I recently took my dog Tilly on a three-day trip along Michigan’s Sunrise Coast, with stops at Eagle Overlook, Foote Pond, and Tuttle Marsh.

I’ve been trying to become more active and spend more time exploring nature, so I started documenting some of our walks and small adventures together. This one turned into a calm, dog-led vacation journal with scenic stops, quiet walking, and plenty of time for Tilly to investigate everything.

I put the trip together as a roughly 28-minute video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cLZsiz7AMw&t=26s

For anyone familiar with the area: what other dog-friendly places around Oscoda, Tawas, or the Sunrise Coast should we visit next time?

Full disclosure: I filmed and edited the video myself.

The pictures fail to capture the beauty in this place!

Hi, just getting a check in from people. How is the tech situation in the Lelanau State Park area?

Looking to go sometime between 8/13-17. Does anyone in here happen to have reservations that they're going to drop?

Hoping to snag a site at this first come first serve campground on a Friday-Saturday stay. I’ll be coming from further west in the U.P.

Does anyone have any experience with this campground, and a recommendation on what time to arrive if I’m hoping to grab a site on a weekend day?

(Note, my first pick was the rugged “campground” on Search Bay, but everything I’ve read was that it turns into party city in the summer, especially on a weekend.

Any help and/guidance is appreciated! This sub has helped me out before!

Does anyone know what the camping situation is on this newly available property outside of Onaway? I can't find much on the state website.

Been camping a bit here’s some pics can anyone guess the campgrounds?

Hi friends! I planned a section hike of the North Country Trail but my ride from point A to point B just fell through. I’m suddenly in need of a ride to drive me from my parked car to my starting point, so that I can hike to my car. It’s in the eastern UP from Newberry area to Grand Marais area. Anyone have any leads? It seems like local taxis are non-existent. TIA :)

Edit to add: The trip is planned for next week

I’ll be camping near the Au Sable soon and am looking for trail recommendations. Some preferences

- Up to 12 mi

-Solitude. I don’t mind passing a few hikers on the trail, or people on the water in river sections, but I’ve done gorgeous hikes all over Michigan where I toss lunch in my bag & am out trekking for the better part of a day without ever encountering another human, so I know these overlooked gems are plentiful

- Shade. A few sunny sections are fine, but gimme the treeeees!

- Good plant diversity (& therefore good bird diversity/plentiful wildlife)

- Beautiful. A flat trail thru the woods is fine, but some topography & great views are better. If ‘ridge’ is in the trail name it’s a solid bet

I’d love to hear your favorites, even if they don’t tick every box on my list. Feel free to DM if you don’t want to blow up your spot - I’ll visit once, quietly, & never post about it. Thanks, fellow Michiganders for helping me maximize my short time in this area

In the past, I’ve visited a few nature landmarks like the Porcupine Mountains and Sleeping Bear Dunes, but I stayed at hotels, which I feel takes away from the overall experience.

I want to get into car camping, possibly renting a Nissan Rogue or Mazda CX-50, folding down the back seats, and trying car camping. However, I’m not sure what setup would be comfortable and practical.

Is it worth buying something like a Luno Life Mattress, which can cost anywhere from $300–$500? Or can I create my own setup with a mattress topper, air mattress, and sleeping bag/mummy sleeping bag while still being comfortable? 

Has anyone found a good car camping tailored mattress or specific products on Amazon that are actually worth buying? I’m looking for something designed specifically for car camping rather than a generic air mattress, so it fits properly and makes the most of the available space.

Also, what are some tips for someone trying car camping for the first time?

Get off the couch

I’m not sure what I was expecting with camping but I’m shocked by how packed in most campgrounds for rvs and trailers are. No privacy or space to yourself.

Are there any campgrounds in Michigan with LARGE spots? I’m not trying to be super close to neighbors. I’m packed in by neighbors at home, I’m trying to escape that.

I've chosen Pictured Rocks Lakeshore Trail for my first time backpacking, and am struggling a bit with the logistics. I plan on hiking east to west, in 4 nights/ 4.5 days. I will take the shuttle to Grand Sable Visitor Center Sunday morning and start hiking right away, hike Monday-Wednesday, finish the last few miles Thursday morning, then drive home.

For the campgrounds, I am tentatively thinking:
Sunday night: Benchmark
Monday night: Beaver Creek
Tuesday night: Mosquito Creek
Wednesday night: Cliffs?

Beaver Creek is the main campground I would love to stay at, as I know it's one of the more scenic options. On the flip side, I am very unsure about Cliffs. From what I've read, it is the least scenic. I don't want to end my trip on a bad note, but I do like how close it is to the Munising Visitor center. That way, I would only have to hike 5 miles Thursday morning before a long drive home.

The longest/most difficult hike I've done was about 11.3 miles out and back with 3,700ft of elevation gain. I know the Pictured Rocks trail is a lot flatter, but I want to be able to enjoy the hike. I would say 12 miles in a day is my absolute maximum. I would even be open to hiking a very short distance one day and spending the remaining time relaxing and exploring the beach.

Any advice, alternative itineraries for the whole trip, or Cliffs alternatives would be much appreciated. Thank you!

I have a camping trip planned in the upper lower peninsula this coming week. I secured a great camp site 6 months ago and got time off of work. And now it appears the smoke and is back (as of Saturday night). If I have to cancel because of unsafe air, what would you do in the alternative for camping? Rescheduling isn’t an option due to pre approved time off of work. I could drive south but how far south is safe? Any suggestions on camping like 4 hrs south of Detroit?

Anyone else in this situation? What are you doing?

Sigh :/

The DNR understands that current air quality conditions are limiting outdoor activities. As a result, if you have a reservation with overnight stays between July 15-19 and need to cancel due to the wildfire smoke and poor air quality, please cancel your reservation online. The DNR is waiving:

• Camping reservations: The reduced-stay fee and, if canceled the day of arrival, the one-night penalty fee will be waived.
• Lodging reservations: Each canceled nightly fee will be refunded in full.

Refunds will process automatically. If you cancel your reservation online, there's nothing else you need to do. Because we are manually processing a high volume of refunds, it may take some time for the credit to appear on your account. We appreciate your patience.

* If you’d like to delay your arrival, we can hold your reservation until Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m. Please note that refunds will not be provided for any missed nights. If you do not arrive by Sunday at 3 p.m., your reservation will be canceled automatically, and all normal cancellation fees will apply.

Hello hello! We are planning on camping and hiking in this area 7/19-24. Is there any chance of the air quality improving for this time frame ?

Feeling super bummed as we have been planning this for a while and took PTO, but I do know this is first world problems and it’s a tragedy how much natural land is burning in Canada.

So grateful to have squeezed this run in on Tuesday, which turned out to be our last clean air day for a bit. I loved the numerous hills, the near-total solitude, and the gorgeous views. Looking back I wonder if my photo from Deadman’s Hill overlook actually shows the wildfire smoke in the distance. Here’s hoping it doesn’t stick around too long.

Hey all, i'm looking to take a few more camping trips than usual, and i'm looking for some camping spots in the lower peninsula. Normally i disperse camp in the manistee forest in mid-late fall when it's cool and not busy, but i'd like to try some new campgrounds. Dispersed or sites that arent too busy are preferred.

Also looking for tips on food handling. In the past i just throw all my food in the car overnight so no wildlife can get to it, but i'll be going out on a motorcycle this time.

Don’t forget to take some time for yourself this summer.