2019 in the UP and will still not see all of it.

[Addy15]

If traveling Highway 2 across Minnesota, you may want to consider a stay in the Bemidji area. There are three state parks in the general area (Bemidji SP, LaSalle Lake State Recreation Area, and Itasca State Park), all with very nice campgrounds. Plan well ahead if wanting a weekend stay at Minnesota State Parks. Visit Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox in downtown Bemidji. Visit the Mississippi Headwaters in Itasca.

I see that Lake Superior's North Shore has already been suggested. Beautiful area -- there are eight state parks between Duluth and the Canadian border all with waterfalls. Not all have campgrounds, but the three nicest campgrounds are at Tettegouche, Temperance River, and Cascade River. I know for a fact (because we've been looking) that most if not all weekends are already booked at Tettegouche and Temperance River for next summer and you probably need to be thinking about making a reservation soon if you want weekday time at any of those campgrounds.

I can't really speak to where are good places to boondock because we haven't really done that.

[BarabooBob]

There are a lot of waterfalls in northern WI, MI, and MN. Google the waterfalls. M wife and I spend a week hiking most of the falls and had a great time. Early summer has black flies no matter where you go in the upper midwest.

[Parrothead_Mike]

Let me throw in the western U.P. and the Porcupine Mountains State Park. It's the largest state park in Michigan and is quite beautiful. I would suggest camping in the rustic campground at the south end of the park along the Presque Isle River. There is no electricity, but there are some excellent hiking trails along both sides of the river and you can easily access the trails right from the campground.

I've lived in the U.P. for a while about 30 years ago and the bugs are usually bad in the spring and early summer.

[robbiesgram]

WI and MN travel along Lake Superior from the UP to Bayfield and Red Cliff, take the ferry to Madeline Island, take a glass bottom boat tour of the Apostle Islands. Continue on to Cornucopia & Port Wing then on to Superior and Duluth. There are several Great Lakes museums to tour, continue on Hiway 61 to the Canadian border, Superior Hiking trail and many state parks on the MN side. You could spend weeks on this route and not see or hike all of the sights.
As suggested in an earlier post, request information from the states, you will get a lot.

[Old_Days]

In Wisconsin if you camp along lake Michigan it will be cooler with less bugs.

[drsteve]

In the spring, anywhere in the north woods is likely to be overrun with bugs. As mentioned, when you get into August, the heavy infestations are behind you.

[jplante4]

We did the UP and WI and out US2 as far as Williston ND. Plenty of state parks along the way. We were there in August and didn't see any black flies at all. ND state parks are well maintained and relatively cheap. Check out Lewis and Clark and Graham's Island.

[Dick_B]

Do a Google search for `______ tourism' and put the State, City, or area in the blank space and read what the specialists recommend. We have plans for two weeks in Door County, WI next August one of our favorite places to ride our bicycles.