A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Forest Service campground

Widewaters Campground

Forest Service campground in Hiawatha National Forest, Alger County, Michigan. 798 feet. 14.6 miles from Munising.

Managed by
Forest Service Hiawatha National Forest
Elevation
798 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
32 32 standard non-electric
Longest rig
58 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Alger County

Overview

Widewaters Campground is remotely located on Michigan's upper peninsula in the Hiawatha National Forest.

It sits on a stretch of heavily forested land between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, near a series of smaller lakes and the Indian River, making it an ideal getaway for anglers and explorers alike.

Recreation

This small, quiet campground is perfect for fishing, canoeing and kayaking. Anglers enjoy catching brook trout in the area.

The 9-mile Bruno's Run Trail, which winds its way past a host of small lakes in the area, passes directly through the campground and is a popular trail for hiking and biking, as well as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter.

Facilities

The campground offers multiple well-spaced single-family sites, available for tent and RV camping. Sites vary from being heavily wooded and private, to open with little privacy. A few waterfront sites have access to the river. Some additional sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Each site is equipped with tables and campfire rings and some have access to grills. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided.

Boat ramps are available at the campground and also at Fish Lake.

Natural Features

Widewaters is in a beautiful forest of mature hardwoods, sandwiched between Irwin Lake and Indian River.

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

What people do here

  • biking
  • camping
  • canoeing
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • kayaking
  • swimming site

The land around Widewaters Campground

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 September 2, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.