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McKeever Cabin is located in the Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, approximately 14 miles south of Munising, Michigan. The Cabin was constructed in 1991 and overlooks the 132-acre McKeever Lake.
While the facility offers little in the way of modern amenities, convenient access to a number of recreational activities, including hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, swimming and cross-country skiing, make this cabin a desirable destination for the outdoors enthusiast.
During warmer months, visitors may park their vehicle and access the cabin by foot via a 1,000 ft. trail. When snow is present, the cabin may be accessed by snowshoe or cross-country skis via a 1-mile trail.
During winter months, visitors can enjoy the McKeever Hills Ski Trail, which offers a quieter, less manicured alternative to highly groomed trails without sacrificing quality. The trail to the cabin connects directly to the ski trail, so visitors can ski right out the cabin door.
The Bruno's Run Trail offers a 9 mile (14.48 km) loop ideal for hiking and mountain biking in spring, summer and fall and snow shoeing in winter. Although the trail is not groomed for cross-country skiing, it does offer a suitable source for experienced skiers who prefer to break their own way.
Seasonal activities also include swimming, canoeing, kayaking and fishing on the lake as well as hunting in designated areas. See the Michigan Department of Natural Resource's website for information about hunting seasons and permits.
The cabin can accommodate up to four people comfortably and a maximum of six people. There are two sets of bunk beds (with 4 mattresses), one table with stools, one counter top, one corner seat and a wood burning stove. There is no longer a loft with a mattress in this cabin. There are no modern bathroom facilities or electricity offered at this cabin. In order to ensure a comfortable stay, visitors must bring several of their own supplies including a camp stove, dishes, cooking utensils, containers for carrying water, toilet paper, lanterns, sleeping bags and pillows. A vault toilet is located just off the trail to the cabin and there is a (summer/winter) hand pump with drinking water located down the trail to the lake. Do not bring firewood from home: firewood will be supplied at the cabin.
The cabin is situated on a small knoll surrounded by young evergreens and hardwood trees, overlooking the western shores of McKeever Lake. The lake was stocked with northern muskie in 1990, but also supports a good population of northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and bluegill.
The Big Island Lake Wilderness is located near the cabin and features 23 small lakes ranging in size from 5 to 149 acres. White birch, maple and aspen cover the wooded hills that surround the lakes. Berries, mushrooms and wildflowers grow throughout the area and a wide range of wildlife and waterfowl, including sensitive species, may be carefully observed here.
* McKeever Cabin does not have a physical address.
* Vehicle access from the North: Take M-28 to FH-13, which is 3 miles east of Munising. Proceed south on FH-13 for 11 miles to FR-2163, located across from the road that leads to the Widewaters Campground.
* Vehicle access from the South: Take US-2 to FH-13, which is about 25 miles west of Manistique. Proceed north on FH-13 for 22 miles to FR-2163.
* During the snow-free season: Proceed east on FR-2163 for about 1 mile. There will be brown signs with yellow arrows, to the signed parking area for McKeever Cabin. The non-paved trail to the cabin begins before the parking lot and is approximately 1,000 feet long. There is a sign with an arrow and the word "cabin" pointing down the appropriate trail.
* During winter season: Parking is available at the entrance to the Widewaters Campground directly across from FR-2163, which is not plowed. Visitors must either snowshoe or cross-country ski for 1-mile along FR-2163 to reach the cabin. Pull behind sleds are permitted.
* Note: Snowmobile access to the cabin, including on the ski trail/hiking trail, is prohibited.
I'm sure the cabin itself is quite alright, but to say it's poorly labeled is a gross understatement. My girlfriend and I ended up staying at the lodge down the road because we couldn't locate the cabin, which is behind a gated road that says 'DO NOT ENTER' (I only know this because George at white fawn lodge was kind enough to show me where it is). There is no signage indicating that that road is the way to McKeever Cabin! We thought it was an unrelated private property. Instead of going down the blocked and unmarked road, we trekked through the ski trail for 2 hours with our bags, looking for the place. We were swarmed with mosquitoes.
