In America, there are few campgrounds that compare to those in Michigan. With over 14,000 campsites nestled in Michigan State Parks, it’s no wonder the state ranks number one in the country for total number of sites and overnight attendance. Campers, however, aren’t attracted to the numbers. They love what the sites have to offer - ages old hardwood forests filled with regional flora and fauna and golden sunrises and sunsets over the largest freshwater system in the world.
If you’re looking for great places to camp, here are several State Park campgrounds located throughout Michigan that offer something for everyone.
P.J. Hoffmaster State Park
The P.J. Hoffmaster State Park has a modern campsite located on the southwestern side of Michigan. Campers can set up their tents on spacious lots surrounded by trees and sleep to the sound of Lake Michigan waves. While you can enjoy a meal in the picnic area or have your children play on the playground near the camping area, most campers will really enjoy the three miles of sandy beach on Lake Michigan that are perfect for swimming or working on your tan. Hoffmaster is also a great place for hikers. Most trails winding through the forest have an 8% grade or higher and many lead you up and around sand dunes more than 700 feet above sea level. Along these trails, nature lovers and bird watchers will enjoy seeing regional wildflowers, birds, and animals. They can also browse through the E. Genevieve Gillette Sand Dune Visitor Center, which features exhibits on the dune habitat. If you are looking for alternatives to roughing it, Hoffmaster is situated between the lakeside town of Grand Haven and the city of Muskegon, so there is always plenty to do.
Leelanau State Park
The Leelanau Peninsula is one of the most beautiful and charming areas of Michigan, which makes it ideal for campers. The Leelanau State Park, located in rural Northport, has a rustic campsite that offers a variety of amenities for campers. Visitors can swim in Lake Michigan, walk on the pebble covered beach, and maybe find a Petoskey stone or two. Hikers can enjoy nearly nine miles of trails leading through field and forest. The park is perfect for picnics and families with children will enjoy the playground areas. While nature lovers can catch a glimpse of wildlife in the brush land and wooded areas, the Leelanau State Park also permits hunters to go deer or rabbit hunting in the appropriate season. Visitors may also enjoy seeing the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum, which provides a history of the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, situated in the park, and the surrounding area.
Van Riper State Park
If you’re interested in history, you may want to stay in the modern or rustic campsites at Van Riper State Park, located 17 miles from Ishpeming in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In the 1800s, iron ore was discovered here and a prosperous mining industry developed in the area. Hikers can view remnants of that industry on the Miner’s Loop Trail while bird watchers and nature lovers can glimpse moose and other northern Michigan wildlife on the park’s other trails. Van Riper is also situated on Lake Michigamme, an inland lake with warm, calm waters that offers a nice alternative to the Great Lakes. With a beach area and a boat landing in the park, Van Riper is perfect for taking a swim, going fishing, or taking your boat, canoe, or kayak out on the lake.
Tahquamenon Falls State Park
While you’re traveling through the Upper Peninsula, you may also want to plan some time at the Tahquamenon Falls State Park. If you’re familiar with Longfellow’s Hiawatha, these are the beautiful falls and landscape that inspired the poem. The park features nearly 40,000 acres of undeveloped forest that surround the Upper Falls, one of the largest east of the Mississippi River, and the Lower Falls, a series of smaller falls. There are four campgrounds in the park with two overlooking the Lower Falls. Experienced hikers can enjoy 25 miles of trails, while nature lovers and bird watchers can participate in free guided tours through the park. Visitors can also rent canoes at the basin of the falls and boat or fish in the waters.
Straits State Park
If you are driving into or from the Upper Peninsula, consider staying at Straits State Park in St. Ignace. The modern campgrounds offer sites that are tree covered, in open view, or on Lake Huron. Many have views of historic Mackinac Island or the Mackinac Bridge. Hikers can explore the trails around the park, which lead to an observation platform that provides a view of the Mackinac Straits. Boaters can launch their crafts and fish in Lake Huron. If you need a break from roughing it, you can enjoy the shops and restaurants in quaint St. Ignace or across the bridge in Mackinac City. You can also catch a ferry and spend the day on Mackinac Island.
Tawas Point State Park
Tawas Bay has been called the “Cape Cod of the Midwest.” With its picturesque views of Lake Huron, its excellent fishing, and the Victorian-era Tawas Point Lighthouse, it’s easy to see why. Travelers to this area can make the most of their visit by camping at the Tawas Point State Park. Situated on the end of the sand split that forms Tawas Bay, the modern campground has a beach that’s perfect for swimming. While the boat launch is outside of the park, the waters around the point are great for sailing or fishing for pike, perch, or small-mouth bass. The Sandy Hook Nature Trail offers hikers an excellent view of the lighthouse in the park and leads to the tip of Tawas Point. With so many birds and animals in the area, the park is also ideal for bird-watchers and nature lovers.
Bay City Recreation Area
The Bay City Recreation Area is home to Tobico Marsh, a 2,000 acre wetland area that is one of the largest remaining freshwater, coastal wetlands on the Great Lakes. Nature-lovers and bird-watchers can view the variety of water fowl and migratory birds which visit the park. They can also view the park’s award-winning Saginaw Bay Visitor Center, which presents exhibits on local wildlife and their bay habitat, and then hit the Andersen Nature Trail, a three-mile stretch of converted railway line. Hikers and bicyclists can also enjoy this trail which leads into the Bay City Trailway System. If you enjoy hunting, deer, small game, and waterfowl hunting are permitted during the appropriate season. Visitors can also enjoy fishing can cast off at an accessible fishing pier or boat in the Tobico Lagoon.
Most State Park campgrounds are open from mid-April until Labor Day, but there are some that open earlier or close later in the season. You can learn more about the campsites mentioned above and the hundreds of others in Michigan State Parks by contacting the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. No matter what campsite you visit, you are sure to have a wonderfully unforgettable experience.
