Power Island offers remote camping and paddling near Traverse City

The 202-acre Power Island and Bassett Island preserve sits about three miles from the Bowers Harbor DNR public launch and about six miles from Clinch Marina. It is a quiet wilderness reserve with picnic sites, a 15-site campground, trails, geocaching, a public beach, a well and vault toilets.

Getting there without losing the appeal

The trip is by boat only, which is a big part of the island’s draw and its challenge. Paddlecraft can make the crossing when the water is calm, and many day visitors arrive by personal powerboat or charter boat. If you are launching from shore, the DNR Bowers Harbor ramp is the closest public option, and boaters should call the Michigan Department of Natural Resources before leaving a vehicle overnight there.

Grand Traverse County does not maintain its own lot for Power Island guests. The closest public launch lot is Bowers Harbor, and Elmwood Township Marina offers overnight parking for a fee, giving boaters a paid alternative if they do not want to gamble on a same-day return. For paddlers, the advice is more direct: watch the weather and wave forecast, wear a personal flotation device, and be prepared for an open-water crossing.

What the campground actually looks like

The overnight experience is deliberately rustic. There are 15 primitive campsites total, with 10 on Power Island and five on Bassett Island, and the camping policy limits each site to six people age 10 and older. Children under 10 do not count toward that total, but no more than four may be on a campsite, and each site can have no more than two primary shelters. Check-in begins at 3 p.m. and checkout is noon or earlier.

Water access is workable on Power Island and much less convenient on Bassett Island. Drinking water is available at the picnic area near the dock on the east side of Power Island, less than a quarter-mile from the Power Island campsites, while Bassett Island has no drinking water at all. Many campers carry water from the mainland or fill containers at the Power Island picnic area before setting up camp.

The island is also set up for low-impact camping rather than car-camping comforts. Each site has a picnic table, cooking grill and campfire circle, but there is no trash pickup on the islands, so visitors must pack out litter. Do not bring firewood. The islands rely on vault toilets, and campers should use only human waste, toilet paper and pee in those toilets because the system is manually pumped into an on-island septic system. Pets must stay leashed.

What it costs and how reservations work

Power Island camping is $35 per night for county residents, with holiday weekends requiring a two-night minimum. Reservations open on the first business day in January and are handled on a first-come, first-served basis, so the practical cost of an overnight is tied to getting in line early as much as it is to paying the rate. Firewood may be purchased with the campsite reservation.

You still have to get across by paddlecraft, powerboat or charter boat for a day trip, but you do not need to commit to an overnight site. That makes Power Island a flexible option for families wanting a close-in outing, paddlers chasing a weather-window crossing, or boaters who want to land, hike and picnic without hauling a full camp setup. Park hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Which trip fits your group

• Families: The campground limit of six people age 10 and older, plus the two-tent maximum, makes the island better for small groups than big reunions. The short carry to drinking water on Power Island helps, but Bassett Island campers need to haul water farther, so the easier family choice is usually Power Island itself.

• Paddlers: This is a calm-water destination first. Watch the weather and wave forecast, wear a PFD and treat the crossing like an open-water journey on a roughly three-mile island trip.

• Boaters: Personal powerboats and charter boats are the most convenient way to turn the island into a day trip, especially if you want to carry food, coolers or camping gear without a long paddle. Just plan for overnight parking separately, because launch-lot parking information comes from the DNR.

A place with a long memory

Power Island has worn a long list of names over the years: Island #10, Eagle Island, Hog Island, Round Island, Bowers Island, Marion Island, Ford Island and Rennie Island before settling on its current name. Henry Ford owned the island from 1917 to 1944.

Some of the island’s folklore stuck too, including old ghost stories that still trail the place in local writing.

Why county management still matters

The Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation commission was founded in 1977, and the department’s mission centers on enhancing community and quality of life through people, parks and programs. In May 2020, commissioners closed camping on Power Island and Bassett Island for that season because of COVID-19-related revenue losses and staffing constraints, while keeping the island open for day visits.