★ Field-verified · Dave's ownUSFS · dispersedFree
Hiawatha National Forest
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · Mackinac County, MI · 45.98889, -84.51520
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on U.S. Forest Service land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A small primitive campsite in Hiawatha National Forest on the shore of Lake Huron. There is a fire ring here. Good cell service. Lovely wooded area. Enough room for one or two vehicles. There are other similar spots nearby. Just off of forest road. Four-wheel drive recommended but just for the site entrance. Good spot!
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 585 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- GGrocery4 mi
- @Mail4 mi
- FFuel7 mi
- RxPharmacy7 mi
- HHardware7 mi
- WWater10 mi
- MMechanic13 mi
- LLaundry13 mi
- OOutfitter13 mi
- ShShower14 mi
- +Urgent care14 mi
- DDump23 mi
- PPropane51 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 4 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
U.S. Forest Service · dispersed
Elevation
585 ft
County
Mackinac County, MI
Coordinates
45.98889, -84.51520
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Resupply lookup unavailable — try the map links below.
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
High clearance / 4×4
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletMouth Of The Carp-Fish. Site · ~9.0 mi W · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletGovernment Island · ~9.9 mi E · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletCarp River - Cg · ~10.3 mi W · USFS
- Highway rest areaNHS Rest Stop or Truck Facility 28 · ~13.2 mi SW
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Search Bay Dispersed Camping Area~0.4 mi
- Government Island~9.9 mi
- Round Island Camping Area~11.6 mi
- High Banks Lake~18.9 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Mackinac County, MI). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Water on public land →What “dispersed” means here →Dumping grey & black →Camping with a dog →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →