Your first bundle of firewood is free! Stay at a secluded camp site in the middle of our private 40 acres. Our property is located just three miles off of I-75 near Vanderbilt, Michigan. Three sites are available, but this is the only site with a tipi on it! A short walk along a wooded trail will take you to the edge of the West Branch of the Sturgeon River where you ca
Your first bundle of firewood is free! Stay at a secluded camp site in the middle of our private 40 acres. Our property is located just three miles off of I-75 near Vanderbilt, Michigan. Three sites are available, but this is the only site with a tipi on it! A short walk along a wooded trail will take you to the edge of the West Branch of the Sturgeon River where you can sit and listen to bubbling water and birds singing. It will feel as if you are in the middle of nowhere, yet the convenience of the small town of Vanderbilt is just three miles away. The tipi is primitive. The floor is lined with indoor/outdoor grass carpet and it has two cots inside, however you will need to bring your own bedding.
- Check in: After 1PM
- Check out: Before 1PM
- Cancellation policy: Flexible
- On arrival: Go straight to camp
- Minimum nights: 1 night
- Accepts bookings: 6 months out
Activities
Offered on the Host's property or nearby.
Biking
The North Central State Trail runs right through Vanderbilt, MI, which is only a three mile drive from Camp 437.
Fishing
Fly Fishing
Hiking
The North Country National Scenic Trail is only six miles away and there are several hiking trails in the Pigeon River State Fo...Read more
Paddling
Paddle the main branch of the Sturgeon River or the Pigeon River, along with many inland lakes in the area.
Swimming
Thumb Lake Park is just a few miles away. Public Beach access off of Magee Rd.
Wildlife watching
Elk Viewing in the Pigeon River Country State Forest
Terrain
Natural features you'll find at Camp 437 Tipi site in Michigan.
River, stream or creek
The West Branch of the Sturgeon River runs through the property and is a .4 walk from the campsites.
Driveway
You will need to drive down a two track road to reach the campsites.
The vibe at Camp 437 Tipi site
Places to see near Camp 437 in the Sturgeon Valley
First, be aware where you’ll be going. This site is down a vehicle path, not really a “driveway”, so if you’re in a Ferrari or a full dress, lowered Harley, you might not want to go off road to get there. The gate is easy to miss, but the hosts made sure to mark it with a bright flag and texted me a map, which was really helpful.
When I arrived, and the mosquitos swarmed, I started to have some doubts and considered pitching my tent anyway, but the tipi cool factor won out. I started a fire (with the provided tinder and firewood), lit the tiki torches and sprayed myself with some bug spray, which all kept the skeeters away.
The interior of the tipi was outfitted with a couple folding camp chairs, cots, a mosquito coil (lighter provided), LED lantern and green grass carpet. The cots were a bit small for me, so so opted to use my air mattress instead, but I certainly appreciated the thought behind providing them.
Surprisingly enough, once I closed off the tipi door, no mosquitos got in. I don’t know why, but once I killed the few that came in with me, I was fine... The native Americans were, obviously, onto something with this shelter design. :-)
Bring your own water, I didn’t use the pit toilet, so can’t comment on that, but I imagine it’s like any pit toilet alive ever used.
I’d highly recommend this site and, if I’m back this way, I’d book it again.
I can’t rant or rave enough about how amazing this camp site is. The owners take meticulous order of the site in order to really provide people with the best experience possible. From leaving a mosquito incense packet next to a lighter in the tent or the fork for marshmallow/s’mores attention to detail was everything. Getting back to the campsite was very easy and if you love just some quality time in the woods without anyone around this is the site for you. The owners were also very prompt with messaging in regards to any questions. We will be returning every year.
We're so glad you liked our camp; thank you for a great review! What a great photo too! We hope you can come back to camp again next year!
Appreciated the help with mailing an item we left behind. Kind and gracious hosts
If you’re looking to see beautiful autumn colors and relax this really is a beautiful place to be. This was our second time staying and we met one of the owners and she was so helpful, kind and insightful! We had more time this round to walk the trails (trillium trail is a must !) We also did some fly fishing and had a great time wading in the water.
- Property
- Camp 437 in the Sturgeon Valley
- State
- Michigan
- Country
- United States
- $40/night
- 1 Site
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Thank you for writing such a detailed review; it will be so helpful to others who come to camp! We're glad you had a good stay and that the mosquitoes didn't get you! Thank you for sharing your photos too!