Camping in Michigan. Where can we legally pitch our tent? South West Michigan Camping.?

Edward M

We are looking for some woods and water in SouthWest Michigan where we can legally camp. We definitely don't want a packed campsite with showers and electricity. We want the full blown nature experience. Where are we allowed to camp? Does anyone know how that works? Any good websites? Any suggestions or advice? We want a place where we can park the car, hike into the deep woods and pitch our tent next to a lake or river. I don't know the laws for camping. What do I need to look for?

Thank you very much for your help.

Ed

Answer
What you're describing is called "backpacking." It is the best way to camp, explore, and enjoy the outdoors, because you're entirely on your own, carrying everything your need to survive (at least for a few days) on your back.

Michigan Hiking Guide

Wide Awake on Lake Michigan - Sleeping Bear Dunes has lush forests, level trails, 400-foot bluffs, vast sandy beaches - and you thought the midwest was just cornfields. http://www.nps.gov/slbe/

Across Isle Royale by Foot - The Greenstone Ridge runs along the spine of Michigan's Isle Royale National Park. Located in Lake Superior and accessible only by ferry or seaplane, Isle Royale is beyond the reach of the auto.
http://www.nps.gov/isro

Michigan's Ottawa National Forest - Great northern forest of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/ottawa/

Hiawatha National Forest - Old Indian and trading trails and a significant portion of the North Country National Scenic Trail.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/hiawatha/

Pictured Rocks SP:
http://www.nps.gov/piro/

Any remote or hike-in camping sites in Ohio?

KSJ

Hello, does anyone know of very primitive camp sites in Ohio? Preferably on the east side but it's not that important. I was really interested in Hocking Hills but I want a camp site that is away from people and very secluded, not your typical camping where your car is right there next to you at the site. Something where I could hike in would be great. Does this exist in Ohio?! Or if you know of any places in southern Michigan or western Pennsylvania that would be great too. Thanks!

Answer
Both southern Michigan (where I used to live) and the entire state of Ohio are just too densely populated to have any "deep" wilderness area. Flat land like that all was sold off, settled and farmed in the first couple of centuries of the European immigration to North America. However, due to there being more mountainous areas in Pennsylvania, you can find some hike-in wilderness camping areas, particularly in the Allegheny National Forest in northwest to central PA. A few I have backpacked into are Minister Creek and the North Country Trail. Check out the Pennsylvania DCNR website for detailed information on trails and wilderness areas throughout the state.

Also, eastern West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest has some terrific backcountry areas like Otter Creek, Spruce Knob, Dolly Sods and Cranberry Backcountry. I've done multi-day backpack trips in all those areas. It really is some amazing country there, some of it reminds me of Switzerland.

Basically, if you want deep wilderness it has to be in areas that are not easy to set up farms or cities, in other words, steep terrain or deserts or areas with harsh weather.

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