Circle Tour (around Lake Michigan)

[rsewald7313]

Has anyone done the Circle Tour around Lake Michigan? I'm from Illinois, and would like to know the highlights, and your favorite campgrounds. Is it better to do clockwise or counter-clockwise? Best time of the year? Thanks.

[dblr]

Will be watching this thread also as this might be our plans for next summer.

[B and B]

Where are you starting from?

[rsewald7313]

I am in northern Illinois, so I can start either way, but do not look forward to going through Chicago...

[BandJCarm]

I will not drive through Chicago as long as this earth shall stand.

[Jmcrumsr]

Originally Posted by dblr

Will be watching this thread also as this might be our plans for next summer.

just signed in and am a new member. I own a 2017 38TS and we love it.
Was at FROG rally in Elkhart this year with 9 other riverstone owners and we had a great time. Jeff Holmes and his staff are the best. Bought mine in June 2016 at Jeff Couch Wholesaler in Hamilton Ohio. Wanting to trade next year for the 39RKFB.
Hope to meet other Stoners soon.

Mike & Mary Crum

[woodrockin]

I'm confused. Are only visiting the west side of Michigan? The circle tour means the whole state, but you stated "Lake Michigan" which is only one side of our great state.

EDIT: My mistake, I see they have one that goes through Wisconsin.

[rsewald7313]

Intend to go either, first, via Wisconsin and up, or the other way, Indiana and up through Michigan.
Noting Chicago, We may go further south, and then east to Indiana, avoiding Chicago.
Want to know the 'must see' places, and good RV camps.

[tdiller]

Originally Posted by rsewald7313

Has anyone done the Circle Tour around Lake Michigan? I'm from Illinois, and would like to know the highlights, and your favorite campgrounds. Is it better to do clockwise or counter-clockwise? Best time of the year? Thanks.

I've done this both pulling a popup and on a motorcycle. with the popup we went clockwise on the motorcycle counterclockwise. I tried to follow the lakefront as much as possible. Michigan state parks were far better kept than the one private campground we stayed in. Fall is a great time for the tunnel of trees in Michigan. Don't forget to stop at https://www.michigan.org/property/ta...lls-state-park
Or to see the painted rock national park (https://www.nps.gov/piro/index.htm). Eat some pasties while in the yupper as well. Either direction spend a night in door county wi and partake in a fishboil dinner. I'm in northern Illinois as well.

[tdiller]

Originally Posted by woodrockin

I'm confused. Are only visiting the west side of Michigan? The circle tour means the whole state, but you stated "Lake Michigan" which is only one side of our great state.

The circle tour is a route marked going around Lake Michigan through MIchigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. It goes through Chicago along Lake Shore Drive. I'd avoid that section as it is under construction.
Wisconsin Highways: Other Routes: Lake Michigan Circle Tour

[woodrockin]

Originally Posted by tdiller

The circle tour is a route marked going around Lake Michigan through MIchigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. It goes through Chicago along Lake Shore Drive. I'd avoid that section as it is under construction.
Wisconsin Highways: Other Routes: Lake Michigan Circle Tour

Yeah, I edited my original post when I realized that. We have a circle tour within the state, that's what I was thinking. My bad.

[EDABEUT]

I would suggest to bypass Chicago drive up to Muskegon and take the ferry across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin. Then finish the loop north and back down around. Don't miss the Dells in Wisconsin if you haven't been there. Also Door County. I wouldn't worry about sticking to the shoreline either. Go up to Silver City and Porcupine Mtn. then up to Copper Harbor and back down to Marquette. Then over to Munising and Pictured Rocks and over to Grand Marias. Tahquamenon Falls, Paradise and the Soo. Back down to St Ignace and across the bridge and down west side of Michigan. The north side of UP has way more to see and do then the south side. Way to many places to see and go to but these are some of the highlights.

[PapaFalts]

We just stayed at Inidgo Bluffs just outside of Empire MI. Very nice resort and close to Sleeping Bear Dunes.

[AZ Pete]

We circumnavigated Lake MI several years ago. Not on the route that is listed here though. I strongly recommend stopping in Green Bay, and taking the Lambeau Stadium tour..lots of options for lunch in the stadium too.

[raytwntrvlr]

Just an idea .... We have done this to avoid Chicago. Kids had a ball and it was worth it. Drive north to Ludington and take the car ferry over to Wisconsin side. Continue with your circle tour northerly and across the UP down over Big Mac and camp you way south back home. I would not miss The Porcupines on such a trip. I'm sure you will get many camping suggestions. That trip could easily take over a month to see just some of the great attractions. Soo Locks, Copper Harbor and on and on.
Good Luck and happy camping.

