Thank you for this video! It’s a valuable resource to the backpacking community. My 10-year-old son and I just got back from our successful end-to-end hike and stayed at Au Sable, Sevenmile, Chapel Beach, and Cliffs. Your recommendations were super helpful. At Sevenmile we ran into another pair that had been at Au Sable and they said they’d watched your video and chosen sites based on it as well.
Great video, we were there the week before you. We hammocked camped at Pine bluff 2 , Chapel beach 3, Potato Patch 3, and cliffs 2. No need to worry about uneven ground or low spots but we did have to find tree's and luckily all spots worked for us. I searched and watched every video I could find for months before going hoping for something just like this. Very good for future users and when I return.
The one set of both individual and group campsites that are off the trail, but don’t add any distance to the overall hike if used, would be those at Trappers Lake. It’s a wonderful inland site on a lake, huge group and lots of space between individual sites. You can walk .4 miles north from camp to Lake Superior for a sunset. This would be one option of getting back to the NCT. I like the inland route that parallels Beaver Lake, which is a very shallow lake and can be like bathwater as early as Memorial Day if conditions are right. Taking the Beaver Lake route will pop you out at the Beaver Creek camp, and avoid the soft, sandy trudge around the Pines CG.
Thank you very much for this useful video. I just finished booking a 3-day trip in May with four other guys. It definitely is going to be better because of your video.. unless somebody gets stampeded by a bull moose, of course. Happy trails!
This is an amazing place for a beginning backpacker. I have two videos where I took new backpackers on this trip. One with my wife and another with my son’s friend. Feel free to check them out.
Once again great video with some helpful info, in the video and the comments. Ive never been to pictured rocks so I'm planning a zero day just to check out the area so thanks for the info.
There are two water sources for Coves Group. Both are to the east of camp, near the staircase up from the lake area. One is the creek that flows alongside the staircase, where the trail crosses the creek near the bottom of the stairs. This is a seasonal flow, and might be dry. If you keep walking east from the bottom of the staircase, you’ll soon see a little access trail down to Lake Superior. There’s a little boulder scramble which can be slippery when wet, so readers are urged to proceed with caution and avoid going solo if possible. I’d say the access trail is about 1/8 mile east of camp, at the most. The beach area is rocky and really scenic. Considering that there are only six group sites, Coves Group is more middle of the line than bottom tier, which would be Masse Homestead (no water, no views) and Cliffs (no water). I’d even rank Coves Group above Au Sable East Group, because the sunsets are much more accessible and viewed from up high above the lake. The trail linking Coves Group to the main NCT continues past the NCT and goes right to the edge of the cliff above Lake Superior. So from Coves Group, you have the sunset option of overlooking Lake Superior from a few hundred feet up, or going down to the little beach mentioned above. IMO, Coves Group is probably #3 of the six group sites along the trail.
@@jonallenoutside yeah, the lake is a couple of hundred feet below you over a steep cliff at Coves group, so no getting water that way. But honestly the hike east back down o the lake takes about five minutes and, after you’ve set up tents in camp, can be a very relaxing walk. It starts with a gradual downhill for about half the distance and then hits the stairs and is flat after that. The beach area, at least for my group, was super scenic and relaxing - melted away any stress from the day’s physical challenges.
Jon, this is a extremely useful video for all future hikers planning. I wish you made this last year before I hiked it. All I had was a few website photos and brief descriptions!! Lol. Your video here takes all the guess work out of the the prime sites and water access! Nicely done? Have you or are you planning to do Superior Hiking Trail hike? I’m trying to research for a trip this late Sept or early Oct.
During my trip last year I stayed at Chapel Beach, site 3. One word of caution. The bear boxes are such a great resource, but use them right away with your food. Don’t leave any food in your pack and walk away like to the beach. Not because of the bears but the Ravens. The campers at site 2 had ravens open their packs and tear into their gear. They made a mess!!! Just a word of caution.
Yeah I'm planning a hike across the U.p. down to the Manistee National Forest where I live starting in October So these videos and the comments are become helpful already. Hope your plan for the superior Trail works out
Absolutely love this video, I’ve watched it several times to help me and I did just yesterday (2024 reservations opened 1/1/24) get every date, zone & site I wanted for June 😊 But you failed to mention your favorite burger coming off trail, so how ‘bout it?! 😁
@@jonallenoutside What's the best remaining window to go in your opinion? I would love to time it during peak Fall foliage, but a lot of early Fall vids look overcast and rainy. Seems like the lake really pops best in the sun.
@@JP-jn2yx I think mid-Sept to mid-Oct is the best time to go. In any four day period in the UP you’re likely to have a variety of weather so just pack accordingly and go for it.
