By now, it should be no surprise that Steve and I love Pigeon River State Forest. It remains our favorite location in Michigan’s lower peninsula. This trip we decided to hang our hammocks at Pigeon River State Forest Campground.
Located on the banks of the Pigeon River itself, this rustic campground offers 14 sites for first-come, first-serve campers. Only about half of the sites are on the river but there is easy access to it for fishing and swimming.
Amenities include vault toilets, garbage disposal, and water from a pump.
What We Liked
Location. Pigeon River State Forest Campground is located right on the banks of the Pigeon River. With it being so closed to the river, frequent encounters with wildlife can be expected. We even heard a bear one of the nights, just upriver from the campground.
The Shinglemill pathway can be picked up here. A perfect location for those interested in day hiking or backpackers who prefer staying in campgrounds at night.
A benefit to select a site not on the river is more privacy and larger space. The river sites are a bit more open but are still well spaced out.
What We Didn’t Like
Traffic. A “main road” goes through the campground. Because of this, there is more traffic than some of the other campgrounds in the area.
Compared to other campgrounds in the area, this one seemed a little louder. More noise in general and later into the night.
Overall
While we still prefer to disperse camping, this campground provides some amenities while still offer the wild experience that we fell in love with.
Will we return? Probably not. We have other campgrounds in the area that we enjoyed much more and would be more likely to recommend to family and friends.
Visit Michigan’s DNR Pigeon River State Forest for more information.