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Farquar-Metsa Tourist Park & Campground

Overview

Farquar-Metsa Tourist Park & Campground offers a peaceful retreat nestled within the heart of Forsyth Township. Known for its quiet atmosphere and tall pines, this park provides a classic Upper Peninsula camping experience. It serves as an accessible home base for those looking to explore the natural beauty of the Gwinn area while enjoying a well-maintained municipal setting. Whether you are passing through or staying for a week, the park emphasizes a relaxed pace of life away from the hustle of larger tourist hubs.

Location & Surroundings

The park is situated in Gwinn, MI, a historic community originally designed as a model town. One of the primary draws is its proximity to the Escanaba River, which flows nearby, offering scenic views and a cooling breeze. The surrounding landscape is characterized by dense forests and a network of local trails. It feels secluded and private, yet it remains conveniently close to local grocery stores and small-town services, making it a convenient stopover for travelers heading north toward Lake Superior.

Amenities & Park Features

Visitors can choose from a variety of sites, including many equipped with water and electric hookups to accommodate modern RVs. The park features essential facilities such as a dump station and a clean bathhouse with shower facilities. For recreation, the grounds offer a playground for children and spacious picnic pavilions perfect for group gatherings. Each site typically includes a fire ring and a picnic table, encouraging guests to enjoy the traditional outdoor camping ritual of evening bonfires under the stars.

Nearby Attractions & Things to Do

Nature enthusiasts will appreciate being just a short distance from Johnson Lake, where swimming and sunbathing are popular summer activities. The East Branch of the Escanaba River is a favorite spot for local fishing and paddling. For those seeking more urban adventures, the city of Marquette is a short drive away, offering access to Lake Superior beaches, unique local breweries, and extensive hiking trails at Sugarloaf Mountain. The park’s location makes it easy to explore the rugged beauty of Marquette County.

Who This Park Is Best For

This destination is ideal for RVers who prefer a quiet, rustic vibe over the high-traffic noise of larger commercial resorts. It is a fantastic choice for families seeking an affordable summer getaway with plenty of green space and outdoor activities. Additionally, nature photographers and anglers will find the proximity to the river and local woods highly rewarding. If your travel style focuses on simplicity, natural surroundings, and friendly local charm, this park will likely fit your needs perfectly.

Amenities

- Recreational Facilities

• River
• Swimming
• Fishing
• Body Of Water (Escanaba River)
• Horseshoes
• Game Room
• Kayaking/Canoeing

- Policies

• Pets Welcome
• Day Max Stay (14)
• Tent Camping Allowed

- Other Amenities & Services

• Restroom and Showers

- Facility

• Type (Public Park)

- On-Site Rentals

• 

- Sites

• Spaces Available (20)
• Width (40)
• Max Length (60)
• 30 Amp
• Grass Sites (20)
• 50 Amp
• Full Hookups (20)
• Max Amps (50)
• Pull-thrus (20)
• Pull-thru Size (40 x 60)
• Site Length (60)

- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)

• Fishing
• Hiking

User Reviews

April Mohr

October 06, 2025

Great little campground. Peaceful. And great wifi if you’re traveling while working.

Melody Norris

August 24, 2025

Very quiet, peaceful campground. Staff is friendly and helpful. Sites are large enough that you don’t feel packed in. There is a beautiful water area a very short walk from the campsites. We would stay here again.

Rebecca Lents

August 21, 2025

I was hoping to find a dispersed camping area on County land but the roads were a mess and most were to rough for my 2wd low clearance van. Though the website says reservation required, I took a chance and drove up to the office. The lady there was so nice and allowed me to "vancamp" in the rustic tent area. The campsites are spaced out and spacious. There is a nice walking trail and showers. I can't review the shower due to not using it and the electric sites are closer together than any I've seen .. but the tent area, where they allow desperate self contained van travelers to stay based upon availability are wonderful. Thank you so much for finding a place for me. It was lovely and though i think $15 is a bit high for rustic campgrounds .. atleast here you have showers, water, and well maintained trails where as in the State campgrounds or National forest campgrounds in this area that are often $16 with only picnic tables and trails that have been taken over with poison ivy.

Holli Bertrand

September 23, 2024

Park is great. Only problem is I am hearing a lot of what I assume is hunter gunfire. Great hiking trail but glad I did it before hearing all the gunfire that started 2 days ago and lasted until 11pm last night. Maybe it is a firing range not sure. Great base to see all the sights in Marquette.

Brian Swartzfager

August 01, 2023

We stayed here for two weeks while sightseeing. An asphalt road brings you into the campground: stay straight to proceed to the office, at which point the asphalt gives way to gravel. The campground has two loops: the main loop at the front of the campground and an offshoot loop. All of the full hook-up sites are on the main loop and are all back-to-back back-in sites, with gravel pads and grass lawns. Each FHU site has a picnic table and a fire ring which is located either near the front of the back of the site (they alternate). Trash cans are located between sites such that two site share a can, and trash is picked up every morning. There are some trees behind and between sites but few of them are tall enough to provide much shade to the RVs. The spacing between sites and back-to-back is pretty good. All of the hookups are next to the back 3rd of the pad. The offshoot loop has two electric-only sites and the remaining sites are primitive campsites. They also have gravel pads, grass lawns, picnic tables and fire rings, but they are in a wooded area that provides a fair amount of shade. Our site in the main loop (site 6) had no shade trees but was level. Following the rule to keep our RV tires on the pad, the pad was long enough to fit our 37-foot fifth wheel with several feet to spare, but we ended up parking our truck across the street from the front of our RV (both sides of the loop provide a wide grass or gravel shoulder on the other side of the campground road specifically for that purpose). This is a campground run by the county, not a private campground, so there are few amenities. There are bathrooms with showers attached to the office building. On the outside of the office is a plastic cabinet with brochures about the local area and a trading library, though I never saw it unlocked, and they sell bundles of firewood. There is a simple dump station next to the campground that non-campers can use for $5. Downhill from the office is an asphalt day-use parking area with a single adjustable basketball hoop. Next to that parking area is a shed with a covered porched next to the shoreline of the river (swimming is allowed but done so at your own risk), a small wooden platform for viewing the river or fishing, and the trailhead for the Flat Rock hiking trail, which has some nice views along the river but is unfortunately overgrown in spots. There is no dog park here, but there are two dog stations with poop bag dispensers and trash receptacles. In terms of cell service, the best speed I got on my Verizon Jetpack with MIMO antenna was 60 Mbps down and 12 up, and we had no trouble streaming video at all times during the day.  The best speed test I ran on my 5G AT&T smartphone showed 80 Mbps down and 6 up. The campground provides 3 distinct WiFi hotspots, and while testing the strength of those hotspots I got a whopping 422 down and 38 up, the highest download bandwidth I've ever seen at a campground. The campground is not really close to the biggest tourist attractions in the area - Marquette is 30 minutes away and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a hour away - but the biggest negative of camping here at this time of year is the mosquitos. Bug spray is highly recommended if you're going to be outside in the park when it's warm, especially on the river side of the campground.

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