Black River Harbor Campground
Lake Superior, near Ironwood · Ottawa National Forest
About forty sites in pine, hemlock and hardwood on a bluff above Lake Superior, where the tannin-dark Black River meets the lake. Paved spurs, woods between sites for some privacy, a handful with a lake overlook. Vault toilets, non-electric, no showers. A wooden suspension foot bridge crosses the river to the sand swimming beach, and short trails run upriver past five named waterfalls. One thing to know going in: the water system is shut off for the entire 2026 season, so haul your own.
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
- 40 reservable sites.
- Has accessible sites.
- Reserved through recreation.gov, not us. We don't track openings here yet.
About 15 miles north of Bessemer, at the end of County Road 513 in the far western UP.
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.