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Hemlock Campground This campground is located on the west end of Lake Mitchell near Cadillac. The lake is 1,600 acres and nearly surrounded by residences. The west end of the lake is marshy and good for wildlife viewing. The lake is not good for swimming at this end, due to milfoil and other plants. Flickr Photo Album
From Cadillac, MI, take State Rt. 55 west 1.1 miles to Pole Rd. Turn right onto Pole Rd. and go 1.3 miles to campground.
Loved it! Secluded campsites, far enough apart, but all close to the amenities. The atmosphere is real, down to earth camping. There were lush groves of mature and beautiful trees at every campsite, perfect for hammocking. This campground is located in the manistee national forest, and is absolutely gorgeous. The wildlife is neat too. We heard owls all night!
The managers are friendly, and helpful.
A plus is the fire pits with attached grills at every site!
Located on lake Mitchell, with a fishing dock, as well as many trailheads nearby.
About 10 minutes from downtown Cadillac, and the main beaches.
Overall, a much better campground then Mitchell state park. Which looked like a parking lot in comparison.
Cheeper too! 16$ a night compared to Mitchell state park which was about 40$.
And the DNR isn’t up your butt.
:) awesome trip!
I drove all the way here to launch my kayak and go fishing but it was closed. Very dissappointed. It's only October 12th and the fall colors are just coming in. Too early to close a campground.
EDIT: I came back in summer to launch and it was nice. Paddled up the creek and caught some fish.
We just stopped for a short break to let the dogs out to wade a little bit. Probably not really allowed. We just played at the boat launch area for 15-20 minutes. We were on a 7-8 hour drive that day and just wanted a break where dogs could be out for a few minutes.
Campsites are well spaced, outhouses are clean, all the sites are paved but still good for primitive tent camping if you get the right site. Boat launch is well built and easy to access.
One thought though! This campground is built in the swamp....so mosquitos in the summer might drive you right out. We were there over memorial weekend and it was fine but I could see it being infested during the hot summer months. Just something to be aware of.
I came here not for camping, but to put my kayak in at the public access. I wasn't initially aware you had to pay, but after seeing a park attendee come through and rake the edge of the lake and do such a nice job I felt better about paying for the spot I parked in. I didn't explore the campground much, but the area I was in was clean and well maintained. Its a nice quiet spot and I imagine if you went camping here it would be a nice get a way.
