RV Rental Pickerel Lake, MI

Spending time outdoors is easy when you visit Pickerel Lake since there are so many exciting things to do. Hiking is a popular activity for guests who rent a camper near Pickerel Lake, and there are many diverse trails to check out. Aside from walking on the lakeshore, you’ll find that there are many meandering trails that traverse through unique wetlands, sandy woods, and gently rolling forest valleys and hills. These trails are open for cross country skiing in the wintertime, and restrooms can be found at key points on the trail system.

To fish at Pickerel Lake, you will need a Michigan fishing license, but there are no other imposed fees. The lake is home to catfish, crappie, both large and smallmouth bass, yellow perch, sunfish, and carp. There are many different access points for fishing, including piers, from a 900-foot boardwalk, and various points along the shore. Be sure to bring a collection of different types of bait to increase your chances of catching more varieties of fish.

Spending the day at Pickerel Lake is easy when you camp in an RV near Grand Rapids, and what better way to spend the day than fully immersed in nature. There are many trails at Pickerel Lake that focus specifically on providing natural observation opportunities, including the unique floating boardwalk. When you bring binoculars and your camera with you, you’ll be well prepared to document all the wildlife that you spot while exploring the park.

Pickerel Lake does not offer any of its own campsites, unfortunately, but there is a privately owned campground approximately five miles to the east that campers should consider. This campground, known as Scalley Lake Park Campground, is only one of many in the area but is definitely one of the closest and most convenient when spending time at Pickerel Lake. At Scalley Lake Campground, you’ll have access to free WiFi, hot showers and flushing toilets, basketball, shuffleboard, volleyball, and horseshoe pits.

Additionally, each campsite has 30 amp service, a fire ring, a grill, and its own picnic table. There is a centrally located sanitary dumping station, a camp store that sells bait, tackle, and more, and a beach within easy walking distance. Staying at this campground is easy, especially when you call ahead and book a campsite after you sort out the details of your rental RV. More options for camping can be found to the north of this campground, but they will put you a bit further away from Pickerel Lake.

Being so close to Grand Rapids is a huge perk when visiting Pickerel Lake. Grand Rapids is one of Michigan’s largest cities and has seemingly countless things to do on any given day. When you get tired of eating camping food, be sure to head into town to enjoy any one of the diverse restaurants, as there are dozens of countries and types of food represented in Grand Rapids.

Also in Grand Rapids is the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum. This museum focuses primarily on Ford’s life story and tells the tale of his life through artifacts, interactive exhibits, and even a replica of the Oval Office. For folks with even a remote interest in Gerald Ford or U.S. Presidents in general, this museum will be a fun time.

While camping at Pickerel Lake and visiting Grand Rapids, the John Ball Zoo is a fantastic family destination. There are tons of exhibits to explore at the zoo, including touchable stingrays, feedable parakeets, and even camel rides. There is a massive aquarium to explore that is home to penguins, and you’ll find that it is easy to spend an entire day at the zoo without seeing everything. If the zoo isn’t your favorite, then head to the Grand Rapids Public Museum to be awed by three floors of history, including an authentic 1928 carousel and a modern planetarium.