0
Pull-thru
USFSHuron-Manistee National Forests · Michigan
Nichols Lake South Campground
Overview Located on the south side of Nichols Lake, the campground and surrounding area offer excellent opportunities for fishing, swimming, picnicking, hiking, camping, or just relaxing.
Sites2810 reservable
Elev.873ft
Comf.Apr-Oct7 months
Max rig65 ft
Electricnonesites
From Grand Rapids1h41real 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 873 ft, Nichols Lake South Campground has a 7-month comfortable window (Apr-Oct). Winter nights average around 19°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 28 sites total: 10 reservable and 18 first-come, first-served. Within about 4 miles: 1 named hiking route, 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 · Jan
Apr-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
79%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
May 4
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 30.
63°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Grand Rapids
64 mi
1h41
02
Traverse City
83 mi
2h01
03
Detroit
220 mi
4h31
04
Marquette
368 mi
7h23
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 3.8 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 28 SITES
Color byShow only
28 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
28
Sites
★ The standout
Site 05
NICHOLS LAKE SOUTH CAMPGROUND · good location · shaded.
To neighbor
116 ft
Location
Good
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
1
Trail segments
45
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
3.8 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.