We've gone to McKeever Cabin for 25 years. Lots of fun times and great memories. You must be prepared for all possibilities. You have to haul in your own food, gear, and clothing about 1 1/2 miles either on a sled or by backpack. The pump was not working this year, so we had to haul in 4 gallons of water. It's a great place to get away from it all, and you can ski right out the door. Always bring a roll of tp just in case there isn't any in the outhouse. It's sad to see how many trees have succumbed to disease and insects over the years. The forest is not as dense as it once was. McKeever is truly a magical place, especially in winter.
This is a great little rustic cabin. I would suggest packing very light or, if possible, use the boat launch across the lake and canoe/boat across with all your gear. If you're by yourself, you can walk the trail back to the launch. To get to the walk-in access(non winter), you can follow Google instructions. Just don't stop when it says,keep to the left until the end at a loop. Park at the loop and walk back to the gate and follow that trail to the cabin. Bring a bucket to pump the water in and then use a gravity filter because the water is very sandy. Read the log books and have fun.
Gorgeous, but be aware... READ ON.
Amazing place... wonderful experience if you want to get away for a bit.
However... BE WARNED.
You MUST bring a 4-wheel (collapsable) off-road cart if you are carrying anything more than a backpack full of stuff.
Deadly serious here... the foot trek to the cabin is only about a quarter mile, but unless you are a regular and very FIT hiker, (and if you have more than a backpack) there's no way you can make a single trip carrying anything else.
In fact, the trail itself has several fairly steep hills (with one last steep one to the cabin that will test your spirit). The trail is consistently bumpy, with large roots covering it. It's absolutely gorgeous,don't get me wrong.
The lake view in the morning is something otherworldly, to say the least. However, you should make sure you have EVERYTHING you need in your first hike in because you're going to kick yourself if you have to go back to your vehicle to go into town.
Luckily, if you need ice or something, there's a little general store just a 5 minute drive away. But you'll hate the hike back and forth unless, again... that's your thing.
This was totally a five star experience, except for the following:
There was tons of huge dried wood for an awesome wood stove, but no kindling. Bring something to start the fire with, and a hatchet to break those pieces down would serve you well.
The way to the cabin is so poorly marked! When there's the yellow gate on your left, that's the trail to the cabin. Keep going, park, and walk back to the road closure.
The cabin is really, really dark, even during the day. Bring more than one lantern.
The hand pump needs like 20 rapid pumps to prime, and a second person to hold the jug unless you have a bucket. I think maybe the water has tannins because it was yellowed, but tasted just fine.
The vault toilet smells awful. Bring TP if you want it. Or better yet, hike off a ways with a latrine shovel and enjoy the fresh air.
Now on to the amazing:
It's just beautiful there, quiet. Disturbing lack of wildlife near the cabin and we all had weird dreams...make of that what you will. The lake and plenty of trails are so close, we just loved it there.
We had no issues hiking in while carrying stuff. None of us are super fit, there are steep sections and you may need to move slower, but if you can walk up stairs without issue, you'll be fine.
There are two bunk beds, each is wide enough to sleep two average sized adults. If you camp with a sleeping mat, bring it, the mattresses provided are not comfortable to me.
There are two benches that seat 2 people each at the table, and three sturdy stools. There's a place to prepare food, a metal section of counter to put your hot stuff on, and a wood stove that, if anything, kept us too warm, and was easy to cook on. It was low 30's to mid 40's during our stay, there was snow when we arrived and patches remained when we left.
The firewood shed, for us, was completely packed with quality, dry wood.
We did not see another soul out there (early November), it's super quiet, we enjoyed the hiking, we enjoyed eating/reading/sitting on the beautiful and spacious porch, we enjoyed the picnic bench and fire pit right next to the cabin, and we enjoyed views of the lake, visible from the porch.
Totally a mom comment - but there are tons of hooks for hanging packs and coats, etc...I really appreciated that. There's a broom for sweeping up and a shovel for the snow. You need to have your own something to wipe off the counters/table/beds when you're done.
If you forgot anything, there's a general store about five miles away (turn left onto the main road and it'll be on your right after the Hiawatha cabins). They had quite a lot to choose from and the gentleman there was helpful and friendly.
