Camping & Cabins

The Least You Need to Know About Camping

• Check with your local ranger district for current site conditions, closures, and other important considerations before traveling.
• You do not need to pay a fee or obtain a permit to dispersed camp (outside of a designated campground) on the Huron-Manistee National Forests.
• Dispersed and Primitive tent camping within the Forests is allowed almost anywhere, unless otherwise posted closed and/or "No Camping."  There is no dispersed camping within 200’ ft of a river, lake, stream, or other body of water.
• Developed campgrounds usually provide bathrooms, fire rings and picnic tables, and may provide other amenities.   
• Developed campgrounds most likely charge a fee, and several campgrounds require or recommend a reservation.  Reservations can be made on recreation.gov.  
• You can gather firewood for a campfire on-forest without a wood permit to cut firewood.  Buy or collect firewood locally to prevent the spread of insects and disease.
• Before having a campfire, check to make sure there are no fire restrictions in place.  Do not build a campfire in hazardous, dry conditions.  Extinguish your campfire completely before leaving.  Review important information on campfire safety.
• No RV hook-ups are available for water, sewage or electric at any campground.
• Some developed campgrounds and/or campsites can accommodate RVs, while others are better suited to tent camping.