Love this area! Just north of Ludington with way less traffic and completely different adventures!…read moreYou can walk in and camp basically right on the beach here, which is absolutely dreamy and there are just such wonderful hiking trails throughout that offer you challenges and just the most gorgeous sights as well! This spot definitely isn't for everyone and there won't be any "easy" hikes. Nordhouse Dunes makes you work for it, but the payoff is immense and completely worth it! Uninterrupted access to Lake Michigan and stunning vibes - what more could you ask for?! Love Nordhouse Dunes!!

It's crowded but the hike is nice. We were there the first week of September and I was surprised to…read moresee the campground full of campers. I got some great shots with my cannon and my kids enjoyed the hike...it was longer than we thought it would be!

My friends and I were supposed to go to a music festival out of the state last fall but of course…read moreplans changed, so we decided to book a camping weekend at Orchard Beach State Park instead. Located in Manistee, there is plenty to do nearby but unfortunately the weather was pretty rainy for most of the weekend we were there. The access to the beach was closed due to erosion but there are other beaches available. Checking in was easy and there is onsite ice and firewood for sale. The host site was awesome with lots of books for use and a whiteboard with local info. Our site had water and electric hookup, so we were tucked in amongst several RVs and motor homes. The campground was very quiet, which was nice! The restroom facilities were clean and functional, although one had a small set of stairs leading into the actual bathroom area which made it not so accessible. We were on spot 95, which is right near the highway. We knew this going in and could see from the photos that it didn't look that close. Well, it was pretty close, and very loud with road noise. This wasn't a big deal for us but if noise bothers you I'd skip this part of the campground. Another thing to note is that some of the sites hold water when it's been raining, so maybe not the best for tent camping. Our site seemed ok but it was mostly dirt so it did get a little muddy. Nothing too terrible, though. Overall we enjoyed our stay but this definitely wasn't my favorite of the state parks we've visited or camped at. There is a nice lookout point over the lake that made for some nice photos, and getting into town was easy.

Small compared to other state parks across Michigan, but a stunning state park nonetheless located…read moreon bluffs above Lake Michigan! The campground is wonderful and we really loved that it was one that was more underrated and less trafficked. We had a prime camping spot with an uninterrupted view of the lake and even though the weather we had during this weekend wasn't the best, we made do with cozy time in the tent, did a hike through the state park that was lovely and well maintained, and explored the nearby downtown of Manistee, of which Orchard Beach State Park is located just 5-10 minutes north! A wonderful weekend and state park in my books!

Stearns Beach Park is such a nice, clean, accessible beach, and there's so much to do around it…read morethat it makes for a really easy beach day. There's a paved path that takes you down pretty close to the water, with plenty of places to sit along the way, which makes the beach really accessible for just about everyone. You can also walk out onto the lighthouse, which is a fun little addition to the beach. We didn't spend quite as much time here on this trip because we were exploring some of the other areas around Ludington, but we've enjoyed coming here. I wouldn't say this is the most beautiful or dramatic beach we've been to. It's a big, open stretch of beach without a ton of natural scenery. But it definitely makes up for that with the views and everything around it. You have the harbor right next to you, and the SS Badger regularly passes by, which is really cool to watch. The water itself is beautiful, and there's something fun about being able to sit on the beach and watch the boats coming and going. Another huge plus is the location. You can easily walk into the cute little beach town for food, drinks, and shops, and there's a skate park and mini golf nearby too. You really don't have to move your car once you get here. Overall, it's a clean, convenient, family-friendly beach with great accessibility and plenty to do nearby. It may not have the dramatic scenery of some of Michigan's other beaches, but the location and atmosphere make it absolutely worth visiting when you're in Ludington!

Is parking to the beach suggest you get there early. Two pavilions with food and restrooms. They…read morehave handicap accessible mats all the way down from parking lot to the water. There is a pier to walk and a good 1/2 mile of sandy beach to walk. Have not seen any sharks and there is zero salt in the water. Win win for today!

Super nice beach with chilly water. Very family friendly. There's a spring feeding water so you get…read morethat chilly spring water out of otter creek.

Love this beach. Beautiful and usually uncrowded, also a popular spot to swim and sunbath naked…read more Just cross the creek and look for a remote spot and don't be surprised if you see others relaxing in the nude.

Amazing waterfront and it is free to public. Long stretch of soft sand and clear water…read more The piers near the beach is popular for fisherman. It was too cold to swim when I got here but it was still nice to laydown and watch a Chinook helicopter circling around the lighthouse.

Small play scape area. Unused tennis court and basketball net…read more Nearby is the US coast guards. Nice spot of beach for a break and walk and to check out the lighthouse at the piers. There are two piers here.

