Hiawatha National Forest - Funance Bay Campground

Amazing campground. Loved being right on lake superior. Pit toilets were clean and sites were spotless. Can't wait to return

Got in on a Friday at noon end of August, still a few sites First Come First serve. Just a quick 7 minute drive into Munising - a quiet reprieve! Plenty of space in camp and between neighbors. Beach is like *gestures wildly* right there (bring water shoes!) Coming back next year!

A total blessing to find another National Forest campground right on Lake Superior. I absolutely loved this campground, despite its "character-building" entrance road. The road coming in was a minefield of potholes big enough to swallow a small car – quite the adventure! But thankfully, it was short, and any vehicle could make it just fine. There are reservation only campsites and first come first served with a self pay and register station at each loop. At $24 a night for a primitive site (no electricity, but clean pit toilets, a dump station, and potable water), it initially felt a bit steep. Most National Forest primitive spots are much cheaper. However, with my America the Beautiful pass, it was a much more palatable $12, which, for this area, felt like steal. Honestly, for being right next to Lake Superior and having surprisingly few mosquitoes and horse flies (a huge win in the UP!), it might even be worth the full $24. The campsites are mostly level, well-shaded (great for privacy and hot days, but not ideal for solar panels – hence why I snagged the one sunny spot in the first loop, right behind the self-pay station!). Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. I was lucky to even get a spot, as almost every site was taken! Beyond the campground, there's so much to enjoy and the reason it gets 5☆s. It's walking distance to fantastic rock collecting spots along Lake Superior. The historic furnace nearby is both informative and cool, and the water is beautiful (just a heads-up, there are leeches further down the shore, but not right in front of the campground). It's not a great fishing spot, but that's perfectly fine by me, as I don't fish. Cell signal and data were pretty hit-or-miss with Straight Talk, but that seems to be the norm everywhere in the Upper Peninsula. Dumpsters are available, and there's a host on site if you need anything. There's also a day-use area with picnic tables right on Lake Superior, and the lake and trails are within walking distance of most campsites. Although my campsite was perfect for my solar set up, it was unfortunately within smelling distance of the dump station. Thankfully the wind seemed to only blow my direction a few times. After experiencing other camping fees in the area, I've come to realize that $24 isn't horrible for what you get in the UP. But seriously, for that price, they should really fix that road! Friendly host, very well maintained campground and day use area, more rocks and less sand than most places which made it perfect for collecting rocks.

A short walk from the parking lot is the remains of a blast furnace used to make pig iron. The rest of the complex is gone, there are remains of a 1200 ft pier. Slag chipped from the pig iron looks like black glass, and is all over the area. It only ran for 10 years, but 148 years later the furnace is still very much in tact (it has been repaired, and timbers replaced). If you enjoy history, you will like this. An explanation of how it worked and pics follow.

We had our tent on lot 22 for 2 nights. It was perfect for us. Near restrooms & hiding area. Quiet. If you are looking for sunshine in the morning, this lot is not for you. Bathroom was clean & no smells (as long as all campers follow the rules which is to close the lid after using it!) For firewood, we bought it from a store right access the entrance of this site. $6 (plus tax) per one batch. That was great!