Ausable River Camping
Lower AuSable River corridor · Huron-Manistee National Forests
Not one campground. This is 102 single-family sites scattered along about 55 miles of the lower AuSable River in the Huron-Manistee National Forest, so the number hides the truth: you pick a spot on the river, not a loop. Mix of drive-in, boat-in, and walk-to sites, most on bluffs above the water, some a steep climb down. Wooded and spread way out, a quarter mile between sites in places. Primitive all the way: no drinking water, no toilets, no trash pickup, you pack it all in and out. Fire rings, and that is about it. Reserve April 15 to November 30 on recreation.gov.
From above. USDA NAIP, public domain.The vibe
Works for hammock, tent, RV, van / car. Measured dark skies, a real one for stargazing.
Hanging a hammock?
Hammocks are fine in Michigan state parks. There's no rule against them. The rule is about the tree: use wide, tree-friendly straps, no nails or wire, and don't tear the bark. The state sets no strap or tree-size requirement, so when in doubt, ask the park. We'll point you at sites that likely have trees worth hanging from, but we can't see the trunks, so eyeball it on arrival.
The facts
- 102 reservable sites.
- Has accessible sites.
- Reserved through recreation.gov, not us. We don't track openings here yet.
Strung along the river roughly between Mio and Oscoda, about 15 miles west of Oscoda.
Thicket is not the Forest Service and not affiliated with it. The facts come from the federal RIDB (public domain); the vibe read is our estimate from open data (OpenStreetMap, USGS elevation, NASA Black Marble nighttime light). Sites, fees, and access can change. Confirm and book at recreation.gov, and leave no trace.