My husband, my parents and myself have been planning a trip to Mears Michigan so we could visit the…read moredunes at Silver Lake State Park for over a year. We had been looking forward to seeing all the park has to offer for so long and the views alone exceeded our expectations beyond measure. Do keep in mind that the sand can get extremely hot so come prepared to create a barrier between your feel and the sand. If you are a fan of visiting state parks, Silver Lake is a must stop. I am so grateful I was able to visit.

This review is for the campground only. Campsites are irregularly sized, spaced and oriented and…read moresince it's almost all bare dirt, it's very difficult to identify where each begins and ends, resulting in people setting up and parking kinda wherever they want. Power poles are shared with four sites almost requiring that you have at least 50' of power cord to reach the one for your site. We had to switch sites twice before we got one that our standard 25' cord would reach. Only two dump drains and 2 bathhouses for 205 sites - not enough. Many sites with multiple vehicles, ORVs, boats, etc. so it's just extremely busy. Definitely not worth the nearly $62 a night it cost (includes $12 daily use fee, but not the $8 reservation fee) for electric only hookup. We won't stay here again.

I literally can't rave enough about this incredible farm! We spent 6 hours here today with our 8 &…read more6 year old and they still weren't ready to leave. The farm is absolutely meticulously maintained. I notice those little details and clearly, they take them serious. It's clean, beautiful, and so thoughtfully laid out with conveniently placed bathrooms and food options. It's clear serious thought has been put into activities and infrastructure at this farm. There is SO MUCH for all ages to do! Again, our kids would've stayed to play for several more hours if we had let them. The food options were delicious! Don't miss their lemonade and carne asada tacos! We also loved their home-cooked kettle chips! The coffee was so good my husband went back for a second one before we le What an absolute gem for this area to have! Highly recommend spending a day at this incredible farm while you're in the area!

Traveling between Ludington and Muskegon we decided to stop and check out the baked goods. We…read morebought 4 different donuts. All 4 were meh. I had a maple bacon frosted donut. Couldn't taste the maple or the bacon. Hubs had a filled croissant that he said was better than the frosted donut he had. Very sweet and I'm not much of a sweet eater so.... We also bought 2 loaves of bread. The Everything bread we toasted this morning and it was excellent. Great flavor to the bread, a dense bread with good crumb, with a heavy "everything" exterior seasoning that was wonderful! The second loaf is a Jalapeno cheddar. It has a white flour bread base so a lighter density and negligible crumb. The jalapeño and cheddar were barely there. Just on the exterior of the loaf. Still made decent toast.

Today we went to Silver Lake Dunes and rented the RZR from Wild Bill's. It was so awesome! All…read morethe guys were extremely nice and helpful - especially my guy Mike who helped me TWICE - once when I couldn't start the damn thing and when I got stuck at the top of the biggest hill. It was a beautiful day, not busy at all, and super fun! Thanks Wild Bill! And wear the goggles!!!

We just did this adventure yesterday And it was the most fun vacation excursion I've ever done. Way…read moremore fun than snorkeling or scuba diving. Way more fun than skiing or hiking through fountains. This was awesome! I have to say as the driver, this was pushing all of my man buttons and a few times had my wife holding her breath! I can't wait to be able to do it again. Great service, great tour guide... And one wild ride!

The Wolverines do not have 5 point seatbelts... the dunes can be a rough ride, need harness…read moreprotection not just standard seatbelts. Sustained a vertical acceleration/deceleration injury requiring ER visit.

Their 4-seater buggys DO NOT handle even the small sand dunes well. Maybe with 1-2 people they can…read moreperform. They tried to charge me HUNDREDS of dollars for one of the buggy's wheels breaking when I was merely driving straight a FEW MINUTES after I got to the dunes. Ridiculous. The Wolverine machines work better, but go somewhere else. Avoid and find a better rental place.

Good trails for almost every rider. A bit of sand of course but nothing aggressive. A few…read moreelevation changes but most will enjoy these trails while on your western Michigan vacation.

Trails are reasonably well marked, but the ground on the blue and green trails was torn up and…read moreuneven from some machine (5/26/26) perhaps from trying to groom ski trails with too little snow. The only loop that was somewhat attractive was the red loop which was not torn up ground and actually had some topography and a bit better forest ecosystem. The entire place is sandy with limited tree species and no old growth trees. Lots of scrub pine and unattractive oaks. The cottonwood section might be nice in fall. The only thing that could be considered a vista on the pathways is where major logging took out 95% of the trees and it is mostly a stubble field, but not beautiful. This review is from a hiking perspective that had no good natural beauty payoff for the hiking effort. There are no streams or ponds on the property, but still mosquito thick. I do not recommend hiking here, it would probably be better for mountain or fat tire biking as moving quickly through the forest has it's charms even if the hike was underwhelming. I would not hike here again as there was no signature beauty to bring me back.

