Explore a ghost town and relax at Fayette Historic State Park
It's a bit out of the way, but this park on Michigan U.P.'s Garden Peninsula is well-worth checking out.
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Top things to know about Fayette
The TLDR on Fayette Historic State Park
- There's a cool ghost town to explore.
- There's a great beach, a boat launch and a lot to do in the water.
- One of the few state parks that has Wi-Fi.
- There's a bar/restaurant within walking distance.
- This is a great campsite for chilling out
Intrigued? Keep reading.
Fayette Historic State Park is located on the U.P.'s Garden Peninsula, on Big Bay de Noc.
Turn south on State Hwy 183 off Interstate Hwy 2 somewhere between Manistique and Escanaba, and you'll find yourself on sleepy Garden Peninsula, where you can explore a historic townsite, hit the water and get away from it all.
This is actually one of our favorite parks. We've been here a number of times and always enjoy our time. The kids never seem to get tired of exploring the ghost town, and we've found it to be an ideal place to relax for a few days.
OK. Let's get into it:
The lowdown on Fayette State Park
Are there beaches?
Yes, there are beaches on Lake Michigan's Big Bay de Noc. Our favorite is Fayette Beach, around a half mile south of the campground on Sand Bay, (a little bay inside the big bay). During our last visit in mid-July, the water was clear and refreshing but not too cold.
How's the park store?
There's a gift shop in the Visitor Center where you can get souvenirs, park merch*, ice cream and popcorn. There's also a cool model of the town of Fayette.
Don't sleep on the merch here: their t-shirt designs are legit
Is there a playground?
Not within the park itself, but there is one at Fayette Beach half a mile down the road.
There is, however, a permanent cornhole setup (Cornhole field? Cornhole court?) near the bathrooms.
Where to get firewood
Get firewood at the contact station, when you first enter the park. Pay at the office, and then grab your firewood out of the shed out back. $5 at the time of our visit.
Note: Please source firewood locally to prevent the spread of invasive insects and plant disease.
The bathroom situation
The bathrooms at Fayette State Park are not too shabby.
- In the campground there's a modern bathroom that never seemed too crowded, with:
- Men & women's rooms
- Two shower rooms
- A family bathroom with toilets, showers and a changing table
- Of course, there are also pit toilets in camp, if that's your jam.
- There are also modern restrooms at the visitor's center, which is up the hill from the historic townsite
- Bathrooms seem fairly new and pretty nice
- Cleanliness depends on the time of day, but overall 8/10 during our visit
How far off the grid are we talking?
Cell service & WiFi at Fayette State Park is mostly terrible, but there is Wi-Fi
- Our mobile service (Verizon) was mostly non-existent.Verizon and AT&T provide more stable coverage in the U.P. overall, but not so much in this park.
- This is, however, one of the few state parks with Wi-Fi.
- Best spots for mobile and Wi-Fi service:
- The Wi-Fi is located on the roof of the bathrooms. The closer you are to the bathrooms, the better the signal.
- Mobile gets a little better on the shoreline and on the hiking trail along the limestone cliffs (No. 2 on the map below)
- A lot of campers use a cell signal boosters like weBoost Drive Reach Overland to improve mobile service.
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What to do at Fayette
Visit the historic townsite
At one point, Fayette was a busy industrial town that manufactured charcoal pig iron from 1867-1891. Now you can explore the well-preserved buildings, many of which are set up like would have been in 19th century Michigan.
Some of our favorites include the hotel, the butcher shop and the town hall above it, the superintendent's house and the doctor's house.
Learn more about visiting Fayette Historic Townsite
Fayette Historic Townsite. Images courtesy of DNR
Go on a hike
There are some great trails within this park. If nothing else, sure to walk along the No. 2 section on the map above for a kickass view of the bay and the historic site. The trail stretches along the white limestone cliffs overlooking Fayette, which are apparently home to some 1,400-year-old cedars.
