By: Paul Beroff
Dispersed camping in Northern Michigan changes once October arrives.
The forests turn slowly at first, then seemingly all at once. Green gives way to amber, copper, crimson, and gold. Sugar maples flare red against dark stands of pine, and fallen leaves drift across old logging trails until the ruts disappear beneath them.
Mornings come cold and clear.
You open the camper door to air that feels sharper than it did just a few weeks ago. Your breath hangs for a moment. The woods are quiet except for wind moving through the treetops, a squirrel working through dry leaves, and the snap of kindling as last night’s fire comes back to life. The dog is already out, nose down in the leaves, reading everything that passed through camp overnight.
You wrap both hands around a hot mug and wait for the sun to clear the treeline. Smoke drifts low through camp. Frost on the picnic table slowly turns to beads of water.
By afternoon the sun still carries some warmth, but once it drops behind the trees, the temperature drops with it. Jackets come out. The fire grows larger. Thick steaks go straight onto the coals while darkness comes a little earlier each evening.
Fall camping also carries a feeling no other season quite has. Beneath all the color is the sense that time is running short.
Soon the leaves will be gone. Forest roads will close under snow. Lakes will freeze. Campsites that were busy all summer will sit empty under gray skies and deep northern cold.
For a little while, though, there is this narrow stretch between summer and winter: cool mornings, bright forests, quiet back roads, campfire smoke, and hot coffee.
For many of us, it may be the finest time of year to disappear into the woods.
This Is Why I Go North
Last fall, my Doberman Brinx and I headed deep into the back roads and logging trails of the North Woods. We walked under a canopy of color, cooked steaks directly on the coals, and found the kind of quiet you only get when you’re miles from everything. No fancy gear, no noise. Just the fire, the dog, and the woods.
More fall and winter trips on YouTube @BackRoadsToNowhere
Before You Go
- Timing the color: Peak color usually reaches the Upper Peninsula in late September and early October. It moves into northern lower Michigan in early to mid-October and southern Michigan by mid to late October. Check a fall color tracker before you head out, because peak shifts from year to year.
- Where to look: The Hiawatha, Ottawa, and Huron-Manistee National Forests all allow dispersed camping on most of their land. Check each forest’s current rules and road closures before you go:
- Hiawatha: https://www.fs.usda.gov/hiawatha
- Ottawa: https://www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa
- Huron-Manistee: https://www.fs.usda.gov/hmnf
- Plan for the cold: Nights can drop below freezing, especially up north. Bring a sleeping bag rated for the cold, a way to heat the rig safely, and extra fuel.
- Hunting season: Michigan’s archery deer season opens October 1, and the firearm season starts November 15. Wear blaze orange around camp and on logging trails, and keep your dog in orange too. Season dates are on the Michigan DNR site: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr