U.S. Forest Service · Huron-Manistee National Forests · Michigan

Meadow Springs Campground

Located on the edge of a red pine plantation, visitors to this site may see many varieties of wildlife in addition to their view of the Au Sable River. This camping area is a short.25 mile walk from the gate, but is primarily used by river paddlers. There is no motorized access to this site. Brochure with map: This brochure is set to print on 11 x 17 paper, landscape (wide) orientation. To print on 8 1/2 x 11 paper set the print area to "shrink to printable area", this will make the text on the page smaller.

More like this: first-come in Michigan · free in Michigan · tent only in Michigan

Meadow Springs Campground
Photo from the area. usfs_Eastern_Region (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesNo Fee

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
SeasonMay 1 to November 30
ForestHuron-Manistee National Forests
FeesNo Fee
RulesAs a visitor to the National Forest, you are asked to follow certain rules designed to protect the Forest, natural resources and to provide for public safety of visitors. These rules are available to you on-line or at any office of the Huron-Manistee National Forests. Please take time to read and understand them. General Topic orders apply across the Forests.

Huron-Manistee National Forests recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Meadow Springs Campground10°20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.86 inches of precipitation, 14.4 inches of snowFebruary: 1.43 inches of precipitation, 12.7 inches of snowMarch: 1.71 inches of precipitation, 7.7 inches of snowApril: 3.24 inches of precipitation, 3.8 inches of snowMay: 3.52 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowJune: 3.58 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 2.94 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 3.76 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 2.88 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 3.13 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowNovember: 2.28 inches of precipitation, 3.6 inches of snowDecember: 1.71 inches of precipitation, 14.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 19.3°F averageFebruary: 20.8°F averageMarch: 29.8°F averageApril: 41.8°F averageMay: 54.7°F averageJune: 64.2°F averageJuly: 68.2°F averageAugust: 66.4°F averageSeptember: 59.2°F averageOctober: 47.0°F averageNovember: 36.0°F averageDecember: 25.8°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Mio Wwtp, 2 miles from the campground at 1,037 feet, station USC00205533 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 32 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 57 inches a year on the same inches scale. The shaded span is the published season, May 1 to November 30.

Getting there

Coordinates44.6567° N, 84.0732° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Welcome Lake South Rx

    25 mi from the campground · 35 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗3.6 mi
RV sales & serviceRose City RV Center ↗17.9 mi
Outdoor gearA-1 Woods & Waters ↗29.4 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

  • 1.7 mi
    Wolf Creek Hike - TH Spur
    0.07 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.7 mi
    Oscoda Smt N-To-E Mio Dnr967 ↗
    14.1 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 1.7 mi
    Mack - Mio Trail
    3.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 1.8 mi
    Wolf Creek - Fireweed Hike
    0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.8 mi
    Wolf Creek - Fireweed Xski
    0.8 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
  • 2.1 mi
    Wolf Creek - Foxglove Xski
    0.3 mi trail · snowshoe, ski

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Huron-Manistee National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Michigan

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Best Tent Camping: Michigan
    Matt Forster, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Camping Michigan
    Kevin Revolinski, 2013
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Rail-trails Michigan & Wisconsin
    Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to camp at Meadow Springs Campground?

Nothing. Meadow Springs Campground is listed as free. No Fee

Source: Forest Service

Is Meadow Springs Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026. Season May 1 to November 30.

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to Meadow Springs Campground?

Meadow Springs Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Meadow Springs Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are River Dune Campground (1.3 mi, first-come), Au Sable Loop Campground (1.3 mi), and Ausable River Camping (1.3 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby