Free camping near Chatham, MI
Within 25 straight-line miles of Chatham, MI there are 53 camps: 28 free, 23 fee, 2 unpriced. The closest is Autrain Lake Campground, 5.7 miles north-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Hovey Lake Campground, 12 miles out.
Who manages them: 52 on the Forest Service; 1 on Michigan DNR.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autrain Lake Campground | 5.7 | Fee | — | 5.7 mi to Chatham | — |
| Hovey Lake Campground | 12 | Free | Indian River (river) | 3.7 mi to Coalwood | — |
| Bay Furnace Campground | 13 | Fee | Gongeau Creek (stream) | 0.4 mi to Christmas | — |
| Channel Marker Campsite | 14 | Fee | — | 3.4 mi to Munising | — |
| Island Lake Campground | 14 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Munising | — |
| Halfmoon Lake Camping Area | 14 | Free | Indian River (river) | 1.6 mi to Kentucky | — |
| Rock Lake Camping Area | 15 | Free | — | — | — |
| Hike Lake Camping Area | 15 | Free | Hike Lake (water) | 1.9 mi to Kentucky | — |
| Mcneil Lake Camping Area | 15 | Free | — | 9.9 mi to Munising | — |
| Juniper Flats Group Campsite | 15 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Munising | — |
| Council Lake Camping Area | 15 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Munising | — |
| Indian River Bar Lake Camping Area | 15 | Free | Crow Lake (water) | 2.5 mi to Kentucky | — |
| Hardwood Campsite | 16 | Fee | — | 5.4 mi to Munising | — |
| Muskrat Point Campsite | 16 | Free | Duck Lake (water) | 1.4 mi to Williams Landing | — |
| Gamefence Campsite | 16 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Munising | — |
| Murray Bay Group Site | 16 | Fee | Duck Lake (water) | 1.6 mi to Williams Landing | — |
| Fish Lake Portage To Carp Lake | 16 | Free | Indian River (river) | 2.8 mi to Kentucky | — |
| Baldy Lake Camping Area | 16 | Free | Baldy Lake (water) | 3.8 mi to Kentucky | — |
| Indian River Fish Lake Island Camping Area | 16 | Free | Indian River (river) | 2.8 mi to Kentucky | — |
| Duck Lake Campsite | 16 | Fee | — | 3.7 mi to Munising | — |
| Thornton Lake Camping Area | 16 | Free | Thornton Lake (water) | 1.4 mi to Kentucky | — |
| Little Duck Campsite | 17 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Munising | — |
| Driftwood Campsite | 17 | Fee | — | 4.0 mi to Munising | — |
| Widewaters Campground | 17 | Unpriced | Irwin Lake (water) | 3.3 mi to Kentucky | — |
| Mccomb Lake Camping Area | 17 | Free | Mccomb Lake (water) | 5.3 mi to Kentucky | — |
| Little Dune 1 Campsite | 17 | Fee | — | 3.3 mi to Munising | — |
| Little Dune 2 Campsite | 17 | Fee | — | 3.3 mi to Munising | — |
| Roads End Campsite | 17 | Free | — | 4.6 mi to Munising | — |
| Petes Lake Recreation Area | 17 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Munising | — |
| Indian River Four Pond Camping Area | 18 | Free | Indian River (river) | 4.4 mi to Kentucky | — |
| Cobble Cove Campsite | 18 | Free | — | 3.7 mi to Williams Landing | — |
| Flat Rock Campsite | 18 | Free | — | 3.4 mi to Munising | — |
| Gull Point Campsite | 18 | Free | — | 9.3 mi to Munising | — |
| Ewing Point Camping Area | 18 | Fee | — | 15 mi to Munising | — |
| Preservation Point Campsite | 19 | Free | Gull Point Creek (stream) | 7.3 mi to Williams Landing | — |
| Shelter Ridge Campsite | 19 | Free | North Light Creek (stream) | 7.2 mi to Williams Landing | — |
| Skeels Lake Camping Area | 19 | Free | Skeels Lake (water) | 7.3 mi to Kentucky | — |
| Little Lake State Forest Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 17 mi to Rock | — |
| Blue Joe Lake Camping Area | 20 | Free | Blue Joe Lake (water) | 5.3 mi to Kentucky | — |
| Freighter View Campsite | 20 | Free | North Light Creek (stream) | 7.5 mi to Williams Landing | — |
| Indian River Pine Peak Camping Area | 20 | Free | Blue Joe Lake (water) | 5.8 mi to Steuben | — |
| Indian River Boulder Point | 20 | Free | — | — | — |
| Corner Lake Campground | 20 | Unpriced | Hugoboom Lake (water) | 7.7 mi to Steuben | — |
| Cookson Lake Camping Area | 20 | Fee | — | 17 mi to Munising | — |
| Swan Lake Camping Area | 21 | Fee | — | 18 mi to Munising | — |
| Indian River Deer Creek Camping Area | 21 | Free | Deer Creek (stream) | 4.5 mi to Steuben | — |
| Mowe Lake Camping Area | 22 | Fee | — | — | — |
| Ironjaw Lake Camping Area | 22 | Fee | — | 18 mi to Munising | — |
| Lake Nineteen Camping Area | 22 | Fee | — | 18 mi to Munising | — |
| Indian River Little Indian Camping Area | 22 | Free | — | — | — |
The other 3 inside the circle are on the live map — open it centred on Chatham, MI.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Chatham, MI, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.