Kingston Lake State Forest

Kingston SF in Pictured Rocks NP buffer zone. (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good (70 yr olds in 17’ trailer). I rate primarily based on desire for at least a moderate wilderness type experience w at least some camp site privacy. Cleanliness and care of campground are also taken into consideration. Overall Rating: 4.5. Looks to be on a piece of land that stretches out into Kingston lake. Price 2023: $20 Usage during visit: 3/4 full Site Privacy: pretty good Site Spacing: most sites are very well spaced. Site surface: Dirt covered Gravel Reservations: First come Campground Noise: Quiet Road Noise: None Through Traffic in campground: No. Boat ramp is at cg entry. Electric Hookup: No Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: No Potable Water Available: A hand pump Generators: ? Bathroom: Pit toilet. Clean Showers: No Pull Throughs: A couple Cell Service (AT&T): No bars Setting: Amazing lake setting. Weather: Partial sun o my Sept 2 visit Solar: Not for fixed panels Host: I didn’t see one. Rig size: 25’ max. Looks too tight for a big rig. Sites: Along lake or Water View: 1-7, 11- 16 , 8,11. All sites, I would be pleased with any site here. Not super private, but so many are right along the water and most of not all have a view of the water . Site 5 looks to have a water view from the campground road. But, it is the most private.

I loved my two nights here! Very quiet and a close, easy drive to the Pictured Rocks hikes I wanted to do. Spots are large and spaced out. Campground is first come first served, $15 a night + Michigan recreation pass. Vault toilets were okay. Well water available in the campground.

We didn’t stay (too buggy/too muggy near a lake) but very picturesque for cooler season camping. The water has a lot of tannic acid in it (rust color) so didn’t think getting in the lake would be enjoyable; not from the color but from not being able to see into it. Call me weird. Make a reservation, it is pretty; and looks to be quite cozy for fall camping.

This campground was a wonderful surprise to stumble across after staying one night at a nearby campground that was so buggy it was unbearable. This campground still had its fair share of bugs, but not nearly as many as Blind Sucker in early July. It was very quiet and peaceful here, with so much wildlife very close by - deer, birds, snakes, beavers, foxes, and coyotes. Supposedly there are bears in the area, but we didn't see any. This campground is somewhat close to a lot of other cool things to see in the area, like waterfalls and Pictured Rocks. Highly recommend, bust make sure you leave no trace and respect the environment. I would hate to see such a beautiful place's ecosystem harmed by human overuse.

All sites surround a medium-sized lake and have direct water access. All sites are first come first served, primitive, and have a picnic table and fire ring. No electricity, but we run on solar so are always set with what we need. Each site is individually tucked into the natural landscape, so most have a good deal of privacy and shade. Gorgeous deciduous trees made the fall season extra special! Pit toilets are kept clean (though one really needed to be cleaned out after the holiday weekend) and well stocked. 

We found this campground after realizing that it was Columbus Day weekend and all the reservable sites along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore were full. This, and a few other state forest campgrounds, had space but this one is popular…so get there early. 

It’s about a 15 minute drive back up to Lake Superior, and about 25 mins to Munising where you’ll find groceries, gas, and supplies. There is a 4-mile hike through the forest back up to Lake Superior, which leaves directly from the campground. Keep your eyes peeled for blue blazes, though, as parts are not well marked and it’s easy to get lost in the beautiful maze of OHV and snowmobile trails.

Plenty of sites! Arrived at 1 pm Sunday and there were about 7 sites to choose from. By about 5 pm, they were full. Gorgeous lake with easy access for kayaking, fishing, or letting the pup swim! Nice fire pit and picnic table. Also attached to a trailhead of a 4 mile hike to Lake Superior (one way).

The water is more like a pond but the campsites are nice. Lots of vault bathrooms. All the campsites have a view of the water. Campground is close to pictured rocks.

This campground was stunning and got very quiet at night. LOVED it and will definitely return.

THANK YOU to the camp host at Twelve Mile campground for letting us know about this site! We were from out of state on a last minute trip and out of options for where to stay with no reservations. I'm very thankful to the state of Michigan for having first-come first-serve options like Kingston Lake!

We were lucky enough to grab a site immediately near check-out time on a Monday afternoon, in a prime spot with walk-in access to the lake. The sites are well spaced with decent privacy. Our two-person tent occupied maybe a third of the available space on the site. Most sites I think could accommodate multiple tents and vehicles. Drainage and elevation for our site was great - no standing water or mosquitoes.

There were plenty of vault toilets that were all stocked with toilet paper. The pump for water - as someone else said - was very brown and we opted to use our own bottled water instead. Our site fire pit was very full of ash, which we had to empty some of to use. I'm not sure if the state park employees empty them regularly. Four trash cans next to the information board offer a place to dump garbage, but were near capacity.

The lake was clear enough and very peaceful. The boat ramp nearby was always busy with activity of fishing or kayaking, but not near enough to camp to be too noisy. 

The best review I can give is that I would stay here again!

We traveled over 8 hours on the hope of grabbing a spot here early on a Friday. Our plan was to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Our diligence was rewarded, as we arrived around 11AM and had our pick of the litter. Every site has water access and is picturesque. This was a fantastic place to stay as a base camp to explore the National Park just to the North.

The water from the pump at entrance to the campground was quite cloudy and brown. Though locals insisted it was fine to drink we opted to purchase water to supplement what we had brought from just down the road at the General Store. Also filter treated water from the lake which was quite refreshing.

At night, the lake gave back the heat of the day and became shrouded in a wonderful mist. Truly spectacular to behold with the stars above.

This is a nice state forest campground that is only $15/night and literally every site has waterfront view. It's a rustic campground with pump water (very high mineral content) and vault toilets. It also has a picnic area and boat launch. A huge bonus is unlike all of the national forest campgrounds in the area, no reservations are required.

We arrived late after finding several other campgrounds already full. To our surprise we still found a spot right on the lake with great access. The campground was super quiet despite being about 3/4 full.

Have stayed here now 2 years in a row and loved it both times. We've been lucky enough to stay at a site with great water access both years and the way the geography works out, it seems like the majority of these sites are either on the water or right across from it. Being that it is in the forest, there is plenty of privacy with a lot of tree cover from site to site if you need it. It's a solid no frills campground that I will definitely continue to visit.

Our first night in the UP, we drove around for what felt like FOREVER trying to find a camping spot. We ended up staying on a small patch of grass between a hotel and a campsite for $10. We got out bright and early the next day to find a spot and lucked upon a great site on Kingston Lake. It's fairly small and private, with gorgeous views of the small inland lake right from your tent. When we wanted to go fishing, we could easily drag the kayak down to the water no matter what part of the day. We stayed there for the rest of the week. Great rustic campground with water pumps and outhouse style bathrooms. We only paid $13 a night!