Back to one of my happy places on this earth, the Porcupine Mountains of far west Michigan, right at the shore of Lake Superior. Honestly, this was the place I’d planned my whole Great Lakes/UP trip around. I had such a magical time here in the fall of 2017 that I’ve wanted to come back ever since.
And this is why. Look at that campsite right next to the lake. There aren’t many of these spots, but it’s worth the time and effort to score one.
I mostly left the side window facing the lake open so I could hear the water lapping the shore as much as possible. This is as close to a beach house as I’m going to get in this lifetime so I was taking advantage of it. I left the back window shade (bed area) cracked open so that I would wake up to see the sunrise. Just like this…
A bit later in the day, the actual sun showed up. The continuing Western wildfires (breaking my heart) were sending smoke eastward and it was clearly affecting the sunrises and sunsets in Michigan. It made me realize, once again, how interconnected we all are on this blue planet.
The sunset was a nightly event, where people would sit on the rocks here and wait for the show. I had a great view from the rocks next to my site and I don’t think I missed a sunset my entire stay.
Forest Bathing
I did a few hikes, although the park was busy enough that trails and parking areas were packed with humans after 10 or 11 AM. So the trick was to get out there early or go late, which I did for a hike around the top area of Lake of the Clouds.
It’s a beautiful lake, and it’s actually pretty darned big, except when you compare it to that BIG lake just over the road. For scale, there are some humans in the upper left of this photo, nicely posing unaware that their real purpose was to provide a sense of scale for my photography. Well done, anonymous humans!
The second trail I took went down to the edge of the lake. Unlike most lakes I’ve visited recently, this one is wilderness: no homes, no cabins or campgrounds, no docks, no boats. It was pristine and I hadn’t realized how rare that is until I looked around and the only sign of humans was me.
Other Sights
Ontanagon is the closest real town, meaning one with a grocery and gas station. It also has, of course, a lighthouse, because it’s on Lake Superior. So another lighthouse added to my growing total. I might need to make a map of these things to keep track of what I’ve seen.
Back at the campground, one of my favorite views was this of Union Bay from the boat dock. I never managed to get my kayak in the water here: rain, wind, and for 1.5 days, a plethora of flies, some of them biters. Ugh. I can’t imagine what June must be like here, I could barely handle the day and a half of the little buggers.
To round out the post, it’s really all about the lake and the views when I’m here. Sunrise looking east…
And then later the same day, sunset looking to the west.
I really love this park. It’s remote, the cell signal is iffy at best, and people walked through my campsite all the time to get to the rocks. And I still had a great time. Because, at night, after the sun went down and the people walked back through my campsite to go home, I still had that beautiful sound of water and in the morning, I’d start my day by seeing the majesty that is Lake Superior.
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (MI State Parks)
- Union Bay campground is one big loop, with the lakeside sites the best. Sites 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, and 29 are the best of the best. The non-lakeside of the loop is basically camping in a field with little to no privacy between sites. Reserve at Michigan State Parks.
- Services: electric only. Potable water at the dump station and at water fountains around the campground. One bath house with showers for the entire campground.
- Slow Verizon, no ATT, no T-Mobile.
- Groceries and gas are in Ontonagon, although the camp store and the small mart in Silver City have some necessities. The best broasted chicken is a roadside stand just east of Silver City, you drive up and park, order and wait. And it’s well worth the wait.
Who among those people with a cultivated spirit, or whose heart has been wounded, can walk in a forest without the forest speaking to him?
Honore de Balzac
dawnkinster says
I LOVE the Porkies!! Have tent camped there once. Forgot the tent poles. Nuff said.
Donna says
I just got back from the Porkies too and hope to get back there this,fall and stay in one of the state park campgrounds. It’s a great hiking oasis!
Kathy T says
Love Porcupine Mountain State Park and the Ontanagan area. We used to have a house 50 miles south in Wisconsin and we went there on day trips fairly often. We were just there recently but we’re meeting deadlines to see family so didn’t make it this time
Daniel Clary says
Annie…you make me want to hit the road again. I am 73, and my wife and I just went out on our first camping experience with our new 1743 that we named “Peg” after the names of both my mom and our daughter…Margaret!
We loved it and we were able to use the AC, the heat, get good hot showers due to reading about the propane wonder in that department, and all sorts of other adventures…with no disappointments! Thanks for all of the info that you have shared that reinforced our decision to get the model that you and I are enjoying.
Your writing and your pictures make us so happy to look forward to life on the road. The only problem is that if we venture out to Michigan, I will have to hide my Buckeye mugs!!
Love,
Dan and Jackie Clary
Jack Sherman says
I absolutely love the Porcupine Mountains and thank you. We camped at the Presque Isle Unit in 2019, west of where you camped about 30-40 minutes by vehicle. It is a primitive area—vault toilets and drinking water. Nothing else. The Presque Isle River enters Lake Superior there and the topography, rocks, small water falls and Lake Superior are incredibly beautiful. We tent camped in 2019 but now have a small 2017 NuCamp, teardrop (model TAB 320), sans shoilet. We hope to get in more camping there. Thank you for the recommended sites. Next week we will be camping at Amnicon Falls State Park in Wisconsin, about 10 miles from the city (?) of Superior, WI. We will be in our TAB. It is a lovely area. I researched Altos years ago but found the purchase process too daunting. Best to you.