We were here just after Labor Day so the beach was pretty much dead which was awesome for us as we…read morehad the whole place to ourselves. The wind made it a bit too chilly to do much outside from walk along the beach but had it been a bit warmer it would have been a great place to go swimming or wading. I hadn't realized that nearby is also a dark sky park so I imagine you'll have some dynamite night sky gazing if you're there after sunset. I'd love to come back and take some astrophotography shots with my camera this coming summer. Also worth noting, not sure if this is the case in peak season times but the park has a solid public restroom as well. Very clean!

2020-07-25. Oak Beach County Park, Port Austin, MI…read more In Michigan, everyone boasts of the beauty of the mitt; the scenic scapes of the UP (Upper Peninsula), the old world charm of Mackinaw and Mackinac Island, and the great outdoors of the Grand Traverse County. But there's another part to every mitten, and today my travels took me here, to Michigan's thumb. Well, to what I call the Thumbnail to be more precise. The thumbnail I refer to is the coastal areas of Michigan's thumb, from Bay Port to the West, to Harbor Beach to the east. One thing this area isn't lacking are beaches, beautiful sand beaches bordering Saginaw Bay or Lake Huron. While many a property here gets a piece of the water, there are many pubic beaches as well. The beaches are smaller and encompass only a few hundred feet of waterfront, but they make up for it in how many there are within close proximity to one another. Caseville has a decent size beach, but is often very crowded, and with COVID still looming around, we decided to go further north to Port Austin. Our day began at Bay Port to pick up some smoked fish, then to the Port Austin Farmer's Market. After that I had 3 beaches picked out. Oak County Park, Veteran's Park, and Bird Creek Park. Bird Creek Park is a 1000 foot expanse of beach to the immediate east of the Port Austin State Harbor. From here, you would be able to see personal boats come and go. The parking lot has enough space for about 70 vehicles, and spaces fill up by early afternoon. Not finding any spots within social distancing guidelines, we moved to the west side of the Port Austin State Harbor to Veteran's Waterfront Park. It's about half the size of Bird Creek with approximately 500 linear feet of beachfront. This side has the breakwater, so if you're in to boat spotting, it's not the optimal side to be on. While these two parks are adjacent to each other with only about 500 feet between them, there is no direct path to get there on foot. You will need to drive from one lot to the other. The parking lot is proportionally smaller here with about 40 parking spots. Not having any luck at Veteran's we moved to my original choice of Oak Beach. During our journey west, we passed by several other beaches. 4 miles away is Port Crescent State Park. Being a State Park, a Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry. We had ours, but if you don't have one, no worries, you can purchase one at the entrance. The cost is $12 for the year + $5 convenience fee for not purchasing it when you renew your License Plate tabs. This beach is the largest of them all by far, and spans about 2 miles. There's one central lot, and despite the price of parking, many come to enjoy this beach. This was my backup beach, so we pressed on westward. The next beach is at McGraw County Park. A small pubic park with no pavilions and only about 400 feet of beachfront. After this one is our destination, Oak Beach County Park. This park is much bigger compared to McGraw with two large pavilions, a playground, 2 horseshoe pits, and about 700 feet of beachfront. Here, we were lucky enough to find both a spot on the beach and in the parking lot. In addition to the pavilions, fixed charcoal barbecue grills are scattered throughout the park for public use. There are restrooms with one shower stall in each as well as a rinsing well to get the excess sand off your legs before heading home. Still on the Lake Huron side, the water is much cooler and the water remains shallow throughout the buoy markers for swimmers. At spots there are pockets where the water does get about 5 feet deep, so if you have little ones, take care to make sure they don't wander off to far on their own. If you venture past these deeper wells, it gets shallow again (about 3 feet). The bottom is sandy so muddy waters are kept to a minimum. Overall a nice beach with nice amenities. 4 stars. The great thing about this beach park is that there is a nature center about a half mile away. The Huron County Nature Center has many hiking trails that are well marked and pets are welcome. Overall, Michigan's Thumbnail Coast boasts many smaller beaches which is quite a nice change from the densely populated ones of Metro Park and Stony Creek. The water is cleaner and cooler, a bonus on those really hot days. There is one more beach if you continue on the Journey to the West. Thompson County Park is very similar to McGraw County Park, with about 400 feet of beachfront and no pavilions or playgrounds. So don't give up if you can't find a spot straight away. Our day trip was to conclude with a stop at Rybak's Ice Cream, but they were closed due to COVID, so we checked out The Grindstone General Store and Blue Moon Ice Cream Shoppe. If you would like to experience more, come dine-with-me.yelp.com I'd love to have your company... Bon Appétit!

