Michigan SP in October

olcoon wrote:
Last summer we stayed at Dutch Treat in Holland. Nice campground.

x2 on the Dutch Treat. Have stayed there several times and I'm never disappointed.

Last summer we stayed at Dutch Treat in Holland. Nice campground.

If you want to shop and visit a touristy beach town, Grand Haven SP is a good choice. You're parked right on the beach, it's sand and pavement... could be nice, could be pretty cold if wind is coming in from the lake. Some shops may be closed down by Oct.

If you want more nature, Hoffmaster SP (just North from Grand Haven) is a better choice. Grassy sites, lots of trees, trails, sand dunes to play on, and a cute little creek that runs through many of the sites. Grand Haven is a short drive, and Stenberg Rd in Muskegon has a huge mall and all if your typical big-box stores for shopping.

If you want even more nature, Muskegon SP. It's a long drive from the main road, the Northern loop camp sites are tucked into valleys between dunes, it's very scenic and isolated. The Southern loop is on more flat land near the river. There's a marina and fishing pier nearby and lots of beach.

Most Michigan SP are open until end of Oct, but they may turn the water off and close the showers and dump before that. Some parks are open year round, but don't expect water, showers or dump.

Indian Dunes State Park (Indiana) is right a the MI border. A lot of the other parks mentions are in the lower peninsula, but quite a ways north. Holland State Park - Grand Haven State Park - May be some around Saugatuck MI - all are along Lake MI. There are probably tons of private parks too.

Anything along the Lake Michigan lakeshore should be open, from Warren Dunes to Sleeping Bear Nat'l Lakeshore. The big lake helps keep the shoreline warmer in the fall so the colors change a bit later than further inland.

Check out Charles Mears State Park in Pentwater. The park is very close to the lake. It's just south of Ludington. We usually stay at Van Buren SP near South Haven.

It depends upon what you like to do because beach life is pretty slow at that time of the year unless you hit a warm spell.

That time of year, you might have an easy time getting into Ludington SP. It's usually chock full all summer, which says something about its popularity. There's a nice walk out to the lighthouse.

Either one. Probably to cold for swimming though