Parmalee Bridge State Forest Campground and Canoe 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 'Parmalee Bridge State Forest Campground' in Oscoda County. Type: rustic. Nightly fee: $20. Campsites: 7/G. Managed by: Rifle River RA (989-473-2258). SEASONAL CLOSURE: 'Dec 1 to April 15' (the table's 'Seasonal closure dates' column -- these are the dates it is CLOSED). Reservations: not reservable -- first-come, first-served. DNR DESCRIPTION (from the agency's own recreation-search record): Situated on the banks of Au Sable River, this rustic campground offers 7 individual drive-in campsites and a large paddle-in group camping area. Located in Oscoda County, 10 miles west of Mio. This campground is managed by Rifle River Recreation Area . DNR LONGER DESCRIPTION: This rustic campground on the banks of the Au Sable River offers excellent paddling and fishing opportunities. There are 7 campsites in the main camping area, heavily shaded by a canopy of red pines. Between the campsites and the Au Sable River is a large, open picnic area. Enjoy lunch here while taking in the views and sounds of the fast-flowing Au Sable River. A paddle-in group camping area is located on the west side of the campground. It has four fire pits and six picnic tables. There is a gravel and sand boat launch for easy carry-in access. Camping is limited to a 15-day maximum stay. Amenities include vault toilets and potable water from a hand-pump well. The hand-pump well and a dumpster are centrally located between the main camping area and the group-camping area. The campground is located 10 miles west of Mio via M-72 West, Mapes Road, Brown Cabin Road, Deeter Road and North R NEAREST TOWN: Mio, about 10.0 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.

Read from the agency's own season / closure text in this record (data/conditions.py) and checked against the calendar. The words we read are printed under the verdict at the top of the page.

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.