0
Pull-thru
USFSHuron-Manistee National Forests · Michigan
Lake Michigan AT Manistee
Overview Lake Michigan Campground is perched on the shores of Lake Michigan, 15 miles south of Manistee.
Sites5351 reservable
Elev.653ft
Comf.Apr-Nov8 months
Max rig54 ft
Electricnonesites
From Traverse City2h02real 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 653 ft, Lake Michigan AT Manistee has a 8-month comfortable window (Apr-Nov). Winter nights average around 23°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 53 sites total: 51 reservable and 2 first-come, first-served. Within about 4 miles: lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
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 · Feb
Apr-Nov
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
76%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Apr 29
Last spring frost; first fall frost Nov 16.
63°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Traverse City
83 mi
2h02
02
Grand Rapids
116 mi
2h21
03
Detroit
272 mi
5h12
04
Marquette
372 mi
7h31
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 7.2 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 53 SITES
Color byShow only
51 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
24
Accessible
25
Prime
53
Sites
★ The standout
Site 050
ORCHID · prime location · shaded.
To neighbor
123 ft
Location
Prime
Max rig
38 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
49
Viewpoints
1
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
7.2 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.