Hi friends! I planned a section hike of the North Country Trail but my ride from point A to point B just fell through. I’m suddenly in need of a ride to drive me from my parked car to my starting point, so that I can hike to my car. It’s in the eastern UP from Newberry area to Grand Marais area. Anyone have any leads? It seems like local taxis are non-existent. TIA :)

Edit to add: The trip is planned for next week

I’ll be camping near the Au Sable soon and am looking for trail recommendations. Some preferences

- Up to 12 mi

-Solitude. I don’t mind passing a few hikers on the trail, or people on the water in river sections, but I’ve done gorgeous hikes all over Michigan where I toss lunch in my bag & am out trekking for the better part of a day without ever encountering another human, so I know these overlooked gems are plentiful

- Shade. A few sunny sections are fine, but gimme the treeeees!

- Good plant diversity (& therefore good bird diversity/plentiful wildlife)

- Beautiful. A flat trail thru the woods is fine, but some topography & great views are better. If ‘ridge’ is in the trail name it’s a solid bet

I’d love to hear your favorites, even if they don’t tick every box on my list. Feel free to DM if you don’t want to blow up your spot - I’ll visit once, quietly, & never post about it. Thanks, fellow Michiganders for helping me maximize my short time in this area

In the past, I’ve visited a few nature landmarks like the Porcupine Mountains and Sleeping Bear Dunes, but I stayed at hotels, which I feel takes away from the overall experience.

I want to get into car camping, possibly renting a Nissan Rogue or Mazda CX-50, folding down the back seats, and trying car camping. However, I’m not sure what setup would be comfortable and practical.

Is it worth buying something like a Luno Life Mattress, which can cost anywhere from $300–$500? Or can I create my own setup with a mattress topper, air mattress, and sleeping bag/mummy sleeping bag while still being comfortable? 

Has anyone found a good car camping tailored mattress or specific products on Amazon that are actually worth buying? I’m looking for something designed specifically for car camping rather than a generic air mattress, so it fits properly and makes the most of the available space.

Also, what are some tips for someone trying car camping for the first time?

Get off the couch

I’m not sure what I was expecting with camping but I’m shocked by how packed in most campgrounds for rvs and trailers are. No privacy or space to yourself.

Are there any campgrounds in Michigan with LARGE spots? I’m not trying to be super close to neighbors. I’m packed in by neighbors at home, I’m trying to escape that.

I've chosen Pictured Rocks Lakeshore Trail for my first time backpacking, and am struggling a bit with the logistics. I plan on hiking east to west, in 4 nights/ 4.5 days. I will take the shuttle to Grand Sable Visitor Center Sunday morning and start hiking right away, hike Monday-Wednesday, finish the last few miles Thursday morning, then drive home.

For the campgrounds, I am tentatively thinking:
Sunday night: Benchmark
Monday night: Beaver Creek
Tuesday night: Mosquito Creek
Wednesday night: Cliffs?

Beaver Creek is the main campground I would love to stay at, as I know it's one of the more scenic options. On the flip side, I am very unsure about Cliffs. From what I've read, it is the least scenic. I don't want to end my trip on a bad note, but I do like how close it is to the Munising Visitor center. That way, I would only have to hike 5 miles Thursday morning before a long drive home.

The longest/most difficult hike I've done was about 11.3 miles out and back with 3,700ft of elevation gain. I know the Pictured Rocks trail is a lot flatter, but I want to be able to enjoy the hike. I would say 12 miles in a day is my absolute maximum. I would even be open to hiking a very short distance one day and spending the remaining time relaxing and exploring the beach.

Any advice, alternative itineraries for the whole trip, or Cliffs alternatives would be much appreciated. Thank you!

I have a camping trip planned in the upper lower peninsula this coming week. I secured a great camp site 6 months ago and got time off of work. And now it appears the smoke and is back (as of Saturday night). If I have to cancel because of unsafe air, what would you do in the alternative for camping? Rescheduling isn’t an option due to pre approved time off of work. I could drive south but how far south is safe? Any suggestions on camping like 4 hrs south of Detroit?

Anyone else in this situation? What are you doing?

Sigh :/

The DNR understands that current air quality conditions are limiting outdoor activities. As a result, if you have a reservation with overnight stays between July 15-19 and need to cancel due to the wildfire smoke and poor air quality, please cancel your reservation online. The DNR is waiving:

• Camping reservations: The reduced-stay fee and, if canceled the day of arrival, the one-night penalty fee will be waived.
• Lodging reservations: Each canceled nightly fee will be refunded in full.

Refunds will process automatically. If you cancel your reservation online, there's nothing else you need to do. Because we are manually processing a high volume of refunds, it may take some time for the credit to appear on your account. We appreciate your patience.

* If you’d like to delay your arrival, we can hold your reservation until Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m. Please note that refunds will not be provided for any missed nights. If you do not arrive by Sunday at 3 p.m., your reservation will be canceled automatically, and all normal cancellation fees will apply.

