South Manitou Island — Local services in Glen Arbor Township

Such a fantastic day trip! Weather was perfect with blue skies all day, bugs were not an issue this time of year. A few FYIs that we felt would have been helpful: checking in for the ferry starts at 915 and you can board pretty much right away which I would HIGHLY suggest as I get the sense it's typically a full ride (luckily we were some of the first to check in so we boarded and got inside seats but those towards the end had to stand out on the bow in the winds for the entire ride). Once you arrive to the island there is a restroom with flushable toilets however the line initially is quite long from everyone coming off the boat however there is also a set of permanent port a pottys that are painted brown so rather than standing in line might be better to walk a few extra feet. Once everyone gets going I think it's really popular to head to the shipwreck and taking a seat for a picnic seems to be on everyone's list - just head's up that it's tight back there so not a lot of room to spread out but rather more side by side sitting on the ground or fallen trees. We also took the walk through the cedars which was really cool and we had them to ourselves as I think most others went towards the dunes - FYI though that although the path does circle back out to the main path there is one steep up and down (slightly slippery on the down due to the leaves) so if any walking issues would likely not be for you. Lastly there is a lovely picnic area with lots of picnic tables just by the dock so you can plan to take a nice meal there too. Overall was totally...

Went to camp South Manitou on 7/17/19. The mosquito infestation was beyond description. Spent 15 hours in my hammock/tent. Mosquitoes would bite through Deep Woods Off and Sawyer picaridin lotion and picaridin spray while standing next to a camp fire. You Can't hike without a swarms of the blood thirsty state bird sucking you dry. I think I have Zeka and West Nile now. It's very nice earlier in the year and I assumed later in the fall. Also I greatly dislike the shared fire pits and not being Iable to bring a wagon to hall gear and wood. I would highly recommend that they release sterile male mosquitoes on the island for years to reduce the amount of mosquitoes there. I do understand it more of a preserve now but it only seems like they're preserving the...

Beautiful Island. The park Rangers and volunteers couldn't have been nicer. Friendliest group of people ever. If you are going for a day trip be aware that if you take one of the wagon tours you are not left with much time to do any exploring on your own. And while you do venture off the wagon for short hikes to your destination you probably will be disappointed if you came to "hike". Having said that whether you choose one of the 2 wagon excursions (you can't do both) or hike to specific points you won't be able to see even half of what the island has to offer. PS south manitou will be closed in 2026 for dock upgrades just as north manitou...