Goose Creek Trail Camp

public land records

Agency-confirmed — The managing agency's own record names this as a campsite and puts it at these coordinates. About as good as it gets short of standing here.

MICHIGAN STATE FOREST CAMPGROUND. Michigan DNR, https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/camping-and-lodging/state-forest-campgrounds read 2026-08-17: 'If you're looking for a more rustic camping experience, check out our 140-plus state forest campgrounds located throughout Michigan's Upper and northern Lower Peninsulas. Each campground is located on a river or lake... Most state forest campgrounds are first-come, first-served. A select few can be reserved ahead of time at MiDNRReservations.com. Please note, vehicle entry into all state parks, recreation areas and state forest campgrounds require a Recreation Passport.' The same page lists what every one of these campgrounds has -- vault toilets, a hand-pump well, parking for two vehicles per site, a picnic table and a fire pit -- and what none of them has: 'Electric hookups: There are no electrical units in campsites or common electrical sources' and no wi-fi. THIS CAMPGROUND, per the DNR amenity table https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/camping-and-lodging/state-forest-campgrounds/amenity-table read 2026-08-17: listed as 'Goose Creek Trail Camp' in Crawford County. Type: equestrian - group. Nightly fee: *. Campsites: G. Managed by: Hartwick Pines SP (989-348-7068). Seasonal closure: the table records 'open all year' -- but read that as the DNR not closing the gate, not as a promise the access road is plowed. Reservations: not reservable -- first-come, first-served. The '*' in the DNR's fee column means group rates apply at this site. DNR DESCRIPTION (from the agency's own recreation-search record): Situated on the Manistee River, this rustic campground offers great opportunities for paddle sports and fishing. Located in Crawford County, 5.5 miles west of Frederic. This campground is managed by Hartwick Pines State Park . DNR LONGER DESCRIPTION: Located near the Upper Manistee River, this rustic campground is surrounded by tall jack pines. There is a large open group camping area designed for equestrian campers riding the Shore-to-Shore Trail, a 420-mile trail system open to hiking and horseback riding, that stretches east to west from Empire to Oscoda with two additional northern and southern spur trails. This group campground has a maximum capacity of 200 individuals or 50 vehicles. The facility can accommodate both tents and trailers. Amenities include vault toilets and potable water from a hand-pump well. There is also a submersible water pump that requires a 5000-watt generator. The campground is located 5.5 miles west of Frederic via County Road 612 and Manistee River Road. Sites available on a first-come, first-serve basis. No reservations. This campground is maintained with the help of the Michigan Trail Riders Associati NEAREST TOWN: Frederic, about 5.5 miles, per the DNR description quoted above. STAY LIMIT AND HOUSE RULES, Michigan DNR FAQ 'Camping in a state forest', https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/faqs/state-parks-and-camping/camping-in-a-state-forest read 2026-08-17: 'There is one camping unit and six people allowed per site. A responsible adult (18 years or older) must register and sleep at the campsite each night. Campsites are for overnight stays. If a campsite is left empty for more than 24 hours, it's considered abandoned. To give everyone a chance to enjoy state forest campgrounds during peak season (May 15-Sept. 15), the maximum stay is 15 nights. Once you hit that limit, you'll need to take a 5-night break before returning to the same park.' Check-in is 3 p.m., checkout 1 p.m. 'Camping fees and registration procedures are posted at the information kiosk at each campground.' Quiet hours 10 p.m.-8 a.m., and fuel-powered generators are not allowed during them. 'Paying and holding' a site before you arrive is prohibited. COORDINATE PROVENANCE: Michigan DNR's own ArcGIS feature service https://services3.arcgis.com/Jdnp1TjADvSDxMAX/ArcGIS/rest/services/State_Forest_Campground_Recreation_Search_Points/FeatureServer/0 (layer RecSearchPts_Join_SFCG, 143 points), pulled 2026-08-17. This is an agency coordinate, not OpenStreetMap and not a field visit. Attributes (fee, season, manager, campsite count) come from the DNR amenity table https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/camping-and-lodging/state-forest-campgrounds/amenity-table read the same day. The two datasets were joined on county + name + campsite count; see the header of _mi_f920_insert.py for the method and its failure modes. NOT CHECKED: I did not verify any site-specific fire restriction or burn ban for this campground. Michigan issues burn permits and restrictions seasonally through a separate DNR system (Michigan.gov 'Permission to burn'); check it before publishing any fire-related claim about this site. | auto:agency-trust 2026-08-18: state agency GIS record with a source URL and coordinates, confidence not low. Fee value is the agency's own, not field-checked. Not field-verified -- confirm access, road conditions and fire rules before you go.

US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center station locator, snapshot 2026-09-16. Straight-line miles to the nearest public, open, unrestricted station; restricted and planned units are shown but never counted.

On the agency's books. The land manager inventoried this site, so its existence is not in question — current conditions are. Nobody from here has camped it recently.