I went here for a quick day hike after kayaking to Turnip Rock. There's actually two trailheads-…read moreone official one with campgrounds and bathrooms, and one with a bridge over the river. I parked at the trailhead with the bridge, which does not have any amenities. If you're nervous about trying to find it, it's right next to the Dark Sky Lodge and Tavern so you can plug that into your navigation system. It's also well marked with a small gravel lot. When I went, the trailhead lot was full so I parked at a grassy lot across the street. The trail runs though the beach and forest ecosystem and it's pretty well maintained and well marked. It's impossible to get lost. As you go near the beach there's plenty of offshoot trails leading to the beach. Just watch out for ticks!

Absolutely breathtaking shoreline!…read more The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was because we only noticed one trash receptacle during our trip, and it wasn't near the parking lot but instead was appropriately placed next to a (closed) pavilion. It was overflowing, and I'll give them a pass because of the pandemic, but I was disappointed by the lack of trash cans and only one (closed) bathroom. The dunes were great though! A nice adventure and great place for a picnic! Also, heads up, there are signs that clearly state no glass or animals on the beach but plenty of people brought their dogs. Thankfully we saw owners cleaning up after their pups.

Nice, quaint little cottage. Number 7 sleeps 2 people comfortable and it is fine for basic…read moreaccommodations. 9 min to downtown Port Austin and about the same to Caseville. Nothing within walking distance. Older amenities but still clean. Shared fire pit and you have to walk by everyone just to have beach access and carry wood down quite a few steps just to have your own bonfire if you didn't claim a spot by the big one. Parking in a little tight especially if you are expecting another vehicle for the #7 spot. They say they allow 2 spots per vehicle but #7 only has one. Otherwise you have to park by the dumpster at the end if that's not taken.

We have been going to Sunset for the past 7 year, never have been disappointed. I look forward to…read moreour time here every year. The grounds are well kept and beautiful! The cottage are cottages but kept clean. Looking forward to meeting new owners!

It is one of the most beautiful views of Lake Huron and the beach shoreline…read more Visiting this park on numerous occasions makes returning one more adventure to enjoy year around.

Not ideal for tent camping. This is the first state campground that I have stayed at, so I don't…read morehave anything to compare it to. We usually stay at more rustic campgrounds. The spaces were close together and there were lot of flies everywhere. There was a poop smell throughout the campground and the beach. With the campsites being so close together you could hear everyone "yelling at their kids" or partying until 2:00 AM. The bathrooms had dirty floors and the shower was gross. The beach was a nice short walk just across the bridge and to the other side of the road. There were lots of campers and many of them had lights on at night or hung lights outside their camper which created light pollution so you could not see the stars. Maybe you want to hang out with a bunch of strangers and listen to their business or their partying until the wee hours of the morning. If that sounds like fun then you should definitely come here. If you came for an outdoor experience, wanted to see the stars or hear nature then I would avoid this campground.

What a stunning beach! Everything about the Oscoda Beach Park was perfect. The sand was super clean…read moreand the water. Cute shops, ice cream, restaurants, and much more within walking distance. Dog friendly.

If you're itching for a day at the beach but can't leave the Mitten, Oscoda Beach will scratch just…read morethat itch for you, and leave you ready to come back another time! On a recent hot weekday, I found myself off of work with no particular plans. I had heard about how beautiful Lake Huron was, especially up by Tawas Bay and further north, and decided that today was the day to check it out. I grabbed my partner in crime, and off we drove! Just a few hours later we were at the short, and kept driving until we reached Oscoda Beach Park. There we were greeted with a clean sandy beach, clear water, and clean restrooms, all in a place that also boasted free parking. We set out our chairs on a quieter stretch of the shoreline, and enjoyed the beautiful day. I closed my eyes and listened to the seagulls calling from above, and the gentle roll of the waves as they hit the shore. Shore, I miss the salty waves of the ocean, but when you can't stand your cabin fever anymore, Oscoda Beach Park is a great place to go for that escape!

