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Lake Michigan at St. Ignace

Lake Michigan, near St. Ignace · Hiawatha National Forest

Reserve on recreation.gov

Hiawatha National Forest, 33 sites strung between US-2 and the lake behind 20-to-30-foot sand dunes, with the beach steps away. Vault toilets and drinking water, no hookups. Mix of shaded and open sites, most of them wooded. Honest catch: daytime highway noise carries, but it dies down after dark.

Aerial view of Lake Michigan at St. IgnaceFrom above. USDA NAIP, public domain.

The vibe

On a Great LakeDark skies (Bortle ~3)

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

  • 33 reservable sites.
  • Has accessible sites.
  • Reserved through recreation.gov, not us. We don't track openings here yet.

About 18 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge on US-2.

Reserve at recreation.gov →

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.