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Portage Bay State Forest Campground

Portage Bay State Forest Campground is located in Garden, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula. The campground is situated on the shores of Portage Bay, a large lake that is part of the Hiawatha National Forest. The campground offers a variety of activities for visitors, including fishing, swimming, boating, and hiking. There are also several picnic areas and a playground. The campground has a total of 30 campsites, all of which have electric hookups. There are also two group sites available for larger groups. The campground is open from May through October.

Amenities

- Recreational Facilities

• Lake
• Fishing
• Ramp
• Body Of Water (Lake Michigan)

- Policies

• Pets Welcome
• Day Max Stay (15)
• Tent Camping Allowed
• No Reservations

- Other Amenities & Services

• Pit Toilets

- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)

• Fishing
• Hiking
• Boating
• Mountain Biking

- Facility

• Type (State Park)

- On-Site Rentals

• 

- Sites

• Spaces Available (23)
• Max Length (30)
• Gravel Sites (23)
• No Hookups (23)
• Back-ins (15 x 30)

- Hunting Nearby (within 20 miles)

• Year-Round

User Reviews

Dan Heaton

October 07, 2025

Best UP campground. All except 1 site are directly on the water. North sites #1 up have more sand at water, middle sites have a small dune between site and water, south sites near #22 have direct access to water, great water views, some small rocks at water. Well was in the process of being fixed. Clean pit toilets. Quiet, away from it all.

Raquel Moody

August 28, 2025

Beautiful, remote, rustic. Nice hiking trails out to Lake Michigan on either side of Bay.

Brian Bartos

July 01, 2025

Way back, on the water, rugged sites. As of june 30, 2025, there is no potable water FYI. Beautiful campsites! Trail to sandy beach from site.

Dean Featheringill

January 07, 2025

I was here off-season, but the campsites looked great and I enjoyed the two trails (one to Bog Lake and the other a loop through the woods and along Lake Michigan) that are located by the north end of the campground... it's a nice drive through the woods to get here and very, very quiet and peaceful once you arrive

Tekla Emborg

September 18, 2024

Had a great experience at Portage Bay. We were lucky with the weather and found the camp ground to be very calm and beautiful. There was a long Forest Service Road to the ground, but it was well maintained and not an issue for our old van from '93. Would love to return.

Map for Portage Bay State Forest Campground

Contact information