Question about boondocking along the Great Lakes

[Butch50]

After the Midwest Truck Camper Rally my wife and I would like to travel up into Wisconsin and then on into Michigan. I am looking for places that we could boondock along the way. We will be traveling with our TC and pulling a 14' enclosed trailer with out Harley trike in it.

We plan on traveling along the south side of Lake Superior and then across to the Mackinac Bridge and then down the west side of Lake Huron.

Like I said looking for suggestions on some places a person can boondock. Not looking for anything right on the shores of the water.

Also looking for suggestions on what to see. This is the first time up here for the wife and it might as well be for me also as I was about 14yo when I went through some of this area with my folks. So that has been over 50 years ago.

[Sue_Bee]

I do think that a lot of people want to keep their backroads to themselves.

Pretty much the entire UP Michigan has great ATV riding. In Wisconsin, the trail system has improved vastly in the last decade, but there are some recent ticky tack rules to ATV riding (have to register ATV, have to display registration "plate").

My husband's family has a home in the Chequamegon NF (Wi), we ride the Dead Horse Run when we can, it connects at the southern end to the Tuscobia trail. There are parts of this trail that are pretty challenging and make me wish that I had power steering. There is a small campground, not heavily used, Stockfarm Bridge (46.0375, -90.7153) which has trail access. Lots of wolves in this area now. One thing I can say is that in the decade that we have ridden this trail sporadically (one to four times a year), I can count on both my hands the number of other riders that we have encountered on the trail. We ride the north half mostly, I think that there might be more riders closer to the Tuscobia.

We used to have an old '73 Jeep Wagoneer that we would take back in the forest near the cabin, onto old logging trails, to try to get it stuck. That thing never did get bogged down as hard as we tried, and we had it in some pretty deep mud holes. Loved that thing, miss it still.

We have found that up to date gazetteers are better than GPS on those forest roads, and take them with us when we trail ride as well.

[GordonThree]

Hopefully that video didn't give anyone sea sickness with the fast-forwarding effect. I used it to crunch down ~3 hours worth of driving into a short youtube video.

I'm happy to share as much information as I have about my little slice of heaven here in Northern Michigan. I agree with you Jefe, that information and details on trails and back-roads are hard to come by sometimes. I don't know if it's folks protecting their favorite spots, or they don't want to send someone down a road where they might get stuck, or what exactly.

Butch50 wrote:

After looking at GordonThree video I might want to rethink and not bring the Harley and instead bringing the ATV and do some trail riding. Or start getting busy on the Jeep so I can tow it and bring it instead. Decision, decisions, do not know which way to go.

Hard call to make man! There's plenty of beautiful paved roads that would make for a great bike ride, as long as the weather cooperates. If you make it to my neck of the woods, you could setup your TC at the Platte River CG and spend a day riding M-22, what a great road.

On the other hand, the Huron/Manistee National Forest has an extensive ATV trail system, for non-street legal atv's only (I guess they don't want Jeeps and Subarus having too much fun?).

Another great area for "4-wheelin" is around the HodenPyle dam area, lots of muddy forest roads. There's a gem of a USFS campground south-east of the HodenPyle reservoir, small sites good for tents or truck campers... Seaton creek I think it's called.

EDIT: corrected name of campground on m-22

[Butch50]

GordonThree,

I'm also one of those that watched your video. Thanks.

Sue Bee,

Thanks for all of the suggestions and I was not planning to go into or near Milwaukee.

Is it worth going up the Keweenaw Peninsula to Copper Harbor? From the pictures I see it looks real nice there but wondering if it is just a tourist trap? I'm not into places like that.

Thanks again everybody for all of the suggestions.

After looking at GordonThree video I might want to rethink and not bring the Harley and instead bringing the ATV and do some trail riding. Or start getting busy on the Jeep so I can tow it and bring it instead. Decision, decisions, do not know which way to go.

[jefe_4x4]

Gord,
I am one of the 15 people now who watched your vid of dirt roads and trails in the vicinity.
Thanks for sharing that range of road. We are still planning a 4 month, September 1st to New Years Day, clockwise scenic tour of the U.S. boundry states in our off-road equipped TC.
This info helps in fleshing out the prospects for boondocking around the Great Lakes. We should hit the G.L's around mid-Sept. and the N.E. in late Sept.
Seems every jurisdiction has its peculiar regulations.
regards, as always, jefe

[Sue_Bee]

In the southern half of Wisconsin, you will be hard pressed to find anything which is a suitable (or sanctioned) "forest" boondock. In addition, the western, unglaciated part of southern Wisconsin (from Baraboo south to Illinois and west to Iowa and Minnesota) is, IMO, much prettier than the eastern half. If I were you, I would especially stay away from Milwaukee, really anything along the western shore of Lake Michigan until you get well north of Milwaukee.


If you were to drive from Amana, Ia, to Prairie Du Chien, Wi, you can take the Great River Road (which is surely one of the most beautiful drives in the US east of the Rockies) north to La Crosse, Wi, and then start north through Eau Claire to Trego, Wi. North of Trego, you would follow 63, which runs along the
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway which offers some nice places to camp, then to Ashland Wi, then east on 2 to the UP, or Hayward Wi, then east on 77 to 13 to Ironwood. Either route will take you through the Chequamegon NF, also offering some nice places to see and camp.

Another option would be to take 151 N/E through Madison, then on up past Appleton and Green Bay and then through Marinette, and then 35 which runs up the western shore of Lake Michigan, and then choose a path north to the southern shore of Superior.

If you were to travel as far east in the UP as possible, you would get to Drummond Island which is now Lake Huron. Which is pretty cool, too.

