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Mountain Magic

57%

· Naubinway, Michigan

8 sites

4 Lodging

4 RV/Tent

Mountain Magic was purchased 10 years ago to begin an off-grid dream for self-reliant Wilderness Survivalist Kellie Nightlinger of Naked and Afraid fame. Kellie is the top-ranked female survivalist in the world as voted on thetoptens.com/survivalexpertskellienightlinger. Kellie teaches wilderness survival and is building her own log cabin on adjacent property to the HipCamp site. Kellie and her new life-partner Rich would be available to teach Survival and off-grid skills to campers schedule permitting. Kellie searched for the perfect off-grid property for 8 years before buying Mountain Magic. The property is steep mountainous terrain with in hiking distance of the Continental Divide Trail. The property is one of the few properties near the trail as one would traverse from the Canadian border in a sourtherly hike or bike or ride before reaching the second paved road transecting the Continental Divide Trail south of the Canadian Border. There are often Elk, Mule Deer, and occasionally White Tail Deer, Mountain Lion, Black Bear and once in a blue moon a Grizzly Bear on the property. Mountain Magic has a great view down a Long valley leading to the Rocky Mountain Front and the Great Plains. The property is situated between 5400-6000’ in elevation. Mountain Magic can be accessed in non-snowy conditions via a private back-County road that switchbacks up the mountainsides from a paved State Highway. In months with snow this off-grid gem can be accessed via snowshoe, AT Skis, Telemark Skis, Snow Cat, or Snowmobile. Transportation may be available by Kellie or Rich depending upon schedule. Mountain Magic is located behind a private gate. Kellie’s log cabin build is now being completed by The Kellie and Rich Team. Cabin amenities available to HipCampers are up for negotiation and consideration. Some possible amenities provided to HipCampers could be drinking water, campfire wood, cooking campifire greats, other camping gear including but not limited to an all inclusive gear package with tent and sleep systems and cooking systems or Camp Hammock set up. The entire camp could also be set up in advance of a HipCampers arrival upon schedule and negotiation agreement. This is an off-grid paradise with Trout Fishing available 1/2 hour away. The mountains are calling; what are you waiting for? A work-Camp trade can also be a possibility.

Activities

Biking

Boating

Fishing

Hiking

Natural features

Beach

Cave

Forest

Hot spring

Available sites

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Location

Naubinway, Michigan, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Hosted by Kellie N.Joined in November 2017

Response rate: 60%Response time: Within 13 hours

57%

28 ratings · 29 reviews

Allison D.recommends

September 6, 2022

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Northern Lights!

Stayed here for the Bridge Run! About 90 minutes to Pictured Rocks, perfect location for a weekend trip. Stopped on the side of the road on the way in and swam at the beach for a few hours. Nicely kept area! We got lucky and saw the Northern Lights around midnight on 9/4!!

Cheyenne L.doesn't recommend

July 15, 2022

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Would not recommend

Unfortunately, I would not recommend staying at this campsite. The host required us to park our car on the road, rather than campground property. Our camper was parked on campground property, but not allowed at the actual campsites. If you have an RV/Camper you’ll be required to park your car 40yds from your camper, which is another 40yds from your fire pit. This is due to the host not wanting tire tracks on the grass. While electric hookup is technically available, we were asked to pay an additional $10 through a third party app to use electric. The host did not follow her campground rules when she allowed her dog to run though the campground and down the road. There was another dog present at this time and neither were on a leash. This location is not exactly lake view. The lake is across the street and through a tree line. However there is a small dock on the lake a 5 minute walk away. The campground was quite noisy due to the constant mowing and weed trimming.

Roland W.

