We began our ultimate Upper Peninsula adventure in the largest state park in Michigan: Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. “The Porkies” encompass 60,000 acres You can find a map of the entire park here.
Always check the road conditions ahead of time. They were working on 64 when we visited, so we had to take a detour nearly to Ontonagon. Also, you will want to determine where you want to camp to decide how you wish to enter the park. I would not advise taking your RV on the entirety of the South Boundary Road. The west half of the road is pretty well maintained, but the east side has many potholes and dips.
Union Bay Campground
If you are camping in the Union Bay campground, you will come up on M64 and take a left onto County Road 107. This 120-site campground has a restroom and a boat launch area nearby. It is also closer to the visitor center.
We had site 11, a very uneven site with a few trees between us and Lake Superior. Both at the beginning and the end of our trip, the water was so peaceful on our rocky shore.
However, a big cold front blew through in the middle of our visit, and the wind’s deafening screams made it hard to sleep. The campsites on the other side of the campground would have been a little quieter. However, they didn’t have direct access to the shoreline.
Each site has electricity. The sites vary greatly in size from 20 to 60 feet, so pay attention to the length when you register, and look at the pictures of the site. That said, pictures can be deceiving. If you look at Campsite Photos of Union Bay site 11, it looks like a great, level site. In reality, it has a substantial downward incline to get into it and the site isn’t level at all. Here is a picture of just a few of the sites:
Presque Isle
If you are camping in the Presque Isle section, you will want to go up through Wakefield on M28 and then onto M519 to enter the park. This campground doesn’t have any hookups, but water is available. This 50-site campground has a section where generators are allowed and one section where they are not. When we visited in September, this park was much less crowded than Union Bay.
Rustic Cabins
Also, the state park has some rustic cabins and yurts that you have to hike anywhere from a few steps to a couple of miles to get to. You can find out more information about the different options here. For example, Union Bay campground has a tiny house you can rent with a mini kitchen in it.
Future Posts
You have such a variety of trails and small towns to explore in this area. I will post about them in the next few posts. Porcupine Wilderness was a wonderful place to begin our ultimate Upper Peninsula adventure!
3 Comments