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3.8
9 votes

Mackinaw Campground

Highway 25, Richfield, Utah 84701 USA

  • Independent
  • Pet Friendly
  • Not Wheelchair
    Accessible
  • Public
    Restrooms
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“a secluded camping site”

Overview Mackinaw Campground is located next to Fish Lake and the Fishlake Scenic Byway in central Utah at an elevation of 9,000 feet. Visitors enjoy boating, fishing and exploring local trails.Recreation Fish Lake is Utah's largest natural mountain lake, covering 2,500 acres. It is famous for its 20-40 pound Mackinaw lake trout. Anglers also enjoy fishing for rainbow trout and splake. Boating, canoeing, swimming and scuba diving are popular activities. The 5-mile Pelican Canyon Trail begins next door at Bowery Creek Campground. It leads through meadows and dense forests of spruce, pine and aspen as it climbs to the 11,633-foot Fish Lake Hightop. The popular Lakeshore National Recreation Trail extends around the eastern side of the lake. Hikers are rewarded with stunning lake views after climbing 900 feet in elevation.Facilities The campground contains four group sites that can accommodate up to 20 people each. Picnic tables and fire rings with grills are provided. Several single-family sites are available as well. Most sites have lake views. Flush toilets, showers and drinking water are provided. Roads and parking spurs are paved. Three resorts are located in the Fish Lake Basin, offering camping and fishing supplies, RV parks with hookups, cabin and boat rentals, marinas, gas, restaurants, groceries, laundry facilities and showers. The resorts are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.Natural Features The campground sits on a sagebrush-covered hillside above the valley floor and offers views of Fish Lake. Aspen trees forest the site, providing partial shade. Nearby Attractions Johnson Valley Reservoir is just north of Fish Lake, offering additional fishing and boating opportunities.

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Reviews of Mackinaw Campground

8 people have reviewed this location

Ratings Summary

4.8 Access
4.5 Location
4.5 Cleanliness
4.5 Site Quality
4.3 Noise

Cell Coverage

Verizon 4G/5G

Confirmed by 5 users | Last reported on September 19, 2022

T-Mobile 5G

Confirmed by 1 users | Last reported on July 07, 2020
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  • 2 Reviews
  • 0 Helpful
March 01, 2019
Rated

We visited in June and we came here with one goal: to escape the relentless summer heat of Phoenix AZ - happy to report we were successful!

At over 9,000 ft this place was nice and cool - so cool in fact we had to bundle up at night and have camp fires! A far cry from the triple digits in Phoenix...

The camp sites were spaced out nicely with a lot of vegetation between so you felt somewhat secluded - many sites have views of the lake, some have water hook ups as well.

This has been one of our all time favorite road trips and we plan to go back - highly recommend it! (And pack your bikes - great trails around the shore of the lake - some of the most beautiful scenery you can imagine!)

Also - there is ZERO cell service - the lodge and the general store have a cell phone booster, you’ll usually find a huddled mass of travelers standing under the antenna trying to squeeze out a txt or two or make a quick call. I went down daily to check emails... it’s not terribly reliable and VERY slow but it’ll work it you absolutely must keep in contact with the outside world.

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roadtripper6582424 would stay here again
5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon

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Reviewed by
Campendium

September 05, 2019
Rated

Stayed 10 days the end of August. ( the campground has a 10 day limit for some reason. When we were there it was not nearly full - even on weekends. I would suggest the managers reevaluate this policy and expand to 16 days like most other NF parks)

The good - Lots of room between sites, beautiful lake views, showers, flush toilets, very few bugs, friendly and helpful host, two country stores and one restaurant close, dump station close ( free). Threaded water connection in campground.

Not so good - a long way if you need things other than ice cream and bread ( LOA 15 mi). Showers require 8 quarters so bring rolls of quarters if you are taking many showers, Roadways are tight within the campground. Some roadway noise.

I had very little trouble getting cell service. Verizon. Was able to text and surf the web. Voice calls were intermittent. IMO, the higher you go up in the campground the better the service.

Hint, get to the restaurant early at Bower Haven on Fri./Sat for the prime rib special.

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Nightly Rate: $7.00

Days Stayed: 10

Site Number: 18

5 Access
4 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
4 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

Reviewed by
roadtripper77192

  • 17 Reviews
  • 0 Helpful
May 21, 2020
Rated

Nicely laid out campsites. Clean, modern showers.
Situated among the aspens and close to Fish Lake. Groomed walking path along lake us only a few miles long.
Dump and water closed but full camping fees collected.

