August came along and Nate and I still hadn't been to the lakeshore, so we hopped in the car and…read moredrove to Pere Marquette Park beach on a cloudy Sunday recently. The beach was completely empty when we arrived around 11 am and stayed pretty quiet the whole time. Parking at the beach is $20, which I thought was incredibly expensive, but it's good for the whole day. I'm used to parking for free at state parks since I have a recreation pass. It was a bit windy, but not chilly - although the water was freezing. I personally enjoy an overcast day at the beach, so we packed a picnic and some chairs and just sat and read for a bit. The beach is large, with lots of room to spread out. There's a nice smaller playground, a snack bar with ice cream and hot food, a little store for beach essentials like sunscreen, and super clean bathrooms. The restroom I used was a huge, single stall room with a bench- really nice for changing and probably great if you have little kids. I was impressed by how clean the bathroom was. We walked to the pier and checked out the lighthouse, which was a nice little walk. The Deck is right on the beach and is a great spot for live music, drinks, and food. I'd be curious to see this beach in the peak season - I'm sure it probably gets pretty busy.

Pere Marquette offers exceptional access to beautiful Lake Michigan, one the world's natural…read moretreasures. There is ample paid parking. Weekend day rates are $15. There is a snack stand, offering ice cream, nachos, and other treats, as well as beach equipment rentals. The sand is soft and visitors will enjoy spreading out on the expansive beach. The water is clear and features a sandy bottom. Just north of the snack stand is The Deck, the preeminent dining establishment in this area of Muskegon. The establishment features al fresco dining and stunning views of Lake Michigan. There are swings and other fun view points. If you're in Mitten, Pere Marquette is worth the drive. You simply cannot beat Lake Michigan's splendor.

P.J. Hoffmaster State Park was such a good time! Went with the little ones and it did not…read moredisappoint. The visitor center is a nice surprise, they've got a little nature center inside with live animals, saw a turtle and some fish in there, and the kids were obsessed. Nothing crazy or overdone but just enough to keep them entertained and learning a bit about the dunes before you head out. Then you hit the stairs up to the top and whew, worth every step. The view of the water and the dunes from up there is gorgeous. Staff around the park were friendly and helpful too, made the whole visit easy.

we took a day camping trip & I can't wait until next time! My family always goes to Hoffmaster. We…read moredon't go to any other campground. We love the beach and we love the park and how friendly people are and I also love how people drive slow as they know kids are playing and might be riding their bikes in the road. They provide nice showers and bathrooms. My favorite part that I don't know how I didn't know they had was the hiking trails down by the creek if you keep going you will end up at a beach.

We've come to this dog park multiple times and enjoy it! It's pretty wide and long so there's…read moreplenty of space. Dogs can be off leash. There's stairs to get down to the beach. We love it!

Awesome dog beach!!! 10/10! There is a small water pool in the pier where timid pups can enjoy…read morewater introduction in a safe space. My 8yo senior "pup" was anxious even when I walked along the water part of the beach but enjoyed this safe space. Very nice, clean and uncrowded place (we went between 8-9am on a Monday and only saw a handful of other dogs during the half hour we were there).

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.

My daughter lost her airpods while at the beach. Someone turned them in and we got them back from…read morethe office. Beautiful park and beach. We will be back

Muskegon State Park is a great destination for the outdoorsy crowd. Whether you are laying on the…read morebeach, trekking the woods, or hiking scenic dunes there's something for everyone. There are trails for both novices and those looking for more of a challenge. I took my shot with the Dune Ridge Trail. It was full of hilly sand dunes paired with great lake views. If you enjoy hiking in forests, beaches, and dunes then you'll love Muskegon State Park!

Nice park with the usual amenities--picnic area, lake front swimming area, boat launch, fishing,…read moreplayground. Only $5 to park there. There is a wonderful concession with reasonably priced ice cream, high quality, lots of flavors. Staff very nice. Swimming area is well marked, a lot of shallow area to play in for little kids.

This is a very small park. I wouldn't come here looking for world-class thrills, but if you accept…read morethat it is not going to be an enthusiast's dream park, this place is really nice. It's insanely well maintained. I am bitter that my Six Flags Great America pass will no longer work here, because it was really nice to have another park so close by. I appreciate the nostalgia of walking through this park because it brings me back to a time when people actually cared about maintenance and upkeep. So many things at this park are old, but they look brand new. I think the greatest testament to how well Michigan's Adventure maintains their rides is Thunderhawk. SLCs are notoriously rough and unpleasant, but Thunderhawk is so well maintained that it is actually quite smooth for what it is. It didn't hurt my head at all. The whole park is really nice, well kept-up, and clean. The ride lineup, while small, is pretty decent and varied enough. Shivering Timbers is an absolutely amazing coaster, better than woodies I've encountered at much larger parks. It's definitely top 3 wooden rollercoasters for me, right after American Eagle, and I can't even rank it against The Beast because the experience is so drastically different. I love the lake with the swan boats. Mad Mouse is a rare, Arrow Dynamics wild mouse like the one at California's Great America. It's not very exciting, but it's definitely unique. This is a super well-maintained park. I keep saying that, but I was genuinely stunned at how nice everything looked. I associate theme parks with being at least somewhat run down since my home park is Six Flags. I think Michigan's Adventure is possibly the best maintained park I have ever been to. It was a very pleasant environment, and a surprisingly well balanced park for how small it is. I really hope Enchanted tuns out to be better than Six Flags. It would be a shame if this place were to decay like Six Flags parks. Maybe Michigan's Adventure dodged a bullet by getting sold off before the big implosion of the too-big rollercoaster Monopoly.

Good for the price you pay, you can't beat getting two parks for the price. Just know when you get…read morein there and your kids want food ,drinks, souvenirs, playing games, etc. you'll end up spending a lot. They do have souvenir cups you can purchase for the day which allows you to refill your cup all day in 15 min intervals or you can get the season cups. Overall the rides are fun, when they're not closed. If you're one of those who don't like to wait for rides, get the fast pass. It wouldn't be worth it tho for littler kids that can't ride the coasters.