Island Lake

Hiawatha National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Munising, MI, MI

Price: From $26 per night

Price range: $26–$65 per night

Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (21 reviews)

Season: May through October

Island Lake Campground is a small and quiet campground nestled in a mostly pine forest. Island Lake offers great fishing for anglers with small boats or canoes.Although there are a few mixed hardwood trees in the area, this campground is favored by those individuals who like to camp in a classic pine forest setting.There are many waterfalls to see in the area, as well as the popular Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Grand Island, located just 15 miles away at Lake Superior.Island Lake offers

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Fishing

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

Island Lake is a small, quiet campground nestled in pine forest offering excellent fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill, and perch, plus recreation like canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and biking. Campers praise it as serene and secluded with large sites and good privacy, making it an ideal base camp near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Wildlife alert: Common wildlife includes white-tailed deer, raccoons, northern flying squirrels, trumpeter swans, and common snapping turtles. Northern watersnakes and garter snakes are also present.

Insider tips for Island Lake: Book early — this is a federal campground with only 11 sites and high demand Bring your own boat or canoe; the campground has a boat slip for small carry-in watercraft No hookups available; ensure your RV is self-contained before arriving

Skip Island Lake if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available at most sites. You require year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only. You prefer larger campgrounds — only 11 total sites available.

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

Nearby campgrounds: Council Lake Campsites (Munising, MI), Widewaters Campground (Munising, MI), Pete’S Lake Campground (Munising, MI), Mckeever Cabin (MUNISING, MI).

Cell Phone Coverage at Island Lake

Cell signal at Island Lake (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

Island Lake

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Munising, MI, MI★ 4.2 (21 reviews)From $26/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Island Lake Campground is a small and quiet campground nestled in a mostly pine forest. Island Lake offers great fishing for anglers with small boats or canoes.Although there are a few mixed hardwood trees in the area, this campground is favored by those individuals who like to camp in a classic pine forest setting.There are many waterfalls to see in the area, as well as the popular Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Grand Island, located just 15 miles away at Lake Superior.Island Lake offers excellent fishing and canoeing or kayaking. Anglers fish for largemouth bass, blue gill and perch.

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 RV45 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire Rings
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Fishing

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✕ You require year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only✕ You prefer larger campgrounds — only 11 total sites available

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 11 sites and high demand

Bring your own boat or canoe; the campground has a boat slip for small carry-in watercraft

No hookups available; ensure your RV is self-contained before arriving

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October

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: Common wildlife includes white-tailed deer, raccoons, northern flying squirrels, trumpeter swans, and common snapping turtles. Northern watersnakes and garter snakes are also present.

Location

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

From the intersection of M-28 and Forest Highway 13, just a couple miles east of Munising, drive south 8.8 miles to FR 2268, or Buckhorn Road. Turn right (southwest) on FR 2268 and drive 2.2 miles on FR 2268 and FR 2254 to FR 2557. Turn left (south) on FR 2557 and drive 0.8 mile to Island Lake Campground.

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 Island Lake cost per night?+
Island Lake costs $26–$65 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Island Lake open?+
Island Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Island Lake have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Island Lake?+
Island Lake can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet.
How do I make reservations at Island Lake?+
Island Lake 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 Island Lake?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Island Lake is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Island Lake open, and what are check-in times?+
Island Lake 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.

$26 /night★ 4.2 (21)
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 Island Lake cost per night?+
What season is Island Lake open?+
Does Island Lake have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Council Lake Campsites

Munising, MI

From $8/night

Widewaters Campground

Munising, MI

From $26/night

Pete’S Lake Campground

Munising, MI

From $24/night

Mckeever Cabin

MUNISING, MI

From $45/night

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