Sylvania Wilderness Backcountry Camping

The front of a canoe rests on the shore of a small lake surrounded by green trees
The shore of a lake with trees and a campsite marker post in the distance.
Waves approach a tree covered shore with gray storm clouds in the sky overhead.
The front of a canoe surrounded by a blue lake with another canoe in the distance.
A window is open on a log entrance station building with a staff member inside ready to greet visitors.

Featured amenities

Showers Showers

About Sylvania Wilderness Backcountry Camping

Planning a trip to the Sylvania Wilderness? Watch for Alerts at the top of the page for any Alerts regarding this facility.  Encompassing one of the largest tracts of remaining old growth forest in the Midwest, the Sylvania Wilderness encompasses 18,327 acres and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. 34 named lakes are within its boundary. Recreation opportunities include canoeing on Sylvania's undeveloped lakes, hiking through its old growth forest, and camping at one of its 50 designated backcountry campsites.Special rules and regulations are in place to protect the wilderness characteristics of Sylvania. If you are planning a trip, be sure to watch the Sylvania Wilderness Orientation Video and read the "Need to Know" tab on this web page to plan ahead and prepare.

Available sites

50 total sites

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently open - Oct 1 to Dec 31

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Showers Showers
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Showers
Water Access

Water Access

  • Beach Access
  • Lake Access
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

50 Sites Available

Site
Price
⛺ ASH-1, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ ASH-2, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BADGER-1, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BADGER-2, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BALSAM-1, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BALSAM-2, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BASS, Loop: Whitefish Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BEAR-1, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BEAR-2, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BEAVER-1, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BEAVER-2, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BIRCH, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BOBCAT, Loop: High Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ CEDAR-1, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ CEDAR-2, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ CHIPMUNK, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ COYOTE, Loop: West Bear Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ DEER-1, Loop: East Bear Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ DEER-2, Loop: East Bear Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ EAGLE-1, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ EAGLE-2, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ ERMINE-1, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ ERMINE-2, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ FISHER-1, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ FISHER-2, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ FOX-1, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ FOX-2, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ LOON, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ LYNX-1, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ LYNX-2, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ MALLARD-1, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ MALLARD-2, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ MAPLE-1, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ MAPLE-2, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ MINK-1, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ MINK-2, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ OSPREY-1, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ OSPREY-2, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PERCH-1, Loop: Whitefish Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PERCH-2, Loop: Whitefish Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PIKE-1, Loop: Whitefish Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PIKE-2, Loop: Whitefish Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PINE-1, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PINE-2, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PORCUPINE-1, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PORCUPINE-2, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ RACCOON, Loop: High Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ SQUIRREL-1, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ SQUIRREL-2, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ WOLF, Loop: East Bear Lake Tent
Yes shade

Reviews

307 reviews

Summary

AI generated

Sylvania Wilderness offers a stunning, serene environment ideal for first-time campers, with beautiful weather, mild portage trails, and clean, spacious campsites. Visitors enjoyed peaceful paddling experiences, abundant wildlife, and friendly park staff, making for a memorable outdoor adventure. While some reported issues with mosquitoes and campsite accessibility, the overall experience remains highly praised, with many eager to return.

Based on guest feedback

4.5

Overall rating

Based on 307 reviews

Write a review
5 stars 69.4% (213)
4 stars 18.9% (58)
3 stars 6.5% (20)
2 stars 2.9% (9)
1 star 2.3% (7)

Showing 307 reviews

Dave C

Verified

August 25, 2022 Stayed at: BOBCAT, Loop: High Lake

I had a wonderful experience on my recent trip to Sylvania. This was not my first trip to Sylvania and look forward to many more. I stayed at the Bobcat campsite on High Lake and very much enjoyed this site.

Helpful

Anne S

Verified

August 25, 2022 Stayed at: MAPLE-1, Loop: Clark Lake

Best wilderness camping location in the Midwest.

Helpful

Scott T

Verified

August 22, 2022 Stayed at: LOON, Loop: Loon Lake

A good trip, nice campsite and decent fishing, first time back in quite a few years.

Helpful

Elden H

Verified

August 20, 2022 Stayed at: CEDAR-1, Loop: Clark Lake

There were no staff seen anywhere, and the Clark Lake day use building showers were closed due to lack of employees to clean them. The natural beauty was still abundant.

Helpful

Joseph C

Verified

August 12, 2022 Stayed at: PIKE-1, Loop: Whitefish Lake

I always love coming to the upper peninsula. The sylvania wilderness is incredible and the lakes and forests are beautiful. I came at a time of year where the mosquitos were abundant. I was unprepared for that and it was alittle rough. As long as you are prepared you will have a great time!

Helpful

Mike F

Verified

August 7, 2022 Stayed at: BIRCH, Loop: Clark Lake

We really enjoyed this site. There were some large misquitos to greet us but we found we only had to deal with them for a few hours a day. It was windy/breezy when we were there so that took care of most bugs. Other reviewers mentioned difficulty finding the site. There is a post at the landing that is clearly noticeable once you are about 20 yards away. We found that to be true of other sites we scouted out too, just trail along the waters edge and it will reveal it's self. The trail connecting to the main path was nonexistent. A canoeist happened upon our site and showed us a dramatically over grown "trail", we just had to push past four foot high maple trees for 1/10 of a mile. Nice swimming (no beach due to high waters) and a steep incline that was not a problem for us two 50 year old people. We had kayaks which are a little more mobile than a canoe, that we were able to get up the embankment. Found a nice tree to hang our bear bag. Site was clear of under brush and very large. We hope to come back! And we had limited phone service.

Helpful

Kurt J

Verified

July 30, 2022 Stayed at: FISHER-2, Loop: Crooked Lake

Good location.
Fire pit was filled with mud. If the powers that be don't want fires outside fire pits then they need to make sure that they don't take on water or in this case mud.

We used a paddle to dig it out, but most people won't dedicate 30 minutes to this.

Helpful

Kurt J

Verified

July 30, 2022 Stayed at: PIKE-2, Loop: Whitefish Lake

Site is a hike up from the lake.
Fire pit was filled with water after rain.

Helpful

Kurt J

Verified

July 30, 2022 Stayed at: BASS, Loop: Whitefish Lake

No neighbors in a great fishing spot.

Landing a canoe is not the most difficult in the Sylvania Wilderness (see Loon), but not easy with lots of rocks.

Helpful

Location & Directions for Sylvania Wilderness Backcountry Camping

Sylvania Wilderness, Watersmeet, MI 49969 United States

Elevation: 554 ft

Getting There

Backcountry wilderness campsites can be accessed from the Sylvania Recreation Area by parking at the Clark Lake or Crooked Lake Boat Landings, or from entry points on the perimeter of the wilderness (see map). To reach the Sylvania Entrance Statio...

Nearest town

Watersmeet, MI - 8.2 mi

About 11 min to downtown

Highway access

The campground is accessible via US 2, located approximately 3.5 miles to the north. From US 2, take County Road 535 (Thousand Island Lake Road) south for about 4 miles to reach the Sylvania Entrance Station.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: October 24, 2026

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Explore Watersmeet, MI

Population: 250

Elevation: 1,604 ft

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