Clare County, Michigan: Mud Lake State Forest Campground

June 2024, weekdays, 2 nights, campsite 5

We arrived at this campground from the southwest. The roads after M-66 are dirt; the distance on dirt roads was just under 5 miles when we arrived at the campground. When we left, we traveled southeast on M-115, and the distance on dirt roads traveling that direction was about the same.

 

Lake view from campsite 5 in Mud Lake State Forest

This is a state forest campground with 8 campsites. It has a fresh water hand pump, an outhouse, and a dirt boat ramp. The self-registration cost was $20 per night at the time of our stay. We arrived on a Thursday afternoon, and the park was empty except for one vehicle at the boat ramp.

Campsite 5 in Mud Lake State Forest Campground

Campsite 5 and more

Campsites 5 and 6 are the only sites with a view of the lake. Although the view from campsite 6 is more open than it is from site 5, we chose site 5, as it is a larger campsite with a bit more privacy. The campsite on the other side of site 6 (I do not recall if it was 7 or 8) is a private site on the lake side; however, the lake is not visible from that campsite, as it is not as close to the water. Campsite 3 is also a great site, in terms of privacy and space. The site is open in the back and overlooks the meadow.

Campsite 5 in Mud Lake State Forest Campground
Below: looking toward site 6

We were glad that campsite 4 was empty during our stay, as the fire pit on that campsite is on the edge, close to our lot. The drive/parking area for campsite 4 is a ways away, next to trees on the other edge of the lot.

Hiking from Mud Lake State Forest Campground

Recreation: fishing, hiking, boating

We did not get to hike as much as we had hoped, as the trails were extremely overgrown and hard to navigate due to fallen trees. The trail was well marked when we started; however, after we had hiked about a mile or two from the campground (still on the connector path), the trail was no longer marked. We came upon several handmade signs that said "private property" and "no trespassing." We stayed left of the signs, and then no longer saw any blue marks on the trees. We continued a bit farther, and then the trail became so thin, we thought we must have been on a deer run, rather than the trail. We could not find the trail or any markings after the private property signs, so we turned back to the campground.

Boat ramp in Mud Lake State Forest Campground

The boat ramp in the campground is more of a carry-in access point, as it is sand, and Mud Lake is shallow. You can also get on the lake with a kayak or small boat from campsites 5 and 6. Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike are some of the fish listed as being in this lake.

The lake behind campsite 5 in Mud Lake State Forest Campground
Below: resident woodpecker

Misc. and overall

This is a peaceful campground, and we enjoyed watching many birds from our campsite. We had two different neighbors camp on site 6 during our 2-night stay. Campsite 3 was the next site to go (my favorite, but my husband wanted to be on the water), and then the lake site after campsite 6. The campground was not full any of the nights we were there. We would probably try this campground again--either earlier in the spring or in late fall, when the hiking trails may be less overgrown.

Let me know if you have any questions!