Ludington State Park is HUGE, and we absolutely loved it! We paid $12 to get into the park and…read morestarted with the hike to Big Sable Lighthouse. It's about 1.8 miles each way, so just under 4 miles round trip. The trail to the lighthouse is a wide, sandy path that runs through the campground and then continues out toward the lighthouse. It's an easy path, but it is long and definitely sandy, so be prepared for that. The lighthouse area is really cute, and while we didn't care about going inside this time, they do offer tours. It was $8 per person when we were there. There are also picnic tables where you can sit and enjoy the area around the lighthouse. After our hike, we headed over to the beach, and WOW. The beach is absolutely massive and beautiful. It's sandy rather than rocky, incredibly clean, and the water was crystal clear. It was definitely brisk, but so beautiful that I didn't mind! There's a designated swimming area, volleyball nets, and really nice facilities. There are no lifeguards, though, so keep that in mind. It also looked like there were some really cool trails through the sand dunes, but unfortunately we didn't have enough time to explore those on this trip. We needed to grab lunch, rest, and hit the pool before coming back later for sunset. And I am SO glad we came back. The sunset here was absolutely spectacular. Watching the sun go down over this huge, beautiful stretch of sandy beach was one of the highlights of our entire trip. This park really has everything: the lighthouse, miles of trails, huge sand dunes, a beautiful beach, swimming, volleyball, camping, and some incredible views. We only scratched the surface of what there is to explore, and I already know we'd love to come back and spend an entire day here. Definitely one of the highlights of our Ludington trip and absolutely worth the $12 admission!

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.

Overall great beach! They clean the sand regularly and it's an expansive area to explore. You can…read morewalk on a pier out into the water or wander the beach shoreline. If you collect beach glass or rocks you'll need to wander quite a ways down to start finding stuff.

Large parking lot right next to the beach. I also like that there was a Hampton hotel with a lot of…read morerooms with a balcony facing the water right across the parking lot from the beach. So many pavilions for families to eat at, play grounds, parking lots, the restrooms were clean for a beach and there was a place to get food and ice cream. Wishing the weather was not so chilly or we would have stayed longer. Definitely a place to be if you're in the area.

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!

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!

Golf and crafts…read more The Red Szymarek Park was purchased by the city of Manistee in 1912 and over the decades has become more and more popular. The park has a nice picnic area with lots of tables and grills as well as a simple playground, bike rack and some easy hiking paths. In 2009 a disc golf course was installed and has become extremely popular. Since the entire area is covered with large trees it's well protected from the sun. In the summer and fall the park is home to lots of arts & craft shows as well as animal rescue events. Usually attracts pretty large crowds and because of the rustic and scenic location is a lovely area. The Red Szymarek Park isn't particular large but it's not far from the Manistee beaches and other parks. A cool place for individuals and families to spend some time.

Really nice Riverwalk, a whole lot of boat docks, for charters, for fishing or just evening…read morecharter. Lots of walking places to sit a couple nice little parks and tributes throughout. No stores or retail down on the Riverwalk you have to go up a block to get to all of that so it's really nice. You can just walk and look at the water, pretty views and watch the boats and the fisherman sailing out to the lake

We were planning on walking down along the River, went down by the Rasdell building…read more We decided not to step down since there were several less desirable folks down there than there there was the two of us. It's a mostly quiet and dead Sunday in town and we didn't feel comfortable enough to walk down on our own. We viewed the River from the first set of stairs instead, a safe distance in an unfamiliar area.

Amazing park and playground right near the waterfront and marina. The kids played forever and loved…read moreit. Also got to watch the SS badger come into the harbor. Definitely worth a visit!

We love this park/playground!…read more The PLAYGROUND is huge and great for kids of all ages! There are TONS of really nice play spaces for toddlers through older elementary kids. There are lots of benches and picnic tables surrounding the play areas, many of which are in the shade. RESTROOMS are indoors and have modern plumbing. There are 2 stalls in the women's;1 stall plus a urinal in the men's. PARKING is free and abundant. There's a parking lot plus on-street parking. There is a walking trail along Lake Michigan that also goes by two marinas. You can also see the SS Badger enter and leave port from the park. We will definitely return to this park if we're in the area again! The park is totally free and the kids love it!

Stayed here over a weekend with friends. We rented a cabin while our friends had a camping area…read morewith the RV. Easy to check in and out. Great location for all the things to do in the area. Cabin was well furnished and well maintained. Dog friendly and quiet

I was extremely happy front he time I called them to see about booking the cabin til the time I…read moreleft! We got there super late due to unforeseen events. To my surprise the owners texted to check on our progress. Not once did they ever have anything but a positive attitudes. We made it in and got settled very late. The time difference had us off slightly. The whole cabin was well furnished and extremely clean. It was very roomy and came with amenities most 5 star hotels don't! I was completely shocked at the experience and have now found a new place for my family to go whenever we feel a need to "get away", which is often! Upon our departure, the owner was even nicer than when we first met! I am so pleased with this place I will recommend you trying it out for yourself. If you don't like your first night is on me! ***Wink wink*** Make sure to check in for great coupons and little bonus gifts. Customer service 5 Location 5 Quality 5 Prices 5 Cleanliness 5 Overall 5 stars!!!