About Sylvania Wilderness Backcountry Camping
**Planning a trip to the Sylvania Wilderness? Watch for Alerts at the top of the page for any Alerts regarding this facility.** Encompassing one of the largest tracts of remaining old growth forest in the Midwest, the Sylvania Wilderness encompasses 18,327 acres and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. 34 named lakes are within its boundary. Recreation opportunities include canoeing on Sylvania's undeveloped lakes, hiking through its old growth forest, and camping at one of its 50 designated backcountry campsites. Special rules and regulations are in place to protect the wilderness characteristics of Sylvania. If you are planning a trip, be sure to watch the [Sylvania Wilderness Orientation Video](https://www.facebook.com/OttawaNF/videos/595373854447261/) and read the "Need to Know" tab on this web page to plan ahead and prepare. Canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking…
- Fees: **Camping Fee** Reserving Sylvania Wilderness Backcountry Campsite Permits are $15 per night. No pass discounts apply to backcountry…
- Season: January 1 – December 31
- Managed by: Ottawa National Forest, FS
- Where: 6 mi southwest of Watersmeet, MI · 46.24472, -89.31056
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thompson Lodge | Hiking | 0.3 mi | 1.9 mi |
| Katherine Lake | Hiking | 0.3 mi | 0.3 mi |
| Porcupine Campsite | Hiking | 0.5 mi | 0.3 mi |
| Clark Lake | Hiking | 0.9 mi | 8.5 mi |
| Corey Lake | Hiking | 0.9 mi | 0.2 mi |
| Crooked/Corey Lake Portage | Hiking | 1.1 mi | 0.1 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
Verizon 4G · AT&T 4G
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: 0.8 mi
Water fill-up: 19.1 mi
Camps nearby
- Clark Lake Pavilion 0 mi
- Sylvania (Clark Lake) Campground 0 mi
- Iron River Ranger District 6.8 mi
- Langford Lake Boat Launch 9.2 mi
- Robbins Pond Campground 10.2 mi
- Marion Lake Campground 11.2 mi