September 2022, weekdays, 3-nights
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| Sunset from campsite 3 in Colwell Lake National Forest Campground |
Arrival and reservations
There are only about 5 or 6 campsites in this campground that are first-come-first serve, and only a couple of those sites are on the water. We arrived on a Wednesday, and had great luck--the camper on a waterfront non-reservable site with electricity had just left that day. Checkout time is 11:00 AM. About a third of the other campsites were occupied, and almost all of the waterfront sites had reserved tags on them for the upcoming weekend.
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| Above: view of campsite 3 from lake in Colwell Lake National Forest Below: campsite 32 in Colwell Lake National Forest Campground |
Campsites
We thought all of the campsites in this campground were great; even the ones across the road from the lake. We had campsite 3, which is the first waterfront site. It is next to the host campsite. The host was already gone in mid-September, so our campsite was quite secluded during our stay. After walking through this park, this was our favorite site at this time of year. I am not sure how well I would have liked it, if there had been a host camper on the site next to us--my husband thinks it would still be quite private. The first photo below is looking out our back window toward the host campsite.
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| View from campsite 3 in Colwell Lake National Forest Campground |
Only the first 5 campsites in this park have electricity, including the host site. I am not sure if the host site can be used or reserved when the host is not present. There were generators running on the sites that do not have electricity. Campsites with electricity were $26 a night, and the others were $22. There are also walk-in campsites, north of the boat launch, for $20 a night. The senior pass rate is half off the nightly rate of $20 or $22 + the $4 up-charge for electric; so we paid $15 a night.
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| Colwell Lake National Forest Campground |
Recreation: hiking, boating, swimming, fishing
The lake was mostly quiet during our stay. We were able to launch our kayaks from our campsite. We observed a few small boats use the boat ramp, and we observed other kayaks in the water. We did not see anyone swimming. My husband fished from his kayak and shore, and did not catch any keepers.
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| Hiking trail in Colwell Lake National Forest Campground |
The hiking trail around the lake is an easy walk of about 2 miles. There are many benches along the way. The trail runs between the lake and the waterfront campsites.
Facility information
This campground has a dump station, fresh water, and dumpsters. It is easy to get to from M-94, about halfway between Manistique and Munising.
Let me know if you have any questions!
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