Tawas Point State Park was the destination for our annual friend camping trip this year. We try to…read morepick a different state park or campground each year and our friend had mentioned this spot. We camped in early May and it was pretty chilly - it got down to the upper 40s the first night and was a bit rainy. There was a strong breeze off the water which made it feel colder. But we still had a great time and the campground was at about 1/3 capacity. When we arrived, the employees at the check in station were really friendly and helpful. Like most campgrounds, they had plenty of brochures for the area and campground maps. They also gave us a birding checklist! They told us that it's a great area for bird watching, so we had fun checking birds off. We did not see all 230 birds listed, but quite a few. The campground has electric hookups at most, if not all, sites, and is fairly small compared to some other parks we've visited. The spots were mostly grassy and decently sized. There's not a ton of shade here, so keep that in mind for sunny summer days. One of the bathrooms was closed while we were there, but the one that was open was clean. Shower facilities are available, and there is a camp host that has books and games to borrow, as well as free coffee on weekend mornings. The highlight for our friend's 2 year old were the playgrounds - there is one at the campground and another near the lighthouse. There's a small beach at the campground and a much larger one near the lighthouse. I really liked the yurt and cabins - if we came back to this park I'd try to reserve one of those, specifically one of the two cabins that overlook the lake. There's not a ton in Tawas, but there's fast food, a Walmart, a couple gas stations, and a very small downtown with some shops and restaurants. We typically like more options for afternoons outside of the campgrounds we stay at, but we enjoyed our time at Tawas Point State Park.

Such a lovely state park that my friends and I camped at last weekend! It's definitely a super…read morepopular one, given it's wonderful location and proximity to so many awesome cities and things to do, so you'll find that throughout the summer months, it'll always be busy and full for the most part. For us, we booked a campsite at the far end of the campground, which was PERFECT for us! It was right by the path that leads to the Tawas Point Lighthouse, so it was just mostly foot traffic and a lot of people taking their dogs to the nearby dog beach down that same path a little bit, so we got to do plenty of people and dog-watching, which was a dream to us giant group of dog people! I love this campground as well for its wonderful beaches, both dog and human alike, the easy access to the lighthouse, and its proximity to Lake Huron! There were a ton of kite surfers on the big lake and a ton of beach to walk and relax on there. The weekend we were there was pretty windy, so Lake Huron was gorgeous, but the waves were pretty choppy and not conducive to swimming/laying out and enjoying the beach. Thankfully, Tawas Point SP also has a the entire Tawas Bay area lining the other side of the park, so you have your pick of beaches! The water on the bay side was way more calm and ideal for perfect beach days, so we got the best of both worlds here truly! A+ all around to everything this state park had to offer - water, trails, beaches, campsites, amenities - it was lovely! The town of East Tawas and Tawas itself was also wonderful and such a quick trip over with some cute restaurants and bars to take advantage of! I can't emphasize enough how wonderful this state park is. It's a new favorite of ours and we'll definitely be coming back to camp here soon! We had a lovely time with perfect weather conditions as well, so it was truly a perfect weekend!

We RV camped here during the week, Monday thru Thursday. Check in time is 3:00 pm and check out…read moretime is 3:00 pm. Courteous staff and a small selection of T-shirts or sweatshirts at the camp office. The campground was very well taken care of. It was quiet and peaceful. Easy drive from campground to put in and take out sites for kayaking the AuSable River. Glennie is less than 5 miles for groceries gas and a couple of cafes/restaurants.

Absolutely amazing campground. We make the trip up from Florida each year. Definitely the nicest…read morecampground I've been to.

Beautiful State park right on the shores of Lake Huron. Luscious trees and gorgeous sandy beach…read more Recommended!

This is a "beach and a campground" state park--not a lot of acreage for hiking or other rustic…read morerecreation, but very nice for pitching your tent or parking your RV along Lake Huron. On two trips there, our site was spacious and level, but well-screened in by trees. The extra-long picnic table was convenient for food prepping and cooking. Getting to the beach was a matter of walking across the road, and while you can't too far down the beach, it is a scenic little strand. There is a short walking trail if you stretch your legs for a bit longer. Restrooms and showers were clean, and hot water was abundant, but, at least on our last visit, the automatic sinks wouln't turn on when I needed them. Then at times they would turn on and off when no one was near them. The autoflush toilet also seemed to be operating on its own schedule--hopefully they'll fix that over the winter. This is a great base for beachcombing, hiking at Negwegon State Park just up the coast, or whatever else you like to do in the northern Michigan woods.

My fiance and I were pleased with our overnight stay at Paradise Beach resort. Our cabin was cute…read morewith just enough rustic feel. We had a great view of the lake, and we were actually able to check in early. One thing that was kind of a bummer was the check in time. You cannot check in until 5 pm, unless it's a case like mine was. I feel this is a very late check in time compared to other places similar to this one.

If you're looking for an escape and want the beach to be within steps, Paradise Beach is the place!…read moreThe host(s) are very friendly and accommodating allowing us to check-in early and check out later as well. While we didn't get to stay as long as we'd liked to, we intend to return very soon.

Beautiful scenic picnic area... Beach, play area, picnic tables, pavilion, boat launch, fishing…read morepier...

I absolutely love this park! Amazing views, lots of smooth hiking trails and plenty activities for…read morethe whole family.

My husband and I took our fat tire bikes on a ride during December of 2018 here. Beautiful place…read moreto ride and enjoy nature. We rode on the seasonal road and enjoyed a leisurely ride through the park. You should definitely drive through this gorgeous area when in Rose City. It's well worth it. Looking forward to going back in the spring, summer and fall.

Lovely, Tawas/East Tawas is just lovely. There's many things to do, good shopping, dining…read more.. There's many events during spring, summer and fall (honestly, I haven't been during winter), I know there's lots of winter sports happening.

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.

Nice beach with bathrooms, a pavilion, great splash pad, restaurants close by if you're thinking…read morepicnic, lots of picnic tables and playground. Plenty of space so you don't feel crowded.

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!