A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service campground

Ironjaw Lake Campsite

Forest Service campground in Hiawatha National Forest, Schoolcraft County, Michigan. 784 feet. 18.3 miles from Munising.

Managed by
Forest Service Hiawatha National Forest
Elevation
784 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 standard non-electric
Longest rig
24 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

The Munising and Rapid River/Manistique Ranger Districts of the Hiawatha National Forest offer a variety of camping experiences. Many are located on inland lakes in a rustic forest environment with no drinking water. The rustic environment offers a wonderfully serene and peaceful setting for your next camping experience.

Recreation

Visitors will be able to enjoy swimming, berry picking, and fishing at these campsites. Licenses are required for fishing in Michigan waters.

Our management efforts seek to provide for quiet, peaceful recreation opportunities in a semi-primiitve setting. The campsite is located on the non-motorized Pine Marten Run Trail, which is open to hiking, mountain biking, and horse back riding.

The swimming area at this site is in poor condition.

Horse camping is allowed at Ironjaw Lake.

Ironjaw Lake is one of the better fishing lakes in the area. Crappie fishing is excellent in the spring. The lake contains northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill and bullheads.

Boat access is dow a steep hill but the surface is firm. Turn-around and back-in space at the base of the hill is very limited. 4 wheel drive vehicles are highly recommended. Parking is restricted to a small area located at the top of the hill.

Boat access is open to the public, Keep the road clear and expect to have people using the boat launch.

Facilities

There is NO drinking water available.

There is a primitive toilet located across the road from the parking area.

Lake Name: Ironjaw Lake

Number of Sites: 1

Maximum Number of People Per Site: 8

Maximum Number of Horses Allowed: 2

Toilets: Yes

Boat Access: Back-In

Lake Size (acres): 62

Natural Features

Ironjaw Lake (62 acres) is located in the heart of the Ironjaw Semi-Primitive Area, which is managed for both motorized and non-motorized uses.

The campsite at Ironjaw is a pull through site that features a tent pad situated on a hill overlooking Lake Nineteen. The site is suitable for only one family with a small trailer. There is limitied turnaround space.

Nearby Attractions

There are a number of horse, bike, and hiking trails within minutes of several of the sites. In over a mile from these campsites, visitors can expect to find: bait shops, general and grocery stores, gas, a pay phone, trailheads, a fishing pier, biking, and kayak/canoe rentals.

Groceries, gasoline, fishing and camping supplies, boat rentals, ice, MDNR licenses, deli, and restaurants are available approximately six miles west on Forest Highway 13.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • horseback riding
  • mountain biking

The land around Ironjaw Lake Campsite

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated March 11, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.