The place is known to many in the area as “the old Ramada Inn.” The hotel building contained restaurants and a swimming pool. The area behind it was a KOA campground.

After the Ramada period, the hotel and land became the Bayside Wilderness Inn and Campground. At some point, the building was converted to house tribal medical offices, and a deli operated out of the west side, reported new owner Jill Hoffmann.

When complete, Campfire Shores will offer tent camping, RV hookups, a bathhouse, glamping domes, hiking trails, yard games, picnic area, pavilion, outdoor bar plus a renovated hotel.

According to Zillow, the 33,000-square-foot building at 6596W U.S. Highway 2 was built in 1972. The place has been sitting vacant since 2010, falling apart, growing mold and tempting vandals to break in and smash windows and more.

A 50-year-old hotel that once had attached restaurants has been sitting vacant for 16 years, but has recently been purchased along with an adjoining campground. The new owner has bg plans to turn the whole property into enjoyment for visitors and locals. (Google photo)

Hoffmann, a biologist, used to travel frequently to the Upper Peninsula, which she finds to be a beautiful place. Originally from Sheboygan, Wis., she grew up on Lake Michigan and says the lake has always felt like home.

Professionally, Hoffmann operates an environmental consulting company in Indianapolis and runs a nonprofit to protect the White River.

“I’ve spent my career dedicated to, you know, doing environmental work and protecting the environment. And so coming to the U.P. has always been special because it’s so undisturbed in many ways,” Hoffmann explained.

After she finally bought some property in the area, she was driving past the practically-ignored hotel and campground regularly.

“I just kept saying to everybody in my life, basically, ‘Somebody should do something with that.’ And then eventually I was like, ‘I think I want to do something with that,'” Hoffmann said. “And maybe that can be this, you know, sort of next chapter of my life where I could have a canvas to teach people about nature and let them fall in love with it and enjoy it with their families.”

Shown is one of five domes that offer visitors unique shelter at Campfire Shores. The destination also has 22 sites for trailer camping and five rustic ones for tents. (Photo courtsesy of Jill Hoffmann)

In 2022, Hoffmann bought the inn and campground. She said it took about a year to sort out various issues with zoning. She also decided to buy an adjoining lot with 20 undeveloped acres and turn it into an area for nature walks.

Converting the campground to be usable again was one of the first objectives.

The 40 existing sites — designed for simple tent camping of the 1970s and ’80s — were small, close together and lacked some amenities, so “we have then condensed some of the sites into larger sites so that we can accommodate picnic tables and fire rings and a parking spot at each one,” Hoffmann said.

Now, there are 22 sites for campers that offer hookups, five tent sites and five glamping sites. The latter is under construction, but the campsites opened in 2025.

Another major project was the construction of a brand-new bathhouse, erected last year.

A site for RV or trailers has a gravel pad, fire ring, picnic table, water and electric hookups and use of a bathhouse and dump station. Some sites have septic. (Photo via campfireshores.com)

“Inside (the bathhouse), you’ll find spacious ADA-accessible showers, multiple sinks with convenient outlets, super-flush toilets, and benches for your belongings. To top it off, the space is decorated with beautiful, locally inspired wildlife photography,” says the Campfire Shores website.

Hoffmann, tuned into and appreciative of the natural environment, wanted to make the scenery visible to visitors. On that 20-acre undeveloped space next to the hotel, she laid out paths — four small loops — to optimize the experience without disturbing the habitat.

“I wanted to be able to see all the different features, because there’s a lot of really beautiful wetlands on the front side of the property, but then it goes back to sand dunes,” she said. “And then, of course, the property is backed up by the main ATV snowmobile trail, so off the backside … we’ll be able to accommodate snowmobilers and side-by-side riders right out the back door.”

A local business, Agawa-rentals, will likely be partnering with Campfire Shores and may offer to deliver snowmobiles, bikes and UTVs to guests at the campground.

Hoffmann referred to the experience she and Lapp aim to provide as “boutique camping” and “return-to-nature camping” with a full outdoor experience, however visitors wish to engage with it.

“To be real close to the city and still have a place to do nature-based camping is, I think, unusual,” Hoffmann remarked. “I wanted to make sure it was a destination, not just for tourists.”

The future building, and even some activities like guided hikes on the trails, will be planned with the intention of being open to the public, not just campers and hotel guests.

This summer, Campfire Shores hopes to erect an outdoor pavilion that could be used for various events. Hoffmann suggested that she might end up hosting live music, art shows, movie nights and fitness activities.

A food truck from Germfask, Scheffer’s Street Eats and Catering, has already agreed to partner with Campfire Shores, so people can expect to find them onsite several days a week this summer.

Dealing with the old hotel building will be a big undertaking, but Hoffmann has been making steps. Just last week, Schoolcraft County approved a Brownfield plan for the property, which will provide Campfire Shores with tax incentives to remodel.

“A good part of the building will have to come down just because of the condition, but part of it will be saved,” Hoffmann relayed.

Further along in the process and nearly ready for booking are the glamping domes, each of which is 525 square feet and sleeps four.

To make a reservation or learn more about the year-long business of Campfire Shores and its renovation process, readers may visit campfireshores.com or call 906-254-1384.