My roommate and I live in Grand Rapids MI. We are looking to go in the 3rd weekend of July on a camping trip around MI. We can only afford to be gone for about 4 days. We don't mind the distance we would have to bike and we can pack light, we just don't know where to go.

We have army style hammocks to sleep in so we wouldn't need a campsite per say- only would need at least 3 trees to set up the hammocks.

Were pretty adventurous, but sort of want to have places planned out where we are going to sleep so we don't get screwed.

Has anyone gone on a camping trip like this before? Know of any tips, websites, or wisdom from personal experiences as we have never done anything like this before.


Thanks

1) Read the stickies in this forum.

2) Go to your local Tourist Information centre. Get maps and brochures and decide where you want to go.

3) When you say epic, what do you mean? A 4-day trip isn't particularly epic, but if you're planning to cover 300 km a day that might be more epic.

Thanks for the tip about the stickies- I spent a bit of time searching the forums, but forgot about those.

It's going to be epic since we haven't done anything like this before and I will be doing it on my single speed.

Thanks

You've never gone camping before? Or you've never done cycletouring before?

Epic is in the eye of the beholder.

Pretty much everyone on this board has done a trip like this. Look at https://crazyguyonabike.com and search for Michigan to get an idea of destinations and potential routes. Be careful, and maybe try a s24o trip before you go to work the kinks out of your kit.

monkd

If you plan on stealth camping, (as much as I dislike self promotion) I do have a crazyguyonabike journal on the subject.

A couple of years ago, I biked up from Central Indiana to South Haven, MI. I camped at Van Buren State Park and Warren Dunes State Park, both on Lake Michigan and both very nice parks. South Haven is a very nice town, and you have a super resource in that area in the Kal-Haven Trail State Park, a rail-trail between South Haven and Kalamazoo. (I also camp with a hammock, a Hennesey. The state park personnel not only didn't mind camping hammocks, they allowed me to bike around the camp ground to pick the camp site with the best trees.)

I will also say that Michigan car drivers seemed to me to be especially accomodating to bikers. I was impressed. Enjoy your bike-camping trip. You live in a very nice area of the country.

imo, epic will be when i finaly ride from dm to riverside. for me anyway.