Charles Mears State Park is a park along Lake Michigan in Pentwater. Donated by the daughter of a…read morelumber baron in the early 20th century, it's now a popular camping site perfect for RVs and even tent campers. Here's why to go: 1) Price: Most people have annual passes for $30 or so making it pretty affordable. (It's $9 a day for out-of-state cars to park,) Our camo site was $40 a night and it fit our two tents for four adults and three kids. 2) Space: With all the RVs everywhere it does get crowded, but each camping space is spacious and we didn't feel on top of others. 3) Amenities: The bathrooms were near our site with individual showers. Unlike other camp grounds, the bathrooms are kept very clean. They never smelled and were never dirty. Kudos to the cleaning team for keeping them spotless despite a full camp site. Each camp site comes with a fire pit. 4) Beach: It's a short walk from the camp site with several playgrounds for kids and dunes with benches and places to hang up a hammock. On the beach is a shop with food, fire wood ($6 per fire wood pile) and ice cream. 5) Location: It's a very short walk to the main street of Pentwater with a mini golf course, shops and even coffee shops!

We went here for a swim with a large group and had a blast. My youngest was a little nervous about…read morethe bigger waves and she and I were able to go closer to the pier where they weren't as large while still being close enough to the group playing in the big waves to be included. The water was clear and clean with a great little centrally located shop serving ice cream, and beach necessities right next to the bathrooms.

Sunday Funday? You bet! My husband and I, along with my in-laws, just spent our Sunday catching…read morefish with Captain Mitch of Reel Teaser II in Manistee, MI! I am hooked! As a first timer, I was enamored with the magnitude of available charters and was nervous about picking the right one! Thankfully we received glowing recommendations for Real Teaser and I now know why. Captain Mitch and First Mate Dave worked incredibly hard to ensure we had the best outing. Within minutes of leaving the dock, five salmon took the bait and the boat swung in to action. Reeling in my first fish was exciting and way more difficult than I had anticipated! Thankfully, Dave was in the trenches showing me how to wear the feisty fish out and properly reel him in! It was an adrenaline rush catching one after the other! Reel Teaser worked hard to ensure we caught what we could, constantly switching out bait, traveling to different depths at various speeds. We had a great time and the 16 Salmon were just a sprinkle on the Sundae! I am already planning another trip with them in August! If you are interested in trying it out, I couldn't give a higher recommendation to Reel Teaser II!

From the owner: Your trip begins aboard a 33’ Trojan with a 13’8" beam and room for 6 passengers. It comes with…read moredownriggers and all the essentials. There’s a toilet on board for your convenience. Your captain will provide rods and reels, as well as lures. There will be a First Mate on board to help your trip run smoothly. Mates work hard to make your trip count, so a tip is customary. You need to get a Michigan fishing license before the trip. This information is usually available online, or you can ask the captain. Young ones are welcome, so feel free to make a family day out of it! Children must wear life vests, so find out if the appropriate size is available on board. Some essentials to bring are snacks, drinks, sunglasses, sunblock (non-spray), warm clothes, and a hat. Alcohol is allowed in moderation, but you should avoid hard liquor as well as glass bottles. Go ahead and treat yourself to a day on the water with Reel Teaser II Charters.

This course has fun features (e.g., two holes that require the golfer to land her ball in the…read morespokes of a water wheel) without any trick holes. The proprietors were very nice and it kept all the features I liked a few decades ago.

Pentwater Mini Golf is a little run down, but it's still worth a visit while vacationing in…read morePentwater, Michigan. On a recent camping weekend to Mears State Park, we walked just a few minutes from our campsite to the mini golf course. After the worker gave us a steep discount, we were off to play the 18-hole course. Each hole was different and they did a good job of making each hole attainable for kids and fun for adults. Some of the holes need repair, but nothing that hindered our game. It was a fun afternoon activity!

Absolute MUST stop if you have pups and are in the area. This was arguably the highlight of our…read moretrip. Brought our two teens, our 5mo puppy and our 7yo senior dog. Our senior one is not very energetic and was never much of a retriever. WELL, he LOVED retrieving the ball & competing with the pup. BEST PART: they both learned how to swim here!!! Oh how I wish we had something like this near our home!

Wow what a hidden Gem. Hidden away between Muskegon and Whitehall. You pull into a nice ordinary…read morepark. Then there is a nice boardwalk path that leads to a beach area along side a Duck Lake. A very nice view in itself. Then the boardwalk travels on, then goes under a bridge and next to a sand dune, then Bam! The lake and path funnel into Lake Michigan and the path onto an amazing beach. I had no idea this beautiful public beach was here. The views are outstanding and the sand is pristine. We took the dog, yes on a leash, for a walk of the beach and had a great time. Overall an easy 5 star review. Would I return? Absolutely! A must stop.

Nature is grand! If you like hiking, this is a great location to visit. There are lots of stairs,…read moresome elevation, and sand! It was peaceful, especially by the water. I'd return if I was in the area. You need a parking permit- so come prepared. It wasn't very busy, which is a plus.

Rosy Mound Natural Area's dunes, forested trails, and shoreline views were stunning!…read more Pulling in there is small parking lot, restrooms, and pay station kiosk for the $8 daily permit. The 2.2 mile trail starts at the parking lot leading you through the woods right to Lake Michigan's shoreline. The trail consist of dirt, dune, and board walk paths with a total of 360 stairs; so get those quads ready! Thankfully there are lots of shaded places to stop and rest with benches along the paths and between flights of stairs. Note to mention: This is a no pet area so keep your furry friends at home! Would definitely recommend Rosy Mound if you're up for a short hike and want to enjoy a breathtaking shoreline view or beach at the end.