Hovey Lake Campsites
This isolated, quiet, family type camping area is located on the east side of Hovey Lake. It is a good place for canoeing, bird watching, or just enjoying nature¿s surroundings. There are 4 campsites, each with a table and fire ring. Toilets and drinking water are available. Swimming conditions in this lake are not good due to shallow water and the mucky bottom. Some northern pike, black bass, and panfish can be caught here. The 99 acre Hovey Lake is the headwaters of the Indian Wild and Scenic River and offers good trout fishing. There is a carry-in boat access near the entrance of the campground.
More like this: first-come in Michigan
Site map
4 campsite locations mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The site numbers are theirs and may not match the posts at the campground. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Season & status
| Status | Open |
| Forest | Hiawatha National Forest |
| Fees | Hovey Lake Campground is a no fee area. |
Weather by month
Getting there
From the intersection of M-28 and M-94 drive southwest on M-94 6.4 miles to Forest Road 2254. Turn left (south) and drive 4 miles southeast on FR 2254 to Forest Road 2473. Turn right (south) on 2473 and drive 0.5 mile to FR 2367 where you turn right (west) and continue to the campsites.
| Coordinates | 46.2886° N, 86.6987° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- WildfireRidge
49 mi from the campground · 466 acres · 30% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 10.6 mi |
| RV sales & service | Hilltop RV Superstore ↗ | 39.5 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
No site-by-site records, no amenities, no fee schedule or photos in the Recreation.gov record. What is here comes from the agency's own listing. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the record fills in.
Explore
Worth a stop
- 10 miMunising Falls Visitor Center ↗Visitor center
Trails nearby
- 0.5 miOakwood Equestrian South Loop ↗6.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 0.5 miOakwood Equestrian Connector3.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 2.4 miOakwood Equestrian North Loop ↗4.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3.6 miBig Spring-Baldy Lake Snomo ↗35 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
- 3.9 miNorth Hiawatha Snomo ↗15.6 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
- 3.9 miCoalwood Grade Snomo ↗10 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
This campground sits inside Hiawatha National Forest.
- inHiawatha National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 1,300,321 acres
- 8.7 miBig Island Lake Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 5,268 acres
- 13.1 miRock River Canyon Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 4,724 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Lobb HouseBuilding · Munising · 8.6 mi
- Schoolcraft Furnace SiteSite · Munising · 10 mi
- Grand Island Harbor Rear Range LightStructure · Christmas · 10.2 mi
Guidebooks for Michigan
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Hovey Lake Campsites?
No. Hovey Lake Campsites is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
How much does it cost to camp at Hovey Lake Campsites?
Hovey Lake Campground is a no fee area.
Source: Forest Service
Is Hovey Lake Campsites open right now?
Open as of Oct 16, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
What if Hovey Lake Campsites is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Island Lake (2.6 mi, partly first-come), Council Lake Campsites (4.1 mi), and Widewaters Campground (5.8 mi, partly first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby