A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service group campground

South Branch Trail Camp Group Site

Forest Service group campground in Huron-Manistee National Forests, Iosco County, Michigan. 880 feet. 16.4 miles from Rose City.

Managed by
Forest Service Huron-Manistee National Forests
Elevation
880 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
1 1 group equestrian
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Iosco County

Overview

South Branch Trail Campground Group Site is ideal for equestrian camping. The group area impresses with its beautiful scenery and convenient access to horseback riding and hiking along the 240-mile Michigan Shore-to-Shore Horseback Riding and Hiking Trail. Priority will be given to campers with horses, however everyone is welcome. The spacious site holds up to 250 campers and features a day-use horse parking area.

Recreation

Hike or horseback ride on the Michigan Shore-To-Shore Riding and Hiking Trail. The trail begins in the town of Empire near Lake Michigan, on the west side of Michigan and ends near Oscoda, Michigan on the Lake Huron eastern side of the state. The eastern part of the trail follows the historic AuSable River to its end in AuSable, just south of Oscoda.

Facilities

Facilities include at the South Branch Trail Campground Group Site include three sets of vault toilets, an electric water pump - which requires campers to furnish a 5,000 watt generator, one garbage bin and picket posts. Parking allows for up to 65 vehicles.

Natural Features

Campsites are situated in a stand of oak and pine at an elevation of 880 feet. The campground is adjacent to the South Branch River and is also not too far from the AuSable River. The magnificent Lake Huron is only a short drive east of the campground.

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

What people do here

  • camping
  • hiking
  • hunting
  • wildlife viewing
  • winter sports

The land around South Branch Trail Camp Group Site

The ringed pin is this group 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 February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.