0
Pull-thru
USFSHiawatha National Forest · Michigan
Cookson Lake Campsites
Overview The Munising and Rapid River/Manistique Ranger Districts of the Hiawatha National Forest offer a variety of camping experiences.
Sites5all reservable
Elev.758ft
Comf.May-Oct6 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Marquette1h39real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 758 ft, Cookson Lake Campsites has a 6-month comfortable window (May-Oct). Winter nights average around 14°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 5 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and quiet. Softest on shade.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jan
May-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
76%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
May 8
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 24.
58°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Marquette
62 mi
1h39
02
Traverse City
242 mi
5h17
03
Grand Rapids
360 mi
7h04
04
Detroit
412 mi
7h51
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 5.8 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 5 SITES
Color byShow only
5 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
5
Sites
★ The standout
Site 04
COOKSON LAKE CAMPSITE.
To neighbor
115 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
58
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
5.8 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.