North Higgins Lake State Park

11747 N. Higgins Lake Drive

Roscommon, MI 48653

Phone Number: (989) 821-6125

website: michigandnr.com

 

 

North Higgins Lake State Park is located on the shoreline of Higgins Lake, which is a large body of water known for its clarity and fishing potential. We have camped at both North and South Higgins Lake State Park campgrounds and like them both. The North side has a very large boat launch/parking area and provides easy access to the lake.  The campground  consists of two sections.  The East Side consists of 82 sites with most standard 30 amp electric sites and limited 50 amp . The West Side has 92 sites with similar hookups, but additional mini cabins. The park is open for camping year-round. The park is very popular during the summer months and early reservations are encouraged (you can book six months in advance). Campers need a park pass in addition to the fee for camping. The rate when we stayed was $27 per night and we purchased a yearly recreation pass good for all Michigan state parks for $30(non-resident).  There is a water filling and dumping station located near the front entrance.  There is a campstore within the park that has firewood and ice – very limited. The firewood was good quality and burned well.   If you are in need of additional supplies Evergreen Party Store is about a 3 mile drive from the park.

 

 

Appearance:

This is a very nice and modern campground.  The roads leading into the campground areas are paved.  All roads are well-maintained.  The campground is heavily wooded with mature trees, and yet, the sites are decent sized.  It is a beautiful state park and Higgins Lake is a lovely place to swim, boat, canoe, fish, etc.  There are some full hook-up sites, but most are electric only, but with water supplies throughout the park.  Each section to the park had its own trash dumpster, which for some sites makes it a good hike to toss the trash. Every site had a very large fire ring and picnic table.

Rating: (1 to five lanterns with 5 being the highest)

 

 

Area Activities:

The park has several hiking trails within the park consisting of roughly 12.5 miles of hiking and cross-country trails.  The trails are mainly flat, and in heavily wooded areas.  The lake offers a host of activities to enjoy and there are designated swim and beach areas within the park.  Horseshoes, volleyball, fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing are just a few of the things the park has to offer. There is a boat launch available with ample space for boat storage and parking. When we visited in August 2014, swimmers itch was prevalent and warning signs were posted.  We were leery of wading into the water with the dogs, but did on a few occasions without incident.

 

 

There are limited options for venturing out for entertainment.  We had lunch at the Silver Dollar Saloon about 5 miles from the park.  It was good pub food and served local beers. B and B Sports Center and Marina has boat rentals that seemed reasonably priced and also offers parts and service.

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Pet/Family Friendly:

North Higgins Lake campground is a smaller and more child-friendly atmosphere for family camping than on the South side. There is a main playground and other smaller playgrounds throughout, horseshoe pit, picnic tables, basketball courts and a nice swimming beach.

The park is dog-friendly and several campers were there with their pets. Unlike South Higgins Lake State park, there are no designated pet swimming areas and there are numerous signs posted restricting pets from walking on the beach.  There is also no fenced in dog park area.  If you have dogs that like to swim consider either staying at the South Campground or driving there (17 minute drive) .  On your way, stop at Nibbles Ice Cream – they make sundaes that are very large and also have sundaes for dogs with a dog biscuit on top!

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Restrooms/Showers:

The section we stayed in had nice/clean bathrooms, although some areas of this campground have nicer, more modern shower houses that we did not visit.  We expect they are much like the very nice bath houses we have seen at South Higgins Lake State Park. The bath house we used had push button showers (timed) but had hot water with good pressure and ran for a decent amount of time.

 

Rating:

Overall:  We loved this park and plan to return again!  If you are looking for a beautiful, clean, and economical place to stay – look no further. 🙂