Camping Resources

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, located in Michigan, is part of the National Park Service, within the Department of the Interior. The 71,187 acre park is located near Empire, Michigan, along the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

There are a number of things to see and do near the Dunes and you can learn more about this by clicking HERE.

There are several campgrounds near the Dunes and that information can be found in the link above.

Travel Info:

238 Miles from Stake Center

3hrs 45min

North Manitou Island is part of an island chain in Lake Michigan that extends north to the Straits of Mackinac and is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  It features unique sand dune formations and offers visitors a primitive experience emphasizing solitude, a feeling of self-reliance, and a sense of exploration.   The island offers hiking, playing in the dunes, exploring forgotten towns and ghost villages and a feeling you’ve truly conquered nature!

North Manitou Island is a great adventure and pretty easy to pull off.  There is plenty of hiking but it's relatively flat and one of the unique features of the island is the camping policy.  You are able to camp anywhere on the island, as long as you maintain the minimum distance from the shoreline.  There aren't too many places left where you can just put up your tent wherever you feel like it.  There are ruins to see, awesome swimming and there is even a shipwreck.  Click HERE for planning information.

A permit and reservation from the National Park Service is required so early planning is suggested.  Travel to the island requires a ferry ride and times and days are limited so be sure to check the ferry schedule.  The Island is PRIMITIVE.  There is only ONE location for fresh water, which is at the dock and there are no services, including food available so you have to pack everything you need in.  A water filter is required.

Travel Info:

253 miles from the Stake Center

4hrs

The Manistee River Trail is an 18 - 24 inch wide trail that follows the east bank of the Manistee River for 10.5 miles between Red Bridge River Access and Seaton Creek Campground.  As visitors hike the trail they will pass through a variety of vegetation, ranging from pine to deciduous trees, to swamps and cedar seeps. Several spring-fed waterfalls and creeks, as well as breathtaking views of the Manistee River make this trail one of the most popular on the Forest.

Two connector trails, located at the southern and northern portions of the trail connect the Manistee River Trail to the North Country National Scenic Trail, making a 23-mile loop.  Click HERE for planning information.

Travel Info:

211 miles from Stake Center

3hrs 15min

***This Outdoor Adventure Requires Area Authority Approval***

Pictured Rocks offers the opportunity to explore miles of pristine beaches, hike nearly 100 miles of trails, view towering sandstone cliffs, and experience the serenity of northern woodlands.  Located in Munising, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula, this is adventure is a rite-of-passage!

It is located outside the Detroit/Lansing Coordinating Council and exceeds the 5 hour drive limit so Area Presidency permission is required.

Hiking, incredible views, unbelievable beaches and a truly unique experience sums up Pictured Rocks.  In addition to hiking, you can rent kayaks for the day and see the cliffs from the water.

A group permit is required and this is a very popular destination, so advanced reservations and planning are a must.  Generally at least 6 months of advance planning is required in order to obtain one of the limited group permits.  Click HERE for planning information.

Travel Info:

395 miles from the Stake Center

6 hrs

***This Outdoor Adventure requires Area Presidency approval***

Isle Royale is a part of a remote island cluster in Lake Superior, near Michigan’s border with Canada. It’s a car-free wilderness of forests, lakes and waterways, where moose and wolves roam. The Greenstone Ridge Trail links the Windigo Harbor in the west and Rock Harbor in the east. The 19th-century Rock Harbor Lighthouse has a small museum. Dive sites in the lake include several shipwrecks.

Like South Manitou Island, a ferry is required to access this island.  Ferry times and dates are limited and this Outdoor Adventure requires a permit from the National Park Service.  Click HERE for planning information.

Hiking Isle Royale is a very special experience.  Moose and wolves abound and you are truly isolated as this island is in the middle of Lake Superior.  This would be considered an "advanced" adventure as it requires some specific camping experience.

