Bowman Bridge Campground and River Access
The numbers that decide it
Recreation.gov publishes no site-level detail for this campground, so we cannot say what length of rig it takes. Call the managing office before committing to it in a large vehicle.
Site-level detail from Recreation.gov, checked 2026-08-05. Where a field says “not published”, the agency has not published it — it does not mean zero.
Bowman Bridge Campground and River Access
The section of the river from Gleason’s Landing to Bowman Bridge flows through a long stretch of federal ownership. This is one of the most popular stretches of river, and Bowman Bridge River Access can be very busy during summer weekends. The bottom of the river in this stretch is mostly sand, with a few interspersed gravel beds. The water from Gleason’s to Bowman Bridge is up to 5-feet deep in some parts. Located up the hill from Bowman Bridge Boat Landing, the campground also has a connector trail for the North Country National Scenic Trail. A tornado went through the area several years ago. Visitors to the site can see the beginning stages of natural recovery from the tornado swath. There will be plantings within the campground in the future to facilitate recovery from the tornado. Brochure with Map : 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 Album
Before you go
Season
May 3 – October 10
Fees
Camping (per night) • Single Site: $30.00 • Double Site: $60.00 • Group Site: $110.00 Day Use (per vehicle) • Per Day: $7.00 • Extra Vehicle: $10.00
Hours
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week unless otherwise posted. Forest quiet hours apply. Watercraft hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Restrictions
As a visitor to the National Forest, you are asked to follow certain rules designed to protect the Forest, natural resources and to provide for public safety of visitors. These rules are available to you on-line or at any office of the Huron-Manistee National Forests. Please take time to read and understand them. General Topic orders apply across the Forests. Applicable Orders - • Motorized Vehicle Use of Roads, Trails and Off-road Areas; R904-14-02 • Occupancy and Use - Developed Recreation Areas, Dispersed Areas, Being Publicly Nude, Marine Prohibitions, Parking and Sanitation; R904-14-03 • Pere Marquette National Scenic River Corridor; R904-14-14
Make it a night on a better road
Byway plans the drive in — real stops, real weather, nothing invented.