From the trails at Fayette Historic State Park
Enjoy the water
Being on a bay and all, there are number of ways to enjoy the water at Fayette:
- Swim at Fayette Beach (no dogs allowed, sadly)
- Drop your boat into the water at the boat launch near the campground
- Sail into Snail Shell Harbor at the historic townsite and rent a slip
- Kayak or canoe around the historic townsite. Low on space? Rent one from the park's contact station, or invest in an inflatable stand up paddle board or kayak.
Nothing at all
Other than the ghost town, there's not a ton to do in the area, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. This is the perfect campground to relax, and I'm giving you free pass to do not much of anything at all. You're welcome.
Who is this park for?
Yes, Michigan parks are for everyone. But here's who might get the most out of Fayette:
History buffs
If you're interested in Michigan history, there's plenty in the historic townsite to keep you occupied for a day or two.
Boaters
In addition to a boat launch near the campsite, there's a harbor in the historic townsite where you can reserve a slip.
Families
Between a ghost town to explore, a great beach and scenic trails, there's plenty for kids to do when they're not riding their bikes around the campsite. Plus, the camp host offers daily activities for kids.
R & R seekers
You deserve to chill the eff out. Nobody's going to judge you here.
Remote workers
With a lack of too many distractions, a chill atmosphere and free park Wi-Fi, this is a good place to work from camp. Book a spot near the bathrooms for better Wi-Fi signals.
Everything you need to know to plan your visit to Fayette Historic State Park
Visiting Fayette Historic Townsite
Hours and dates
- The townsite is open between May 16 and Oct 11
- Operating hours are 9am to 5pm, except when it's open until 8pm or, in some cases, dusk. It's a bit complicated.
What to expect
- Parking is near the visitor center, which includes a gift shop.
- The townsite is a short walk down a hill.
- There are modern bathrooms at the visitor center, pit toilets at the townsite.
- When we visited, there were guided tours every hour or so, but there doesn't seem to be info about that online.
- Plan on at least two hours for exploring the buildings, displays, etc.
Camping at Fayette
Dates & rates
-
Open for camping May 15-Nov 29
-
Reserve up to 6 months in advance
-
61 campsites
- $40/per night for pull-thru 50-amp sites
- $35/per night for 20/30-amp sites
- Oct 18 modern bathrooms and showers shut down and you save $5 a day.
-
You can also rent the Furnace Hill Modern Lodge at $235 per night (2-night minimum). To reserve it, you'll need to call the park at 906-644-2603.
-
Snail Shell Harbor
- 15 slips
- $1.50 a foot/per night
When to go
- Late-May/early-June the park is open but the summer crowds haven't arrived. Water's probably too cold for swimming, though.
- The busiest stretch is late-July thru mid-August particularly during July and on the weekends.
- After Labor Day, summer crowds drop sharply but it's still quite nice through October.
- The hands-down best time to visit Fayette is mid-Sept: less crowded, but everything is still open and the water is still warm enough for swimming
- On the other hand, come in October for maximum autumn vibes and Fall Fest in early October
Campsite intel
Fayette State Park Campground is on the smaller side, with 61 sites. All sites include those ubiquitous firerings, and are well-shaded for the most part.
Ideal sites
For remote workers
21 & 23 get you the best WiFi signal (and proximity to the bathroom, which could be a good thing or bad thing, depending on your POV).
For big RVs & bad parkers
25, 27 and 30 are especially roomy and feature 50-amp service.
Our top pick:
11 & 12 have are on the bigger side, offer a little more privacy and have great views of the bay through the trees that line the shore.
Sites to avoid
45 & 47 are smaller than most, and likely to see a lot of traffic due to the water station situated between them.
Reserving your site
Reservations open six months out. Book your site as far in advance as possible to increase your chances of getting a good site (or getting a site at all).
If you're feeling lucky, you can just show up without a reservation, but be warned: the campground tends to fill up fast, especially during the peak summer months.
Reserve your site at Michigan's DNR website.