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roadtripper77192 would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $7.00

Days Stayed: 3

Site Number: 12

4 Access
4 Location
4 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
3 Noise
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Reviewed by
Campendium

June 19, 2020
Rated

I realize this review won't help most people, but for those of us who are working while traveling... well, this is for them.
I was so excited to stay here and explore, but the cell signal was so weak that I coudn't log in for work and had to leave first thing in the morning to find enough signal. Phone calls and texts were fine, but internet even Google Maps was non existent.
The views are amazing and the aspen trees are beautiful. The campground host was kind and personable. I hope to be back soon to enjoy all that Fish Lake has to offer.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $19.00

Days Stayed: 1

Site Number: 10

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
5 Noise
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Reviewed by
Campendium

July 07, 2020
Rated

Unless you have a smaller tent, don't pick site 54. There were two cleared areas and neither was big enough for our tent. We ended up having to rip out sagebrush and stake the tent on top of sagebrush bushes and a large rock, losing tent space and making it very difficult to stake the tent against the wind.

The restroom near us was small, constantly dirty, and old, with nowhere to set down or hang toiletries. No light in the restroom. I suspect the restroom at the far end of the loop was nicer but did not check it out.

Nothing against the campground, but there were a number of large groups that seemed too large for campsite capacity, kept the bathroom constantly busy, sang karaoke loudly during the day, and stayed loud past quiet hours.

The campsites are not designed equally at all. Some of the sites are beautifully shaded, with ample room for large tents and sitting around the fire ring. Site 54 only has room for chairs on one side of the fire ring and only has a few trees around the driveway. I would return in the shoulder season to avoid crowds if I could get a better campsite.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: -

Days Stayed: 2

Site Number: 54

5 Access
5 Location
3 Cleanliness
3 Site Quality
3 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

T-Mobile

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Reviewed by
Campendium

August 17, 2020
Rated

I’ve stayed at over a dozen national forest campgrounds this season. This is the only one that charges extra for towing a car behind a motorhome. When you initially enter the campground the rate sign is changed with a magic marker to indicate each campsite no longer accommodate two vehicles. Each campsite only accommodate one vehicle and the next vehicle is charged half price.The campground host only applies this rule to motorhomes pulling cars. A car pulling a trailer counts as one vehicle. A truck pulling a fifth wheel counts as one vehicle. Two cars count as one vehicle. But a motorhome pulling a car has to pay the surcharge. Only come here if you’re willing to pay extra.

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Nightly Rate: $22.00

Days Stayed: 10

Site Number: 59

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

  • 24 Reviews
  • 0 Helpful
August 29, 2020
Rated

With friends, we selected sites 38/39 up higher on hillside with nice views. We enjoyed biking the lake shore trail out to Doctors Creek CG and around the wetlands and into the aspens - about 5 mi for us one-way. Treat yourself to ice cream at the Lodge afterward.

Be aware that this campground fills up over weekends even after school is in fall session. Many larger rigs here. With no electricity, generator noise.

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roadtripper812749 would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $15.00

Days Stayed: 2

Site Number: 39

4 Access
4 Location
4 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
4 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon

Photo of Campendium

Reviewed by
Campendium

September 19, 2022
Rated

Very nice campground. Views of the lake from almost all sites. Clean restrooms with flush toilets. Showers with hot water. Three marinas with minimal stores. High elevation ( 8800) so take care if this gives you a problem. @ 16 miles from the nearest town with gas stations, grocery store, and hardware store. Very wonderful host.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $10.00

Days Stayed: 10

Site Number: 60

5 Access
4 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

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Mackinaw Campground

Highway 25
Richfield, Utah
84701 USA
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Hours

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  • Unavailable
    Parking
  • Check
    Pets Allowed
  • Check
    Restrooms
  • Unknown
    Wifi
  • Unavailable
    Wheelchair Accessible
  • Unknown
    Credit Cards Accepted
Check In
2:00 PM
Max Stay
10
Check Out
2:00 PM
Max Length
35 ft
Affiliation
National forest
Last Nightly Rate
10.0
Lowest Nightly Rate
7.0
Longest Vehicle Length Reported
31.0
  • Unavailable
    Laundry
  • Unavailable
    Propane
  • Check
    Showers
  • Unavailable
    Big Rigs
  • Check
    Boondock
  • Unavailable
    Firewood
  • Unavailable
    Fifty Amp
  • Check
    Tent Sites
  • Unavailable
    Cabin Sites
  • Unavailable
    Full Hookup
  • Check
    Dump Station
  • Unavailable
    Mobile Homes
  • Check
    Public Water
  • Unavailable
    Pull Through
  • Check
    Reservations
  • Unavailable
    Sewer Hookup
  • Unavailable
    Water Hookup
  • Check
    Potable Water
  • Unavailable
    Age Restricted
  • Unavailable
    Dispersed Sites
  • Check
    Open Seasonally
  • Unavailable
    Permit Required
  • Unavailable
    Group Tent Sites
  • Unavailable
    Fulltime Residents
  • Check
    Standard Tent Sites
  • Unavailable
    Pull Through RV Sites
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