Cold Camping at Fort Custer Recreation Area

Did you know that some campgrounds are open all winter long? Even in Michigan? If you’d like to give cold camping a try, be sure to check out Fort Custer Recreation Area in Southwest Michigan.

Fort Custer is quiet, has plenty of outdoor activity options, and isn’t difficult to get into. Located in Augusta, Michigan, this state campground is easier to get into that some of the parks which are on the Lake Michigan shoreline. And it’s a hidden gem with it’s hiking, mountain biking, and horse trails, lake access, and large campsites!

We stayed at this campground for the first time in early April and we were pleasantly surprised by all of the amenities the park has to offer. Some of the sites were even paved!

History of the Park

Originally farmland, the land for the park was originally acquired by the federal government in 1917 to establish Camp Custer. Camp Custer was used for military training during World War I. In later years, the camp was used to train the Officer Reserve Corps and the Civilian Conservation Corps, which had a hand in making improvements to many state and national parks around Michigan. The camp also served as an induction and military training center for the US Army during WWII.

The Fort Custer Training Center is still in existence about 3 miles away and is used by the Michigan National Guard and other branches of the armed forces. Many Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) students from colleges in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana also train at this facility, as well as the FBI, the Michigan State Police, various law enforcement agencies, and the Lansing Community College Truck Driver Training School.

What You Should Know About the Park

Fort Custer Recreation Area consists of 3,033 acres and includes three lakes and the Kalamazoo River making for lots of opportunities for boating and fishing. There is also a swimming beach on Eagle Lake. Lots of amazing spots for birdwatching!

There are 25 miles of multi-use trails which are popular with mountain bikers, equestrians, hikers, and dog sledders. Twice a year in April and November, Mid Union Sled Haulers holds their MUSH Dryland Races at Fort Custer. These events are open to the public and they are fun to watch.

The events are timed and are open to the public. When we stayed at Fort Custer, the dog sled races were a happy surprise for us. We had fun hanging out along the race trail watching the various dog sled teams compete.

The park also features second-growth forests and some areas of prairie, which are rare in this part of the country. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Michigan has lost over 99% of it’s original prairie land, which provides excellent nesting and winter cover for wildlife as well as erosion control. It truly is special to hike through this unique environment and to observe all of the various animals, birds, and butterflies.

There is also an 18-hole disc golf course!

Things to Know About the Campground

The campground has 219 campsites, 5 cabins, and is open year round – although the modern bathhouse is closed during the winter. Fortunately, there are vault toilets available all year round.

I used to be dead set against using vault toilets but now I know better. If you carry some hand sanitizer with you, you can easily some some on a wad of toilet paper and use that to clean the seats before use. Easy Peasy. I still choose to use flush toilets when available but only having access to vault toilets isn’t a deal breaker for me anymore.

Most of the sites have 20/30 amp electrical service although there do appear to be a few that have 50 amp service. Some of the sites are pretty far apart, which is nice. And again, some of them are paved. Refer to the pictures on the Michigan State Park Reservation website and you can get a good idea of what each site looks like. They also have picnic tables and fire rings.

Be aware that the park is open for hunting so it’s important to know if you’re visiting during hunting season before heading off on a hiking trail.

Want to watch our experience?

How Was Cold Camping in a Tiny Camper?

Cold camping in a tiny camper definitely added a level of complexity to camping that we don’t have when camping during warmer weather. We typically set up a canopy over the picnic table and have chairs so we can hang out outside most of the time. The camper is mainly for sleeping and changing clothes.

During cold weather, however, our camper had to do double duty. We had to go back and forth between table mode and bed mode each day so that we could eat our meals inside and hang out in there. That always makes things more labor intensive.

Still do-able. But it was definitely more work. We still enjoyed the experience but it was definitely a bit different than camping during warmer weather.

As far as cold camping goes in this particular park, it was a good experience. There is a good distribution of vault toilets distributed throughout the park and they were kept clean and stocked with toilet paper. And since some of the sites were paved, that made getting our camper in and out easier than if the site was grass, gravel, or dirt. Just choose your site wisely when making your reservation.

Would We Go Back to this Campground?

Absolutely! We loved how spread apart the campsites were and how many of them seemed to have more privacy than some of the more popular campgrounds. We also loved that they are open year round and want to try camping there during the winter! We didn’t get to try out the modern restrooms since they weren’t yet open for the season when we were there but they looked nice from the outside. We loved all of the amenities and we will definitely be back.

Nearby Attractions

How Do I Get There?

We really enjoyed our visit to Fort Custer Recreation Area and look forward to going back. We loved the fact that the park gives visitors the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere with the convenience of not being far from civilization.

If you have camped here, we’d love to have you share your experience below!