Manistique Lakeshore Campground

The Great Outdoors

Book an RV in Schoolcraft County, and you will be one step closer to the vacation of your dreams and on wheels, no less. Hiawatha National Forest is right next door to Manistique Lakeshore Campground and can be accessed from the communities of Cooks and Steuben. This park is home to a vast array of historical and archeological treasures as well as the Clear Lake Education Center which is farther north, near Shingleton. This is a good destination for you to enjoy hiking and mountain biking, canoeing or kayaking, or nature and wildlife observation. There are several roads that intersect the park, allowing you to take a self-guided tour at your leisure in your rental RV.Northeast from Manistique Lakeshore Campground, approximately 30 miles away by RV rental, you'll find Seney National Wildlife Refuge. The park is a mix of northern hardwood and mixed pine forest, along with a series of wetlands that were originally drained but are slowly being restored. You can enjoy hiking and biking here in the summer, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, but mountain biking is not permitted on some of the trails. There is a visitor center where you can get more information. If you'd like to canoe or kayak the Manistique River which flows through the park, equipment can be rented. Fishing is allowed with the appropriate license and hunting is allowed in certain seasons, so you should exercise caution if it is hunting season.Slightly farther away (approximately 80 miles), you'll come across Escanaba River State Forest, a group of land parcels that were formerly clear cut by their private owners but have been restored to their former state by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The forest is spread across four counties and is now open to the public for canoeing and kayaking, hiking, fishing, and hunting. Some selective timber harvesting is still conducted but is managed with a sight to maintaining the park's ecosystem and protecting the resident wildlife. Park your motorhome rental nearby, and you can combine the exhilaration of outdoor activity with the creature comforts of home, enjoying the best of both worlds.

Exploring The Area

To make the most of your trip, you can plan to alternate spending time outdoors with spending some time soaking up Michigan's culture and urban attractions. Gladstone is a smaller city to the west of Manistique Lakeshore Campground, located on the shore of Little Bay de Noc. It is home to Van Cleve Park & Gladstone Beach, a cultivated urban park where you can use the public restrooms and showers when you go swimming; the beach has a shallow water kid's slide just a few feet offshore. There are exercise stations, a basketball and volleyball court, and a skate park for inline skating. The area is a popular destination for picnicking. Gladstone also has several public golf courses, if you feel the need to sneak in a round or two.Mackinaw City is just under 100 miles to the east of Manistique Lakeshore Campground, but driving there in your campervan rental takes you along Highway 2 which follows the shoreline once you have passed Engadine. The trip ends with a breathtaking passage over the Straits of Mackinac on Highway 75 before entering the city. Once you're here, you can book a trip on Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry or spend some time in Colonial Michilimackinac, a restored colonial fort that was built in the 18th century.History, nature, and culture - you'll find it all in this small section of the state of Michigan centered around the Great Lakes, and camping at Manistique Lakeshore Campground will be your introduction to it.