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Blue Heron Homestead

63%

·

· Au Gres, Arenac, Michigan · 1 acre

Hosted by Derek P.

2 glamping pitches

Spend an enchanting evening on the shores of the Saginaw Bay. We are located in the North Bay- the northern end of the Saginaw Bay in a secluded coastal marsh. Enjoy some of the best views of stars in the Lower Peninsula, or roast marshmallows around a bonfire while the sound of frogs singing lulls you to sleep. Wake up to the sounds of blue herons and snowy egrets coasting over the bay as the sun rises in the morning and enjoy the biodiversity of plants and birds that call this part of Lake Huron home. Watch eagles and kingfishers fish as you kayak the marsh or just lounge in hammocks and enjoy the tranquility of this region. Activities: Kayaking- bring your own kayak or use one of ours. The bay is very shallow here and an ideal spot for a leisurely paddle. Take a tour by kayak of the maze of marsh, or kayak out to the tip of Point Au Gres. Fishing-Perch, Walleye , catfish, bluegill, sunfish, pike and bass are common in the North Bay. Need fishing gear or a license? Stop to Norm's Sporting Goods at the traffic light in Au Gres for a local experience. Birdwatching- This spot is truly a birdwatcher's paradise. In the summer we see abundant herons, egrets, kingfishers, swans, grebes, and a myriad of ducks on a daily basis. During migration seasons the bird action is endless. Swimming- although the marshy coastline here is not ideal for swimming you can easily kayak out to a sandbar or jump in, or just down the road is a public county park with a sandy beach. Visit the Northeast Region! Au Gres has few amenities or restaurants, but 20 minutes north Tawas has ample public beaches, dozens of bars and restaurants, a Walmart and other provisions you may want. The Huron National forest outiside of Tawas also has many great hiking trails, ORV trails and more.Activities: Kayaking- bring your own kayak or use one of ours. The bay is very shallow here and an ideal spot for a leisurely paddle. Take a tour by kayak of the marsh, or kayak out to the tip of Point Au Gres. Both the Au Gres and Rifle River are within minutes Fishing-Perch, Walleye , catfish, bluegill, sunfish, pike and bass are common in the North Bay. Need fishing gear or a license? Stop to Norm's Sporting Goods at the traffic light in Au Gres for a local experience. Birdwatching- This spot is truly a birdwatcher's paradise. In the summer we see abundant herons, egrets, kingfishers, swans, grebes, and a myriad of ducks on a daily basis. During migration seasons the bird action is endless. Though a rare occurrence, this spring we even saw Pelicans!! Swimming- although the natural coastline here is not ideal for swimming you can easily kayak out to a sandbar or jump in, or just down the road is a public county park with a sandy beach. Visit the Northeast Region! Au Gres has few amenities and restaurants, however 20 minutes north in Tawas has ample public beaches, dozens of bars and restaurants, a Walmart and other provisions you may desire. The Huron National forest outiside of Tawas also has many great hiking trails, ORV trails and more. Just further up the road is Oscoda and the Ausable river. This is one of the most pristine trout streams in Michigan. Great for fly fishing and paddling.

What to expect

Bell tent

Camping area selected or assigned upon arrival.

4 guests max per site

Campfires allowed

No toilet; campers must bring camp toilets

No pets

Showers available

Bins available

Picnic table present

No potable water

Cooking equipment absent

No wifi

Laundry absent

Hot Tub absent

No playground

Things to know

Getting there

Check in: After 2:00 PM

Check out: Before 12:00 PM

On arrival: Meet with Host

Cancellation policy: Flexible

Minimum nights: 1 night

Accepts bookings: 12 months out

Park at listing

No wheelchair access

Max 2 vehicles

2WD accessible

During your trip

Leave it better

Inclusion policyWe have a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination at Hipcamp. We are committed to helping our Host and Hipcamper communities be inclusive.

Reviews

63% Recommend4 Ratings · 4 reviews

Madison E.

2 reviews

Not recommend

· August 2024

Ignored by host

The address for this site is completely incorrect. If you use the link on hipcamp it will take you 7 mins away from the actual site. The state of the actual site itself is unclear because we never found it. The host sent us instructions and somehow ended in the neighbors property which looked like a campsite. Unfortunately the huge grass hill blocks off the view of the giant sand pit that he instructed us to drive directly into. We were stuck in the sand for 2.5 hours with no response from the host other than "I'm out of town" and "go knock on the neighbors door and ask them for help". No tow truck number, no sorry, and no response. Not one reply after he told us to knock on a neighbor's door. We reached out to hipcamp support and they also never received a response from the host so we got a full refund the next morning. I've never had an experience on here where the host wasn't there to meet us and I'm pretty sure that's a rule for a reason (so this stuff doesn't happen). Luckily I had phone service so I was able to call a tow truck out, but if I hadn't I would have had no choice but to go knocking on doors in an unfamiliar community, town, and state! We drove 4 hours to get there and ended up having to scramble to find new accommodations for the night. It was super disappointing because the area was gorgeous and we didn't get a chance to see any of it.

Kanika G.

3 reviews

Recommends

· June 2024

quite place by the lake

Tent

We had a wonderful time at Derek's property. He was very attentive and even arranged a tent for us because we arrived late at night. The property is located by the lake, and we experienced a stunning sunrise in the morning.

Raquel C.

3 reviews

Recommends

· May 2024

Beautiful lake view

Tent · Group trip

Great view of the Saginaw bay. The shore was a bit swampy, but otherwise easy cast off for kayaks/paddle boards, I would recommend bringing water shoes. Lots of wildlife! Camp grounds down the road for easy bathroom access. Would recommend for families!

Joe R.

1 year on Hipcamp

Mixed feelings

· September 2023

Ask To See Entire Campsite

This host was very kind and responsive, and the views of Lake Huron from the 'campsite' are great. However, you are basically in the backyard of a house, in the middle of a neighborhood, very little privacy, and the backyard is full of junk. There was trash everywhere. Be sure to ask for pictures of the entire campsite before you book. It was not what I expected I do want to mention the host was very kind and helpful, but this was a strange camping experience.

Location

Au Gres, Arenac, Michigan, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ, Wyandot, and Mississauga First Nations according to

Native Land Digital.

To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking