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Camping in Michigan


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We usually camp in Ontario provincial parks with a small trailer and a canoe. Camping in Michigan's state parks costs about half. How do the state parks compare to our provincial parks for camping?

Any good ones for fishing?

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I can only speak from years ago in N Dakota, half price or less, facilities to make you smile and keep the kids happy. Just amazing. Washroom facilities were pretty much spotless, the park rangers were friendly and knowledgeable, everything in the way of facilities was well laid out. Activities to keep anyone from being bored.

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I live in Michigan and our state parks don't compare to your provincial parks IMO. Crowded, small campsites, and most of the time - poor fishing.

 

Let me put it this way - I don't even consider camping at a state park in Michigan.

 

I'm not saying that you can't have a good time, but in general the PP's allow a much better experience than a Michigan state park.

 

You guys are so lucky to have the camping & fishing opportunities (not just campgrounds) that you have in Ontario. Be very appreciative.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

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My family and I have been going to DH Day camp ground in Empire, Michigan since I was a wee lad. It's a great camp ground with easy access to Lake Michigan and Sleeping Bear National Sandunes (check em out on google images, its a sight to see!). It is now a very busy campground and its difficult to get space since it was featured as a top get-away location in a big magazine a few years back. I highly recommend it (although it was a better place to visit before everyone realized how awesome it is -duh). Lots of fun family stuff to do, especially if you like hiking. There are other campsites around I'm sure, but I haven't been to them.

 

As far as fishing goes, I never got into anything exciting, though there are options for multiple species within an hour. There was a 50 lb muskie caught about 55 miles away from Empire a few years back...

 

http://ontariofishingcommunity.com/forums/index.php?s=779320653bd82d5c2d7bc3c89a09bda9&showtopic=36552

50-lb-muskie.jpg

Edited by Fishing Fury
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I live in Michigan and our state parks don't compare to your provincial parks IMO. Crowded, small campsites, and most of the time - poor fishing.

 

Let me put it this way - I don't even consider camping at a state park in Michigan.

 

I'm not saying that you can't have a good time, but in general the PP's allow a much better experience than a Michigan state park.

 

You guys are so lucky to have the camping & fishing opportunities (not just campgrounds) that you have in Ontario. Be very appreciative.

 

Hope this helps.

 

I find your comments interesting, camping I am not surprised but the fishing opportunities kind of surprised me. I've spoken to a few people that fish up your way and over in the Indian Chain lakes region and they have told me the fishing is very good. Lot's of the fishing shows aired in this area showcase fishing in your area and north. I had been thinking of doing some weekend trips up that way to check things out, maybe I should re-think

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I Love the PPs in ontario especially the northern ones. Yes it can be expensive,but the fishing and camping opportunities they offer are world class and people from other parts of the world who love the outdoors would love to have an Alqonquin Park or Lady Evelyn Smoothwater or one of many many others Ontario has to explore.

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Don't get me wrong - there are some excellent opportunities in Michigan for fishing. Most (not all) involve the Great Lakes or its tributaries. Saginaw Bay, Detroit River (spring) for walleyes; Lake St. Clair for musky & smallmouths; Manistee River for steelhead; Grand Traverse Bay for smallmouths, etc. The NW part of the lower peninsula has some excellent smallmouth fishing in inland lakes as well. That muskie pictured above was caught out of Torch Lake - an even bigger one was caught a couple years later in Lake Bellaire (connected to Torch).

 

Michigan also has some beautiful places - I'm fond of the Sleeping Bear dunes/Traverse City area because I live there. The lakes in this region are ultra clear and just beautiful. Trust me - I like living here and there are plenty of places to fish.

 

The point I was trying to make is that the state parks in Michigan don't compare to the PP in Ontario. Overall, the angling experiences don't compare as well. There are some excellent fisheries for sure, but you also have a lot of people.

 

I take two DIY fishing/camping trips to northern Ontario every year (typically camping on an island on a remote lake) and for ME Michigan can't offer that combination of great fishing, great scenery, and solitude that I crave.

 

I'm always willing to help if anyone is interested in visiting Michigan.

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Relating to where I live and what I have access to, I agree with Green orange.

 

If you want a theme park in a trailer experience, Michigan is a good place.

 

If you want a wilderness camping experience, I wouldn't even both with the PP's.

I just go back to a favorite lake with a tent or trailer and i'm basically alone for the weekend, or however long I stay.

 

No power, no running water and no public bath house, but free

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I don't know if Michigan is like Pennsylvania where I live, but the State Park Campgrounds aren't the only game in town .... there are lots of smaller private campgrounds. It's a little harder to find information on them, but sometimes they are the real gems.

 

I bet a google search of "Michigan private campgrounds" would get you started.

 

I had a college roommate from Michigan who used to RAVE about the beauty of northern Michigan and all the great fishing ....... granted, he'd never been to Ontario

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We like to travel and I love to fish so I have camped and fished in many US states. I think Ohio is at the top of my list and so is NY.........others would be Michigan, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona. But Ontario is no second fiddle to any of those.

 

I guess it all depends on what you like and what you're looking for.

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