Chicago Lake Campsites
October 2026
About
Overview
The Munising and Rapid River/Manistique Ranger Districts of the Hiawatha National Forest offer a variety of camping experiences. Many are located on inland lakes in a rustic forest environment with no drinking water. The rustic environment offers a wonderfully serene and peaceful setting for your next camping experience.
Recreation
Visitors will be able to enjoy swimming, berry picking, and fishing at these campsites. Licenses are required for fishing in Michigan waters.
Swimming conditions vary by site.
- Conditions are the best at sites 3 and 4.
- Conditions at site 2 are considered fair.
The road leading to sites 3 and 4 are shared by anglers using the public boat launch into Chicago Lake. This boat launch is located adjacent to Site 4 and features an improved gravel ramp for accessing the abundant population of northern pike and bluegills. Largemouth bass and perch are present in smaller quanities.
Facilities
There are primitive toilets available at site 2 and between sites 3 and 4.
There is NO drinking water.
Lake Name: Chicago Lake
Number of Sites: 3
Maximum Number of People Per Site: 16
Toilets: Yes
Boat Access: Back - In
Lake Size (acres): 188
Natural Features
Chicago Lake (188 acres) hosts four campsites and an improved boat launch, all clustered around its north end.
- Site #1 is Decomissioned
- Site #2 is a larger site in an open area, measuring 55 ft. by 45 ft. It can accommodate 2 families and trailers. There is a primitive toilet at this site.
- Site #3 is a larger site surrounded by tall pines and is near the lakeshore. It measures 60 ft. by 50 ft. and is suitable for two families. However, trailer access is difficult because of limited turning area.
- Site #4 is a semi-open area that measures 55 ft. by 50 ft. It can accommodate two families and trailers. A primitive toilet is shared with site #4.
There is a boat launch located adjacent to site #4 and features an improved gravel ramp for accessing Chicago Lake.
Nearby Attractions
There are a number of horse, bike, and hiking trails within minutes of several of the sites. Within 20 miles from these campsites, visitors can expect to find: bait shops, general and grocery stores, gas, a pay phone, trailheads, a fishing pier, biking, and kayak/canoe rentals.
Contact Info
For local information, please call (906) 474-6442 or call (906) 387-2512 for general information.
Amenities
Phone: 906-474-6442 OR 906-387-2512
Is Chicago Lake Campsites fully booked?
A campground showing no availability is almost never full for good. People cancel — plans change, weather turns, someone books three weekends and keeps one — and the site goes straight back into the booking system, usually without warning and often at odd hours. The reason sold-out campgrounds feel impossible is not that sites never free up; it is that nobody is watching at the moment they do.
CampHawk watches Chicago Lake Campsites in Rapid River, MI for you. We recheck it every 15 seconds, around the clock, and the moment a site opens we send a text, an email and a push notification — and on Recreation.gov we can put the site straight into your cart, so it is held while you get to your phone.
Searching is free and needs no account — the calendar above is live right now. Watching Chicago Lake Campsites for cancellations is the paid part.