Muskallonge Lake State Park campground PICS + things to do nearby 🌳 UP Michigan travel blog

Hi there!

So you’re planning a camping trip in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan!

Camping at the Muskallonge Lake State Park campground means that you’ll be right near the inland lake of Muskallonge Lake…

And you won’t be too far from Lake Superior!

First, some quick things to know about the Muskallonge Lake State Park campground. (Including an important note on getting there and roads NOT to take!)

Then, a bit on how to make camping reservations.

Things to know about camping in Muskallonge Lake State Park

1. The campground sits right on the inland lake of Muskallonge Lake.

2. You can sit and take in the views of Muskallonge Lake right from the campground.

3. It’s possible to get a campsite with lake views

You can see at least a glimpse of Muskallonge Lake from much of the campground, and there are some campsites that sit directly on Muskallonge Lake as well.

4. This means you can eat with lake views from your campsite!

5. There is a small beach for swimming at the Muskallonge Lake campground.

No lifeguard, though!

6. The campground is for tent camping and RV camping

…and other types of camping!

7. The Muskallonge Lake State Park is a “modern” campground.

Compared to a “rustic” campground.

8. You can get electricity at your Muskallonge Lake campsite.

9. There are regular bathrooms along with hot water showers.

10. There are faucets throughout the campground for drinking water.

11. There’s a garbage dumpster for campers.

12. There’s an RV dump station.

13. You can buy ice and firewood onsite at the campground office.

Because of invasive species that could come with wood brought from elsewhere, it’s always best to buy your firewood locally.

14. You can kayak Muskallonge Lake from the campground!

There are many people who bring kayaks to kayak around Muskallonge Lake.

Side note: Union Bay campground is another Upper Peninsula campground that you can kayak directly from the campground. You can kayak in Lake Superior!

15. People also bring stand-up paddleboards (SUP) to paddle around Muskallonge Lake.

16. There is also a Lake Superior section of Muskallonge Lake State Park.

To get to this, you can drive 1-2 minutes, or you can take the 10 minute or so walk from the campground. Lake Superior is on the other side of the main road from Muskallonge Lake.

17. You can see Lake Superior from the overlook.

18. Then you can take the trail to go to the Lake Superior beach that’s a part of Muskallonge Lake State Park.

19. You can go swimming in Lake Superior.

Lake Superior tends to be cold, but people do go swimming in Lake Superior. The water will probably be slightly warmer in Muskallonge Lake at the campground. And once again, there’s no lifeguard. Also, Lake Superior in some ways can act like an ocean so it’s important to take extra care!

20. There are spots along Lake Superior around here where you can see erosion along the shoreline

All across the the Great Lakes, there are areas of shoreline where you can see quite dramatically the effect of erosion.

And you can see some erosion along the shores of Lake Superior from this section of Muskallonge Lake State Park.

21. You can go for a long walk on the beach along the shoreline of Lake Superior!

You’ll come across some small sand dunes and maybe some driftwood. Try not to step on the dune grass, as it’s said to be fragile and an important part of the coastal ecosystem.

Maybe you’ll even see some animal tracks.

22. You can search for colorful rocks at the Lake Superior beach of Muskallonge Lake State Park.

23. You can watch a Lake Superior sunset!

24. Summer days are long!

Newberry MI is the “city” where the Muskallonge Lake State Park is located. In June and July, there are days when sunrise is before 6am and sunset isn’t until after 9:30pm in Newberry!

That means time for lots of outdoor activities!

Read the reviews of the Muskallonge Lake State Park campground.

IMPORTANT: How NOT to get to Muskallonge Lake State Park!!

In short: Don’t take unmarked backroads! Stick with the numbered roads! (aka government roads)

When I arrived at Muskallonge Lake State Park, the state park employee said that something like 100 tourists had gotten stuck in sand by taking such backroads! You don’t want to end up being that tourist that needs to be rescued by a tow truck! $$$

Luckily, I was not one of those tourists who got stuck, but I WAS one of those tourists who took these backroads… because that’s what google maps said!

Hello backroads of the UP!!

Google maps was sometimes saying to turn down roads where there were no roads. It also ended up directing to a flooded out road.

Download free offline google maps before you go since data is spotty in the UP in general, but just pay attention to the roads it’s sending you on, especially around here! For reference, I was going from Crisp Point to Muskallonge Lake.

🌳

Now…

How to make camping reservations at Muskallonge Lake State Park campground

This is the official website for making Michigan State Parks camping reservation.

You can choose Muskallonge Lake 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.

Muskallonge Lake State Park campground map

Cost of camping at Muskallonge Lake campground

In 2020, the cost of camping at the Muskallonge Lake State Park campground was around $29 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 Muskallonge Lake 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 Muskallonge Lake campground!

More in the UP:

• Muskallonge Lake to Tahquamenon Falls is around a 1 hour drive
• Muskallonge Lake to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is around a 1 hour drive
• Muskallonge Lake to Porcupine Mountains State Park is around a 4.5 hour drive
• Muskallonge Lake to Copper Harbor in the Keweenaw Peninsula is around a 5 hour drive
• More places to visit around the UP

More campgrounds near Lake Superior:

• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
• Bay Furnace campground
• Fort Wilkins Historic State Park campground
• McLain State Park campground
• Union Bay campground

And see more Great Lakes camping spots on the list of best Michigan state park campgrounds in the UP.

HAPPY CAMPING AT MUSKALLONGE LAKE!