Ausable River Camping

The road in was horribly unmaintained, which is an issue considering the boat launch at the end. So bad we had to make a makeshift bridge over the potholes my friend could not maneuver around in his Honda Accord. I drove my truck, and even with 8” of ground clearance and moving at 3mph, my air dam was rubbing against the gravel going through the potholes. DNR/Federal needs to do a better job at maintaining these roads.

The bathroom down by the launch also needs to be pumped more frequently, i believe they only pump it in the fall or spring, it was so bad you could smell it from the campsite 500ft away if the wind changed. So bad that if you went in it, you would have to change your clothes after because the smell sticks to your clothes for hours. I used to work in areas with unmaintained portajohns in 100 degree heat, those were nothing compared to the nose burning stench of the boat ramp pit toilet at Sawmill point.

I got this site due to a cancellation, starting to think they cancelled because they didn’t want to get wafting sh*t in their tent all through the night.

That said, the site layouts themselves are beautiful, the river access is unmatched, if the road and those pit toilets were fixed it would be a 5/5 star stay.

Bring a trash bag to pack out anything you bring. There are raccoons in the area so make sure to put your trash away at night

The site is great but overgrown with poison ivy. The river bank had weeds/poison ivy waist high and hadn't been cut back at all. The site is secluded and beautiful but if you are allergic like me beware. I am covered in poison ivy from the overgrowth at the site.

Great Site. Very large and perfect for big families. Very secluded with a bunch of random trails leading down to the water for fishing. Not a good swimming site. GPS will take you to the end of Cook Dam Rd. To access the site, go past road ends sign past the two stone pillars with consumers sign. Road is on your left right after the consumers sign you will see a small brown tent sign to ensure you’re on the right road.

There's property across the river, very loud at all hours of night. One sight visible nearby, excellent space and view, river access excellent for rock hunting, fishing and kayaking. We parked at the half circle, day use area just past the more populated parking site and yaked supplies around the bend rather than hiking it in just cause we had a big load of supplies. If you're looking for total seclusion, this isn't that, but still a great reprieve. There's plenty of hiking spots and fishing opportunities nearby. There's Largo Springs, highly recommend for fossil hunters and a nice workout (hella stairs), then there's Five Channels Dam, Loud Dam, Cooke Dam and Foot Dam. First time visiting and certainly plan on returning.

Campsite was clean and spaced apart very well. The area was very heavily patrolled by the local sheriff and the forest rangers. All in all a good vacation.

Campsite 037C was clearly well-tended by staff, though the previous campers left trash in the fire ring, which I packed out when I left. The location itself is beautiful, with wild columbine and ninebark blooming all over the island when I was there, attracting many bees, butterflies, even hummingbirds. Store your food safely each night, as there are some crafty raccoons around.

Secluded and peaceful

Site divided right down the middle by large trees that were cut down and not clear away. It made setup a bit trickier and the site more awkward to use.

This beautiful space was worth paddling in all of our supplies for 8 days of secluded nature time with the family. The swimming, fishing and exploring were wonderful.