Carp River Campground
Hiawatha NF, near St. Ignace · Hiawatha National Forest
Twenty wooded sites in Hiawatha National Forest, sitting right along the Carp Wild and Scenic River. Deep shade, decent space between sites, rustic setup: vault toilets, hand-pump water, no hookups. Stairs drop down the bank to the river, where the trout and the paddling are. Bring bug spray, the mosquitoes mean it.
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
- 20 reservable sites.
- Has accessible sites.
- Reserved through recreation.gov, not us. We don't track openings here yet.
About 8 miles from St. Ignace, just west of the Mackinac Bridge.
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.