Travel Info:

579 miles from the Stake Center

9 hours driving time

3 hour ferry ride

12 hour total travel time

The High Country Pathway (HCP), 80 miles long, offers one of the Lower Peninsula’s best near-wilderness experiences. It passes through habitats ranging from rolling hardwood forests and meadows to low-lying wetlands. It was designed to provide the backpacker with roughly one week of outdoor adventure.

The official trailheads are in Vanderbilt on Sturgeon Valley Road and next to the forest headquarters.  Camping is permitted along the trail with a minimum distance from the actual trail required.  There are also campgrounds along the way that are run by the MDNR.  Click HERE for planning information.  A comprehensive site for planning doesn't seem to exist but there is plenty of info available with a Google Search.

Travel Info:

220 miles from the Stake Center

3 hrs

Located in Alpena, the shipwrecks of Thunder Bay make up a collection of ship-types that span 200 years of Great Lakes shipping. They also hold the stories of countless sailors and passengers who traveled the freshwater seas. The collection of sanctuary shipwrecks reflects the transition in ship architecture and construction, from wooden schooners to early steel-hulled steamers, as well as types of ships unique to the Great Lakes.

Many of these wrecks are in shallow water, some as shallow as 12-15 feet.  A boat or kayaks are required for accessing these wrecks but many are close to the shore line.

There are a number of outfitters in Alpena that can provide everything you need.  Click HERE for planning information.

In addition to snorkeling, there are nearby lighthouses to visit and a pretty great interactive maritime museum.  This is a great adventure if you only have time for a couple days.

Travel Info:

226 miles from the Stake Center

3hrs 30min

The Pine is probably the best paddle sports river in lower Michigan.  The navigable portion of the Pine is approximately 67 miles in length. The river gradient is 7% and offers the fastest average flow of any river in lower Michigan.

Canoeing the Pine River is fun for both beginners and advanced paddlers.  There are many campgrounds along the way, so you can easily make your trip as long or short as you have time for.  Both the USFS and MDNR provide rustic campgrounds with road access right on the river. These campgrounds are heavily used in the summer, and many people use them as base camps for the day trips.

Click HERE for planning information.  This link takes you to one of the more experienced canoe liveries but there are definitely others to choose from.

Travel Info:

213 miles from the Stake Center

3hrs 15min

Located WITHIN the Detroit Coordination Council, Historic Kirtland, in Kirtland, Ohio, includes a visitors’ center and six historic structures: a schoolhouse, a sawmill, an ashery, the Newel K. Whitney and Company store, Newel and Ann Whitney’s home, and the Johnson Inn, which now houses historical exhibits.

The Church offers tours of these sites and in all, a full day is necessary to see all the sites.  The hours (please verify these are still current) are 10am -7pm Monday - Saturday.  Click HERE for planning and general information.

The amusement park, Cedar Point is about an hour and a half from Kirtland.  As a fun include, you could visit Kirtland on one day, camp overnight and then go to Cedar Point the next day.  If you wanted to make a 3 day, you could add the Cedar Point water park.  Click HERE for ticket and park info.

Travel Info:

200 miles from the Stake Center

3hrs 30min

***This Outdoor Adventure is just outside the Detroit Coordinating Council boundary but falls within the time requirement.  Area Presidency permission is required, but would likely be granted***

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 6 miles northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world, with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display.  The museum includes an IMAX theater and many hands-on displays.  You should plan on a full day.  Click HERE for USAF Museum info.

Wright-Patterson AFB has accommodations for camping in an on-site campground.

Seneca Caverns in Bellevue, Ohio is one of area’s largest underground caverns, and one of America’s most fascinating geological wonders.  Preserved close to its original natural state, Seneca Caverns is a unique experience.  Click HERE for more info.

The idea would be that you spend a day at the Air Force Museum, camp on the base and then on the way home, stop by the Seneca Caverns.

Travel Info:

234 miles from the Stake Center to the USAF Museum

3hrs 30min