metcarl

My husband, two daughters ages 10 and 14, and I are renting an RV in early August departing from Louisville, KY.
Here is a tentative itinerary:
DAY 1 - Pickup RV, stay near South Bend, IN
DAY 2 - Drive to Platte River Campground (stay 2 nights)
DAY 3 - Sleeping Bear Dunes/Platte River Campground
DAY 4 - Drive to Muskallonge Lake State Park (3 nights)
DAY 5 - Pictured Rocks
DAY 6 - Tahquamenon Falls
DAY 7 - Drive to Porcupine Mountains (stay at Union Bay, Lake Gogebic, or Keweenaw Peninsula - 3 nights)
DAY 8 - Porcupine Mountains
DAY 9 - Porcupine Mountains
DAY 10 - Drive to Devil’s Lake State Park OR Door County - 3 nights
DAY 11 - Devil’s Lake State Park (or Door County)
DAY 12 - Devil’s Lake State Park (or Door County)
DAY 13 - Drive 4-5 hours (near Champaign, IL)
DAY 14 - Drive home

Alternatively, I would take away a night from one of the three-night stays (Muskallonge Lake, Porcupine, or Devil's Lake/Door County) and stay near Mackinaw City and go to Mackinac Island for a day trip. (or we can add another day onto the end of our trip)

Another thought is to stay one night at Tahquamenon Falls State Park and just 2 instead of 3 at Muskallonge Lake. We will not have another car with the RV so will already have to break camp to go anywhere.

Any tips are appreciated about RV travel in general and logistics finding parking or what the easiest access is to some of the sites. This will be our first trip in an RV.

When we have to drive the RV everywhere, it's tempting to stay in a different place every night, but I do want some downtime to settle into a spot for a few days as well. I'm a planner and this is starting to make my brain hurt!

Other questions:
Best campground/RV park with easy access to Porkies?
Where should our final destination be? Dell County or Devil's Lake? I'm also open to other suggestions.
I have begun reservations at Platte River and Muskallonge Lake, but need help with the second half of the trip.

tom_mn

Some comments.

There’s nothing really to see in South Bend except Notre Dame. Can you push a little farther north into Michigan? For example there are beaches in South Haven, or the Dutch themed Holland MI. Grand Rapids has some things to offer, also. One of those underrated places.

Traverse City is an interesting area, you haven’t devoted time to, also Petoskey/Harbor Springs, and Charlevoix. Most would visit Mackinac Island. The Soo Locks are interesting in Sault Ste Marie.

You’ve switched things around, Tahq Falls comes first, Pictured Rocks is west near Munising. The south shore of Superior is often sandy, Au Train has a pretty beach. For Tahq Falls I’ve camped at the river mouth near the lake, the primitive campsites are spacious and private. I wouldn’t camp at the main falls campgrounds due to crowding. The shipwreck museum at Whitefish Point is interesting.

I've heard the Porkies are for overnight backpackers so if just seeing Lake of the Clouds it’s just an in-out. So probably too much time here. Devils Lake is pretty but in a busy part of the state. Maybe just an overnight. Door county has much more to offer.

You may want to get the Moon Publications Michigan guide.

metcarl

Here's my revised itinerary (showing nights in each place):

So nights would be:

St Joseph - 1
Sleeping Bear (Platte River Campground) - 2
Mackinaw City - 2
Pictured Rocks - 4 (visit Tahq Falls on the way from Mack City)
Door County (Peninsula State Park) - 3
Starved Rock - 1

OR - take a night each from Door County/Pictured Rocks to go to Porkies and stay 2 nights.
OR - no Porkies still, but take one night from Door County or Pict Rocks to add somewhere else

I'm looking at Northland Outfitters in Germfask (about 30-40 min from Pictured Rocks). There is very little availability closer to Pictured Rocks. There are a few places that are first-come, first-serve, but that makes me nervous especially if we are wanting to visit the Falls before arriving. Unless we want to backtrack a little and see the falls a later in the day after securing our site?

tom_mn

Pictured Rocks is mostly shoreline with limited land access. I’m not sure it’s worth 4 nights. If you take the boat ride the rocks are in shade all day so you want the latest cruise as the evening sun lights the rocks.

Mackinaw City is quite a zoo in the summer so if you are going to the UP anyway I’d stay near St Ignace and take the ferry to Mackinac Island from there. The Island trip is all rather crowded and expensive so you can pass on it, but it is quite popular.

I’d reserve the Tahq Falls river mouth campground. The primitive sites are only a short walk to the flush toilets and showers but bigger sites. It’s worth going to the Soo Locks just for the enormous, cheap ice cream cones, then drive thru the pretty Bay Mills Indian Community to the Pt Iroquois lighthouse, see Whitefish Point, the Shipwreck Museum, and Upper Tahq Falls, it’s a nice area and good for children.

Peninsula SP is very popular and well placed for access to a lot. Many spend a week here in Door County. Quite visible in Peninsula SP is the Niagara Escarpment.

Most of these places will not be hot which I am sure adds appeal.

metcarl

tom_mn, I like your suggestions for Tahq falls and nearby activities. We have an RV so the primitive sites won't work for us (and there isn't availability anyway). Any suggestions for nearby parks? Or if we stay in Germfask, we could do day trips to Tahq Falls area, Pictured Rocks area, and kayak directly from the campgrounds. I'm trying to figure out how to best view Pictured Rocks while avoiding other people too (like taking a boat tour).

I'm rethinking Mackinac Island, since we're wanting to avoid crowds and public spaces. Any area (other than Sleeping Bear Dunes) that we should focus on? Keep in mind that we do not want to visit shops, restaurants, or crowded public spaces. Some walking around outside is ok or eating on a restaurant patio.

tom_mn

Well, there's this RV park at the Bay Mills Indian Community, https://www.baymillscasinos.com/hotel-rv-park/rv-park/ there's likely room there. You could try the main Tahq Falls area since you will be able to shut the windows if it's noisy. I don't know other campgrounds in the area, sorry.

The boat ride at Pictured Rocks is open air, or can be, if that matters. I don't know again about kayaking rentals. Kayaking is common at the Apostle Islands but that's way over in Wisconsin.

That Moon Michigan Guide will be helpful and worth the money. I assume Canada will still be closed because the falls on the Montreal River
are pretty, they are north along Lake Superior.

metcarl

Just ordered the Moon Guide!