Paid parking at a beach that you really cannot access the water on is ridiculous. St Joe beaches…read moreare very lacking compared to the county Silver Beach. I wonder where all of the ticket money at $40 each fine is going towards. The Lions beach as others have mentioned had eroded terribly so it's tough to get toddlers or older people to the water. When we went the water was very rocky so you needed water shoes.

Five stars for the playground areas. My kids loved the yellow tire swing, the steep slide, and the…read moreobstacle course. There was also a large elastic spider web, for lack of a better description; though this did not get as much usage as the rest of the play area. There are benches allover for great views of the sunset. The only downsides are paying to park and you can't really get into the water since there isn't direct access.

The beach was very clean and lots of parking! Really enjoyed…read morethe water and area! Gotta pay for parking but it wasn't bad. $5.00 for 3 hrs or $10 for all day.

I have a newly interest in now as a friend who invited us to come and explore at JKP. Not too far…read morefrom Chicago which was only 90 minutes away with no fee to enter and low cost in parking with plenty of fun here. I was able to ride my bike around, walk on the beach and get lite snacks in the concession stand. There are even free fixed grills where you can grill here, which I have to try that next time I am here. We ended up spending at least 6 hours here and was so relaxing. I would greatly recommend this park to anyone.

Currently more stairs than beach, but there's a picnic table off to the side and some roadside…read moreporta potties. Could be a good place to fly a kite, put an inflatable in the water, or just get some stairs for exercise, but the beach is quickly disappearing if you wanted a place to relax.

This place was absolutely beautiful, don't get me wrong, but I don't know that I could highly…read morerecommend it at this point. The beach has been heavily eroded and was very hard to access. There were also several tires in the water. Definitely a nice, secluded spot, but proceed with caution until repairs are made. Wouldn't recommend for dogs or small children.

Nice little dog friendly beach for our pups first time at the beach! There were plenty of places to…read morepark but we got there pretty early. Short walk to the beach. It was a pretty small area and pretty packed but it was a holiday weekend when we went. Wasn't the most clean/pristine beach but we didn't expect that for a dog friendly beach. There were bathrooms up near the parking lot. Kind of a mixed sand rock beach but mostly sand. When we left, the parking lot was packed and people were lining the street, so I'd say go early if you want a parking spot.

One of the top highlights of our week stay in South Haven. This small secluded nature preserve has…read morea modest rocky beach perfect for small treasure hunting. At the beach we found geodes, lightening rocks, and sea glass. This area has a small 45ish car parking lot. It is dog friendly (dogs must be on leash and picked up after). There's a .33 mile trail that is not difficult. Park is free and a great way to spend some time in nature!

Amazing nature, great hiking, so many birds and, and very peaceful. Highly recommendedread more

Beautiful trails and butterfly exhibit. Stayed a few hours waking the many trails. I was advised…read morethere's around 8mi of trails. Butterfly exhibit was nice and captured plenty of photos. A nice place to solo visit or bring family and children.

Large splash pad!…read more The kids loved it. Lots of jets coming up so plenty for all the kids. I also loved how at the end of the night they turn on the outside jets that basically soak the whole concrete area. Cool to see. Bathrooms and tables right by the area.

Wonderful splash pad for the kiddos. The massive fountains turn on every 15-30 mins depending on…read morethe day. While the main blasters are off, there's water spouts from the ground that my niece and nephew loved covering with their feet and running around. Heads up that it operates from the first Monday in May through the last Sunday in September, opening at 10am or noon and closing at 8pm or 9pm depending on the day. Check their website for current hours :) A wonderful spot in St Joe!

Lake Bluff Park, aka The Bluff, is home to most events that occur downtown St. Joseph. The farmers…read moremarket is extremly popular in the summer, as is the Mike Yore Memorial Car Show, Antiques on the Bluff (a summer antique market) and the artisan fair. In the fall, the main event is St Josephs fall fair. They have a fun petting zoo situation with sheep, rabbits and such. There is also a luminary festival and a trick-or-treat happening throught the downtown area, including on Lake Bluff Park. Winter means pretty lights come out and you can walk the park basking in the beautiful glow. It may be cold, but it's worth the walk at least once a season. I usually walk it when I'm already attending an event downtown St. Joe. I often go to the Chili cook off or the reigndog parade. You can also attend the fun Winter Wonderland event that starts with the lighting of the lights at the park. Not many events happen on the bluff in the spring regularly but usually people are awakening from their winter hybernation and come out to wonder the Bluff (usually for pokemon hunting). There are 2 pokemon gyms on the bluff so if you are walking around grab your phone and go to the fountain and the fireman memorial. Speaking of memorials, there are lots of them on the bluff. Don't just walk by them and not look. They are there for you to respect and admire. Long story short, any time of year the Bluff is abuzz with activity. The most active time of year is definitely the summer but there are events all year.

Beautiful little park on the shores of Lake Michigan near where the St. Joe river flows into the…read morelake - and all right at the edge of the city center. You can walk here from the wine tasting venues in the city and stroll along the riverfront. The park includes a bandshell, a war memorial, and most of the other things you expect in a park. But the real deal is the view of Lake Michigan from this bluff - go see what it looks like.

The city is really neat and slow paced. The parking here is absolutely ridiculous! A ticket ranges…read morebetween $20 and $40. I had an annual pass for Silver Beach, oddly there is a different annual permit for Lions Beach. Before getting the ticket I had no idea Silver Beach was county, the other beaches were city. Over the week I was here I watched tickets constantly being handed out around the little shops where tourists would go to. If us tourist bring in the cash to the city, why would we want to come back to somewhere that is wanting to ticket us constantly? There is free parking in the city, no free parking near the beaches

I have lived in the Saint Joseph, Michigan area my whole life (I moved to Benton Harbor in my 20s)…read moreand I honestly love it.  Other than the horrific winters we have between January and March, the weather is pretty decent.  Each season is treated like its a majestic time and many events are set up by 'St. Joseph Today'.  In the winter, the chili tour, Beer Fest, and Ice Festival are the spotlight events.  If you're looking to do some things not planned by the city, the carousel makes a great indoor activity and so does the Curious Kids museum if you have children.  Taking a trolley ride is also a fun option that I'd suggest doing at least once.  The trolley isn't just during the summer, meaning you can take a trolley ride in the fall to watch the leaves change or even in the winter (until December 7th this year).  Numberous shops downtown offer hot chocolate, my favorite being The South Bend Chocolate Factory. In the spring there is a wine & cheese walk that I am excited to attend this year and also a living mannequin display, both events being in March.  If it's still cold, the two indoor activities I mentioned before are open year around.  If it's warm, walking around downtown is a great activity. In the summer there are lots of events.  My favorites are the antiques on the bluff, farmers market, the artisan fair and chalk the block.  If none of the events strike your fancy, the beach is a wonderful place to go.  There are lots of ice cream shops around town and wonderful restaurants for a quick bite. In the fall I enjoy going downtown to trick-or-treat at the businesses with my nephew.  The air is usually still warm for a good walk through November.  Long story short, I shop in this city, work in this city, grew up in this city and went to school in this city.  I'll always love this city.