Openings · last 7 days
1
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 1 site opening here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-273346
When East Lake Campsites reopens
East Lake Campsites's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
3
Openings · last 90 days
8
Only 8 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Oct 15, 2026 · of 3 monitored sites
Of the 84 tracked site-nights (Sep 18 – Oct 15, 2026): 38 open for online reservation · 46 reserved.
Where the open windows are
54.8% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 38 of 84 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Oct 15, 2026Not open online54.8%
Open site-nights38 / 84
Reserved (of online inventory)46 / 84
Weekday openings24
Weekend openings14
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 24 fall on weekdays and 14 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Oct 2026October holds the most room. 27 of 45 site-nights are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 3 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 003 | 21 |
| 002 | 13 |
| 001 | 4 |
The 3 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateSun · Sep 20
Next open weekendFri · Oct 2
The next bookable night is Sep 20; the first open weekend starts Oct 2. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
38 open site-nights across 3 sites at East Lake Campsites, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
Multi-night stays. 5 2-night, 3 3-night, 2 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 22 at site 003.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 40 ft. 1 site takes 25 ft, 1 site takes 35 ft, 1 site takes 40 ft.
All 3 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 003 | 24 ft | None | 21 | 18 nights | Sep 20, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6 +9 more |
| 002 | 24 ft | None | 13 | 8 nights | Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 4, Oct 8, Oct 9, Oct 10, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14 +1 more |
| 001 | 40 ft | None | 4 | 2 nights | Sep 30, Oct 4, Oct 11, Oct 12 |
About East Lake Campsites
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 dispersed campsites. Licenses are required for fishing in Michigan waters.
East Lake has fishing for largemouth bass, perch, bluegill and bullheads. Boat access is located just past site 1. It is unimproved, shallow and sandy. Carry-in access is recommended.
Swimming at Site 3 is excellent, but is not recommended at sites 1 and 2.
Facilities
There is NO drinking water at this location. There are primitive toilets located at sites 1 and 2.
Lake Name: East Lake
Number of Sites : 3
Max Number of People per site: Site 1 (24), Site 2 and 3 (8)
Toilets: Sites 1 and 2
Boat Access: Back-In launch just past site 1 down FR2650
Lake Size (acres): 53
Natural Features
There are 3 campsites located on different shores of the 53-acre East Lake:
Site 1 is located in a wooded area, on a hill, overlooking East Lake. It is located on the western shore of the lake. The site is 100 ft. x 75 ft. and is suitable for up to three families. Site 2 is located on wooded site on the northeast side of the lake. It is 45 ft. x 35 ft. and would be suitable for one family. The access road to this site is narrow and winding, but can be traversed by small trailers. Site 3 is located at an open area the extends into East Lake. It is 55 ft. x 50 ft. and is suitable for one family. Trailers are NOT recommended due to the very narrow and winding access road.
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.
Gasoline, groceries, fishing and camping supplies, boat rentals, ice and MDNR licenses are availalbe at Steuben, approximately two miles northwest, on County Road 437.
3 monitored sitesRVs up to 40 ftNo hookups3 shadedWaterfrontLakefrontPets OKFire pitsMax party 24
Getting there
From Manistique, MI: drive north on M-94 22.5 miles to the intersection with CR 437. Turn right at the big parking lot opposite CR 437. To get to site 1: take the immediate right on FR 2723, drive 0.7 mi to FR 2650. Turn left (east) on FR 2650 and drive 0.2 mi to site 1. To get to sites 2 and 3: proceed directly through the parking lot on FR 2247 and drive about 1 mile to FR 2247A. Turn right (south) on 2247A and drive less than a mile to the campsites.
Rapid River/Manistique Ranger District, Rapid River, MI 49878906-474-6442 OR 906-387-2512
BoatingCampingFishingSwimming
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-273346 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-273346 · East Lake Campsites · Rapid River MI9 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at East Lake Campsites?
Reservations for East Lake Campsites are made through Recreation.gov. 38 of 84 tracked site-nights are currently open (45.2%). Campsite Sniper has also detected 8 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at East Lake Campsites?
Campsite Sniper detected 1 site-date opening at East Lake Campsites in the last 7 days, 3 over 30 days and 8 over the last 90.
Can I get a multi-night stay at East Lake Campsites?
3 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 27 at site 002. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at East Lake Campsites fit a 35-foot RV?
1 of the 3 sites that support RV analysis has a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 40 ft.
Which month has the most availability at East Lake Campsites?
October 2026, with 27 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 45.
When is the next open date at East Lake Campsites?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Sun, Sep 20 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Oct 2. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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