Gabions Campground

Huron-Manistee National Forests — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Mio, MI, MI

Price: From $10 per night

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (2 reviews)

Season: May through October

Gabions Campground offers camping on the National Scenic stretch of the Au Sable River. Natural springs are common on this section of the river, including a small one at the river’s edge near the gabions. Gabions are rock-filled wire baskets that are placed along the riverbank to help reduce erosion.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Fishing

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

Gabions Campground offers affordable camping on the National Scenic Au Sable River with natural springs and excellent opportunities for fishing, paddling, and wildlife viewing. Campers consistently rate it highly (4.6/5 stars) for being a quiet, well-maintained favorite in Huron National Forest.

Wildlife alert: Great Blue Heron, Wood Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Eastern Kingbird, Muskrat, Virginia Opossum, Eastern Hognose Snake, Common Snapping Turtle, Eastern Garter Snake

Insider tips for Gabions Campground: Book early—this is a popular federal campground with only 8 sites Bring heavy-duty bug spray; multiple campers report bugs can be bad Sites now have whiteboards for easier reservation coordination

Skip Gabions Campground if: You need RV hookups—no hookups available at most sites; only suitable for self-contained RVs. You plan to camp outside May-October—seasonal operations only. You want to bring horses—horse camping is not permitted despite Shore-to-Shore Trail proximity.

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

Nearby campgrounds: South Branch Trail Camp Group Site (Oscoda, MI), Mack Lake Orv Campground (Mio, MI), Rollways Campground (Hale , MI), Au Sable Loop Campground (Mio, MI).

Cell Phone Coverage at Gabions Campground

Cell signal at Gabions Campground (Mio, 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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Huron-Manistee National Forests — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Gabions Campground

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Mio, MI, MI★ 3.5 (2 reviews)From $10/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Gabions Campground offers camping on the National Scenic stretch of the Au Sable River. Natural springs are common on this section of the river, including a small one at the river’s edge near the gabions. Gabions are rock-filled wire baskets that are placed along the riverbank to help reduce erosion.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesSites: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 RV99 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsFishing
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

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 plan to camp outside May-October—seasonal operations only✕ You want to bring horses—horse camping is not permitted despite Shore-to-Shore Trail proximity

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground with only 8 sites

Bring heavy-duty bug spray; multiple campers report bugs can be bad

Sites now have whiteboards for easier reservation coordination

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: Great Blue Heron, Wood Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Eastern Kingbird, Muskrat, Virginia Opossum, Eastern Hognose Snake, Common Snapping Turtle, Eastern Garter Snake

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
989-826-3252· Huron-Manistee National Forests
Getting there →

From the South on M33: Turn East onto Curtisville Road and stay on it for approximately 15.5 miles. (Note the name of the road will change to: Au Sable Valley River Rd and then Au Sable River Rd.) Turn Left (north) onto Brodie Road. Follow the signs to the campground. From Mio via McKinley Road: Follow McKinley Road/Au Sable Road approximately 20 miles. Turn right on 4001/Au Sable River Road and drive 3/4 mile. Turn Right (north) onto Brodie 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 — Huron-Manistee National Forests fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Huron-Manistee National Forests before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Gabions Campground cost per night?+
Gabions Campground costs $10 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Gabions Campground open?+
Gabions Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Gabions Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Gabions Campground?+
Gabions Campground can accommodate RVs up to 99 feet.
How do I make reservations at Gabions Campground?+
Gabions 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 Gabions Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Gabions Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Gabions Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Gabions Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Huron-Manistee National Forest: Gabions Campground and Day UseMap of the National Scenic portion of the Au Sable RiverHuron Adventure Planner
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.

$10 /night★ 3.5 (2)
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 Gabions Campground cost per night?+
What season is Gabions Campground open?+
Does Gabions Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

South Branch Trail Camp Group Site

Oscoda, MI

From $20/night

Mack Lake Orv Campground

Mio, MI

From $15/night

Rollways Campground

Hale , MI

From $15/night

Au Sable Loop Campground

Mio, MI

From $10/night

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