About Cookson Lake Campsites
The Munising and Rapid River/Manistique Ranger Districts of the Hiawatha National Forest offer a variety of camping experiences. Many are located on inland lakes in a rustic forest environment with no drinking water. The rustic environment offers a wonderfully serene and peaceful setting for your next camping experience. Visitors enjoy swimming and fishing in the 35-acre adjacent lake. Largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and bullhead are among the typical catch. Licenses are required for fishing in Michigan waters. Fish cribs were placed around the Island in 2023. A public boat ramp is located adjacent to site 2, which can be used to access Cookson Lake's fishery of largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and bullhead. The campground offers five primitive campsites for tent and RV camping. Each offers tables and campfire rings. A pit toilet is located near one of the sites, but…
- Fees: Camping fee is $8 per night per site. Federal Recreation Passes (Golden/America the Beautiful) are accepted.
- Season: May 15 – Columbus Day
- Managed by: Hiawatha National Forest, FS
- Where: 16 mi south of Munising, MI · 46.1956, -86.56151
Things to do:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: Jun–Sep (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Nov–Apr.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cookson Lake South Spur A | ATV road | at camp | 0.1 mi |
| Deer Creek | ATV road | 0.1 mi | 1.9 mi |
| Pine Marten Run | Horse | 0.6 mi | 17.8 mi |
| Pine Marten Run | Horse | 0.6 mi | 0.4 mi |
| Pine Marten Run | Horse | 1.3 mi | 0.9 mi |
| Brunos Run | Hiking | 1.4 mi | 12.9 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
AT&T 5G
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way casts shadows and the sky is crowded with stars.
Class 1 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Dump station: 18.2 mi
Water fill-up: 16.9 mi
Camps nearby
- Indian River V 0.3 mi
- Indian river III 1 mi
- Ironjaw Lake Campsite 1.8 mi
- Lake Nineteen Campsite 1.9 mi
- Ewing Point Campsite 2.1 mi
- Swan Lake Campsites 2.1 mi