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    Charles Mears State Park

    3.7 (7 reviews)

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    Ludington State Park - My dog @ Ludington State Park

    Ludington State Park

    4.7(60 reviews)
    17.6 mi

    I stopped in here for half a day to do some hiking and get my nature fix before moving on to my…read morenext road trip destination. The road to the entrance is full of sand dunes and beaches on Lake Michigan before turning into a wooded area at the actual park. We got to see a Bald Eagle perched upon a tree as we entered the park. The park has several RV camp sites that to me looked to be right on top of each other. They pack them in like sardines but I think that is the norm at these type of places these days. Not sure what the cost is to camp but for non-residents to come in for a day pass it was 11.00 per day. We decided to do the Lost Lake trail which is a loop across a couple islands on Hamlin Lake (yes there are bridges, you don't need to bring your snorkel). The hike was relatively void of people only passing a few along the way. I did see a hand full of people kayaking on the lake and a few more kayaks parked on the bank near the campground. The hike is 2.1 miles long and relatively flat the whole way. I wanted to do the lighthouse trail as well but there wasn't enough time. Great place to get your nature fix via kayak or foot. Not sure I would want to camp here on a weekend though unless you want Billy Bob and Mary Sue's 7 rugrats running around your site screaming.

    My bestie and I spent 2 days here camping in her Winnebago. Each site is very scenic and spacious,…read morewith beautiful forest surrounding you. The amenities are wonderful. Bathrooms and showers are spacious and clean. Staff is courteous and very helpful, as well.

    Photos
    Ludington State Park - Ludington State Park

    Ludington State Park

    Ludington State Park - Ludington State Park Campground

    Ludington State Park Campground

    Ludington State Park - A bald eagle on Lake Michigan at the entrance

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    A bald eagle on Lake Michigan at the entrance

    Whispering Surf Campground - Bass Lake Beach

    Whispering Surf Campground

    5.0(5 reviews)
    3.3 mi

    Very clean and quiet campground, mostly travel trailers and seniors . Our grandchildren had the…read moreplay area and beech almost to themselves ! Quit time is enforced as well as low speed limit . No hot dog teens racing around. Joy

    We really love this campground! The Pentwater/Ludington area is probably our favorite area to camp…read more We have friends who have a seasonal site here so we decided to try it this year. We have always camped at Mears State Park...after camping at Whispering Surf this will be our first choice! First off the owners Jane and Andy and great! They are super nice, knowledgeable and want you to enjoy your stay while being respectful of other campers and their property. I was extremely impressed how they dealt with the Covid restrictions...We felt extremely safe and my family was able to enjoy our camping experience! First off, I don't know about you but my husband and I do not always communicate great when parking our camper...well forget about that at Whispering Surf....The Campground Host will guide you to your site and instruct the driver exactly which way to turn the wheel to get the camper parked on the site perfectly! This is AMAZING!!!! We love the full hookup! They come around twice a day and pick up your garbage from your campsite. They have an app they use called campers app in which you can order wood, ice, firewood, fire starters, Hershey Bar, marshmallows, graham crackers, and more...they they deliver the items to your site. They have a small mini golf course, and play ground however they were not used much due to Covid. This campground is VERY nice, VERY maintained but not fancy...it is perfect for us...we are camping. There is a little resort next door that rents very basic older pontoons for full or half day for very low prices. Which is great if you want to putter around bass lake. The people we have met at Whispering Surf have been kind, diverse and from all walks of life. Quiet hours are similar to most campgrounds, as long as your outside music is off and you can't be heard and aren't disturbing other campers it didn't seem to be problem for us to be out by our fire after quiet hours. We love this campground and plan on booking several spots for next season!

    Photos
    Whispering Surf Campground - Panoramic pic of the beach and dock area...not a great photo I'm not the best photographer

    Panoramic pic of the beach and dock area...not a great photo I'm not the best photographer

    Whispering Surf Campground - Bass Lake- Whispering's Surf dock in which you can bring a boat or fish from.

    Bass Lake- Whispering's Surf dock in which you can bring a boat or fish from.

    Whispering Surf Campground - Lake Michigan- a short walk from Whispering Surf 1/2 -3/4 mile to Sunset Beach.  Makes for a nice early morning walk.

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    Lake Michigan- a short walk from Whispering Surf 1/2 -3/4 mile to Sunset Beach. Makes for a nice early morning walk.

    North Breakwater Light - There is a light(house) that never goes out

    North Breakwater Light

    5.0(4 reviews)
    12.2 mi

    This was my first time in Ludington. I have heard so much about it, and I was excited to finally…read moremake it here. My friend said this is his favorite westside town. I was impressed my the marina and the great beach. The beach was super busy and we found our way to the lighthouse. It's a bit of a walk so be prepared to bring comfortable shoes. We enjoyed watching the ships come into port. If you happen to be out this way, I highly suggest making a trip out to the lighthouse. Not only is it a beautiful backdrop, it's also a great place to take pictures.

    A very tough…read morelighthouse The very first lighthouse in the area was established in 1871 but didn't last very long and was washed away in a huge storm a few years later. Since Ludington was becoming an extremely important harbor a new and stronger light was obviously needed. Debates about whether to put the new lighthouse on the south or north pier raged for years, and the exact kind of lighthouse was also a very contentious subject. So of course nothing got done. Finally around 1924 the present lighthouse was constructed at the end of the half mile north concrete pier. Since the area is know for very intense and powerful storms, the engineers wanted to make sure the lighthouse was strong enough to withstand anything that the howling gales of Lake Michigan could throw at it. So they went all out when they designed and built this light. The lighthouse is constructed with a steel frame in addition to steel plating added to the outside. And to increase the structural integrity of the lighthouse a strange looking prow, similar to that on a large ship, was added at the bottom to deflect the larger waves. Pretty cool looking and when viewed from a distance, almost makes the lighthouse seem like it's sailing across the horizon. The fourth order Fresnel Lens was removed and is passed around to various local maritime museums. The lighthouse can be reached by walking out to the end of the half mile pier but going out they in storms and blizzards is probably not a good idea. During the summer the lighthouse is open and for five bucks the public can climb the 53 stairs to the top. Certainly not the tallest, biggest, oldest or most important lighthouse in Michigan but with the steel plates added over the steel frame and the addition of the cool prow, this is definitely one of the very toughest and strongest lighthouses anywhere.

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    North Breakwater Light
    North Breakwater Light - South Pier tower.

    South Pier tower.

    North Breakwater Light - Unfortunately the lighthouse is only open in the summer.

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    Unfortunately the lighthouse is only open in the summer.

    Charles Mears State Park - beaches - Updated May 2026

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