Sylvania Wilderness Backcountry Camping

Sylvania is beautiful. It's one of my favorite places on earth. However, I do wish that the portage points would be more clearly marked. I also wish that the portage trails were better maintained. Last, having the rustic toilet locations more clearly marked would make sense.

Great Fishing!

I want to be clear at the outset: I love Sylvania Wilderness. I want it protected, respected, and preserved for the next person. That is why this experience was so frustrating.

I arrived at approximately 9:00 a.m. on Saturday for a major trip. No Forest Service employee appeared to be present. I then went to complete the blue permit form, which plainly states that it must be signed or stamped to be valid. That language matters. It put me in the position of either delaying my trip, entering under a form that appeared invalid, or risking penalties threatened by the same paperwork.

When an employee finally appeared, I was told that if no one is there, the Forest Service “doesn’t care” whether the form is signed. That is an astonishing thing to tell the public. If the signature/stamp requirement is not actually required, the form is misleading. If it is required, then the office’s failure to have staff available created the problem.

Even more concerning, when I pointed out that the form directly contradicted what I was being told, the employee ignored me and walked away. That is not a professional response to a legitimate concern about official permit language.

The public should not be threatened on paper with serious penalties while employees casually dismiss the same written requirements as irrelevant. Rules either mean what they say, or they need to be rewritten. The current situation creates confusion, unnecessary stress, and distrust toward the very agency responsible for managing this wilderness.

I am asking the Forest Service to correct this immediately: either revise the permit wording so it accurately reflects actual policy, or ensure staff are present and prepared to sign or stamp permits when visitors are required to obtain them.

This was not a harmless clerical issue. It was a failure of clarity, staffing, and basic accountability at the exact moment visitors are expected to comply with federal rules.

It was a great experience. We got some rain Friday evening on our way back to set camp after a full day of peaceful fishing. I love a little adversity like rain to keep it interesting. Saturday and Sunday was beautiful weather except for a little bit of wind Saturday morning. Fishing was great. Campsite at squirrel II was great other than a completely flat spot for a tent isn't available so I slid down my sleeping mat a little bit during my sleep. We never left Crooked Lake and we saw some people but never heard them talking loud or disruptive which is important to me. spray down for mosquitoes and as expected it was a great wilderness trip and experience.

We camped on Crooked Lake and enjoyed the variety the lake provided.

Best site in the Wilderness. When land-locked by storms, we must have caught 100 fish, nearly all Rock Bass with an occasional Smallie. The tug is a drug, even if they were Rock Bass.

Use a small 2.75" crawfish with a 6" bobber stopped bullet weight and have fun.

Nice site. Able to catch fish from the shore.

Great landing for camp chairs and star gazing.

Been visiting Sylvania for over 50 years missing the annual pilgrimage only a couple of years. Fishing is usually excellent thanks to catch and release regulations. Plenty of mosquitoes but thats part of the gig. Sylvania Outfitters in Watersmeet is where to get your canoe and other essentials. So glad the National Forest Service snagged this land over 50 years ago.

Motor boats pulling up in front of fisher campsite each day to fish. Even asking us to use our toilet. Quiet and solitude was missing from this trip. I love Sylvania, but will probably stay away from Crooked lake in the future.

I love the Sylvania Wilderness but I think it’s time to improve the condition of its backcountry sites and I understand this would take money that is never available for projects like these…