Pictured Rocks backcountry camping regulations for the individual sites state that you have to pitch your shelter within six feet of the numbered post. So you can’t legally look around and move to a flat patch of ground that’s in the general area. There is one backcountry ranger that I’ve bumped into that’s a stickler for this rule.
@@DavidSmith-rl3tw thanks. That rule must have updated since the last time I looked. That’s still close enough for my point, though. In the group sites you just camp anywhere that’s already impacted. The options often stretch for over 100 feet from end to end (Au Sauble East, Sevenmile, Trappers Lake to name a few). In the individual sites, not so much of a choice if a ranger wants to be “by the book.”
Nice work, a valuable video to our community. Well done!!! Did you see much in the way of hammock campers? Trees looked sufficient at most of the sites. Just curious.
The closed toilet that you show for Mosquito Group is a composting toilet that’s been closed for at least 20 years. I don’t think they ever opened it. To get to the group latrine, walk east down the trail (back towards to river and closed composting toilet) and take the first trail to the right. The latrine is right next to the trail to Mosquito Falls that a lot of day hikers walk, and there are just two short walls giving you privacy.
@@jonallenoutside there’s a trail behind the food lockers that goes straight up the hill to the privy, but, for folks who have never been to the site, the description I initially gave is easier to follow.
Yes. There is a shuttle that runs the entire length of the trail in this area. I can’t recall the name of it off hand but you’ll find it immediately if you Google it.
I stayed at the campground on Beaver Lake the night before one of my trips and liked it it a lot. It’s right on the lake with nice sites. I’ve walked through the other “motor home” campgrounds along the lake and they look great.
@@cliftonselent4625 Miner’s Castle has a visitor center with running water and bathrooms. The drinking fountains are the water source as the lake is not reachable from there. However, the fountains are not always turned on.
Yes... Beaver Creek is on the loop for Beaver Lake trail and pkg lot; and Mosquito River plus Chapel Beach are on a connected loop trail that goes back inland to a parking lot... check out the Pictured Rocks Nat'l Lakeshore Map to find those parking areas, not the hikers trail map NOTE: Miner's Castle Vistors Center is not operational and there is no water fountain there... they are repairing the plumbing at that facility so the water is disconnected, and seem to be taking a long time to complete it... I hiked through there expecting to fill H2O bottles before getting to Cliffs campground just 4 weeks ago.... not repaired, for at least 2 seasons.
At Masse Homestead, you estimated the distance to the water but didn’t go and check out what the slope looked like getting to said water. Readers beware. Due to storms over Lake Superior and changes in water level, there’s no guarantee of a safe decent from the top of the dunes to the lakeshore. There might not be any beach at the bottom, and the slope might be steeper than 45 degrees. Masse Homestead and Cliffs, near the end, should really be though of as dry camps, as a result. Pack in the water that you need.
Thank you for this video! It’s a valuable resource to the backpacking community. My 10-year-old son and I just got back from our successful end-to-end hike and stayed at Au Sable, Sevenmile, Chapel Beach, and Cliffs. Your recommendations were super helpful. At Sevenmile we ran into another pair that had been at Au Sable and they said they’d watched your video and chosen sites based on it as well.
I’m so glad to hear that. The whole point of my channel is to give back to the backpacking community.
Being able to preview campsites prior to booking a trip makes it very easy. Thank you!!
Glad to help! Enjoy your trip!
Omg this is so helpful. We have hiked before but used tents. This time we're bringing hammocks.
@@skreenfeen74 Enjoy your hike!
Great video, we were there the week before you. We hammocked camped at Pine bluff 2 , Chapel beach 3, Potato Patch 3, and cliffs 2. No need to worry about uneven ground or low spots but we did have to find tree's and luckily all spots worked for us. I searched and watched every video I could find for months before going hoping for something just like this. Very good for future users and when I return.
This video is so valuable, THANK YOU!! I'm looking to go this year, late August/early September.
It’s a great spot to hike. Enjoy your trip.
This is thorough! Thank you! Very much appreciated!
@@courtneylloyd1506 You are very welcome. Enjoy your hike.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! Great video that showed me EXACTLY what I needed to know about each campsite!
Excellent info, thank you much! Trying to work out a trip for 2024 with a group! This is so very valuable.
You are welcome. It’s an amazing place to hike.
The one set of both individual and group campsites that are off the trail, but don’t add any distance to the overall hike if used, would be those at Trappers Lake.
It’s a wonderful inland site on a lake, huge group and lots of space between individual sites.
You can walk .4 miles north from camp to Lake Superior for a sunset. This would be one option of getting back to the NCT.
I like the inland route that parallels Beaver Lake, which is a very shallow lake and can be like bathwater as early as Memorial Day if conditions are right.
Taking the Beaver Lake route will pop you out at the Beaver Creek camp, and avoid the soft, sandy trudge around the Pines CG.
