travelnutz wrote:
Grand Haven State Park is the most popular state park in Michigan year after year for way over 60 years now. Unfornunately, there's only 174 camp sites and no room to expand the CG as it's right on the Lake Michigan beach. Would still be constantly full if it had over 500 campsites. WHY??? There's so much to see and do in the local area and by simply walking right from your RV:
The long wide public pier out into Lake Michigan right at the CG and so many organized beach activities on the long beach: - Camper/beach goers, amateur, college, and professional. All offroad paved walking surfaces along the wide river and for easy walking distance with food, beverages, snacks, many flushing restrooms, lots of very comfortable seating with seatback benches if resting is needed, fabulous views, parks, ships, boats, U.S. Coast Guard Command Headquarters Station, The big American Legion, fancy skate park-the Family YMCA-big Mulligan's Hollow recreation area for all ages and abilities, the huge musical fountain, the waterfront stadium with programs and performances and viewing, splashpad for all ages, marinas, charter fishing fleet and more food-ice cream-snacks and parks with tables, Tuesday night's weekly free popular concerts in Central Park (bring a lawn chair or a blanket - all grass), and the very clean popular healthy downtown for shopping-2 free museums- outstanding big library-or even more food and beverages of all kinds both indoors dining or outdoor sidewalk cafe style, so much more all the way to so many attractions and downtown enjoyment right from your RV's door and don't even need to use your vehicle.
Or if desired, there's the constantly running open air trolleys to ride right from the state park or call the Harbor Transit 616-842-3200) and have one of the dozens of smaller busses with up to 34 passengers come and pick you up and bring you back to the S.P. if desired. Very Cheap! Age 5-18 75 cents, 19-59 $1.50, 60 and over 75 cents, 4 and under free with paying adult (limit 2 with each paying adult), disabled or medicare card 75 cents. Busses have bike carriers on the front also. Walkways are all disabled friendly all the way and in downtown with ramps everywhere. That's why it's so hard to reserve a site at GHSP even 6 months ahead as they are gone in just minutes. Yes, we do know as we've lived here for over 72 years.
However if this helps, there are over 10 other CG's within 10 miles of downtown: North, South, and East with Lake Michigan and it's over 300 miles of pure sand beaches on the west side here in West Michigan. Dozens of public beaches just in our area along. Hoffmaster State Park 1200 acres (5 miles north of Grand Haven) has 2-1/2 miles of public Lake Michigan sand beach and yes, it fills up (300 campsites in 4 loops) in summer too so reservations are almost a must in July and August or weekends.
On edit:
I forgot to add that a totally new from scratch very nice large full hookup landscaped CG with paved RV parking pads and of course paved interior roads is being built in town on the east side in a secluded area right on the wide plenty deep totally bouyed for even 60' yachts Grand River and the connected waterways with many campsites being waterfront and will have boat docks also for the campers, a pool, a playground, and a meeting etc building for the campers. approx Many other features and ammenities are planned also. About 1-1/2 miles east of downtown and 2-1/2 miles from the State Park. A real bonus is that it's only a short walk to Fricano's Pizza original very famous restaurant building. Fricano's was one of only 32 pizza places inducted into the hall of fame in the entire USA. People come from all over the Midwest to eat their pizza's or farther away have them shipped to them half baked and finish baking them at home. Nearly 20 million pizzas have been made and sold at this location alone. They are to die for and we are trying to die I guess as we've eaten so many and can't get enough of them!
When announced, I will post the CG date of opening and the site rates.
Wow! Thank you for the extensive write-up. I hadn't hear a new private park was being built. Very popular area for sure! And here I thought we had found a hidden gem...