BTW... If you time it right, the fall colors in the UP are some of the best

OOps some one beat me to it. Thought it was Ludington, could be Muskegon. Anyway it's a good detour to take.

[woodrockin]

Originally Posted by raytwntrvlr

Just an idea .... We have done this to avoid Chicago. Kids had a ball and it was worth it. Drive north to Ludington and take the car ferry over to Wisconsin side. Continue with your circle tour northerly and across the UP down over Big Mac and camp you way south back home. I would not miss The Porcupines on such a trip. I'm sure you will get many camping suggestions. That trip could easily take over a month to see just some of the great attractions. Soo Locks, Copper Harbor and on and on.
Good Luck and happy camping.

BTW... If you time it right, the fall colors in the UP are some of the best

OOps some one beat me to it. Thought it was Ludington, could be Muskegon. Anyway it's a good detour to take.

Agreed.

[MartiB]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

I will not drive through Chicago as long as this earth shall stand.

I drive through the city on most of my trips - unless I'm going north since my camper is based in Zion, IL. Guess I'm a sucker for punishment. Right now the tollways are under construction and traffic has been heavy.

Indiana Dunes SP is supposed to be nice. I'm headed to Hoffmaster SP in mid-September for a couple of days. Grand Haven SP is right on Lake Michigan. I haven't been north of Muskegon.

Sounds like an interesting trip. You'll probably want to do Door County especially in the fall.

[markb422]

A lot of the places people are suggesting are in the UP of Michigan but are on Lake Superior.
Cannot blame you for not wanting to drive through Chicago. I was going to suggest taking the ferry but someone beat me to it. The SS Badger goes between Sheboygan, WI to Ludington, MI so you could do the west shore of Michigan all the way up to Mackinaw and cross the bridge. Take a ferry to Mackinaw Island from St Ignase. Go west along US 2 through the UP and down through Wisconsin to Sheboygan and take the Badger back to Ludington then back south to Illinois. You will miss some of the official tour route through Milwaukee and Chicago but it sounds like you do not want to do big cities.
Wilderness State Park is a good cg west of Mackinaw.
Take M-119 and the Tunnel of trees in the fall through Cross Village, Good Hart and Harbor Springs.
Sleeping Bear Dunes Lake Shore.
Do the Leelanau Pennisula.
There are Casinos in Petoskey, Traverse City and Manistee if you do that.
You can stay at Ludington State Park before you do the SS Badger.

[elchilero53]

If you are doing Lake Michigan, go AROUND Chicago as far as you can then connect back at Waukegan IL, then go north. Of course, I'm not sure if you want to tackle downtown Milwaukee or not but the lake shore is really pretty. Then go north to Door County WI and loop back to Green Bay then north up US 41. Be sure to get off at Oconto; the town was bypassed years ago (unfortunately) and has a really cool, old-time drive-in on the Oconto River you should stop at. Be sure to stop a Peshtigo and visit the museum there. It recounts the Great Peshtigo Fire, a massive firestorm that occurred the same day as the Great Chicago Fire and swept through the town and surrounding forests destroying both and killing many people. From there go north to Marinette then on to Menominee MI and up M35 (which hugs the lake shore and Green Bay all the way to Escanaba MI). I saw a couple of RV Parks along that stretch in 2016 while driving up to Marquette for my kid sister's funeral. Then out of Escanaba through Gladstone and Rapid River. There are a couple of RV Parks just east of Rapid River on US 2 that might help when you explore Stonington Peninsula and Nahma. Then across on US 2 to Manistique. There are campgrounds around Indian Lake but there is a brand new RV Park right on the lake shore on the west side of Manistique that just opened this year. They have a website so you might could check into space availability. There is a lot to see around Manistique (Fayette State Park, the Big Spring, Indian Lake). Then you could go on to St. Ignace, but if it was me, I'd swing up M-94 to Munising and catch Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Grand Marais (they have Lake Superior agates there) then on to Tahquamenon Falls. Then go down through Seney to Manistique Lakes for the Seney National Wildlife Refuge, back down to US 2 then across to St Ignace. Then you can go south to Lower Michigan or swing up to Sault Saint Marie and look at the Soo Locks.

And that is just the UP of Michigan.

Anyway, just don't limit yourself and go explore some mighty fine country.

[EDABEUT]

Highly advise not to take a RV through the Tunnel of Trees. Very narrow and winding not a lot of overhead clearance