Kneff Lake Campground
The campground operates May 1 through September 30. The 2026 season opens May 15 following a delayed start likely related to April flooding assessments across Huron-Manistee National Forests. All 27 sites are first-come, first-served with some sites also reservable through Recreation.gov.
Air Quality Alert issued July 14 at 10:34AM EDT by NWS Gaylord MI
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has issued an Air Quality Alert for Wednesday July 15, for elevated levels of fine particulates (PM2.5). Pollutants are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range, though there is potential for Unhealthy levels. The alert is in effect for all of northern Michigan. This includes the following counties, Roscommon, Charlevoix, Missaukee, Wexford, Beaver Island and surrounding islands, Mackinac Island/Bois Blanc Island, Manistee, Emmet, Iosco, Ogemaw, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Eastern Mackinac, Alcona, Western Mackinac, Montmorency, Southeast Chippewa, Otsego, Central Chippewa, Antrim, Western Chippewa, Arenac, Leelanau, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Alpena, Oscoda, Crawford, and Gladwin. It is recommended that, when possible, you avoid strenuous outdoor activities, especially those with heart disease and respiratory diseases such as asthma. Watch for symptoms including wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, dizziness, or burning in nose, throat, and eyes. You can help reduce air pollution by limiting activities, such as outdoor burning, and use of residential wood burning devices. Tips for households: Keep windows closed overnight to prevent smoke from getting indoors and, if possible, run central air conditioning with MERV-13 or higher rated filters. For up-to-date air quality data for Michigan, visit the MiAir site: https://michigan.gov/MiAir For up-to-date air quality data nationally, visit EPA's Air Now site: https://www.airnow.gov For further health information, please see MDHHS' Wildfire Smoke and Your Health site at https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/safety-injury- prev/environmental-health/your-health-and-wildfire-smoke.
About
Kneff Lake Campground is located on the western edge of the Mio Ranger District in the Huron-Manistee National Forests, a short drive east of Grayling. The 27 campsites ring a scenic 20-acre lake shared among federal, state, and private ownership. Sites 1-18 have crushed stone parking pads while sites 19-27 feature asphalt pads. Site 9 is designated tent-only. Each site includes a picnic table, campfire ring, and lantern post. The campground provides vault toilets and potable water from hand-pump wells. Trash collection is available. The embedded day use area features an ADA-accessible ramp to the beach and swimming area, along with picnic tables and grills. Kneff Lake is designated as a trout lake and stocked with rainbow trout in spring; anglers also catch perch. Maximum lake depth is 40 feet. Non-motorized boats such as canoes and kayaks can be carried in. The surrounding forest is predominantly oak and pine. A campground host is on-site during the operating season. Standard developed-area rules apply, including quiet hours and prohibitions on fireworks and ORVs within the campground.
Directions
From Grayling: Travel east on M-72 for 6.5 miles. Turn right and travel south on Stephan Bridge Rd. for 1 mile. Turn left and travel east on FR 4003 for about 1 mile.
Nearby Campgrounds
Amenities
| Water | Yes |
| Fires Allowed | Yes |
| Toilets | Yes |
| Dump Station | No |
| Wifi | No |
| Pets Allowed | Yes |
| Showers | No |
| Electric Hookups | — |
| Water Hookups | — |
| Sewer Hookups | — |
| Camp Store | No |
| Price | $15 |
Vehicle
| Max RV Length | — |
| Max Trailer Length | — |
| Big Rig Friendly | — |
| Pull Through Sites | No |
Contact
| sm.fs.hmnf@usda.gov | |
| Phone | +1 (989) 826-3252 |
Cell Service
| AT&T | Yes |
| Verizon | Yes |
| T-Mobile | None |
Availability
Photos
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