[GordonThree]

jefe 4x4 wrote:
By a long shot, this is the best thread ever on G.L./U.P. truck camping/boondocking. In asking similar querries on a certain famous travel forum you get one, possible two responses from folks living in the vicinity but still didn't have a clue since their perspective is through the capacious front window of a 45 foot MoHo. Yes, I asked these same questions.
One remaining Q is, how tight are the secondary dirt roads in the woods you speak of. In our travels through Volcano Country a couple years ago, the side roads were very tight due to the fast growing trees and shrubs. So tight that only jeeps or quads could make it through. A few more scrapes won't detract from our already off-road pinstriped Lance.
Man, this thing is getting Butt-ugly.
regards, as always, jefe

off-road pinstriped, I like that term 🙂

On the dirt ROADS, that were once actually groomed as a road, you're usually at 1.5-2 car widths, so if you have to pass someone, your side mirrors might touch unless one of you climbs the shoulder some.

The two track roads that are on the maps as atv trails are tight. I've been down several with my Subaru Outback, and have brushed into the side growth now and then, and this is an earlier model, compact station wagon, not the modern bloated "crossover suv" they sell now. Nothing hard enough to pinstripe. On the trails, vertical clearance is also an issue - I'm routinely pruning leaves with the 4ft mag mount antenna that lives on the roof, so that's ~8ft or less sometimes.

Check out this video I made last summer. It starts off on normal dirt roads, and ends exploring an ATV trail.

[jefe_4x4]

By a long shot, this is the best thread ever on G.L./U.P. truck camping/boondocking. In asking similar querries on a certain famous travel forum you get one, possible two responses from folks living in the vicinity but still didn't have a clue since their perspective is through the capacious front window of a 45 foot MoHo. Yes, I asked these same questions.
One remaining Q is, how tight are the secondary dirt roads in the woods you speak of. In our travels through Volcano Country a couple years ago, the side roads were very tight due to the fast growing trees and shrubs. So tight that only jeeps or quads could make it through. A few more scrapes won't detract from our already off-road pinstriped Lance.
Man, this thing is getting Butt-ugly.
regards, as always, jefe

[bjohns]

OK, lots of great choices. But one thing you CANNOT miss are the Friday night all you can eat perch and walleye fish fries all through that region. Man! I can still taste the melt-in-your mouth perch and walleye we had in Eagle River, WI. Every little burg that has a lake or stream near it will have restaurants serving those and they just can't be beat. Or just catch your own and deep fry them. Anything better than fresh caught perch & walleye? Hmm...now I'm hungry again...

[llavaseur]

Pigeon River Country State forest, this is where Michigans Elk Herd reside.

http://pigeonrivercountry.com/index.htm
http://www.pigeonriver.org/

[mi_drew]

Once you get to northeast lower Michigan I assume you will travel U.S. 23. There are a few lighthouses along this route that are in scenic areas and rich in history. Tawas point lighthouse has a state park within walking distance. In the u.p. of MI I would recommend the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point and the Soo Locks at Sault Sainte Marie. There you will find a few nice campgrounds on the St Mary's River with excellent views of the passing freighters.
Have fun.

[rexlion]

See the Big Spring at Palms Book State Park. Fayette SP has a bunch of historic buildings and artifacts from iron ore processing at that site long ago.

[Pepperoni]

I always travel with a GPS but thanks for suggesting it.

Many places in the upper have few roads. If you become lost, it may be 50 straight-line miles to cross.

Even if you make it out to your access road...... do you go left or right. The wrong coin flip means a long walk in the best case and a lost vehicle in the worst case. Both cases become possible.

[GordonThree]

Around here in the Manistee National Forest, the government website claims you can camp anywhere you please, except as some rules perscribe...

Huron-Manistee Dispersed Camping

I like to drive the fire trails the USFS cut into the forest for the logging companies to use, just to sight-see. A good 4wd TC would have a great time on these roads, long as you don't mind the mud. You'll be pretty alone except for the odd rubber-necker like me driving by, and the poachers checking you out to see if you're with the cops. Towing a trailer, even a smaller one with a bike on it, I dunno - the fire trails are tight, and often dead end without anywhere decent to turn a rig around.

On State land in Michigan, you can camp for free, but need to fill out a form, put it in a plastic bag and post it to a tree at your site, listing all your contact details for the green-shirts to check up on you.

MI DNR Dispersed Camping

The wider dirt county roads in the forest are usually privately owned on both sides, even though you're in a National Forest, there's a lot of private property 😞 When I worked as a census taker, the folks living on plots of land deep in the forest weren't happy to receive visitors unannounced.

[Butch50]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'm starting to make a lists of these places recommended. I have some time yet before we will be heading that way.

I know the flies and mosquitos can get pretty bad up there, I do have Ben's spray that is 92% Deet so I think we are good there. We used this in Alaska last year and it sure kept the mosquitos at bay.

I always travel with a GPS but thanks for suggesting it. I do have a very good sense of where I'm at. I grew up in NW MT and was in the woods all the time as a kid. The smallest place I lived on was over 360 acres and was surrounded by woods with our closest neighbor more than a mile away. I would roam in them all the time with the bears including Grizzly bears. We had mountain lions, bobcats and many more wild animals.

I would rather keep this thread here if possible as I feel that TC's want to get away for it more than most other RVers and a lot of TC owners probably don't go to any other threads than this one. I know I hardly look at any other threads except the Truck Camper one.

I don't care if I have to pay to get a camp site as long as it is away from a lot of the main RVers with all the noise and drinking and all the other garbage that happens in a lot of campgrounds. We don't need or want swimming pools and playgrounds or Putt Putt golf. We prefer to be off by ourselves and enjoy the peace in a forest setting. We usually like to spend a couple of nights when we find a nice peaceful place.

Thanks again and keep the suggestions coming.