Monocle Lake Campground
Brimley, Michigan · on Monocle Lake · Hiawatha National Forest
Verified · 5 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $24/night
- SEASON
- June
About Monocle Lake Campground
Monocle Lake Campground is a U.S. Forest Service campground on Monocle Lake, a 172-acre all-sports lake in Hiawatha National Forest near Brimley, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula. The Forest Service operates a designated day-use swimming hole here, with a swimming beach and picnic area alongside the campground, boat launch, and the Monocle Lake Trail.
The campground and swim beach sit on the shore of Monocle Lake within Hiawatha National Forest, a few miles inland from Whitefish Bay and Lake Superior in Michigan's eastern Upper Peninsula. The surrounding forest is heavily shaded, and the adjoining Monocle Lake Trail includes an elevated wetland boardwalk with interpretive displays and a bluff overlook with views toward Lake Superior and the Canadian shoreline across the St. Marys River.
Swimming at Monocle Lake Campground
The Forest Service maintains a designated swimming beach at the day-use picnic area, separate from the boat launch, described officially as a place where 'swimming and boating are popular activities.' It is a developed, family-oriented lake swim spot rather than a wild or remote hole, suited to casual lake swimming alongside picnicking and fishing.
How to get to this swimming hole
From the M-28/I-75 junction, travel 7.5 miles west on M-28 to M-221, then north 2.5 miles; turn west onto Lake Shore Drive (Forest Highway 42) for 6.2 miles, then west on Forest Road 3699 for about 1 mile to the campground and beach. Alternatively, from Bay Mills take County Road 42 west about 0.5 mile, then south on Forest Road 3699.
Parking: A fairly large parking area serves the day-use picnic/swim beach area, and a separate paved boat launch has parking sized for vehicles with trailers.
The hike in
Monocle Lake Trail (optional, not needed to reach the swim beach)
Difficulty: easy near the beach/boardwalk; the bluff-overlook section is steep/challenging
Trailhead: Starts at Monocle Lake Campground, Brimley, MI; reached via Lakeshore Drive/Forest Highway 42 north from Brimley (about 6 miles) to the campground.
The swim beach itself is drive-up with no hike required. For those wanting a walk, a separate 2-mile interpretive loop (part of a larger 14.5-mile trail system) begins at the campground: the first 1,100 feet is a fully accessible elevated wetland boardwalk with beaver-dam activity, continuing to a bluff overlook of Lake Superior and the Canadian shoreline via a stretch described as steep and challenging.
Portions of the surrounding area are open to public hunting in season (contact Michigan DNR for details).
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Designated USFS day-use swim beach on an undeveloped natural lake shoreline; no lifeguards are mentioned in any official source (Recreation.gov, Hiawatha NF), and no source documents entry depth/gradient or a roped-off shallow area, so caregivers should supervise closely. No specific hazards (current, drop-offs) were found, and it's a family/picnic-oriented spot rather than a wild remote hole.
Parking
Lot
A fairly large parking area serves the day-use picnic/swim beach; a separate paved boat-launch lot is sized for vehicles with trailers. No separate posted day-use/beach parking fee was found in official sources; camping itself runs $24/night plus roughly $7-8/night for an extra vehicle.
Restrooms
Yes
ADA-accessible vault toilets and potable water at both the campground and the separate day-use picnic/swim beach area (per Recreation.gov and Hiawatha National Forest).
Hours
Campground and beach are seasonal, roughly June 12 through September 13 (exact dates vary by year; a 2026 opening delay for repaving was noted by the Forest Service). Quiet hours 10:00 PM - 6:00 AM; check-in 2:00 PM, check-out 12:00 PM.
On the water
Monocle Lake is described as an 'all-sports' lake with a paved boat launch and trailer-sized parking lot; the Hiawatha National Forest page states both motorized and non-motorized boating are permitted. No motor-type restriction (e.g., electric-only, no-wake) was found in any source, though none explicitly confirmed the absence of one either. Paddleboard use is plausible on a non-motorized-friendly all-sports lake but wasn't explicitly mentioned in sources, so it's omitted from the confirmed list.
Monocle Lake Campground: FAQ
Does Monocle Lake Campground charge a fee?
Camping is $24/night for a single site plus roughly $7-8/night for an extra vehicle (figure differs slightly between the Forest Service and Recreation.gov pages); day-use swim beach access itself is not described as having a separate posted fee in the sources found.
Is Monocle Lake Campground kid friendly?
Designated USFS day-use swim beach on an undeveloped natural lake shoreline; no lifeguards are mentioned in any official source (Recreation.gov, Hiawatha NF), and no source documents entry depth/gradient or a roped-off shallow area, so caregivers should supervise closely. No specific hazards (current, drop-offs) were found, and it's a family/picnic-oriented spot rather than a wild remote hole.
Do I need to hike to reach Monocle Lake Campground?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Monocle Lake Campground?
A fairly large parking area serves the day-use picnic/swim beach; a separate paved boat-launch lot is sized for vehicles with trailers. No separate posted day-use/beach parking fee was found in official sources; camping itself runs $24/night plus roughly $7-8/night for an extra vehicle.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Monocle Lake Campground?
Monocle Lake is described as an 'all-sports' lake with a paved boat launch and trailer-sized parking lot; the Hiawatha National Forest page states both motorized and non-motorized boating are permitted. No motor-type restriction (e.g., electric-only, no-wake) was found in any source, though none explicitly confirmed the absence of one either. Paddleboard use is plausible on a non-motorized-friendly all-sports lake but wasn't explicitly mentioned in sources, so it's omitted from the confirmed list.
When is the best time to visit Monocle Lake Campground?
Campground and beach access are seasonal, typically operating from mid-June through mid-September (exact opening/closing dates vary by year; a 2026 opening delay for repaving was noted on the Forest Service page).
What are the rules at Monocle Lake Campground?
Check-in 2:00 PM, check-out 12:00 PM, quiet hours 10:00 PM-6:00 AM, maximum 8 people per site, no outside firewood permitted, and reservations cannot be traded for walk-up sites.
What water body is Monocle Lake Campground on?
Monocle Lake Campground is on Monocle Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
More swimming holes near Brimley
★ Top verifiedLake Michigan Campground
Moran, Michiganlake
⛺🛶🚤
Sand Dunes Beach
Moran, Michiganlake
⛺
★ Top verifiedBig Shoal Beach
Drummond, Michiganlake
🛶🏄
★ Top verifiedSable Falls
Burt Township, Michiganlake
🥾 0.25 mi hike⛺🛶🏄
★ Top verifiedDeVoe Beach
Indian River, Michiganlake
🛶
Zorn Park Beach
Harbor Springs, Michiganlake