July 3, 2022

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

It's a driveway but if you want sle

The photos need to be updated on the listing. When you pull in your basically pulling up someone's driveway and parking on the shoulder. We wherent 100% positive we where at the correct site until I started deep diving into the reviews and other photos taken/posted. If everything else is booked, and you REALLY want your vacation in the UP then it's not bad... we slept and left only to return when we where ready to just sleep again. No restrooms or showers seen. There's a loop around infront of the mailboxes that would have been way more ideal of a spot and on the lake but we could still technically see the lake from the trees on the driveway. There's some little foot bridges to some camp fire rings but we didn't utilize them. I know Many people would pull in and cancel due to the location ( ya know, being in someone's driveway) and it not being very well marked out. Locations are given in the communication from the host but as i said there was no signs or anything. we had 0 idea of knowing what places where, and if we would be trespassing. The babbling brook is a creek that runs next to the trees, mosquitoes where super bad. We recommend cutting more of the tall grass down. Communication was great the night before the 1st night was great. Super sweet lady though. In a pinch camping 8/10 Primitive camping 10/10 Location to places to visit 10/10 Host giving options of places to visit 10/10 Book again, mmmmm 4/10 😬 Thank you for a place to stay in a pinch!

David L.recommends

November 1, 2021

Site 1 - Lake MI HammockHang Pup Tent

Nice pit stop on road trip

Easy to find and nice location. I slept in my truck bed.

Martha B.doesn't recommend

August 8, 2021

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Needs sanitary toilet facilities

Unfortunately the host did not follow the hipcamp rule about toilet facilities, and I wanted to let others know and ask the host to fix this issue. I booked a site for a campground that stated it had a porta-potty for campers to use. However, what was provided was not covid safe and was frankly quite disgusting. It was a toilet seat with a plastic bin underneath, and the bin was lined with a garbage bag. I understood that campers were supposed to take their own garbage bag of human waste with them each time they used the restroom. There was no instructions where to dispose of the waste, and of course the bags could leak if you place them in your vehicle. This is highly unsanitary and definitely not covid safe. My uncle and I who were traveling together were both deeply uncomfortable with this and so were not able to stay at the campsite. Also, we've both camped for decades and have never seen anything like this. Since this prevented us from camping there, I requested a refund from the host and hope that they fulfill it. Other than this issue, the site looked nice with a good view, though the dock for lack access had tents set up on it, so you wouldn't be able to access the lake unless you went to the public campground about a 1/4 mile away. That's where we ended up camping, as they had an actual porta-potty.

Sabrina W.doesn't recommend

August 4, 2021

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Kellie is a generous person. But honestly would not recommend this place to anyone. We did not even stay at this place once we found out that it was in someones front yard, not my idea of camping.

Kendrick S.doesn't recommend

June 7, 2021

Site 1 - Lake MI HammockHang Pup Tent

Misleading

Although it was pleasant texting the property owner the property itself was unfortunately unkept. The images provided for the property were not accurate to real life. It would appear that the property was never properly opened for the season ie grass wasn’t mowed, weeds weren’t pulled, dock wasn’t in the water, and damages from the off season weren’t repaired.

Shamir N.doesn't recommend

September 7, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Not Recommended

It was unfortunately the worst camp site I have ever been. It was completely wet and we were unable to find a proper place to pull up our tent. We just made some adjustments and passed the night some how. I would definitely NOT recommend this to anyone, unless you do not find any site elsewhere.

Missy W.recommends

September 7, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Kellie was a great host for our short stay. She sent plenty of directions ahead of time and answered my questions in a timely matter. When we pulled up, she met us outside and gave us a tour around. There’s one campsite that is relatively private compared to the others, and we chose that one. Unfortunately, it is lower ground and it had been raining all week (she warned us of this ahead of time), so we did experience the mud...and there was a lot of it. I am certain if it hadn’t been raining so much it would have made a huge difference. If you are looking for a space to enjoy with friends or don't mind camping pretty close to others, and the weather has been clear, this is a great quiet place to stay. It sounds like Kellie has done a lot of work on the land this summer but the beach is not quite accessible yet. Cute dock, and you can get in off the end of the dock, but there IS a lot of tall grass so walking into the lake wasn’t much of an option. Not a huge issue because it wasn’t very hot while we were around, but we would have appreciated that being included in the pictures so we knew what to expect. Mobile coverage was plentiful, if that’s a concern.

Valorie L.doesn't recommend

August 28, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

FRONTYARD UNDERWEAR SWAMP

Do you love camping? Then why not camp in your own front yard? Oh I know! THATS NOT F!$KING camping, now is it?!?!?!?! Bring your waders-(in addition to this being in her FRONT YARD) this site is under a bog/swamp-the cherry on top!

