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Camping

Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest

The Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest (NHAL) provides a variety of modern, rustic, group and primitive camping opportunities. Some campgrounds offer accessible facilities. Firefly Lake and Crystal Lake campgrounds each have one accessible site with electricity. Clear Lake, Crystal Lake, Musky Lake and Firefly Lake campgrounds have accessible sites and shower facilities.

Modern campgrounds

Group campgrounds

Rustic campgrounds

Primitive camping

Reservations

Reserve campsites at Northern Highland American Legion State Forest.

Firewood

Firewood is sold at the Crystal, Clear, Buffalo, North Trout, Sandy Beach, Big Lake, Upper Gresham, Starrett, Razorback and West Star campgrounds. Firewood is also able from private vendors in the area. Registered campers may gather wood from the forest for use in their campfire as long as it is both dead and on the ground. Chainsaws are not allowed within or near the campgrounds themselves.  

Trailer dump station

Trailer dump stations are located at Clear Lake, Crystal and North Trout campgrounds. The dump stations are for holding tanks and a freshwater fill-up tower is available. Campers may not drain dish wastewater or sewage onto the ground.

Lost and found

A lost and found service is maintained at Crystal and Clear Visitor Stations. Found items may be turned in and lost items reported at these visitor stations. Please help us return items to their rightful owners.

Garbage pickup and recycling

Trash and recycling dumpsters are located in each campground. Please cooperate by taking garbage and recyclable items — e.g. glass, plastic, aluminum and tin — to the appropriate dumpster. Campers staying on non-reservable or reservable water-access campsites should plan to bag all trash and carry it home to dispose of. There is a carry-in, carry-out trash policy for all picnic areas, beaches and boat landings. Please leave your campsite cleaner than it was before you arrived. Be concerned enough to pick up after careless visitors. Never burn garbage in your campfire ring.

Generators

Generators are allowed on modern family and rustic campground sites as long as the following rules are followed:

  • Campers may operate their generators between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and only when they are present on the site.
  • Permission to operate may be revoked if the generator is excessively noisy.

Cunard Lake and Starrett Lake campgrounds are designated quiet zones. Generators and other noise-producing devices are not allowed in these two campgrounds.