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Michigan Free Camping Rank and Rules

Michigan ranks #16 of 50 for free camping

Michigan ranks #16 of 50 for free camping, with 11.2 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Data as of

Michigan free camping in numbers

Michigan ranks #16 of 50 for free camping, with 11.2 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Rank
#16
Known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi
11.2
Known dispersed sites
636
Land area
56,539 sq mi
Developed campgrounds
999
State-land rule
Permit required
Forest restrictions tracked
0

Dispersed camping in Michigan

Can you camp on Michigan state land?

Permit required. Camping is open across roughly 3.9 to 4 million acres of state forest with a free Camp Registration Card you fill out yourself, plus the same one-mile rule Minnesota uses. State Game Areas ban camping by rule. Every state, with the rule behind each answer: dispersed camping on state land, state by state.

Where is dispersed camping restricted in Michigan?

Our records hold no National Forest restriction on dispersed camping in Michigan. That is not the same as having none, so check the forest's own alerts page before you camp.

Each restriction, cited and dated: where dispersed camping is restricted.

How the rank works

We divide the known dispersed campsites in a state by its land area, in square miles, and multiply by 1,000. The rules above sit beside the rank but never change it. The count includes only sites that public sources map, so mapping effort affects the result. Roadside camping corridors and the points we place inside state wildlife and forest areas are not counted.