Side note: If you'd like to book the Furance Hill Modern Lodge, you'll need to call the park at 906-644-2603.
What to bring
- Good shoes
- Hiking shoes if you plan on hitting the trails
- Water shoes if you want to avoid walking across rocks at the beach
- Water stuff: bring your inner tubes, kayaks, paddle boards, etc.
- Swimsuits. If you're looking for something uniquely Northern Michigan, our good friends at Lookabout Swimwear offer prints inspired by a lifetime in the Great Lakes.
- Bug spray. Mosquitos and flies weren't bad when we were there most recently, but it's the U.P. You never know.
Getting groceries
Nearby grocery options are limited. There is a small store in Garden but prices are high and selection is limited. Your best options are:
- Bring groceries from home
- If you're coming west on Interstate Hwy 2, stop in at Jack's Fresh Market outside Manistique for a supermarket with a big lot.
- If you're coming east on Hwy 2, you have several choices in Manistique, including Meijer, Walmart and Pat's Foods IGA.
Getting to and into the park
Download your maps
Mobile service is spotty as you get close to Fayette, but you can still navigate because you downloaded your map for offline use.
Gassing up
- There is a Shell station in the small town of Garden, a 15-minute drive from Fayette, but the price won't be ideal.
- Coming from the east on Interstate Hwy 2, Krist Food Mart in Marquette is a good bet. Easy in-and-out, and it seems to be cheaper than other nearby stations
- If you're coming from the west, the Krist Food Mart in Escanaba is a good bet for the same reasons.
Checking in
- Stop at the Contact Station (you'll drive past it) to check in, grab a park map and get your parking pass.
- If the station is closed, go ahead and find your campsite. You can check in tomorrow.
Stop at the sanitation station for water if you need it
- If you have an RV and need to fill your tank with potable water, the sanitation station will be on your left before you get into the actual campground.
- Turn into the 2nd entrance to have the station on the correct side of the RV (I've used the wrong entrance more than once).
Consult your map & pay attention to one-way arrows
Campsites always feel like a maze to me at first.
Where to eat when you're not cooking at camp
- The Port Bar & Family Restaurant is just over half a mile south of the campground, and they serve fantastic fish.
- Garden House Bar & Grill 15 minutes north in Garden serves pizza, burgers and more. We haven't tried it yet but it looks great.
- The Dock Grill & Bar is 20 minutes north of the park and serve up great food and views of the bay.
What if it rains?
You can only read books, play cards and nap for so long. Here are some activities in the area for rainy days.
- Drive 15 minutes north to the town of Garden and see what's open. There's a museum, bar & grill, and a coffee shop.
- Shoot pool at the Port Bar restaurant.
- Shop handmade pottery and tiles from a local artist at Latulip pottery and tile works
- Drive 40 minutes to Manistique for more restaurants and shops
A dog's POV of Fayette Historic State Park
Things didn't start out so great for my very first camping trip, but that changed once we got to Fayette.
It was a long drive and my people kept saying "be quiet" and "sit down" and "why can't you just go to sleep?" But once we finally arrived, the park was great. Lots of new smells to smell and plenty of other dogs to shout at from the safety of the Lady's arms in front of the campfire.
The next day the Guy and the Lady took me hiking on this loop through the forest and along these cliffs that looked out over the water and man I love the woods. So much to sniff.
Overall, I gotta say that Fayette is a great place for dogs. Lot's of trails to walk and there were a plenty of other dogs around so I didn't feel out of place.
There were some of the typical anti-dog shennanigans, though.
- I had to stay on a six-foot leash the whole time I was outside.
- No dogs allowed at the Fayette Beach, so I had to hang back in the RV and sleep while everyone else got to dig in the sand.
- Also no dogs allowed inside the buildings in the ghost town, so I had to stay outside and pant while the kids got to explore.
Further reading & resources
More about Fayette Historic Townsite
Michigan State Park closures
Beach Closures in Michigan State Parks
