Wakeley Lake Campground
Wakeley Lake, near Grayling · Huron-Manistee National Forests
Six walk-in tent sites on Wakeley Lake, a small nonmotorized lake in the Huron-Manistee National Forests. Know this going in: you park and haul your gear about half a mile to the sites, so pack light or bring a dolly. No motors on the water, canoe-able, catch-and-release artificial-lure fishing only. Loons and eagles nest here. Mixed woods of jack pine, white pine and oak with conifer swamp around the edges. Rustic and quiet, water gets shut off seasonally so bring your own.
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
- 6 reservable sites.
- No accessible sites listed.
- Reserved through recreation.gov, not us. We don't track openings here yet.
About 10 to 15 minutes east of Grayling.
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.