7 Campsites Every Michigander Should Put on Their Bucket List
Daydreaming about outdoor adventures after this past weekend's warmer weather? Who could blame you? Fantasies about lying on the warm sand by the beach, kayaking, and even camping are sure to be on most everyone's mind.
Personally, I'm not a camper. I'm a much bigger fan of 'glamping' as they call it. Where showers and warm water are readily available and I don't have to worry about those pesky mosquitoes. However, I'm still new to the area and I am perfectly willing to give camping another shot. But...where to go?
Thankfully, Reddit users of Michigan have the answer. Recently, I found a thread on Reddit filled with amazing suggestions about that very thing. Here are 7 campsites every Michigander should add to their bucket list. Is your favorite on the list?
1. Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Reddit user K-zoo suggested the Porcupine Mountains saying: Porcupine Mountains - camping at the sites on the top of the Escarpment. Stunning sunsets in the fall, and an awesome view of the Lake of the Clouds. The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is made up of 60,000 acres so, even if you don't camp on top of the Escarpment, I'm sure there are plenty of areas to enjoy camping.
2. Fox River State Forest Campground
This suggestion comes from Reddit user WontRapeYou. Perhaps an unfortunate choice for a username but their suggestion looks absolutely gorgeous. They wrote: along the Fox River. It's the same river Hemingway fished and it's pretty dope. Their claim about Hemingway seems to be true, at least according to this article from TravelTheMitten.com.
3. Twelve Mile Beach Campground
This 'must add' for your campsite bucket list comes from Reddit user Sparky-58 who simply listed the name of campground. However, fellow Reddit user Winterberry25 chimed in with: I worked at the Wildlife Refuge in Seney one summer in college and every other week, mid-week after work all of us seasonals would stock up on hot dogs and beer in town and head up to 12-mile beach and nab one or two of the sites over looking the Lake. The next morning was rough, but we were all in it together. Twelve Mile Beach is along Lake Superior within the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. There are 36 total campsites including 2 that are handicap accessible.
There are a couple of choices with this bucket list camping destination. You can either visit north or south Manitou Island. It's an island chain that's near the Straits of Mackinac according to their website. It looks breathtaking which may be why Reddit user silfgonnasilf said: Manitou island is my favorite camp of all time. They continued with: I did north and camped on the west side to get the sunsets and most level ground.
Reddit user grundalow is to thank for this suggestion. They said: Isle Royale - Moskey Basin is the best. Moskey Basin, along with the rest of the park, is closed seasonally but will reopen on April 15th.
6. Tahquamenon Falls State Park
Reddit user roguewitch answered the question of best Michigan campsites with: Tahquamenon falls... breathtaking. There's no way that I, someone who is notorious for mispronouncing names, will be able to say this State Park name correctly...but I want to go. That waterfall is, as rougewitch put it, breathtaking. The website describes this particular waterfall as "one the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River and has a drop of nearly 50 feet, is 200 feet across and has a maximum flow of 50,000 gallons of water per second". The Tahquamenon Falls State Park stretches about 13 miles with plenty of undeveloped land to see.
Leelanau State Park lies at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula and is the suggestion of Reddit user runningraliegh who specifically urged other users to stay at the lakeside campsites. Leelanau State Park has over 1500 acres for you to explore including the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum. Keep in mind - flooding does impact the availability of campsites from time to time. Make sure you check the official website before visiting.
What do you think? Do the Reddit users of Michigan have it right?
While I still lean towards the 'glamping' side of outdoor adventures, I have to admit some of these views are tempting me actually sleep outside in a tent. Who knew?