One of the most peculiar beliefs of man kind is that life should be prolonged as long as possible, anything less than that is considered to be mentally ill or at least tragic.
Hunter S. Thompson planned to live until age 50 before blowing his brains out. He ended up prolonging his life until age 67 when his declining health made him decide to end his life. But I would argue that is too young to die, as one can be of excellent physical shape and mental acuity well into one’s seventies, especially if one eats healthy and doesn’t have a life of hard labor or abuses rather than uses drugs.
Seventy seems like a good goal to live to. Like Hunter S. Thompson the year doesn’t have to be ultimatum but a goal to live in maximum health and experience, not so worried about trying to prolong every final year of life. Knowing you are shooting for a reasonable goal in life – is liberating as you can have some fun and risk – without worrying about the consequences in advanced age. And that you are in power, not hospital or person listed in a medical decision directive.
But I’m planning to at least somewhat retire by age 55 or at least do something with my life meaningful and worthwhile – long before age 70. A decade to discover who I am before it’s over on my own terms, turned to mush on the floor, my off grid cabin turned to ash and unburnable rubble soon to be overgrown in the wilderness. To become food for the coyotes, raccoons and other scavengers in the woods rather wrapped in plastic at some hospital a few meaningless decades later.
But what do I know…. Those days are 27 years from now. Things can change. And I could decide to rack up a few more years like Dr. Thompson did. But you got to live life, even if there are some costs to longevity.
I saw the Seasonal Limited Use Highway Sign, and just assumed it would be plowed all the way back to Cook Hollow Road. I would soon find out that I would be wrong.
Next summer I planning a trip to Michigan. I want to primarily camp on informal roadside campsites in the National Forest and are wondering about suggestions of places of both to camp and visit for scenery, hiking, mountain biking away from the crowds.
Michigan’s three National Forests—
Huron-Manistee, Hiawatha, and Ottawa—offer vast opportunities for informal roadside (“dispersed”) camping. In these forests, you can generally camp for free on most secondary forest roads as long as you are at least 200 feet from water sources and away from developed recreation areas.
The Ottawa is known for being rugged and less crowded than other regions, with over a million acres of deep woods.
Informal Camping Areas:
Trap Hills: Offers true wilderness dispersed camping. It is highly secluded with rewarding scenery.
Burned Dam Campground: While technically a “rustic” campground, it is very primitive with only 5 sites and provides easy access to the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River.
Hiking & Scenery: The Trap Hills segment of the North Country Trail is rugged and offers some of the best vistas in the Midwest.
Mountain Biking: Nearly the entire forest is open to mountain bikes, including closed or gated forest roads. For technical trails, the Agonikak National Recreation Trail (20 miles) connects Watersmeet to Black Oak Lake.
This forest spans between Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron, offering diverse coastal and inland experiences.
Informal Camping Areas:
Hovey Lake Area: Features free primitive sites that are excellent for birdwatching and avoiding crowds.
Secondary Forest Roads: Look for “telltale flat disturbed areas” along secondary roads, which indicate established informal sites.
Hiking & Scenery: The Bayshore and White Pine Trails offer scenic views along the Little Bay de Noc shoreline.
Mountain Biking: The Haywire Grade Trail is a 33-mile historic rail-trail running from Shingleton to Manistique, passing through secluded second-growth forest.
Essential Rules for Informal Camping
Permits: Generally, no permit is required for dispersed camping in these National Forests, but there is a 14-day stay limit.
Water: You must camp at least 200 feet away from any lake, river, or stream.
Vehicle Access: Some forest roads require high-clearance or 4WD vehicles, especially after rain.
LNT: You must pack out all trash, as these sites have no waste services.
