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Lake Ottawa Campground in Michigan
Hard to BookNational Forest

Lake Ottawa Campground

Ottawa National Forest, Michigan

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As of September 2026, Lake Ottawa Campground is a campground in Ottawa National Forest, Michigan with 24 campsites. Lake Ottawa Campground is booked through Recreation.gov.

  • PermitSnag checks Lake Ottawa Campground for availability and tells alert holders when a site opens up.
  • Lake Ottawa Campground is located at 46.0750ยฐ N, 88.7659ยฐ W.
people allowed on each site
8

Lake Ottawa Campground reservations and next available dates

September 2026

open, tap to book on Recreation.govsold outin your alert

Stay and booking rules

  • Maximum consecutive stay: 14 consecutive nights
  • Minimum stay: 2 consecutive nights
  • Tribal discount available

Published by Recreation.gov for Lake Ottawa Campground, read on September 30, 2026.

Campsites at Lake Ottawa Campground

  • Standard 24

Amenities

  • restrooms
  • potable water
  • dump station

At a glance: Setting: Forest ยท Access: Dirt road.

Things to do: fishing, boating, swimming, hiking.

All sites at Lake Ottawa Campground, as listed by Recreation.gov

SiteLoopTypeSleeps
01Loop 1Standard8
02Loop 1Standard8
03Loop 1Standard8
07Loop 1Standard8
08Loop 1Standard8
09Loop 1Standard8
14Loop 1Standard8
15Loop 1Standard8
16Loop 1Standard8
17Loop 1Standard8
18Loop 1Standard8
19Loop 1Standard8
20Loop 1Standard8
21Loop 1Standard8
22Loop 1Standard8
23Loop 1Standard8
24Loop 1Standard8
25Loop 1Standard8
26Loop 1Standard8
28Loop 2Standard8
29Loop 2Standard8
30Loop 2Standard8
31Loop 2Standard8
32Loop 2Standard8

About Lake Ottawa Campground

Overview

Planning a trip to the Lake Ottawa Campground? Watch for Alerts at the top of the page for any Alerts regarding this facility.

Lake Ottawa Campground is in a beautiful forested northwoods setting located 5 miles southwest of Iron River, MI, on the Iron River Ranger District.

Recreation

  • Located adjacent to the Campground is Lake Ottawa, a deep cold water lake that provides fishermen with a good variety of game fish. There is a boat ramp with ample parking for trailers.
  • Ge-Che Trail - Length is approximately 9 miles on a dirt trail. This trail provides scenery of primarily hardwood forest. The trail can be accessed from Lake Ottawa boat landing, and from within the campground.
  • Lake Ottawa Recreation Area day use area provides indoor facilities for a group picnic, and a large outdoor picnic area complete with picnic tables and grills. The area is large enough to provide plenty of space for all. Also located in the same area is an athletic field. The day use building provides indoor seating for eating or parties. The building has a fireplace, electricity, and flush toilets.

Facilities

Lake Ottawa Campground is 95% surrounded by National Forest System Land and offers 32 campsites, a picnic shelter with two stone fireplaces and original log picnic tables, and two log toilet buildings with flush toilets. A pressurized water system and RV dump station are located in the campground. Adjacent to the campground, in the day use area, is a CCC era recreation building, with flush toilets, swimming beach, playing field, picnic areas and boat launch.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (906) 661-8870.

Nearby Attractions

  • Stateline-Mile Post Zero Trail - Scenery is hardwood, forested with two destination points on the Brule River. The trail is not a loop, it is a relatively flat dirt trail. The length of the trial is approximately 4/10 of a mile and takes you to the historic Stateline Mile Post Zero location indicating the border between Michgian and Wisconsin.
  • The combination of topography and thousands of miles of rivers and streams have created hundreds of waterfalls throughout the Upper Peninsula, with several of the waterfalls located on the Ottawa. The Ottawa National Forest has 18 named waterfalls, 53,637 acres of lakes, 2,366 miles of perennial streams, 2,890 miles of intermittent (occasional) streams, and 210,761 acres of wetlands. The falls vary in size and some are easier to get to than others. For more information on the most visited waterfalls on and around the Ottawa National Forest, visit the Ottawa National Forest website waterfall page.

Rules and notices at Lake Ottawa Campground

Recreation.gov does not date these notices. We last read them on September 30, 2026. Check Lake Ottawa Campground on Recreation.gov

Notices from Recreation.gov

Camping in a developed recreation site is allowed for a period not longer than 14 days. After this time, you must move to another campground or dispersed site for at least 24 hours.

Campers must occupy the site the first night.

Eight people and two motorized vehicles are allowed per campsite with a maximum of one RV or camper trailer and two tents per camping site or three tents per camping site.

Don't Move Firewood: Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood near your destination and burning it on-site. For more information visit dontmovefirewood.org .

Lake Ottawa Campground Map

This campground is open to OHVโ€™s. OHVโ€™s must stay on the roadway or camping spur.

This campground is operated by Camp Host, LLC under a special use permit with the Ottawa National Forest.

Lake Ottawa Pavillion will be closed for the 2026 season due to rehabilitation work needed to the interior and exterior of the building. We are sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience

Lake Ottawa Campground FAQ

How hard is it to get a campsite at Lake Ottawa Campground?

Lake Ottawa Campground is rated "Hard to Book" based on historical demand. This campground is popular and often books out weeks in advance. Your best strategy is to monitor cancellations.

How do I find last-minute availability at Lake Ottawa Campground?

Cancellations happen frequently at Lake Ottawa Campground, especially 1-2 weeks before check-in dates. PermitSnag monitors availability 24/7 and sends instant alerts when sites open up due to cancellations. This is often the best way to snag popular campsites.

How many campsites does Lake Ottawa Campground have?

Lake Ottawa Campground has 24 campsites.

More campgrounds in Ottawa National Forest

Same forest, same drive. Set an alert on any of them alongside this one.

All 8 Ottawa National Forest campgrounds

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