Million dollar beach ! Owner has groomed and protected from erosion and it shows…read more One of the nicest beaches in the area.

Wonderful vacation as always. Great hospitality and Merrick and Colleen are the most friendly…read moreowners you could meet.

The museum, gift shop, and lighthouse were closed when I visited. I checked the website and the…read moremuseum will open next week on May 23rd. There is a campground by the lighthouse and a nice view of the lake. It is worth stopping by if traveling along Lake Shore Road.

This is a nice lighthouse to stop at and at least walk around. Unfortunately that's all we could do…read moretoday as it's closed due to COVID restrictions. There is a museum that can normally be toured and the lighthouse itself. The parking lot is right next to the lighthouse so there isn't much walking involved. It's also wheelchair accessible by ramp. Unlike some lighthouses that are on a pier this one is right on the shore. It is very well keep from the outside and there are lots of signs to read about the history of the lighthouse. I found a beach to sit on by the water, which was nice. I would stop here again if visiting this area. Easy in and out, parking, and walking.

A lovely place I stumbled upon when planning a trip and a perfect place for a lunch stop. If I had…read moreonly known the next destination was rainy I would have stayed longer. A bargain of a spot for $3 a day as there is a great beach, kayak rentals, changing facilities all on the beautiful Saginaw bay. We saw jet skis and a lot of boat trailers so there must be a launch nearby. There was also campers and tents with people enjoying a pure Michigan day.

Super small beach but clean and the water was warm. Fun to watch the boys come and go. Picnic…read morebenches and park.

Loved everything about this resort! I spend most MI summer weekends enjoying the Lake Huron…read morebeachfront at different venues with cottage rentals. Crystal Sands Beach resort was able to accommodate a girls weekend (17 girls) easily. The beach house apartments provided plenty of room, gorgeous views, full kitchen and an open floor plan. The Villa's are equipped with full kitchens, bedrooms, and open floor plans in general living areas. The Suite's were open floor plans with refrigerators and coffeemakers. The property and beach were well kept and grounds crews seemed to make regular rounds to ensure cleanliness. The resort is on the beach and has a gorgeous beach area. There were many families and children enjoying their swimming, kayaking, and bulldog sand castles. At night the resort set up chairs and multiple fire pits on the beach for guests and kept the wood coming and fires going! The resort also came equipped with regular housekeeping which included daily garbage changes, cleaning, and towel replacement. The resort is handicap accessible with an ADA Suite and handicap beach access. My travel companion is wheelchair bound and we had no problems getting around. The beach house steps were wide enough to get a wheelchair bound person up and down and all staff and owners were quick to offer assistance when we took the wheelchair and occupant of wheelchair up and down the steps. I've stayed in many (most) locations in that area on the beach and this is by far the best. We can't wait to go back for our annual girls weekend next year! I can't say enough about the location or the amazing staff/owners of the resort. They truly work hard (while making it appear effortless) to ensure everyone is having a great time. Thank you Sam and Nada!!!! It was truly a pleasure meeting you and thank you for such a great time and all that you did to make our 25th annual weekend perfect!

Beautiful, clean well kept resort. Nada and Sam are the perfect hosts. They have thought of…read moreeverything!

Good experience! Employees were mostly nice…read more We plan to go back again! Such an easy paddle, about 30 minutes going SLOOOOOW (allowing children to paddle) to get to the beach. Bring anything/everything you need to make it an all day event.

Great little rental stop for the river. They have kayaks and canoes. The prices went up since they…read moreupdated on Facebook but still reasonable. $30 for a canoe or Kayak. You get it for the entire day. Die back at 6pm. During the busy season you want to get there early, they do run out of kayaks. Very friendly and helpful. The teenage guys working there are very nice. They work for extra tips. Recommend this spot for a quick rental and river trip.