Bay Furnace Campground

Completely agreed, the proximity to the always slightly more enchanting than the last time Munising and Pictured Rocks, and the tall red pines swaying some 45° in the wind rushing over Lake Superior, just a kicked pinecone away from many sites, makes this the best place to stay for visiting the national lakeshore.

Most spots are spacious, but privacy isn’t as good as many a national forest campground. And that every single lakefront site is reservable is, well, not my cup of tea.

The beach and easily digestible history on the furnace and it’s ruins are pretty cool, but if the weather cooperates, renting a pontoon boat and exploring the visible-from-your-boat shipwrecks is one of the best ways to explore this stretch of Superior!

22-26 July 2020 Bay Furnace is in Christmas MI. just 5 miles from Munising. Between Christmas and Munising is the ferry out to Grand Island National Recreation Area where you can also camp and hike. The ferry was I think about $30 per person. We picked up a first come first serve on site 47 at Bay Furnace. There are several sites with water front access, there is also a long beach that is part of the day use area of Bay Furnace. There is a lot to do in this area. Munising is a large town with several nice restaurants, Taco place was our favorite. There is also a very nice Laundry and several places to get groceries. Casino across from park entrance. We did several day hikes in Pictured Rocks to water falls and had a real nice time in the area. We checked out Au Train Lake Campground but there had been several rainy days and the whole campground is along Au Train Lake so it was damp. We much preferred Bay Furnace. 17 miles west of Bay Furnace Campground is an unusual place called Lakenenland. It is a walk or short drive around this guys outdoor art. It is worth the drive. He also has a small walk through a bog. It is free but if you like it donate.

This was a little gem. This campground is mostly first come first serve and there were several spaces available. Make sure to look at the reserved rags posted on some site as the dates may be coming up and it could be free that night. That’s what happened to us. We picked a site that was reserved two days later but free that night and on the waterfront. Big sites, clean bathroom, and a nice camp host.

This is a popular campground for good reason. It is mostly wooded, with some beach access on Lake Superior. Sites are large and pretty private. Its's a good basecamp for cruises out of Munising or visiting Pictured Rocks. It was full mid-afternoon on a Thursday in late-August. We spent the night at the casino across the street and came by around 10:30 on Friday morning and snagged site 11, one of the few non-reserveable sites with a lake view. About half the sites seemed to be reserveable. There was an astronomy program one night where someone brought in an outside telescope so we could view the planets. There is a cool old blast furnace near the campground with interesting rock hunting in the water nearby. My kids also enjoyed playing on the sandy beach (although narrow) and in the rocky water. My only complaint was that some of the trees in our site seemed to be leaning over and probably should be removed.

This is late review for my stay here July '18, my staging point for seeing Pictured Rocks National Seashore. I got up early in Marquette and drove here arriving by 8 AM. The host in the first loop was very helpful and let me know who to anticipate leaving. A fair number of folks rolled out by mid-morning so finding a spot wasn't that difficult. This is a rustic campground but beautifully maintained and heavily wooded. My site and most sites appeared level and there were a number of larger rigs. The beach and interpretive trail for the furnace are a must-see.

I made my reservations for this spot 6 months in advance, and it did not disappoint. I would do it again in a heartbeat. We were right on the shore of Lake Superior and had a sandy beach mostly to ourselves. The campground was very clean and had spacious sites with great shade. There are no hookups, but generators are allowed. We had full cell service (Which is good and bad). The campground is right off the main road and only about 3 miles from the town of Munising.

Great place short drive from main E/W highway, best to stop mid morning to pick best site available. Gov. reservation system ties up most desirable sites with weekenders. But, if you are lucky you might snag a waterfront site that will make your heart sing.

Great beach walking, agate hunting, historical ruins nearby of early iron smelting. Good dining nearby, services in Muinising or Marquette, nearby emergency healthcare and shopping. Casino across the highway for those who must!

When you hit it right, this is a great place. Generators allowed, no elec. Dump station and garbage dumpsters at entrance. Pit toilets.

CG Host have done a great job keeping it neat and ready for the next camper.