National Park Service · Michigan
West Chickenbone Campground
National Park Service · Michigan, United States · in Isle Royale National Park
- Sites
- 9
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- No
- Dump station
- No
- Laundry
- No
- Elevation
- 686 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Isle Royale National Park
- Nearest town
- Houghton
- Address
- 800 E. Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931
- Phone
- (906) 482-0984
Season dates aren't confirmed for this campground yet - opening and closing dates haven't been verified. Check the operator's page or call ahead before you plan a trip.
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
West Chickenbone Campground is located on the west end of Chickenbone Lake, off of the Indian Portage Trail This inland campground has no boater access. Canoe/kayak access from the 1.2 mile portage from McCargoe Cove or the 0.2 mile portage from Lake Livermore.
Stay Limit: 2 nights from June 1 – Labor Day annually.
Access: Foot/canoe/kayak
Fees
Small-party Camping (6 people or less): free. No fee for small-party camping. A free overnight permit is required.
Group Tent Sites: $25. 3 Group Sites by advanced reservation only. All parties of 7 or more must submit group permit requests through the park's online request system. The fee is a per permit cost for each party within a group of 7 or more.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 15° | -7° | 37° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 26° | 13° | -5° | 40° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 33° | 25° | 5° | 40° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 36° | 32° | 18° | 43° | 8 of 11 |
| May | 43° | 37° | 32° | 51° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 49° | 43° | 36° | 60° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 57° | 49° | 38° | 67° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 64° | 60° | 49° | 71° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 61° | 57° | 50° | 70° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 50° | 46° | 32° | 60° | 1 of 10 |
| November | 39° | 33° | 12° | 51° | 7 of 10 |
| December | 29° | 22° | 2° | 46° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
All 44 trails in Isle Royale National Park
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- East Chickenbone Campground · National Park Service · 2 mi · 4 sites
- Lake Richie Campground · National Park Service · 2 mi · 6 sites
- Lake Richie Canoe Campground · National Park Service · 2 mi · 3 sites
- McCargoe Cove Campground · National Park Service · 2 mi · 12 sites
- Intermediate Lake Campground · National Park Service · 2 mi · 3 sites
All public campgrounds in Michigan · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.