This is an awesome video! Hoping to get there in August and wanted to know which sites to apply for. Very helpful!
Thank you! It’s a great place to hike. I hope you have an awesome trip.
Thank you this video has helped my backpacking group out a ton on our trip we did this past spring.
Thanks for doing this. Just what I was looking for. First trip to pictures rocks this summer.
You’ll love it. Amazing place to hike.
Thank you. Definitely gives me ideas for site selection for my upcoming hike.
Thank you very much for this useful video. I just finished booking a 3-day trip in May with four other guys. It definitely is going to be better because of your video.. unless somebody gets stampeded by a bull moose, of course.
Happy trails!
Thank you! Enjoy your trip.
Thank you for this! Just reserved Chapel Beach 3!
I think you’ll love it!
Thank you for this video. Beginner backpacker and this information is so helpful!
This is an amazing place for a beginning backpacker. I have two videos where I took new backpackers on this trip. One with my wife and another with my son’s friend. Feel free to check them out.
Great video Jon.
This was sooo helpful in planning our trip! THANK YOU!!
Glad it was helpful. It's such a great hike. Enjoy your trip!
Once again great video with some helpful info, in the video and the comments. Ive never been to pictured rocks so I'm planning a zero day just to check out the area so thanks for the info.
Glad it was helpful!
There are two water sources for Coves Group. Both are to the east of camp, near the staircase up from the lake area.
One is the creek that flows alongside the staircase, where the trail crosses the creek near the bottom of the stairs. This is a seasonal flow, and might be dry.
If you keep walking east from the bottom of the staircase, you’ll soon see a little access trail down to Lake Superior. There’s a little boulder scramble which can be slippery when wet, so readers are urged to proceed with caution and avoid going solo if possible. I’d say the access trail is about 1/8 mile east of camp, at the most.
The beach area is rocky and really scenic.
Considering that there are only six group sites, Coves Group is more middle of the line than bottom tier, which would be Masse Homestead (no water, no views) and Cliffs (no water).
I’d even rank Coves Group above Au Sable East Group, because the sunsets are much more accessible and viewed from up high above the lake.
The trail linking Coves Group to the main NCT continues past the NCT and goes right to the edge of the cliff above Lake Superior.
So from Coves Group, you have the sunset option of overlooking Lake Superior from a few hundred feet up, or going down to the little beach mentioned above.
IMO, Coves Group is probably #3 of the six group sites along the trail.
Thanks for adding this info. I must have missed the access trail down to the lake and lake seemed pretty far below the trail.
@@jonallenoutside yeah, the lake is a couple of hundred feet below you over a steep cliff at Coves group, so no getting water that way.
But honestly the hike east back down o the lake takes about five minutes and, after you’ve set up tents in camp, can be a very relaxing walk. It starts with a gradual downhill for about half the distance and then hits the stairs and is flat after that.
The beach area, at least for my group, was super scenic and relaxing - melted away any stress from the day’s physical challenges.
This video is so helpful for my trip planning, thank you!
Glad it helped!
Jon, this is a extremely useful video for all future hikers planning. I wish you made this last year before I hiked it. All I had was a few website photos and brief descriptions!! Lol. Your video here takes all the guess work out of the the prime sites and water access! Nicely done?
Have you or are you planning to do Superior Hiking Trail hike? I’m trying to research for a trip this late Sept or early Oct.
Thank you! Eventually I will do the SHT but this year I’m booked with other hikes until late fall.
During my trip last year I stayed at Chapel Beach, site 3. One word of caution. The bear boxes are such a great resource, but use them right away with your food. Don’t leave any food in your pack and walk away like to the beach. Not because of the bears but the Ravens. The campers at site 2 had ravens open their packs and tear into their gear. They made a mess!!! Just a word of caution.
Yeah I'm planning a hike across the U.p. down to the Manistee National Forest where I live starting in October So these videos and the comments are become helpful already. Hope your plan for the superior Trail works out
Thank you so much, Sir. This is well done and very much appreciated!!! You Rock!
You are welcome! Hope you find great campsites.
So helpful, thanks for posting!
Great video thanks! gonna be there soon first time and your video is so helpful!
I think you’ll love it.
Very helpful--thanks, Jon!
Glad it was helpful!
Great review. We are heading there in a few weeks.
It’s one of my favorite places to go backpacking. Enjoy your trip.
Absolutely love this video, I’ve watched it several times to help me and I did just yesterday (2024 reservations opened 1/1/24) get every date, zone & site I wanted for June 😊
But you failed to mention your favorite burger coming off trail, so how ‘bout it?! 😁
Enjoy your trip! There’s a BBQ place in Munising that I like, but I can’t remember the name of it.
Thanks so much! This video was extremely helpful!
You are welcome. Enjoy your trip.
