Pictured Rocks Backpacking trip

Wondering if anyone has some info on sites available on the Lakeshore trail that is suitable for hammocks.
Rules are as follows.

There are individual campsites and group campsites. Individual campsites are available for groups of 1-6 people (2 tents or hammocks maximum). Groups of 7-20 people must camp in designated group sites. Maximum three consecutive day stay at any backcountry campground. No persons or groups are permitted to camp longer than 14 days per calendar year in the lakeshore.

Hammocks are allowed in place of a tent, but you must stay within 15 feet of the numbered post at the campsite. Keep in mind that trees are not available at all sites.

So want to follow the rulez as much as possible! Info on individual or group sites are a great help!
planning on end of Sept to beginning of Oct sometime.

Coves, beaver Creek, chapel, mosquito and a couple at potoatoe patch. 6 sites at most, 3 or so of them will work. Try to be early to your site if your reservation shows all will be full.

I was at beaver Creek, had a little trouble getting the body of my hammock within 15ft of the post but my tree strap was. We argued a bit on that but I got him laughing that I had a donut for tomorrow's breakfast and he was just harassing me cause he could smell it.

Watch adventures archive on YouTube, good shots on their thru hike.

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Originally Posted by kattdogg

So want to follow the rulez as much as possible!

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I appreciate this. Unlike the guy that just posted on facebook, hanging a couple feet from the cliff. Gave some BS excuse about the camp site not being maintained.

If you stay at benchmark it's a little tricky. Beaver creek I had no problems at all. I seen a few people with rec hammocks while up there.

We had tents, but I was scoping out trees.

Little Beaver Lake #2 (a car site) had a hang spot that could work within range of the tent pad.

Benchmark #6 - borderline hang spot. One tree was about 15 ft from the pad site. (Based on my paces.) The entire hammock would not be in range, so it depends on how the rule is interpreted by an individual, as was stated in a prior post.

Trappers Lake Group site was good.

Nerd alert. I should mark foot long increments on my straps and suspension so I don't have to estimate with my paces.

I recall the Schill Brothers had a YouTube video on their trip to Pictured Rocks that may provide viable hammock sites.

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How I long for the good old days. When we were asked about the number of tents that we had and we started to explain that we were in hammocks and Ranger Brodie responded..."Just say 2".

Rather than start a new thread, I thought this would be the best place to post this. I apologize in advance for the jumble of questions. We are planning to do Grand Marais to Munising in late September 2021. We have 5 people in our group. At least 3 (if not all 5) are doing Hammocks. Our original 3 night itinerary was going to be Benchmark, Coves, and Potato Patch. Sounds like we should avoid Benchmark for our first night. It also sounds like Coves and Potato Patch are ok. We were trying to stay backcountry... but I guess we could go to Twelve Mile Beach as an alternative that first night? Anyone know how the trees are there? Anyone have a suggested alternate itinerary for 4 days 3 nights? Are we going to have problems finding trees for a group that size? Should I be trying to reserve two sites per night? Is that even possible? Or, do the reservations go super quick? Going to search out the Schill Brothers and Adventure Archives now.

I did hike up there this Thanksgiving weekend. For starters you cannot have more than two hammocks per site (unless something has changed that I am not aware of). So even if there are enough trees, which most sites I have seen are rather small and set up for tent camping, you'd have to reserve multiple sites to get your crew covered. Further complicating things is the fact that you cannot reserve a specific site either, which basically leaves you with whatever is available. In other words you get to camp (Coves, Mosquito, etc) and even with a couple of sites reserved whatever you get may not be hammock friendly at all. I did look now and then earlier this year and it always seemed super packed up there, so I am sure late September will still be very busy. When I went there was hardly anybody there and I had my picks and I also didn't run into any rangers either, so I guess your best bet would be to monitor the website and see how booked up it is. Shoulder seasons are probably your best bet...