Gorgeous clean beach. Great campsites, close to town and shopping/dining. Sand dunes are a hit with the kids. They rent kayaks and have a gift ship with ice cream!
Very rustic and woodsy. Not my preference. Most sites look like they are on uneven ground. Backing a camper in some spots could be tricky. Lots of trees
Beautiful state park! Great campsites. They show pictures of your site online when you reserve them. I made sure to pick one with trees for shade & privacy. There are sites that are full sun with no trees or privacy, so be careful when reserving. Great beach & clean water. A ton of stones for petosky hunting.
Plan in advance--camp sites are reserved months ahead--and research the camp sites. Some sites are full of trees and don't have a lot of flat area to pitch a big tent; other sites are just grass, without a single tree to use for shade or hanging a clothesline.
The campgrounds themselves are fantastic. Lots of trails (foot and bike) that aren't too challenging. The beaches are great, and the campgrounds have access to stretches of beach that are off-limits to regular park visitors (campers only). The lake is beautiful here. Facilities are very good, and amazingly well-kept. Showers, flush toilets, hot water.
When we stayed here, it was pretty breezy for the first few days, and there wasn't a single mosquito anywhere we went. Then the breeze calmed down and we got eaten alive.
My sister and I were passing through on the way down home to Illinois from Ontario. We called that morning to see if there was any available cabin in their RV park. There are only 2 ($49 a night) and they are usually booked a year in advance according to their calendar. Someone had checked out that morning unexpectedly, so they had an opening! The mini-cabin "The Orchid" was clean, comfy, and not too small. Two bunk beds, a mini-fridge and microwave, two bar-stools, a counter-top. The bathrooms are within walking distance and were always clean, as well as the showers. The beach is a short walk from the cabin, maybe 200 steps. It was not too crowded and the beach was nice. People were combing the beach for these famed "Petoskey Stones", which I never found. We will DEFINITELY come back here!!
Beautiful, well maintained campground. We were camped beachside and were fenced init was weird but to protect the dunes. The beach trail was almost next to my campsite, which we thought would be great, but imagine our surprise when climbing the dune and reaching the top of the beach trail from the camp ground to look out at the majestic view and expect to see sand and pure Michigan only to see.. a damn parking lot! Yes, there is a large parking lot built on the dunes between you and the beach. It spoils the view, the sunset, and the beach. The beach amenities are nice but it's super crowded, rocky, and the water murky. Not my usual beach camping experience.
Very clean, small, and quiet state park.
My only complaint is that their is not enough toilets in the bathroom. Always had to wait if I had to go #2
Really cool area, you can walk to a nice beach from any of the campsites. Despite having showers and other amenities, the camp sites don't feel like the typical cordoned off camp site you normally find in state park camp sites. workers there are all young, fun, and polite. Just don't expect a secluded camping get-away here, as it is normally pretty busy and you are close to all the other camp sites.
I used to live nearby and on summer days when my friends and I had some time off we would go to this beach. Its great for swimming. Many people have said it's better than the beaches in California. The sand gets hot so wear sandals. The water is so clear you can wade out to your shoulders, look down and still see your feet. The best time to go is after labor day. There are bathrooms and picnic tables and plenty of parking.
Loved our family trip to this beach! Pleasant and clean. I was thrilled to find Petoskey stones and other fossils. I look forward to going back some time.
Great spot for family to enjoy a day on the beach. Early in the summer there is sand volleyball tournament that goes on here. And the bonus for the kids and myself is the ice cream they serve - I feel they give a big scoop and the price is a lot cheaper than in town. They offer rentals which nice and you climb the sand dunes and walk around with some amazing views of the bay.