Camp in the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness
Free Soil, Michigan
Description
Added by Shalee Blackmer
3,450 acre wilderness area. 4 mile hiking trail along Lake Michigan to camp off of. 140 foot sand dunes. Located within Manistee National Forest. Completely cut off from cell phone reception. No crowds.
The Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is located south of Manistee along an extremely isolated shoreline. Most hikers prefer to camp two nights along the shores of Lake Michigan, but some choose to call the dunes home for weeks at a time. This is an area of backwoods camping, where sites can be established either in the woods or on sand dunes. It is also known for its hammock camping, which allows stunning beach views from the treeline.
Everything must be hiked into the campsite including all food, water, and other supplies. The beach hiking trail runs 4 miles long, with inland wooded trails lasting for miles inside the Manistee National Forest. If looking for a long beach hike, an isolated lighthouse known as Big Sable Light is a 6 mile hike south from the middle point of the dunes.
Nordhouse Dunes has a wide range of wildlife; including deer, raccoons, bears, bobcats, and coyotes. All food must be hung, buried, or kept in a scent proof container at night. Animals will chew through tent material if food is smelled.
The hiking trails can be accessed from two parking lot points. The main parking lot is located off of US 31. If camping, an overnight backpacker’s permit must be acquired at a Marathon Gas Station at the corner of US 31 and W Forest Trail Rd. Once the permit is bought, continue down W Forest Trail Rd. for approximately 8 miles until the road ends into a rounded parking lot.
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Reviews
Lots of backpackers hiking and camping off the trails and by the beach. Sunsets on the beach are pretty and you can get over a half mile of beach all to yourself even in July. I do wish that the trails were longer but you still can get several miles (probably around 12) if you do all of them. The natural wilderness is very well preserved and we saw lots of wildlife. Can’t wait to come again!
5.0
We went for Fourth of July weekend with our dog, and we're warned about large crowds which turned out not to be a problem at all. If you're willing to put in an extra mile or more you're pretty much guaranteed to find a nice quiet spot to camp. I'd recommend entering the area on the south road (past a little general store) and park at the end of the road near the southern trailheads. It was busy so had to parallel park along the road. When you get to the dunes and the shoreline, its easier to walk along the beach to head south to the more secluded areas. The camp spots are up near the tree line a few hundred feet off the shore. You may have to find a gap up the steeper shoreline to get back up in there. Get there early and catch the sunset over Lake Michigan! Unexpected beauty here. Friendly people, interesting wildlife and vegetation, awesome beach camping.
5.0
My favorite place to camp in MI so far.
5.0
I only give this 4/5 stars because the hiking around the area can get somewhat repetitive. Beautiful areas to camp right on the dunes of Lake Michigan with a gorgeous beach. There are plenty of awesome spots to camp both on the dunes and back into the forest, depending on your tastes. We set up camp near Lake Michigan and hiked out during the day and, while it was nice, it definitely didn't compare to other hikes I've done in the state. Overall, great hike-in camping, but not great "backpacking" that I'm used to - there's not much variation on the trail when you're in the first.
4.0
Plenty of room and beautiful scenery.
5.0
It was a ton of fun for being a really short easy hike! However, definitely do not expect a challenging hike other than the fact that your walking through really sand terrain most of the time. Avoid it during the Holliday weekends because it can be hard to find a campsite where you have some solitude.
4.0
Did my first trip of the year( in over 20 years) and wow I really wish I had trained a lil harder. Terrain is very sandy with no shortage of elevation changes and more than a few downed trees crossing the trail. Trails aren't marked except for at the trailheads, so a little bit of backtracking should be expected. There are some great camping spots along the Lake Michigan side, and even better trees to hang a hammock from. If your back country camping you only pay $5 a night to park at either trailhead. Beautiful country and definitely worth the trip.
4.0
Backpack in a mile or more and park your tent on the dunes of Lake Michigan. A wonderful hideout!
5.0
Leave No Trace
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Nearby
Hike Island Trail
Hike to Big Sable Point Lighthouse
Manistee River Trail South
Hike Silver Lake State Park Loop
Backpack the Manistee River Trail
Manistee River Trail Loop
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