Perch Lake Campground
Perch Lake, south of Sidnaw · Ottawa National Forest
Twenty drive-in sites on Perch Lake, a big fishing lake in the Ottawa National Forest. The loop sits in UP woods with natural vegetation screening between sites, and a lot of them have lake access. Concrete boat ramp for getting out under your own power, good for pike, walleye, crappie and perch. Vault toilets and hand-pump water, no showers, no hookups. No swimming beach and no trails to speak of, so this is a fishing and paddling spot, not a hiking one.
From above. USDA NAIP, public domain.The vibe
Works for hammock, tent. 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.
- No accessible sites listed.
- Reserved through recreation.gov, not us. We don't track openings here yet.
About 10 miles south of Sidnaw on gravel, in the western UP's Kenton Ranger District.
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.