4.2472 reviewsPrice
$10/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
11 campsites
Season
Year-round
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
Price
$10/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
11 campsites
Season
Year-round
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
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650 North Michigan Ave. Baldwin, MI 49304
Fall weekenders who want quiet forest camping on the cheap will find the best conditions here: cooler temps, migrating birds, brown trout in Mena Creek, and bass in the pond. Bring all your water and pack out your trash, since there's no service on-site.
Cleanliness is genuinely hit-or-miss: multiple reviewers found fire pits filled with plastic and broken glass scattered at their sites. No host, no reservations, and no potable water make this a hard sell if you're not prepared to sort out someone else's mess.
Reference information about Minnie Pond Campground sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
<p><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfs-hmnf/albums/72157663636618179" title="Minnie Pond Campground"><img alt="Minnie Pond Campground" height="240" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1590/24207462794_689958d7fb.jpg" width="320" /></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p><p>This site is located on Minnie Pond on a human-made impoundment. Ducks, geese and heron frequent the area. This is a popular area for small and large game and waterfowl hunting. A foot bridge on Mena Creek connects the campground to the day use area. The day use area is located on the side of the creek. No ORV's are allowed in the campground or on the access road to the campground.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfs-hmnf/albums/72157663636618179" target="external">Flickr Photo Album</a> </strong></p>
The elevation is 650 ft. The campground, pack it in, pack it out, was a dispersed camping area but is undergoing renovations and upgrading to a developed campground. It is located in the middle of a well-established Red pine plantation that was planted in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The east side of the campground is adjacent to Minnie Pond with some sites overlooking the pond. To the south, a few other sites overlook Mena Creek. The mature Red pine woods limit the understory to fallen pine needles (thick enough for a comfortable mattress) providing little privacy between sites. A foot bridge connects the campground with the picnic area and boat launch site. Minnie Pond was formed by the construction of a cement dam in the 1940s to establish a "Green Tree Reservoir Area" for improving the area's waterfowl habitat.
Opwn May 1 through October 31.
Minnie Pond is 48 acres. Power boats are limited to electric motors. There is a carry-in boat launch in the picnic area. Hiking: None Fishing: Bass, Blue Gill and Northern pike in Minnie Pond; Brown trout in Mena Creek.
Minnie Pond is 48 acres. Power boats are limited to electric motors. There is a carry-in boat launch in the picnic area.
The parking aprons are dirt. An RV waste station is available, for a fee, in White Cloud, MI at White Cloud Campground. Manistee National Forest 230
From White Cloud, MI, take State Rt. 37 north 1 mile to State Rt. 20. Turn left onto Rt. 20 and go 7.5 miles to Luce Ave. Turn right onto Luce Ave. and go 3 miles to 4 Mile Rd. Turn right onto 4 Mile Rd. and go 0.5 miles to Alger Rd. Turn left onto Alger Rd. and go 1 mile to Forest Rt. 9570. Turn left onto Rt. 9570 and go 0.4 miles into campground. NOTE: All roads off state routes are two-lane and gravel.
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The campground opens May through October. Fall delivers the best conditions: daytime highs in the 50s–60s°F in September, cooling to the 40s–50s°F by October. The red pines hold their color while surrounding hardwoods shift to gold and auburn. Fishing and paddling stay strong into early fall, and wildlife viewing picks up as birds migrate and mammals prepare for winter. With only 11 sites, you won't fight crowds like you would at lakeside parks. Spring brings wildflowers and birdsong. Summer offers warm days and cool nights, though weeds in the pond can be thick.
Fall described as best conditions with cool days and scenic pine/pond ambience.
Minnie Pond Campground offers primitive facilities with a focus on quiet and natural surroundings. Restrooms are available but are vault-style, and there is no potable water on-site. Campers are expected to 'pack it in, pack it out,' as there are no trash or recycling facilities provided. Visitors should also note the absence of showers, flush toilets, and any utility hookups such as electricity or water for RVs. The campground is rustic and lacks modern amenities, but it is praised for its serene environment. "The mature Red pine woods limit the understory to fallen pine needles (thick enough for a comfortable mattress) providing little privacy between sites."
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