The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is home to 24 distinct Michigan State Parks, Recreation Areas, and Historic Sites that offer camping. These parks provide a mix of modern and rustic campsites, mini-cabins, and backcountry access.
To help you find the perfect spot, they are organized below by the eastern, central, and western regions of the Upper Peninsula.
🌲 Eastern U.P.
Brimley State Park
- Rating: 4.5
- 9200 W 6 Mile Rd, Brimley, MI 49715
Situated on the shores of Lake Superior, with excellent swimming and boating.
Muskallonge Lake State Park
- Rating: 4.7
- 29881 Co Rd 407, Newberry, MI 49868
Known for excellent fishing and offering beautiful views of both Lake Superior and Muskallonge Lake.
Straits State Park
- Rating: 4.7
- 720 Church St, St Ignace, MI 49781
Features sweeping views of the Mackinac Bridge and the Straits of Mackinac.
Tahquamenon Falls State Park
- Rating: 4.8
- 41382 W M-123, Paradise, MI 49768
Famous for its massive amber-colored waterfalls and old-growth forests.
🌲 Central U.P.
Craig Lake State Park
- Rating: 4.7
- 851 County Road Ake, Champion, MI 49841
Michigan’s most remote state park, offering a true wilderness escape with excellent canoeing and wildlife viewing.
Fayette Historic State Park
- Rating: 4.8
- 4785 II Rd, Garden, MI 49835
Located on the Big Bay De Noc, it blends a restored 19th-century iron-smelting town with scenic limestone cliffs.
Indian Lake State Park
- Rating: 4.7
- 8970 Co Hwy 442, Manistique, MI 49854
A great family-camping destination with a sandy beach and a great mix of modern and rustic sites.
Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park
Primarily a day-use park, but it offers a unique, semi-primitive walk-in camping experience.
Palms Book State Park
- Rating: 4.8
- Thompson, Manistique, MI 49854
Home to Kitch-iti-kipi, Michigan’s largest freshwater spring. This is a day-use park, but it serves as a great basecamp near Indian Lake.
Van Riper State Park
- Rating: 4.6
- 851 Co Rd AKE, Champion, MI 49814
Features frontage on the Peshekee River and Lake Michigamme, sitting in the heart of moose country.
🌲 Western U.P.
Baraga State Park
- Rating: 4.4
- 1300 US-41, Baraga, MI 49908
Located on the Keweenaw Bay, it features a mini-cabin and serves as a great launch point for ORV and snowmobile trails.
Bewabic State Park
- Rating: 4.6
- 720 Idlewild Rd, Crystal Falls, MI 49920
Offers a heavily wooded campground on the shores of Fortune Lake, complete with a historic tennis court.
Fort Wilkins Historic State Park
- Rating: 4.7
- 15223 US-41, Copper Harbor, MI 49918
Located at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, this park features a beautifully restored 1844 military outpost.
Lake Gogebic State Park
- Rating: 4.5
- N9995 State Highway M64, Marenisco, MI 49947
Sits on the western end of the Upper Peninsula with stunning sunset views over the largest inland lake in the U.P..
F.J. McLain State Park
- Rating: 4.7
- 18350 M-203, Hancock, MI 49930
Hugs the shores of Lake Superior with spectacular views of the lake and the historic lighthouse.
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
- Rating: 4.9
- 33303 Headquarters Rd, Ontonagon, MI 49953
Michigan’s largest state park. Features modern, rustic, and backcountry sites, plus miles of hiking and the Porkies winter ski area.
Twin Lakes State Park
- Rating: 4.4
- 6204 Poyhonen Rd, Toivola, MI 49965
Located on the shores of Lake Roland, offering great swimming, fishing, and access to local ATV trails.
Wells State Park
- Rating: 4.6
- 7670 M-35, Stephenson, MI 49887
Located along the Green Bay shoreline of Lake Michigan, surrounded by a dense cedar forest.
State Forest Campgrounds
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has over 50 rustic State Forest Campgrounds (SFCs) managed by the Michigan DNR. Unlike state parks, these campgrounds do not accept reservations; they operate strictly on a first-come, first-served basis and cost $15–$20 per night. They offer a primitive experience with vault toilets and potable water from a hand-pump, but no electricity or modern showers.
Because there are dozens of locations scattered across the peninsula, the main State Forest Campgrounds are organized below by county.
