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Upper Peninsula / Lake Superior


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#1 daverave

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Posted 04 August 2022 - 08:35 PM

As we usually do in this time of year lately, the wife and I are looking to duck out from California for a couple of months before the smoke gets heinous. We'll be taking off about 8/17. This year I'm targeting the UP and a circumnavigation of Lake Superior via Voyageurs NP and the Boundary Waters. We'll get there via SLC, Denver, and hopscotching due north across the Nebraska, Wyoming and the Dakota state lines. That part of the trip seems fairly straightforward being in the public lands paradise that is the West.

 

Once we cross into Canada south of Regina and turn east stuff gets a little more confusing. I'm considering checking out Riding Mountain NP in Manitoba then heading towards Voyageurs. Unlike BC there don't seem to be Rec Sites that are essentially very primitive dispersed campgrounds that we utilized three years ago on a trip to Alaska. I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with dispersed camping options in that part of Canada just over the border. In Ontario dispersed camping on Crown Lands (similar it appears to USFS/BLM dirt) is permitted but requires a permit for non-residents. The rules for it seem a tad nebulous so any help there would also be appreciated.

 

Getting back in the US I can navigate through the various National Forests for places to boondock. Not unexpectedly the NP campgrounds are completely booked until late September and I'd rather not make reservations as our trips tend to work best without commitments in advance. I'm hoping that in Northern MN, Michigan and the UP we can find USFS property that is available even if it means being in a campground. Any suggestions for not to miss locations would also be appreciated. We will be traveling with convertible packs to carry gear to backcountry camp where feasible and the crowds are overwhelming. That may be our only option in Pictured Rocks for example. We'll also have inflatable kayaks but they are not robust enough to get us and gear out to islands at places like the Apostle Islands.

 

Looking forward to seeing more of this continent that we haven't been to before! We did do a quick north shore of Lake Superior drive through back in '16 that got me interested in going back there but that was pre-pandemic before everyplace got inundated. We had absolutely no problem finding campsites then.

 

Any suggestions would be welcomed!

Cheers

Dave

 

View from Lk Superior Provincial Park campsite in 2016 attached

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#2 buckland

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Posted 04 August 2022 - 10:19 PM

https://www.nps.gov/piro/index.htm

https://www.nps.gov/isro/index.htm

https://parks.ny.gov...51/details.aspx

https://www.pc.gc.ca...isit/directions

https://www.vtstatep....com/carmi.html

https://vtstateparks.com/ricker.html

 

Just some ideas


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#3 daverave

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Posted 04 August 2022 - 11:17 PM


Just some ideas

We're not going to get farther east than Sault St. Marie on this trip Buck. Thanks though for the links.

Dave


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#4 Casa Escarlata Robles Too

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 12:04 AM

Dave there are some nice NF campgrounds in the area of Temperance River SP

Cook County. It's south of the Boundary Waters Canoe area.

 

We spent several nights in that area.Did a lot of day drive/hikes.

Check my blog I posted a TR from fall 2012 trip.  It's called   Fall trip to Minnesota.

 

Enjoy it's a beautiful area.

You might PM  member  Al  "takesiteasy " he does a lot of traveling to that area.

 

Frank


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#5 Vic Harder

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 02:00 AM

Have you considered using Harvest Hosts and/or Boondocker's Welcome in areas with few NF/BLM/Crown lands?  


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#6 daverave

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 05:00 PM

Have you considered using Harvest Hosts and/or Boondocker's Welcome in areas with few NF/BLM/Crown lands?  

The problem with HH is that your rig must be self-contained. Friends of ours that have a Leisure Travel Van love them but their rig is a mini hotel room with king bed, toilet, two sinks, large screen TV, etc.

I'm not sure about BW though, will check.

We have gone the Hip Camp route on occasion particularly when east of the Mississippi. It's made for some interesting experiences.


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#7 Vic Harder

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 05:14 PM

The problem with HH is that your rig must be self-contained. Friends of ours that have a Leisure Travel Van love them but their rig is a mini hotel room with king bed, toilet, two sinks, large screen TV, etc.

I'm not sure about BW though, will check.

We have gone the Hip Camp route on occasion particularly when east of the Mississippi. It's made for some interesting experiences.

You can be self contained for one night, can't you?  


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#8 DavidGraves

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 06:43 PM

Hi Dave

 

I would say strongly that our experience with HH has very much fit our needs when we just need an in transit spot to spend the night. 

 

Many HH owners have finished their work day and gone home by the time you arrive.

 

MANY times we have been very happy to have a convenient and preplanned place for the night.

 

If we get in early or the venue opens early we try to buy something to help their business before hitting the road.

 

As for the UP I would mention Apostle Islands National Seashore....a series of very nice places to visit in Lake Superior.

Despite the name there is fairly easy access to the many islands with rental kayaks, excursion boats etc.

 

It is full of History and Natural History...our guiding lights in travel.

 

Have Fun

 

David Graves


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#9 daverave

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 11:04 PM

Dave there are some nice NF campgrounds in the area of Temperance River SP

Cook County. It's south of the Boundary Waters Canoe area.

 

Frank

We happened to spend one night at Temperance River SP back in 2016. It was a quick but enjoyable stopover.


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#10 Casa Escarlata Robles Too

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Posted 05 August 2022 - 11:43 PM

We happened to spend one night at Temperance River SP back in 2016. It was a quick but enjoyable stopover.

The Coho fishing in the tidal part of the river was fun. We were there with follow campers we met 2 years before at Pebble Creek

in Yellowstone.They live in Winona Mn and invited us for some camping. The area was beautiful in the fall.

Frank


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