It's a beautiful place to visit, but just be very careful if there are high winds, waves or storms…read morecoming in. This USCG rescue happened Tuesday September 7, 2021: A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued two fishermen who were stranded on the Frankfort Pier in Lake Michigan overnight. UpNorthLive.com reports the two men went out on the pier to go fishing on Tuesday night, but strong wind gusts and high waves rolled in, making it too dangerous to leave the pier. They ended up staying overnight hoping conditions would calm down, but eventually called the Benzie County Sheriff's Office for help. https://www.mlive.com/news/2021/09/fishermen-rescued-by-uscg-helicopter-after-spending-night-stranded-on-lake-michigan-pier.html

One of my all-time favorite spots to pier-jump because one side of the pier is super protected from…read morethe wind and waves, it's plenty deep, you have lots of company, everybody cheers the rest of the group on and so many et ceteras. It doesn't hurt that every time I pier-dive there people are totally wowed by my back dive, even though it really isn't that snazzy a trick (I saw a guy do a gainer flip off there this week -- now THAT'S brave). On our recent visit, the water was Caribbean clear on the calm side of the pier, and we had the best time watching the fish and oohing and aahing at the beautifully rippled sand beneath us. This is also a stellar spot to watch the sunset, to lie down on at night and watch the stars, and it's adjacent to the most awesome beach in Michigan (although glass is prohibited, alcohol isn't, and they even have a dog-run area where pooches can play off-leash). It's all a big bunch of "la" (my favorite joy-word), if you ask me!

A very nice beach that feels like it's the heart of Frankfort. The views are spectacular ,…read moreespecially when storming or . The sand is pristine and one of my favorite things is the plethora of benches. Normally your lucky for 4 or 5. It feels like there's 80+ here. Watching the large waves crash into the pier creating giant splashes is an awesome sight. The lighthouse at the end of the pier is very nice, nothing spectacular, but a classic none the less. There always seems to be people surfing and sailboarding. Plus people playing with kites. Overall an easy 5 star review! Would I return? You betcha!

Beautiful, clean beach and the most stunning water I've seen in a long time. Parking is a bit…read morelimited, but we got there before noon, so wasn't a problem on a weekday. Uncrowded, family-friendly and a beautiful pier with a graffitied lighthouse to walk out to. Very cool. One of the prettiest beaches I've been to in the U.S.

I got to see my first redwood/sequoia trees here. I am so grateful I was able to experience the…read moretrees here and learn about how they thrive here despite usually growing well in California. They have proven to do well in the extremely diverse weather changes that Michigan can bring. If I could come back here every week I would because it just made me so happy. Science was always hard for me, but the unit in high school where we learned about nothing but trees for a month was the only one I enjoyed. Definitely come here if nature, or specifically trees, is your thing

What a special place !! Besides having the most scenic and peaceful beach, they also have a…read morefabulous arboretum. We met the properties manager, what a great guy, he gave us the history and took time to talk to us. We just loved this piece of heaven !!

Such a beautiful scenic area with plenty of short distance hikes that offer fantasies views for the…read moreminimum effort requires. We have the national park pass which we were able to use during our visit. We stopped by numerous overlooks and of course, the main one where you can see the two land mass/bear cubs lay and the mama bear watching over them. You can read about the lore and why this area is named sleeping bear dunes. It's a cute, albeit sad story of love and loyalty and never leaving behind those you love. Now on to the wondrous nature view you'll find here. Sand dunes, yes! But also a beautiful lake view unobstructed by modern buildings. Pure nature beauty. This really is a place to visit. Don't skip it if you're in the area! It is dog friendly. There was even a kind man up on top of the dunes overlooks giving treats to pups. Our pup enjoyed the treats and the attention and I enjoyed creating memories with her and my husband in the middle of nature. Go check it out!

Sleeping Bear Dunes is a must if you are nearby! There are beaches that are free to enter, but to…read morego into the actual park and see the big dunes, you have to pay $20 per car, or you can get in with a National Parks pass. Most of it is drivable once you're in, and you can park your car off to the side of the road and view multiple different overlooks. The dunes are huge I was surprised. They're much bigger than I am used to seeing at Indiana Dunes! We stopped at the Lake Michigan overlook. There's a parking lot with plenty of parking. To get up to the overlook, you'll have to walk up a smallish sand dune. It's easier if you take your shoes off. Once you get up, there's super steep dunes that many people attempt to go all the way down then climb up on all fours. It's extremely hard to get back up!! Walking through sand is not easy. There's even a sign that warns you of the dangers of doing so and the damage it does to the dunes. There was a firetruck and ambulance on sight ready to rescue anyone.

This little off-the-beaten-path nature preserve came across my radar thanks to AllTrails app. We…read morewere heading back down south to wrap up our vacation and decided to check this short 2-mile trail out after leaving Sleeping Bear. I'll say that this was one of my favorite trails we hiked (and yes, that includes the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore). It was very, very clean, had beach access, and literally no one was anywhere in sight (aside from a few hikersby), it's a relatively simple trail. Has great views, both at ocean level and also above to give you different perspectives. One of my fave hikes in the area and I would highly, highly recommend checking it out. Use AllTrails app for more hike-related details!