Jessica W.doesn't recommend

August 26, 2020

Site 2 - Relax and Revive RV Rental

Photos and description were misleading to actual camper and site.

Chass W.recommends

August 20, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Kellie was very friendly and helpful! Great place to stay for a rest on a road trip.

Devin M.recommends

August 16, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Kellie was so welcoming and helpful. She had tours available and was happy to answer any questions. Definitely bring a tarp for under your tent because ground is a bit wet. The views of Lake Michigan were great and the dock for use is cool too. It was a great location for exploring central UP. Thanks Kellie! We will come back again soon!

Kyle I.recommends

August 15, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

My friends and I were struggling to find a campsite for the night as everything in the UP was booked when we came across Kellie’s site on here. Really cool piece of land very close to the lake that can accommodate numerous groups of campers at once. It was exactly what we needed for the night before we got back on the road. Thanks!

Brett W.recommends

August 15, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

This was a cool site! Very close to the lake, but the car camping options were slightly limited by the driveway that follows the parking spot.

Cori E.

August 9, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

This was my first time using hipcamp so I wasn't sure what to expect. We received no clear instructions about what to do when we arrived but luckily we found the address easily and bumped into some other campers who gave us the rundown on how things worked. It was very wet so we walked around the grounds for a while until we found a place that wasn't completely marshy where we could setup camp. Once night fell the mosquitos were quite bad, worse than I've ever experienced and even were biting us through our clothes. The campfire helped a bit and once in our tent I turned on our thermacell we were fine. I was glad to only be spending one night there but it did the job we needed.

Nastassia M.recommends

August 5, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

True connect to nature 💚

Such a cool experience!! After struggling to find a site at several state parks we happened upon Kellie’s Camp. It was truly a rustic, outdoors experience, which is what we came for!! Instead of being surrounded by trees and dirt and families we did not want to bother, we were camped out in an open field surrounded by the bay and the forrest. It was perfect for stargazing. Yes, there might be people pitched up down the grass, but it was so fun meeting all the cool types of people who also found the site and swapping drinks and stories by the campfire. It’s about 15-20 minutes from town so there’s little to no light pollution!!! Kellie and Juan were the coolest people ever!!!! As long as you are prepared for camping, not glamping, you will love it here. Check the weather for clear skies and bring a tarp, after all you are outside, can’t blame the weather on the amazing host!!! Can’t wait to come back next year :)

Danielle N.recommends

August 4, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

This was a cute little place to stay right next to lake MI. There is a nice old rustic doc just a 3 minute walk down the road. Kellie was very welcoming and helpful with recommendations. There was a little bit of mud by one of the fire pits due to the recent high rains, but there is plenty of higher ground to set up camp. I just put down a tarp under my tent and it was totally fine. It's part of camping outdoors. I also met some other really cool Hipcampers and we all shared a fireplace together. It was a great experience. Thanks Kellie.

Jodie L.recommends

August 2, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Indescribable Beauty

A million words couldn’t explain the fantastic experience we’ve had here! I’ll be back next year, without a doubt. The ground of the camp is soft, but it’s no marsh. Finding higher ground for our tent was no problem. The view of the bay from the campground is spectacular and it’s only a short drive to a beautiful sand dune beach on Lake Michigan. Kellie has firewood for sale at the top of her property and a brown shed with visitor pamphlets for all kind of attractions in the area. She also has a HUGE tent and a cute camper you can rent from her. There is a small creek running along the edge of the grounds that comes from an artesian well that is beautiful to listen to at night and a dock just a short walk down the street that you can sit on to watch the sunrise/sunset. Above everything else, if you don’t take the time to have a conversation with Kellie or her friend Juan, you’ll have made a huge mistake! These are some of the most genuinely kindhearted and entirely interesting people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. I’ll recommend this spot to everyone for years to come! Thank you!

Stephanie S.recommends

August 2, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

No campgrounds? STAY HERE.

