Grand Haven, MI in early September

[welove2drive]

We are thinking of doing a long weekend trip (3 nights)in September with our DD, DS and his GF, all mid 20's. We have never been to MI and thought Grand Haven sounded interesting. Considering PJ Hoffmaster SP as it is wooded instead of the parking lot campground on the beach. Do people swim that late in the season? Is this campground sheltered from the wind off of the lake? Is the creek within sight of some of the camp sites? Any favorite sites? Any other info or insight you have would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Marcia

[travelnutz]

Dave and Marcia, feel free to PM me anytime if you need any help or think I can help you. We, wife and I, know most of the huge number of CG''s along the West Michigan coast and in the U.P. also. Just need to know what things you like to do or see and what type a CG's you prefer. There are a couple thousand CG's in Michigan to choose from and RV'ing, camping, boating, fishing plus the beaches are a way of life in the state. Over 11,000 inland lakes plus more than 3200 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and so much more. Normal daily temps in Grand Haven from mid June, July, August, and mid September is 80 daytime and sunny and 60 at night. This year has been really screwy weather though as has much of the country been also.

The west side and north half of the L.P. plus the U.P. is vastly different than the S.E. (Detroit/Flint) area. Like night and day! I owned an automotive engineering business for decades and therefore spent untold days in the S.E. area of the state where automotive is based and at my satellite office there and know it very well and the differences. Wife spent her last 19 years prior to retiring being a trainer, travel agent, group travel director, and investigator for AAA and Cruise Holidays as she had grown tired of accounting for the business after many years. Hey, I got to sleep with my travel agent!

[welove2drive]

I don't think that we will be swimming! That's okay. I have seen the beach web cam. We may visit the 1st or 2nd weekend in Sept. So we may be there for the Salmon Fest. So much great information provided on this forum! We would like to plan another trip up through MI and the UP and back through WI in warmer weather. I'll have to get some early reservations made for that trip.

[ktosv]

To add to the other statements about swimming in Lake Michigan, I saw this just today on the NOAA website Lake Michigan water temps drop

Needless to say I think that swimming in the lake is going to be a hit or miss. One week ago water temps in Holland were over 70F, today they are just above 40F. Look at the Ludington water temps and the fluctuation. It appears the water temp changed about 20F in about 3 hours.

[travelnutz]

welove2drive,

Some of the reasons we'll never move away from here:

If you were here this week+ you'd be one of the 350,000 to 500,000 in town for the 90th annual National Coast Guard Festival which is held this time of year and always here as Grand Haven is the real and actual "Coast Guard City USA" as was so named by the U.S. Congress and signed by the president of the USA years ago. Several constant free activities, several Coast Guard ship tours daily for all, shows, concerts, giant street dance, 3 block long carnival with major ride too, bike races, foot races/mmarathons, waterski thrill show stretches half a mile long in front of the downtown water front stadium or bring a lawn chair and sit on continous grassy water front parks all along the river and watch, parades, huge fireworks display and so much more during the 10 day event for everyone. There's also many very low cost venues like $2 - $5 per person for kids, teenagers, and adults constantly too. The huge patented original worlds largest musical fountain the size of a football field and goes up to 125 feet high in over 16 million blilliant color combinations possible performs programs nightly after the over the lake spetactular sunsets and then darkness from May till in October. Been there over 50 years and viewed for anywhere on the waterfront or the free waterfront stadium. All types of programs from classical, bands, marches, classic rock, present day rock, etc, all syncronized with brilliants lighting and thounsads of amps powerful HD clear sound that can be heard miles away.