I really appreciate the walk through. Very helpful.
You are welcome. Enjoy your trip.
@@jonallenoutside What's the best remaining window to go in your opinion? I would love to time it during peak Fall foliage, but a lot of early Fall vids look overcast and rainy. Seems like the lake really pops best in the sun.
@@JP-jn2yx I think mid-Sept to mid-Oct is the best time to go. In any four day period in the UP you’re likely to have a variety of weather so just pack accordingly and go for it.
Pictured Rocks backcountry camping regulations for the individual sites state that you have to pitch your shelter within six feet of the numbered post. So you can’t legally look around and move to a flat patch of ground that’s in the general area.
There is one backcountry ranger that I’ve bumped into that’s a stickler for this rule.
It is 15 feet not 6. "tents and hammocks must stay within 15 feet of the numbered post at the campsite."
@@DavidSmith-rl3tw thanks. That rule must have updated since the last time I looked.
That’s still close enough for my point, though.
In the group sites you just camp anywhere that’s already impacted. The options often stretch for over 100 feet from end to end (Au Sauble East, Sevenmile, Trappers Lake to name a few).
In the individual sites, not so much of a choice if a ranger wants to be “by the book.”
Nice work, a valuable video to our community. Well done!!! Did you see much in the way of hammock campers? Trees looked sufficient at most of the sites. Just curious.
Thank you! I have a friend who used a hammock on this trail and he said it worked well.
@@jonallenoutside Awesome thank you. This is on my shortlist for 2024.
Very helpful!
The closed toilet that you show for Mosquito Group is a composting toilet that’s been closed for at least 20 years. I don’t think they ever opened it.
To get to the group latrine, walk east down the trail (back towards to river and closed composting toilet) and take the first trail to the right. The latrine is right next to the trail to Mosquito Falls that a lot of day hikers walk, and there are just two short walls giving you privacy.
Thank you! I must have missed that side trail.
@@jonallenoutside there’s a trail behind the food lockers that goes straight up the hill to the privy, but, for folks who have never been to the site, the description I initially gave is easier to follow.
Super helpful! How big are the bear boxes? Could I stick my pack in it?
You could, but then no one else could put their food in it. Really no need to put a whole pack in there though.
What’s the situation with the privy at Seven Mile and Coves? Are they exposed or partially walled? Thanks for the video. Great info to know!
I can’t recall those two specifically.
At Sevenmile there's no privy, so you'll need a cathole. Coves I'm not aware of.
Question.. Is there any other option to get shuttled to the the other end that you know of?
Yes. There is a shuttle that runs the entire length of the trail in this area. I can’t recall the name of it off hand but you’ll find it immediately if you Google it.
Other than the shuttle I don’t know of any.
@@jonallenoutside thanks. Do you remember how long the drive was between Munising and Grand Sable?
@@carolyncoe131 Maybe 45 minutes? The shuttle stops a few times along the way.
Do you have any videos or opinions on some of the other campgrounds? Hurricane river, beaver creek,
I stayed at the campground on Beaver Lake the night before one of my trips and liked it it a lot. It’s right on the lake with nice sites. I’ve walked through the other “motor home” campgrounds along the lake and they look great.
@@jonallenoutside do you know what the water source is at miner's castle? Is it easy to access?
@@cliftonselent4625 Miner’s Castle has a visitor center with running water and bathrooms. The drinking fountains are the water source as the lake is not reachable from there. However, the fountains are not always turned on.
@@jonallenoutside we're going the end of June so I figure by then everything will be open.
Are there any within 2 miles ish of a parking lot with a trail head?
Yes. Look on the map for the parking symbols and you can pick a site close to that.
Yes... Beaver Creek is on the loop for Beaver Lake trail and pkg lot; and Mosquito River plus Chapel Beach are on a connected loop trail that goes back inland to a parking lot... check out the Pictured Rocks Nat'l Lakeshore Map to find those parking areas, not the hikers trail map
NOTE: Miner's Castle Vistors Center is not operational and there is no water fountain there... they are repairing the plumbing at that facility so the water is disconnected, and seem to be taking a long time to complete it... I hiked through there expecting to fill H2O bottles before getting to Cliffs campground just 4 weeks ago.... not repaired, for at least 2 seasons.
Miner's Castle Visitor's Center is now open (Aug 2023) and the water is on seasonally.
At Masse Homestead, you estimated the distance to the water but didn’t go and check out what the slope looked like getting to said water.
Readers beware. Due to storms over Lake Superior and changes in water level, there’s no guarantee of a safe decent from the top of the dunes to the lakeshore. There might not be any beach at the bottom, and the slope might be steeper than 45 degrees.
Masse Homestead and Cliffs, near the end, should really be though of as dry camps, as a result. Pack in the water that you need.