Springtime tour of Michigan, Ontario and Minnesota: thoughts and suggestions?

[runswithdogs]

We're planning a 2 month trip beginning in early May with plans to visit Michigan and its UP, as much of Ontario as we can get to and looping around through Minnesota and Wisconsin before returning to Atlanta.

We've traveled most of this country one way or another but this will be our 1st long-long trip in the AS and will include our 3 big dogs.

We have a few concerns but are entirely flexible to address them if need be:

• Of course, weather. I took a look at NOAA's final frost dates. It seems there are many places in the UP where there isn't one! We love cold weather but are we realistically risking a freeze problem with the AS?

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/file/day-l...-freeze-mapjpg

My guess is that we won't actually arrive in northern Michigan until mid May.

• Bugs. Is this "mud season"? Will we be carried away by black/deer/horse flies? Or it too early for them? Is it ever too early or too late?

• Crowds. Is May and June before the season really gets going? I'd love to avoid micro-planning with reservations weeks in advance. We'd be even happier boondocking. Is this realistic?

Any advice is welcome! And thanks!

[TR Anderson]

Springtime in Michigan? It seems to go from Winter right into Summer. March is COLD. April, some nice days, but more likely it's freezing at night and snow storms are not uncommon. May starts to warm up, but still some frigid nights. That, plus the kids are still in school, so there are no crowds. After school is done, all bets are off!

In Michigan, Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of Summer, even though there is a chance there may be one or two frosty mornings in the first couple weeks of June in the northern parts of the Lower Peninsula. Heading into the Upper Peninsula, the later the better. Frost is not uncommon in June, then the flies come out. Late August through September is absolutely stunning in the UP.


All that said, if you have a furnace and your trailer is kept reasonably warm. you shouldn't have any problems in late spring. By the way, Michiganders like to go to Atlanta and beyond in the Spring for good reason!!!

Some dates are here:https://www.victoryseeds.com/frost/mi.html

[TouringDan]

I highly recommend the UP for no crowds, water falls and the Pictured Rocks. If you enjoy boondocking I recommend the Hiawatha NF Campgrounds and also Woodlands city campground in Grand Marais. It is first come, first serve so if you come on a Monday or Tuesday, no problem. If you arrive on the weekend there are boondock overflow sites just across from the Church. June and early July seems bad for bugs and mosquitoes. If you go when it is buggy than relief may be available camping at the Munising City Campground on Lake Superior if you can snag a spot.

I also recommend Tobermory at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula right on the Georgian Bay. Beautiful clear water. Enjoy a glass bottom boat cruise in the harbor.

Enjoy your trip.

Dan

[Overstreet]

Some camp grounds don't open till May.

I recommend Bayfield Wis. and the Apostle Islands National Lake Shore.

[Cyclist]

Originally Posted by runswithdogs

We're planning a 2 month trip beginning in early May with plans to visit Michigan and its UP, as much of Ontario as we can get to and looping around through Minnesota and Wisconsin before returning to Atlanta.

We've traveled most of this country one way or another but this will be our 1st long-long trip in the AS and will include our 3 big dogs.

We have a few concerns but are entirely flexible to address them if need be:

• Of course, weather. I took a look at NOAA's final frost dates. It seems there are many places in the UP where there isn't one! We love cold weather but are we realistically risking a freeze problem with the AS?

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/file/day-l...-freeze-mapjpg

My guess is that we won't actually arrive in northern Michigan until mid May.

Given your itinerary it appears you will be confined to part of northern Ontario. I can't speak for Michigan and the UP but by mid May you should be fine in Ontario and I expect you might not arrive until late May or June. The provincial parks in that area open May 18 which is the Victoria Day long weekend. Note that many of the provincial parks are booze free that weekend.

• Bugs. Is this "mud season"? Will we be carried away by black/deer/horse flies? Or it too early for them? Is it ever too early or too late?

You will likely find yourself in black fly season (think of them as mini flying piranha).

• Crowds. Is May and June before the season really gets going? I'd love to avoid micro-planning with reservations weeks in advance. We'd be even happier boondocking. Is this realistic?

The Ontario parks don't get busy until after school is finished (late June/early July). I would just check ahead a few days before arrival - you may not even need reservations except for some choice sites. Boondocking isn't realistic in Ontario for the most part - only because of the forest cover doesn't allow much in the way of campsites for an RV. That said, much of northern Ontario is Crown Land and open for camping (Crown Land is sort of like BLM land in the U.S. except it's technically owned by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II - a quaint tradition I know).

Any advice is welcome! And thanks!

Lake Superior is a gem on par with the Grand Canyon or Utah national parks IMO. I'm familiar with Lake Superior Provincial Park and Pukaskwa National Park but here are some others.

http://www.ontarioparks.com/park/lakesuperior
https://www.campendium.com/agawa-bay-campground
https://www.campendium.com/hattie-cove
https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/sleepinggiant
https://www.campendium.com/scenic-high-falls
The above was a boondocking site.