Upper Manistee River Backcountry Campsites
Upper Manistee River Backcountry Campsites is a national forest campground in Michigan. Hookups: no hookups.
- Type
- National forest campground
- Location
- Michigan
- Coordinates
- 44.28386, -85.86184
- Hookups
- No hookups
- Activities
- Birding, Boating, Camping, Canoeing, Fishing, Hiking, Kayaking, Motor Boat, Non-motorized Boating, Paddling, Photography, Swimming
- Map
- Open in OpenStreetMap
- Phone
- 231-723-2211
Amenities
- Reservable sites
Only amenities a source confirms are listed; an amenity missing here is unknown, not absent.
About Upper Manistee River Backcountry Campsites
Overview The Upper Manistee dispersed campsites are primitive campsites on the Manistee River Backwaters of Tippy Dam Pond, located along the banks of the Manistee River between Tippy Dam and Hodenpyl Dam. The Government Landing location includes 7 sites, in which, 5 are located on the water and 2 sites are on higher ground overlooking the water. There are 2 sites located on the water that are walk in only. The Red Bridge River Access offers 4 sites that are walk in only and allow easy access to the Manistee River. These sites are very popular and are by reservation only Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Recreation The Upper Manistee River Area offers motorized and non-motorized boating opportunities, and fishing is excellent on the Manistee River. Wildlife viewing may include encounters with a variety of species such as bald eagles, loons, trumpeter swans, black bears, white tailed deer, river otters, and turtles. Many of these species are secretive and sensitive to disturbances, so please view them from a distance. Hiking opportunities in the area are numerous with the North Country Trail and the Manistee River Trail, as the top draw to the area. Both trails offer excellent views of the forested terrain and the Manistee River. Facilities Each site is designed for single camp unit use with a maximum of 8 people and 2 vehicle per site. Sites include a picnic table, fire ring, and a lantern hook. Vault toilets are located with in walking distance of each sit
Cell coverage
No coverage data for this location yet.
Nearby RV services
- Dump station
- Newaygo County Parks · 46 mi
- Water fill
- None mapped within 50 mi
- Propane
- AmeriGas · 32 mi
- Low clearances
- None mapped within 10 mi
- Off-road routes
- 391 designated routes (253 mi) within 10 mi
Other places to stay nearby
| Name | Type | Distance | Fee | Hookups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bridge Access | National forest campground | under 0.1 mi | — | — |
| Red Bridge River Access Site | Private campground | under 0.1 mi | — | — |
| Red Bridge Campground | Private campground | 0.2 mi | — | — |
| Mrt #8C | Private campground | 0.9 mi | — | — |
| Government Landing Site 21 | Free campsite | 1.4 mi | Free | — |
| Government Landing Access | National forest campground | 1.6 mi | — | — |
Open Upper Manistee River Backcountry Campsites in DryRig
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Sources. Recreation.gov (RIDB). Updated June 2026. Facility facts only; DryRig does not publish ratings or reviews on this page.