Route advice for winter backpacking trip in Manistee

My buddy and I are planning on heading up to the Manistee area within the next couple of weeks for a winter backpacking trip. Currently the talk is to drive out to the Tippy Dam Recreation Area, Park, and hike northeast towards the National Scenic Trail.

Looking for input if anyone has done similar dispersed winter camping along this route, and if there are better options we should look into instead.