Camping & Cabins

The 22 campgrounds of the Ottawa National Forest offer a wide spectrum of camping experiences. All are accessible by road and most service both tent and trailer campers. Their names and locations are shown on the Ottawa National Forest map. Most are located near lakes or streams and offer some fishing opportunities.

Most campgrounds have picnic tables, tent pads, fire grates, toilet facilities, and drinking water.  Some sites can accommodate camping units up to 50-60 feet in length.  Campgrounds identified as having “limited services” means visitors must pack-out all trash and no water is available on site, there is no charge for use.  All camping is on a first-come, first-served basis, with few exceptions.  Reservations are required for camping at the Marion Lake Campground group campsite, reservations must be made through www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

The campgrounds with the most developed facilities are Lake Ottawa and Clark Lake.  Each has paved access roads, a pressurized water system, flush toilets, and a trailer dump station.  There is a $5 fee to use the trailer dump station at Clark Lake.  Clark Lake has hot showers available.  Other campgrounds offer more rustic facilities and opportunities for solitude.

Camping in a developed recreation site is allowed for a period not longer than 14 days, except as otherwise posted.  After this time, you must move to another campground or dispersed site for at least 24 hours.  Campers must occupy the site the first night.  A total of eight people and 2 motorized vehicles are allowed per campsite.  A maximum of one RV or camping trailer and two tents, or three tents are allowed per camping site.

A "dispersed" camping area is outside of a designated campground and has no water or restroom facilities.

Camping is allowed in general National Forest areas for no longer than 16-days in any one location. After that period of time, if you wish to continue camping in a dispersed area of the Ottawa National Forest, you must relocate to another site at least five miles away. This means you may not set up a dispersed campsite within a developed campground or adjacent to it, or on a road, or on a trail. Remember to pack out what you pack in.

While camping in the Sylvania Wilderness is remote, it is not considered dispersed as use of these designated, backcountry camp sites is managed and requires a special recreation permit. These single isolated campsites within Sylvania Wilderness require boating or hiking to reach. They have a cleared area for a tent, a campfire ring, and a wilderness latrine (an open pit toilet with no outhouse building).

Reservations for Sylvania Backcountry Camping are available on Recreation.Gov.  A few sites are reserved for walk-in, first-come/first-served visitors.

The Ottawa National Forest has one campground that can accommodate up to 100 people at one time - Marion Lake Group Campground. Facilities include a large fire ring, restrooms, potable water, and many picnic tables for your use.

Reservations can be made by calling 877-444-6777 or online at www.recreation.gov.