Absolutely 100% would recommend. Was lucky enough to find this location when EVERY campground in the UP was full, and at a bargain price! Plenty of space, beautiful area, great location(only a half hour outside of St. Ignace. Kelly was very helpful and communicative, and we felt very welcome. Will definitely stay again in the future!

Frannie L.recommends

August 1, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Lakeview Openfield in Epoufette Bay

Great spot to stop for the evening when driving through the UP - just over the Mackinaw Bridge. Kellie was an awesome host and came by to check on us multiple times, with pet friends in toe.. :) there were many other campers staying at the site but everyone was very respectful of social distancing and keeping noise to a minimum. Some sogginess because of rain the previous night, but that’s to be expected.

Shane H.doesn't recommend

July 27, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Off the beaten path

The address provided took us to the house next door when we arrived. When we finally found the campsite, there was another three campsites we were unaware about at the same location. The ground was muddy and was marshy and wet. It rained the same night and in the morning it was covered with puddles and inundated with water. It’s a great place to hear lake Michigan’s waves lap, and had an amazing view of the water. I would stay here again only if it is dry the days leading up to the stay.

Katie P.doesn't recommend

July 26, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Marsh Campsite

The entire campgrounds were completely under water. Definitely do not recommend this site unless you want to stay in a marsh where it is near impossible to set up camp. We also thought this campsite was private. However, other campers arrived at 3a.m. If you are not going to require a check in time, then you should inform other campers so that they are aware that people will be coming and going. We were miserable and did not feel safe so we left early.

Gavin P.doesn't recommend

July 26, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

Host never responded to any messages. Tried to cancel our stay and never heard from her.

Anna T.recommends

July 20, 2020

EpoufettePlace of Rest RV Tent Camp

The Mountain Magic is conveniently situated by the Scenic Hwy with a charming straight shot view of Lake Michigan. Our host was extremely attentive and helpful. We were given recommendations of things to do in the area and were provided with essential updates during our stay. Within a short walk from the property there's an access to the dock where you can spend a peaceful morning or enjoy a night of stargazing where light pollution is almost nonexistent. If you truly enjoy outdoor simplicity your camping experience will be definitely a pleasant one.

Tanya B.doesn't recommend

July 6, 2020

Site 1 - Sunnybrook Serenity

Disappointing

The host, Kellie, was nice and we enjoyed kayaking around the lake access that was less than 5 mins from the RV. But overall I would call this a case of false advertisement. The listing specified that there would be showers, AC, and a fridge available, none of which turned out to be true. And besides the case of the showers, the host didn’t bother to tell us about the fact that AC and a fridge WEREN’T going to be available until the morning we were supposed to arrive. The host did later provide us with a mini fridge, but that doesn’t erase the original false info on the listing. Furthermore, the two RV sites available were ridiculously close to each other so that there was absolutely no privacy. The huge family staying in the other RV frequently hogged the shared fire pit and was noisy until 1 am. I’m not sure why the RVs couldn’t have been moved farther apart. Overall, not a great experience. In between getting woken up by our neighbors and getting devoured by mosquitos inside the RV, my husband and I couldn’t handle it anymore and ended up leaving early. Tent camping would have been more comfortable. At least with that you can get some privacy and your own fire pit.

Tiffany N.recommends

July 6, 2020

Site 2 - Sunnybrook Serenity

A beautiful taste of Michigan's UP

Staying on Kellie's property was such a treat. Not only were the views beautiful, but Kellie was very insightful about the land around the campsite. It's a great place to stay if you're wanting to explore the Upper Peninsula. We used it as a middle point to explore both Mackinac Island and Kitch-iti-kipi, but the options are endless.

Lindi B.recommends

May 19, 2020

Site 2 - Sunnybrook Serenity

Kellie was a fantastic host. She went out of her way to make sure our accommodations were comfortable and exactly what we needed. We were traveling with our baby and needed to be sure we had heat at night so she traveled to get everything necessary to make that happen. She gave us wonderful recommendations of hikes/sites to see close by and was always close by, available and responsive if we needed anything. I would absolutely stay with Kellie again and would recommend her space to anyone looking for a place to stay in the UP.