Photos and story by John Rebers
In early August 2023, I spent four days camping in the Sylvania Wilderness in the western part of the Upper Peninsula. Sylvania is one of 10 federally designated wilderness areas in Michigan. Located near Watersmeet, it has 20 lakes, many with designated campsites near the shoreline. The most common way to visit Sylvania is by canoe or other watercraft but there are hiking trails around some of the lakes.
From left to right: An image of a small island on Crooked Lake, a mossy log in High Lake, and John Reber's kayak on High Lake. Photos by John Rebers.
I have seen loons and eagles on most trips to Sylvania, and this trip was no exception. Every night, I heard loons and saw them swimming near my kayak several times. Eagles flew overhead as I paddled along Crooked Lake to my High Lake campsite.
On this trip, I camped on High Lake for three nights. I paddled to Kerr, East Bear, West Bear, Mountain and Crooked Lakes the day after making camp, and then back to High Lake. I saw no one on Kerr, East Bear or Mountain Lakes, but quite a few people were fishing on Crooked Lake. The next day, Friday, I portaged to Crooked Lake and then to Clark Lake. The portage trail between Crooked Lake and Clark Lake is popular, so I saw several parties on the trail and the delightful sandy beach at the end of the portage trail at Crooked Lake. The beach was an excellent spot for a refreshing swim to wash off the sweat and a few mosquitos. I paddled around the perimeter of Clark Lake, then portaged back to Crooked Lake to get to my campsite on High Lake.
I had an interesting encounter on the last day of the trip. I was asleep in my tent, woke up at 1:30 a.m., and saw a flashlight nearby.
"Hello?" I said.
"What campsite is this?" said the guy with the flashlight.
"Beaver - no, Bobcat" I replied. I was still half-asleep, and remembering the campsite name took a few seconds.
"What lake is that on?" says the guy outside.
At this point, I got out of my sleeping bag and grabbed my map and headlamp to see what was happening. It turned out that the guy outside had a campsite at the Mink campsite on Crooked Lake, half a mile south of my site. He had left his site to hang his food in a tree to keep it away from bears, gotten disoriented, and wandered up to my site. There are no hiking trails connecting the sites, but the old-growth forest is relatively open, and he may have followed a deer trail for a while. Since his girlfriend was back at the Mink site, waiting the night until dawn at my campsite seemed like a bad idea. I gave him an extra map and compass and told him that if he followed the white arrow on the compass to go south, he should find Crooked Lake relatively close to his campsite.
From left to right: Wild rices on High Lake, backpacker and author John Rebers, and Kerr Lake
We made arrangements to meet him at the Mink site the next day. I was relieved to find my compass, the map, a wrapped beef stick, and some nut butter on a log in the campsite when I arrived. The map had a few dead mosquitoes, showing that the little beasts had been out as he trekked back to his site. Although half a mile is not a long way to walk, there are plenty of chances to get confused in the dark with no trail. After picking up the compass and map and munching on the beef stick, I returned to the boat launch on Crooked Lake, loaded my car, and headed home. I think this was my eighth trip to Sylvania, and I'm looking forward to returning next year.
Logistics: The Sylvania Wilderness is part of the Ottawa National Forest. You can find information about backcountry camping in Sylvania at https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/ottawa/recarea/?recid=12331, and can find a map showing lakes, hiking trails, and campsites at https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd665359.pdf
The maximum number of people allowed at a campsite is six, but some campsites are located next to each other, so a group of 10 (the maximum allowed) can camp next to each other. Be sure to check the first link above for other regulations, including special fishing regulations that apply in Sylvania if you plan to do any fishing.
Reservations for campsites are required from May 15 to September 30. There is a reservation fee of $9.00 (call center) or $8 (online). Reservations can be made up to six months in advance of a visit to 37 of the 50 backcountry campsites. The remaining 13 sites are open for reservations two weeks in advance of visit. Go to: Recreation.gov or call 1-877-444-6777 to make reservations. Camping is first come, first served from October 1 to May 14.
You will encounter both mosquitoes and black flies early in the season. Black flies have pretty much disappeared by August, and there won't be as many mosquitoes. Canoes are the easiest way to get around on the water, but recreational kayaks or even sea kayaks will work if you minimize the number of portages (or are stubborn). Outfitters in Watersmeet will rent canoes and other equipment you might need. I have decided to overcome my inner cheapskate and rent a solo Kevlar canoe instead of taking my sea kayak if I do another solo trip next year.