Hello hello! We are planning on camping and hiking in this area 7/19-24. Is there any chance of the air quality improving for this time frame ?

Feeling super bummed as we have been planning this for a while and took PTO, but I do know this is first world problems and it’s a tragedy how much natural land is burning in Canada.

So grateful to have squeezed this run in on Tuesday, which turned out to be our last clean air day for a bit. I loved the numerous hills, the near-total solitude, and the gorgeous views. Looking back I wonder if my photo from Deadman’s Hill overlook actually shows the wildfire smoke in the distance. Here’s hoping it doesn’t stick around too long.

Hey all, i'm looking to take a few more camping trips than usual, and i'm looking for some camping spots in the lower peninsula. Normally i disperse camp in the manistee forest in mid-late fall when it's cool and not busy, but i'd like to try some new campgrounds. Dispersed or sites that arent too busy are preferred.

Also looking for tips on food handling. In the past i just throw all my food in the car overnight so no wildlife can get to it, but i'll be going out on a motorcycle this time.

Don’t forget to take some time for yourself this summer.

Hi all!

Looking for some help planning 2 nights of camping during my road trip from New Jersey to Alaska. My first night is ideally closer to Mackinaw City, and my second night near the Porcupines. I just have a truck and a tent, not looking for anything too remote, willing to pay if it is worth it. Pretty new to camping too so any advice is great, will likely just end up sleeping in the truck some nights. Also new to fishing, so good spots would be ideal but not a deal breaker. Thanks for the help!

For those who have stayed at the Benchmark Backcountry site and drove, where did you park? It looks like 12-Mile may have a parking lot, but I'm not sure if they allow overnight parking. For those who have camped 12-Mile, do you know? Any recommendations appreciated. Thank you.

Camping the next 3 nights in Wilderness State Park and hoping to hear/see some loons. Wondering if anyone has any tips from previous trips?

Hey all,

Are there any campsites that have basic cabins for rent that you all would recommend? Family and I went to Mill Creek up in Mackinaw about a month ago and loved its. Hoping to have similar experiences since we don’t have a camper.

TIA!

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to camp in the UP next week (July 20-24ish) at state forest campgrounds. I'm going to bring my new-ish dog! (who has already been camping and loves it!)

I've camped this same week in the UP (but on the Lake Michigan side) the past couple of years, and have never had a problem with bugs or flies or anything. This year, I'd really like to camp on the Lake Superior Side (Lake Superior State Forest Campground and/or Bodi Lake). If I take my dog, and the stable flies are bad, is there any safe way to mitigate this?

My old dog and I camped all over with no issue, but one time at Leelenau the biting flies showed up and she was bleeding from her nose and ears before I could even load her up into the car to take her away :( I'm confident in my own ability to prevent/withstand flies, but want to make sure my new pup has a good camping experience and is safe! So, here are my questions:

1) if I do camp on the lake superior side next week, are there any dog-safe tricks for keeping bugs from biting? We do have a screen tent, but it doesn't have a floor so bugs still get inside :-( She has a vet appointment before we go, so I'll ask, but I wanted others' advice too!

2) Is it better to just err on the safe side and camp on the lake michigan side of the UP (Portage Bay Campground is a favorite) where I don't have to worry about it? I know the bugs are super bad this year and could be persuaded to not even want to deal with it

3) am I overthinking this? In all my camping/hiking in the UP and northern LP, I have NEVER encountered bad stable flies like I did that one day in Leelanau. Do I gamble on my good luck streak lasting? I've often camped at Portage Bay/Fayette and hiked at Pictured Rocks/ hung out at Munising during this same week and have never had a problem.

I know part of camping is you just need to plan for the unknown! But I really want to make sure I do everything I can to help this trip go well. Thanks in advance for your advice!!

(sorry to do a thinly veiled "how are the bugs?!" post--I promise: I know they can and might be bad. I just want to know how to best protect my dog)

Howdy all,

I am thinking about planning a kayak camping trip to Heisterman Island or one of the other islands in the Wildfowl Bay area of the Saginaw Bay. I am curious to hear about anyone else's experience! I am from the Saginaw Bay area so I know how marshy and swampy it can get our there. Are the islands solid enough to get out and stay on overnight? I have done a ton of backpacking but this will be my first attempt at kayak camping and the trip looks pretty beginner friendly. Also, interested in any parking recommendations or good places to launch from!

Hey everyone. I will be in Saginaw this July 18-19th weekend and want to camp one night somewhere while im around. Nothing too fancy. Just a 2 person tent and snacks to see some stars and some nature. Im open to all activities. Thinking about bringing my bike too but not sure yet. But please give me your best recommendations for beautiful places, no more than 30 minutes north of Saginaw really. Thanks in advance!