đź“Ť Eastern Upper Peninsula
Luce County (Newberry Area)
Mouth of Two Hearted River State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.9
- 33115 Co Rd 423, Newberry, MI 49868
36 sites located where the famous river meets Lake Superior; features a pedestrian suspension bridge.
Culhane Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.6
- Culhane Lake, Newberry, MI 49868
15 sites with a boat launch and direct access to the North Country Trail.
Bodi Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.9
- Bodi Lake Rd, Newberry, MI 49868
A popular, quiet lakefront campground nestled in the northern woods.
Lake Superior State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.6
- Grand Marais Truck Trail, Newberry, MI 49868
18 sites situated right on the sandy beach of the Lake Superior shoreline.
Blind Sucker No. 1 & No. 2 State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.8
- Unnamed Road, Newberry, MI 49868
Located along the Blind Sucker Wildlife Flooding, ideal for fishing and paddling.
Pike Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.5
- Newberry, MI 49868
8 campsites wrapping around the shoreline of a 292-acre fishing lake.
Bass Lake State Forest Campground (Luce Co.)
- Rating: 4.4
- County Road 415 And Co Rd 455, McMillan, MI 49853
18 shaded and open sites near a prime bass and pike fishing lake.
Holland Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.6
- Newberry, MI 49868
A quiet, uncrowded destination situated on a small inland lake.
Lake Culhane State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.6
- Culhane Lake, Newberry, MI 49868
Tucked away in northern Luce County, offering primitive lakefront sites.
Chippewa & Mackinac Counties
Andrus Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.5
- 32965 W Vermillion Rd, Paradise, MI 49768
Located north of Paradise, very close to Tahquamenon Falls.
Hog Island Point State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.7
- N7590 Hiawatha Trail, Naubinway, MI 49762
42 sites along the Lake Michigan shoreline with a great sandy beach.
Garnet Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.6
- Park Rd, Naubinway, MI 49762
10 primitive sites on a wooded shore near the town of Garnet.
Schoolcraft County (Manistique Area)
Mead Creek State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.4
- Germfask, MI 49836
Situated adjacent to the Manistique River, perfect for canoeists.
Merwin Creek State Forest Campground
- Rating: 3.9
- Gulliver, MI 49840
A quiet riverside campground ideal for fishing and relaxation.
South Manistique Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.5
- Curtis Road, Germfask, MI 49836
Wooded sites providing easy water access to a popular fishing lake.
đź“Ť Central Upper Peninsula
Delta County
Portage Bay State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.8
- Garden, MI 49835
Located on the eastern side of the Garden Peninsula, featuring beautiful Lake Michigan beach access.
Alger County (Munising Area)
Forest Lake State Forest Campground
- M-94 & Campground Road, Forest Lake, MI 49862
26 lakefront sites under 20 miles from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Kingston Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.8
- Kingston Lake Campground, Shingleton, MI 49884
16 sites surrounded by the historic Kingston Plains, right off H-58.
Marquette County
Bass Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.3
- Gwinn, MI 49841
22 heavily shaded sites on the eastern shore with a boat launch.
Little Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.4
- Gwinn, MI 49841
16 carry-in, carry-out sites shaded by dense hardwoods east of Gwinn.
Anderson Lake West State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.3
- Gwinn, MI 49841
A peaceful getaway tucked into the woods southwest of Gwinn.
Squaw Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 3.7
- Republic, MI 49879
Rustic sites on a quiet inland body of water, perfect for small watercraft.
đź“Ť Western Upper Peninsula
Baraga & Houghton Counties
Big Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.3
- Big Lake Campground Rd, Watton, MI 49970
- Wild Edibles
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Fiddleheads
- Pheasantback Mushrooms
Heavily wooded sites situated on a high-quality fishing lake.
King Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.6
- Covington, MI 49919
Secluded sites perfect for those looking to avoid crowds.
Beaufort Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.4
- Beaufort Lake Rd, Michigamme, MI 49861
Located just off US-141, offering easy access to a pleasant lake.
Emily Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.6
- Toivola, MI 49965
A quiet, small campground south of Twin Lakes.
Iron County
Glidden Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.4
- Crystal Falls, MI
Located near Crystal Falls, featuring a beach and a hiking trail loop.
Deer Lake State Forest Campground
- Rating: 4.7
- Crystal Falls, MI 49920
A compact, quiet getaway popular for small boat fishing.