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  1. #21
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    Mark,
    Manitou is part of the Sleeping Bear area, but the island doesn't allow any vehicles. You (being out of state) would need a pass to enter the Sleeping Bear park specifically. But the islands transit system doesn't require a car sticker to park at their parking lot. Just pay for your ferry ride and backwoods pass.

    Once on the island, camping is allowed anywhere 300 feet from the waters edge. We set up camp, then lollygagged at the shoreline. Some folks fell asleep in the sun for waaaaay too long.

    As Dave mentioned, sometimes the crowd is giddy. But for all the panic at the ranger station/dock, once everybody spreads out, you rarely see others. There are some really popular sites, and those do need a foot race to secure. But for a hammocker, there is always two trees.

    The ferry only runs in good weather. The wind and waves can get sketchy, safety first is the rule. So be prepared for an extended stay, if the weather does not cooperate. The ferry may drop you off, then not be able to pick you up at the designated time/day. So flexibility is key.

  2. #22
    Senior Member Oms's Avatar
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    I was praying for bad weather , but also would have been praying for good food

  3. #23
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    Ditto what Gargoyle said regarding the ferry. Last August we planned a trip to S. Manitou. We were the first ones at check in in Leland when they informed us the ferry wasn't running due to 6 foot swells at the island docks. We made a beeline to White Pine Backcountry Campground in SBD and got the last 2 sites. Ended up going over the next day, but there were some haggard looking people at the dock waiting to get off. So, have a plan B if the boat doesn't run, because SBD can be a pretty busy place and there's only so many campsites in the area. Also, bring extra food, just in case....

  4. #24
    Senior Member OneClick's Avatar
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    Thanks. Don't want to hijack the thread, but if I understand it I don't need to pay the $10 park fee since I'm parking at the transit parking lot? Just the nightly camp fee?

  5. #25
    Senior Member Red Cinema's Avatar
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    North Manitou Rocks

    Quote Originally Posted by markr6 View Post
    Thanks. Don't want to hijack the thread, but if I understand it I don't need to pay the $10 park fee since I'm parking at the transit parking lot? Just the nightly camp fee?
    I am afraid that you will pay the auto fee no matter how you get to Leland.

    I tented this in early July (mosquitos! Holy Crap! Mosquitos!). The Stormer overlook (north shore of island) is to die for. If you're local (born and raised in Traverse City, myself) then check with relatives to see if anyone has a park pass or etc.

    Ditto and reinforcement on the ivy. Must have walked two miles through the stuff--side trails on NMI are NOT maintained except by your boots or shoes and the deer, and deer aren't famous for lugging chainsaws and etc. around the island.

    Saw a huge pile of stuff going with a South Manitou crowd--on my boat we all seemed to be fairly reasonable hiker types. I joked with the South Manitou folks about what kind of government they were going to set up. . .as they were clearly invading and intending to stay. Nothing like people who carry a bag of ice with them. As in, a bag of ice. Melting in the sun. :: shrug ::

    Next time I'll be in a hammock. . .totally right about there being plenty more hammock spots than tent spots. (And the "camping village" near the docks seems eh.)

    PS hang as always food items and smellies. Microbears, minibears. . . .
    //
    “Stories set in the Culture in which Things Went Wrong tended to start with humans losing or forgetting or deliberately leaving behind their terminal. It was a conventional opening, the equivalent of straying off the path in the wild woods in one age, or a car breaking down at night on a lonely road in another.”
    ― Iain M. Banks, The Player of Games

  6. #26
    Senior Member OneClick's Avatar
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    Thanks for the into. I have family in Traverse City, so I may stay with them the night before since it's a 5 hour drive for me. Not a big deal paying the fees, I just want to make sure I can do it all once I get up there and not be stuck.

  7. #27
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by markr6 View Post
    Thanks for the into. I have family in Traverse City, so I may stay with them the night before since it's a 5 hour drive for me. Not a big deal paying the fees, I just want to make sure I can do it all once I get up there and not be stuck.
    No guarantees. If the weather dictates, the ferry will not run.
    A year or two ago, our hf gathering on Manitou was cancelled. The ferry could take us out, but the return date forecast was calling for 60 mph winds. The ferry service advised us that we could be stuck for an extra day or two or three. Without extra food and ever impending work schedules, we bailed and hung elsewhere. Our money was immediately refunded and we hit a pizza place.

  8. #28
    Senior Member OneClick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gargoyle View Post
    No guarantees. If the weather dictates, the ferry will not run.
    A year or two ago, our hf gathering on Manitou was cancelled. The ferry could take us out, but the return date forecast was calling for 60 mph winds. The ferry service advised us that we could be stuck for an extra day or two or three. Without extra food and ever impending work schedules, we bailed and hung elsewhere. Our money was immediately refunded and we hit a pizza place.
    Any chance I can slip them a $50 bill to "not be able to run" to pick me up Any time away from the office is welcomed!

  9. #29
    Senior Member Wolverine's Avatar
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    This whole Ferry business isn't an exact science. You can be waiting at the Mainland Ferry dock and it could be a perfectly calm morning, but be total chaos 8 miles out at the dock on N Manitou Island. Better to always have a plan "B".

    I nervously waited at the N Manitou dock while winds were gusting from 25 to 35 MPH. No problem the Ferry showed up right on time, apparently the winds were coming from the right direction. I was told by the Boat Captain, that there is no such thing as seasonal typical weather in the last few years with regard to that water passage.

    There's a foot locker that has extra food for stranded hikers in the Visitor center. Most food I've seen in that foot locker is only food in the academic sense, it will sustain you?

  10. #30
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    June 2016 Update since I was fantasizing about going back again:

    Here's the costs when I went in 2013: $35 for the ferry, $33 for camping fee, permit and parking ($68 total plus gas and food for trip). Now the ferry is $40 (increase of $5), parking is still $2 per day, NPS SBD Park entrance pass went from $10 to $15 (7 day permit), and backcountry camping went from $5 to $10 per night (group of 1-4).

    So, in 2016 dollars, for my 4 day trip, the updated cost is $103 plus gas and food. It's still a great place to visit and if you travel in a group of 4 or less, it's not bad...Solo travelers take a hit, but for a place that has some of the best beaches in Michigan, North Manitou rocks
    Last edited by michigandave; 06-17-2016 at 11:55.

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