Allegheny National Forest Campgrounds?

[A2SuperCrew]

We're scoping out new places to go that are closer to home.  The Allegheny National Forest looks like about a six hour drive from Michigan.

Have any of you ever camped there?  It looks interesting..........

Thanks in advance.

[dthurk]

We camped there last summer, staying in the Lolita Campground.  Different camping areas have different amenities.  Some have dump stations, some do not.  It's a pretty large area, quite diverse.  What do you want to know?

[A2SuperCrew]

Thanks for your reply!

We would want a campground with flush toilets and hot showers.  We prefer a more private site in a quieter area.  Electrical hookup would be nice, but not a must.  We can just live off the battery and propane.

We're considering the first week of August.  What is the area like that time of year?  Crowds? Bugs? Weather? Wildlife?  Any bears or other wildlife to be aware of?

Being on or near water would be a plus.  We do enjoy our kayaks, and it's really nice to go for a paddle on short notice.  We also enjoy mountain biking and hiking.  It looks like there are plenty of places for all of this in the park.    

We don't really know anything about the area, and just started researching today.  Any information from your experience there is appreciated!

[dthurk]

Check out this page: http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/eastern/all.htm.  It gives a rather good listing of all the campgrounds in the Forest.  Willow Bay looks like it might be what you're looking for.  Weather should be nice in early August, 80's during the days and 60 or so at night.  Bugs are always a summer nuisance, but should be bearable.  There's always a chance of wildlife encounters.  Skunks, raccoons and porcupines might waddle into a campground at night.  Haven't heard much about bears, but they're are probably a few around.  Keep a clean campsite (we usually leave nothing at all out at night) and you shouldn't be troubled at all.  There will be crowds on the weekends, but weekdays should be pretty lonely.  There's some great hiking.  You can find trailmaps in any of the Visitor Centers.  They've got brochures for each area of the Forest.

[A2SuperCrew]

Thank you for the information, and the link!

[A2SuperCrew]

We ended up reserving a spot at Buckaloons campground.  It's right on the Allegheny river with easy access for kayaking.  There are outfitters we can get rides from both up and down river, so that part works out very well.  Rumor has it that Bigfoot has been seen in the area, so that will add another level of excitement to the trip!  

I'll post our stories and pictures when we return!