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Sault Ste. Marie Camping at Aune-Osborn Campground

Enjoy Sault Ste. Marie Camping at Aune-Osborn Campground. It is one of the best Campgrounds in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

freighter in the St. Mary's River in Sault Ste Marie

On our Circle Lake Michigan trip, we detoured up to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

We discovered that the best Sault Ste Marie Camping is at Aune-Osborn Campground.

sign at the entrance of Aune-Osborn Campground in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Camping Near Sault Ste. Marie

Aune-Osborn Campground is located along the American side of the St. Mary’s River. This municipal campground has sites close together without any shade. While this might be a big negative, the big payoff is seeing Great Lakes freighters going up and down the river.

people watching a freighter passing Aune-Osborn Campground in Sault Ste Marie Michigan

A large grassy area between the sites and the river has benches for people to sit on while watching the ships go by.

A view of a ship on the St. Mary's River from our campsite at Aune-Osborne Campground

Aune Osborn Campground Rates 2024

Waterfront $35/day $800/month
Non-waterfront $32/day $750/month
$8 online reservation fee, book here

There is another campground nearby in Sault Ste. Marie, the sites are even closer, and the river view is limited.

Check out Sherman Park Campground, along the river on the other side of the Soo Locks. This is also a municipal campground.

At Aune-Osborn, the sites are level and include a picnic table, fire ring, electricity, and water. There is a dump station on

The campground has clean bathrooms and showers. The check-in staff is friendly and knowledgeable about the area.

Office and bathrooms at Aune-Osborn Campground

Since this campground is across the river from Canada, our phones kept picking up Canadian cell phone towers. We called our cellular provider to tell them that we, in fact, were NOT traveling internationally. The reception was better at the Canadian towers.

freighter going up the St. Mary's River in Michigan

Camp near the Soo Locks

Aune-Osborn Campground is located very close to downtown, near the world-famous Soo Locks. We rode our bikes down to the locks to watch boats go through. Street parking is plentiful in the area.

The downtown area has a lot of great restaurants, souvenir shops, and, of course, plenty of fudge and ice cream.

We took a cruise through the Soo Locks and visited the Valley Camp. Other area attractions include the Tower of History and the Cloverland Electric Cooperative Hydroelectric Plant.

Looking up the St. Mary's RIver toward the Soo Locks

We would definitely stay at Aune-Osborn again and recommend it as part of an Upper Peninsula Camping Trip.

Our reservations were made six months in advance, which is why we got a riverside site. Getting a site without reservations is possible, but it probably won’t be along the river.

Find out more information at the Sault Ste Marie website.

The next destinations on our UP camping trip were Tahquamenon Falls State Park and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.

Watching ships on the St. Mary's River near the Soo Locks

Michigan Camping Itineraries

John

Saturday 8th of January 2022

Reserve the last weekend of June for Engineers Day to tour all Lock buildings, and Bridge walk.

Diana Hansen

Sunday 9th of January 2022

Awesome!

Victoria Sconion

Tuesday 15th of May 2018

Now this just beautiful! I want to go see it for myself. I know we won't be able to see everything this summer with the kids. I would like to keep traveling the winter time on the west coast.

letscampsmore

Tuesday 15th of May 2018

It would be incredible to see in the winter.

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