Twin Lakes State Park
Overview: Copper Country’s Quiet Lakefront Camp
Tucked into 175 wooded acres on the southwest shore of Lake Roland in Houghton County, Twin Lakes State Park is a small, unpretentious, and reliably pleasant campground park in the heart of Michigan’s Copper Country—the remote, sparsely populated region of the western Upper Peninsula that was once the center of the world’s copper mining industry. Located along M-26 near the tiny community of Toivola, the park sits in a landscape defined by the Finnish and Scandinavian heritage of its early settlers, vast tracts of northern forest, and the dramatic proximity of Lake Superior’s Keweenaw Peninsula just to the north.
What Twin Lakes lacks in acreage and headline-grabbing features, it compensates for with a pleasant swimming beach, a well-maintained 62-site modern campground, productive fishing on Lake Roland, and its position as a convenient base camp for exploring the extraordinary natural and historical attractions of the Keweenaw Peninsula—including the Porcupine Mountains, Lake of the Clouds, copper mine tours, and the wild, windswept shoreline of Lake Superior.
Lake Roland
Lake Roland is the park’s centerpiece—a picturesque, moderately sized inland lake surrounded by dense northern forest. The lake supports a healthy warm and cold-water fishery including walleye, northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, perch, and panfish. A boat launch within the park provides access for trailered boats, kayaks, and canoes.
The designated swimming beach features a sandy shoreline and gradual entry into the lake’s clear, dark-tinted water. Like most Upper Peninsula lakes, the water temperature remains cool through much of the summer but typically reaches comfortable swimming temperatures (mid-60s to low 70s°F) by late July.
The Campground
- 62 Modern Sites: Grass-surfaced sites accommodating tents, pop-ups, travel trailers, and RVs
- Electrical Hookups: Available at most sites
- Facilities: Modern restrooms with hot showers, drinking water, dump station
- Playground: Children’s play area
- Season: Approximately mid-May through mid-October
- Character: Quiet, rarely fully booked except on major holiday weekends. The park’s remote location ensures a genuinely peaceful camping experience.
ORV Access
Twin Lakes is one of the relatively few Michigan state parks that permits ORV (off-road vehicle) operation to and from the park, connecting to the regional ORV trail network. This makes it a convenient staging point for ATV and ORV enthusiasts exploring the extensive trail systems that thread through the forests of Houghton and Ontonagon Counties.
Bill Nicholls Trail
The park provides access to the Bill Nicholls Trail, a multi-use trail built on a former railroad grade that extends for miles through the surrounding forest. The trail is available for hiking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, and ORV use depending on the season, providing long-distance trail recreation far beyond the boundaries of the small park itself.
Gateway to the Keweenaw
Twin Lakes’ greatest strategic value may be its location as a base camp for exploring the wider Keweenaw region—one of the most scenically dramatic and historically fascinating areas in the entire Upper Peninsula.
- Porcupine Mountains Wilderness (45 min west): 60,000 acres of old-growth forest, the iconic Lake of the Clouds overlook, and some of the best backcountry hiking in the Midwest
- Copper Harbor and Brockway Mountain (1 hr north): The tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, with stunning Lake Superior views, mountain biking, and the Copper Harbor Lighthouse
- Historic Copper Mines: The Quincy Mine in Hancock and the Delaware Mine near Copper Harbor offer underground tours of the 19th-century copper workings
- Lake Superior Shoreline: Multiple access points to Lake Superior’s wild, rocky coastline within 30–45 minutes of the park
Seasonal Guide
Spring (May–June)
Campground opens mid-May. Black flies and mosquitoes can be intense. Wildflowers emerge. Fishing season opens on Lake Roland.
Summer (July–August)
Peak season but still rarely crowded. Swimming, fishing, boating. Excellent base for Keweenaw exploration.
Autumn (September–October)
Spectacular fall color throughout the region. Campground availability is excellent. The Porcupine Mountains and Brockway Mountain are at their most dramatic during color season.
Winter (November–April)
Campground closed. The region receives massive snowfall (200+ inches annually). Snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing on surrounding trail systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring my ATV/ORV to Twin Lakes? Yes. Twin Lakes is an ORV-friendly park that permits ORV operation to and from the park, connecting to regional trail systems.
How remote is Twin Lakes? Very. The park is located near Toivola in Houghton County—one of the most sparsely populated areas in Michigan. The nearest full-service town is Houghton/Hancock, approximately 30 miles north.
Is this a good base for visiting the Porcupine Mountains? Yes. The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is approximately 45 minutes to the west, making Twin Lakes a reasonable base camp—though campsites within the Porcupine Mountains themselves provide a more immersive experience.
