USDA Forest Service · Michigan
Sawdust Hole Angler Access
USDA Forest Service · Michigan, United States
- Cost
- Day Use: $5 vehicle per day $15 per seven day
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 633 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- AT&T weak · Verizon weak · T-Mobile none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- SAWDUST HOLE RIVER ACCESS (NFSR 8799) · crushed aggregate or gravel · suitable for passenger cars
- Nearest town
- Brethren, MI
About
US Forest Service campground. Lumber operations and river log drives of the 1800s abandoned many logs in the river. In the early 1900s salvage operations retrieved the abandoned logs which were then milled at the site. The original name of the site, Sawdust Pile, comes from the sawdust; piles that used to be found near the sawmills. The sawdust flats were large open fields on the north side of the river were sawdust was piled until it was removed. There are multiple foot paths down to the river from the camping area. The North Country National Scenic Trail passes below and west of the site. Brochure with map: Manistee River Manistee River Trail This brochure is set to print on 11 x 17 paper, landscape (wide) orientation. To print on 8 1/2 x 11 paper set the print area to 'shrink to printable area ', this will make the text on the page smaller. Flickr Photo Albums Manistee River Manistee River Trail. Open season: April 1 - December 1. Not reservable through Recreation.gov, so plan on first-come, first-served; check with the ranger district for current conditions and fees.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 17° | -10° | 48° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 29° | 16° | 1° | 49° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 40° | 27° | 11° | 69° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 51° | 36° | 14° | 77° | 7 of 11 |
| May | 66° | 46° | 31° | 80° | 1 of 11 |
| June | 73° | 55° | 45° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 79° | 64° | 53° | 91° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 78° | 64° | 56° | 86° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 74° | 58° | 47° | 86° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 57° | 46° | 36° | 72° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 42° | 34° | 17° | 63° | 7 of 10 |
| December | 33° | 25° | 6° | 59° | 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.
Nearby campgrounds
- Tippy Dam · Michigan State Parks · 1 mi
- Government Landing Access · USDA Forest Service · 3 mi
- Blacksmith Bayou Access · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi
- Upper Manistee River Backcountry Campsites · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi · 11 sites
- Pine Lake Recreation Area Campground · USDA Forest Service · 6 mi
All public campgrounds in Michigan · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-06. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.