Free camping near St. Helen, MI

20 camps: 1 free, 19 fee

Within 25 straight-line miles of St. Helen, MI there are 20 camps: 1 free, 19 fee. The closest is Ambrose Lake State Forest Campground, 8.4 miles north-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Luzerne Trail Camp, 17 miles out. Today's season read covers 3 of them: 3 open, 0 closed, 0 worth a call.

Who manages them: 14 on Michigan DNR; 6 on the Forest Service.

All 20, closest first.
Camp	Miles	Cost	Water	Nearest town	Season today
Ambrose Lake State Forest Campground	8.4	Fee	—	7.0 mi to Rose	—
Meadows Orv Campground	15	Fee	—	11 mi to Mio	—
Luzerne Trail Camp	17	Free	—	2.2 mi to Luzerne	—
Island Lake Recreation Area	17	Fee	—	6.3 mi to Rose	—
House Lake State Forest Campground	17	Fee	—	12 mi to Gladwin	—
Trout Lake State Forest Campground	17	Fee	—	11 mi to Gladwin	—
Canoe Harbor State Forest Campground and Canoe Camp	17	Fee	—	10 mi to Roscommon	—
Houghton Lake State Forest Campground	18	Fee	—	7.0 mi to Houghton Lake	Open
Wagner Lake Recreation Area	19	Fee	—	7.5 mi to Mio	—
4 Mile Trail Camp	20	Fee	—	6.0 mi to Grayling	—
White Pine Canoe Camp	21	Fee	—	12 mi to Grayling	—
Kneff Lake Recreation Area	21	Fee	—	6.6 mi to Grayling	—
Rainbow Bend State Forest Campground and Canoe Camp	22	Fee	—	13 mi to Mio	—
Reedsburg Dam State Forest Campground	22	Fee	—	6.6 mi to Houghton Lake	—
Parmalee Bridge State Forest Campground and Canoe Camp	23	Fee	—	7.3 mi to Mio	Open
Mack Lake Orv Campground	23	Fee	—	7.0 mi to Mio	—
Keystone Landing State Forest Campground	24	Fee	—	4.2 mi to Grayling	—
Burton's Landing State Forest Campground	24	Fee	—	3.2 mi to Grayling	—
AuSable River State Forest Campground and Canoe Camp	24	Fee	—	2.8 mi to Grayling	—
Mio Pond State Forest Campground and Group Camp	25	Fee	—	—	Open

Every distance on this page is a straight line from St. Helen, 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.