National Park Service · Michigan

South Lake Desor Campground

National Park Service · Michigan, United States · in Isle Royale National Park

Open on the map Drive there Official page Directions
Sites
10
Group sites
Yes
Drinking water
No
Restrooms
Yes
Showers
No
Dump station
No
Laundry
No
Elevation
869 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

South Lake Desor Campground is located inland on the south side of Lake Desor off of the Greenstone Ridge Trail. There is no canoe/kayak/boat access.

Stay Limit: 2 nights effective from June 1 – Labor Day.
Access: Foot

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

MonthTypical highTypical lowColdest nightHottest dayYears with a night below 32°F
January25°14°-15°37°11 of 11
February25°13°-11°40°11 of 11
March33°25°3°41°11 of 11
April36°32°18°44°9 of 11
May43°37°32°54°1 of 11
June50°43°37°60°0 of 11
July57°51°39°70°0 of 11
August64°59°49°71°0 of 11
September61°56°49°70°0 of 11
October50°45°32°59°1 of 10
November38°32°10°51°7 of 10
December29°21°-6°47°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, within 10 miles as the crow flies; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.

Nearby campgrounds

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.