Hi there!
Camping at the Fort Wilkins Historic State Park campground means that you’ll be right near the inland lake of Lake Fanny Hooe…
And you won’t be too far from Lake Superior!
And then of course you will be right near the historic fort of Fort Wilkins!
One google review refers to Fort Wilkins Historic State Park as the “Greenfield Village of the UP.”
This is in reference to the “outdoor museum” nature of how you can explore the historic army post of Fort Wilkins.
Fort Wilkins does not compare to metro Detroit’s Greenfield Village in size, but you can imagine what life may have been like back in the day by walking through the various buildings to learn about what they were used for when the area was a vibrant outpost.
In “normal times” there are interpretive actors for a “living history” type experience. This did not happen in 2020 because of public health reasons, and you can check Michigan state parks for updates on the 2021 status.
Side note: Another outdoor museum and historic area turned historic state park in the UP is Fayette Historic State Park.
First, some quick things to know about the Fort Wilkins Historic State Park campground.
Then, a bit on how to make camping reservations.
Things to know about camping in Fort Wilkins Historic State Park
1. Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is located at the far northern tip of “mainland” Michigan.
This makes it the northernmost Michigan state park! Fort Wilkins State Park is located in the Keweenaw Peninsula, near Copper Harbor.
2. The campground sits right on the inland lake of Lake Fanny Hooe.
3. You can take a lakeside trail right from the campground to have a walk with lake views.
4. It’s possible to get a campsite with some lake views.
You can see a little bit of Lake Fanny Hooe from some of the campsites. And even if you don’t see the lake clearly, you will never be too far from getting at least a glimpse of the lake!
5. There is a small beach for swimming at Lake Fanny Hooe.
This is a rocky beach so you might want to wear water shoes!
No lifeguard, though!
6. The campground is for tent camping and RV camping
…and other types of camping!
7. There are some “pull-through” for RV camping.
You can drive straight through your campsite.
8. There are cabins at Fort Wilkins State Park.
Similar to camping but your shelter is provided! Bring your own everything. See more about mini-cabins in Michigan state parks.
9. The Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is a “modern” campground.
Compared to a “rustic” campground.
10. You can get electricity at your Fort Wilkins campsite.
11. There are regular bathrooms along with hot water showers.
12. There are faucets throughout the campground for drinking water.
13. There’s a garbage dumpster for campers.
14. There’s an RV dump station.
15. You can buy firewood onsite near the campground office.
Because of invasive species that could come with wood brought from elsewhere, it’s always best to buy your firewood locally.
16. You can take the lakeside trail from the campground to the area of the old army post.
17. And then you can explore Michigan history and the historic Fort Wilkins that overlooks Lake Fanny Hooe!
You may want to allow 1-2 hours for this, depending on how in depth you want to explore.
18. There is a trail to Lake Superior that you can take from the Fort Wilkins Historic State Park campground.
To get to this, you can drive 1-2 minutes, or you can take the 10 minute or so walk from the campground… or you can bike to it! Copper Harbor is also known for mountain biking.
Lake Superior is on the other side of the main road from the campground.
19. You can see Lake Superior from the overlook.
And you can be at the location of the John Astor shipwreck. You can read another aspect of the region’s history.
20. You can search for colorful red and purple rocks along the Lake Superior shoreline.
Side note: Take a look at more places in the Keweenaw Peninsula with a red shoreline.
21. If you look carefully, you can also see the Copper Harbor lighthouse from the overlook.
Well, it is actually also called the “Copper Harbor lighthouse overlook.” A tour is required to get closer to the Copper Harbor lighthouse.
Side note: Take a look at more Lake Superior lighthouses to see in the Upper Peninsula!
22. You can kayak Lake Fanny Hooe from the campground!
There are many people who bring kayaks to kayak around Lake Fanny Hooe.
Side note: There are more Michigan state park campgrounds in the Upper Peninsula that get a lot of kayaking campers, including Union Bay campground (Lake Superior) and Muskallonge Lake campground.
23. Summer days are long!
Copper Harbor MI is the “city” that Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is located. In June and July, there are days when sunrise is before 6am and sunset isn’t until nearly 10pm in Copper Harbor!
That means time for lots of outdoor activities!
Read the reviews of the Fort Wilkins Historic State Park campground.
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Now…
How to make camping reservations at Fort Wilkins Historic State Park campground
This is the official website for making Michigan State Parks camping reservation.
You can choose Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, and then go from there.
You’ll be able to find an updated campground map too.
You can also see the individual campsites that are available. If you click on an individual campsite, it will also give you any noteworthy description of the site.
Fort Wilkins Historic State Park campground map
East campground map
West campground map
Cost of camping at Fort Wilkins state park campground
In 2020, the cost of camping at the Fort Wilkins Historic State Park campground was around $25 per night. There is an additional reservation fee. See here for updated camping fees.
Also, as a Michigan State Park, a Michigan recreation passport is required for entry.
If you’re a Michigan resident, hopefully you already have the annual recreation passport, in which case there’s no additional fee.
If you don’t have the recreation passport, or you’re from out of state, for Michigan residents the annual pass is around $17 when purchased at a state park and for out-of-state residents it’s around $34. See current fees here.
Checking in to your campsite
Then, once you arrive at Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, you’ll stop by the campground office to check in and get your camping permit!
Then off you go to find your campsite!
And that’s a bit about camping at the Fort Wilkins state park campground!
More in the UP:
- Quick stops to make on your drive to Copper Harbor: Things to do in the Keweenaw Peninsula
- Fort Wilkins to Porcupine Mountains State Park is around a 2.5 hour drive
- Fort Wilkins to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is around a 4 hour drive
- Fort Wilkins to Tahquamenon Falls is around a 5 hour drive
- More places to visit around the Upper Peninsula
More campgrounds near Lake Superior:
- McLain State Park campground
- Union Bay campground
- Muskallonge Lake State Park campground
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
- Bay Furnace campground
And see more Great Lakes camping spots on the list of best Michigan state park campgrounds in the UP.
HAPPY CAMPING AT LAKE FANNY HOOE AND FORT WILKINS!
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