Colwell Lake Campground

Hiawatha National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Munising, MI, MI

Price: From $24 per night

Price range: $24–$80 per night

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (118 reviews)

Season: May through October

Colwell Lake Campground is situated on Colwell Lake in the center of Michigan’s Hiawatha National Forest. Guests of all ages can enjoy nature and the outdoors in this picturesque setting. The campground has much to offer in terms of recreation, such as swimming, fishing, boating and picnicking, and can accommodate families, individuals, small groups, RV and tent campers with several amenities.For facility specific information, please call (906) 767-1111.The campground consists of many individual

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Fishing, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/colwell-lake-campground to be notified when sites open up.

Colwell Lake Campground offers excellent recreation including swimming, fishing, boating, and picnicking on a scenic lake in Hiawatha National Forest. Google reviewers consistently praise the huge sites, clean facilities, and helpful camp hosts, with a 4.7/5 rating from 107 reviews.

Wildlife alert: Gray wolves, North American river otters, and snowshoe hares are present in the area. Bird species include rose-breasted grosbeaks, pine grosbeaks, and ruffed grouse. Common snapping turtles and painted turtles inhabit the lake.

Insider tips for Colwell Lake Campground: Some sites are first-come, first-served according to camper reports Book early as this is a popular federal campground Plan for potentially long walks to water spigots based on camper experience

Skip Colwell Lake Campground if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available at most sites; only suitable for self-contained RVs. You prefer year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only.

Best time to visit Colwell Lake Campground: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Crooked Lake Campsite (Rapid River, MI), Steuben Lake Campsites (Rapid River, MI), Clear Lake Campsite (Rapid River, MI), East Lake Campsites (Rapid River, MI).

Cell Phone Coverage at Colwell Lake Campground

Cell signal at Colwell Lake Campground (Munising, MI): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Hiawatha National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Colwell Lake Campground

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Munising, MI, MI★ 4.7 (118 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Colwell Lake Campground is situated on Colwell Lake in the center of Michigan’s Hiawatha National Forest. Guests of all ages can enjoy nature and the outdoors in this picturesque setting. The campground has much to offer in terms of recreation, such as swimming, fishing, boating and picnicking, and can accommodate families, individuals, small groups, RV and tent campers with several amenities.For facility specific information, please call (906) 767-1111.The campground consists of many individual family sites, as well as a group site that can hold 24 people and two tent-only sites along the lake shore.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV60 ft
Hookups4 electric sites
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsBoat Launch

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups — no hookups available at most sites; only suitable for self-contained RVs✕ You prefer year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Some sites are first-come, first-served according to camper reports

Book early as this is a popular federal campground

Plan for potentially long walks to water spigots based on camper experience

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Gray wolves, North American river otters, and snowshoe hares are present in the area. Bird species include rose-breasted grosbeaks, pine grosbeaks, and ruffed grouse. Common snapping turtles and painted turtles inhabit the lake.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
1111111111· Hiawatha National Forest
Getting there →

From Manistique, Michigan, drive north 25 miles on State Route 94 to Forest Road 2246. Turn right (east) and drive 0.5 miles to the campground road.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Hiawatha National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Hiawatha National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Colwell Lake Campground cost per night?+
Colwell Lake Campground costs $24–$80 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Colwell Lake Campground open?+
Colwell Lake Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Colwell Lake Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Colwell Lake Campground?+
Colwell Lake Campground can accommodate RVs up to 60 feet.
How do I make reservations at Colwell Lake Campground?+
Colwell Lake Campground is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Colwell Lake Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Colwell Lake Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Colwell Lake Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Colwell Lake Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility MapVista Recreation
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$24 /night★ 4.7 (118)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Colwell Lake Campground cost per night?+
What season is Colwell Lake Campground open?+
Does Colwell Lake Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Crooked Lake Campsite

Rapid River, MI

From $8/night

Steuben Lake Campsites

Rapid River, MI

From $8/night

Clear Lake Campsite

Rapid River, MI

From $20/night

East Lake Campsites

Rapid River, MI

From $8/night

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