Grand Haven can handle huge crowds as they have been doing it half a dozen times each year for the last 90 years and has gobs of large free parking lots all over town and on the island, open air trolley's and a large bus transit system to move people from place to place all around the city, township, and Spring Lake that's real cheap to ride and yes to the beach and state park. Walk, ride, bike, or drive and park. 27 launching ramps with parking if you bring your boat and there's 29 miles of deep marked/bouyed inland waters to explore and also over a dozen bayous all connect to Lake Michigan. Then there's hundreds of miles of Lake Michigan with it's 300 mile+ sand beaches, dunes, and so many huge stretches of public pure sand beaches/areas you can pull your up to or on and spend hours or the day alone with your family. Many rental motorized boats, pontoon boats, jet skis, kayaks, and also paddle boards places around the area. Fishing everywhere and there's a large charter fishing fleet of cruisers for salmow etc fishing on Lake Michigan. Also schooner sailing rides on the 63' Wind Dancer from downtown out into lake Michigan. Never bored but rather just run out of time.

Sept 12th-14th will be the Salmon Festival here.

6+ festivals here each year and lots of people/visitors attend always but yet is spread out around the town so it's not a zoo but the CG Festival with hundreds of thousands here is pretty packed but still can get around because the streets and setup up was designed to allow it to happen quite smoothly and it does. An extremely clean, very well kept, friendly area and truely safe for all of any age 24/7 to enjoy and have lasting memories and that's why they come every year in droves and return so often. After Laborday when kids are all back in school it really slows down during the week but still busy on weekends.

Just a little of what's here and why people and families make it their destination year after year.

I do NOT work for any area advertising or area government or the Chamber of Commerce etc in any way nor does my wife or our family. We just simply very happily live here and are long retired and get to enjoy so much daily every year and those that visit know just what I'm talking about. We've been RV all over North America for 51 years now and have seen the differences. There's no other place like it here as we have looked for years but you would have to decide that for yourself as it's you will will decide where is best for your first visit to Michigan. Where ever it it, have a great time in our state and you'll be back!

[travelnutz]

welove2drive,

Here's 2 web sites for the Grand Haven area and beach. The surf cam free and is live flowing video in color and 24 hours a day. Google this:

surfgrandhaven.com.

Click on the on marine near top right and it gives the water temps for the last 8-10 days and you will notice the water temp at the beach was 69 degrees last week (about 5 degrees below normal for this date) and the water was still filled with over a thousand swimmers at the long beach and then a cold front went thru on Sunday night and and the north wind (july 28th) dropped the water temp on monday this week as the front blew surface cold water down from the northern part of the lake but it's back on it's way up again tuesday. Will be back into the high 60's by the weekend. We live on the lakeshore and see how many are in the water every day and know exactly how the wind driven surface water changes the water temps up and down. The lake virtually stays cold up north near the Straits about all year but not down here. Normally it's in the 70's july, august, and most of september at Grand Haven with a few sturts to 80+ degrees.

Think about it this way as it's what actually happens and you can research it. Lake Michigan is 100 miles wide, 340 miles long on a straight line, 923 feet deep. So it takes most of the summer to heat all that water up and then takes nearly all winter to cool that much water back down. The seasons along the Lake Michigan shoreline in West Michigan are basically shifted 2-4 weeks later in the calendar year and that's why it's usually warm water for the month of september too. We have warmer falls along the lake than inland because the warm lake air rises like heat always does and is blown over the land by the prevailing west winds. The opposite in spring as the lake is cold and it's cooler near the lake for about a month than inland. The great thing is we very seldom need and A/C here as the lake keeps us cool with it's natural A/C until late september and it's so neat. The warm air from the lake kppes it warmer along the lake in winter until mid to late february and that's when the witer air is about over and it starts warming up again.

Grand Haven never got below zero even at night all last winter (look it up!) and you know it was -10, -20, in Indiana and was -24 in the Madison, Wisconsin area as their air is not warmed by the big lake because the wind comes from the west. Gee, we love living on the lakeshore here!

The other website is:

visitgrandhaven.com

Tons of info for you.

The live cam on top of a building on the waterfront that you control right from your own computer anywhere in the world is down right now are as it's being repaired. I don't know the date it will be back up on line.

[bcgarrison]

Grand Haven SP is much more then a parking lot on the beach, it is a destination. Great boardwalk, beach, lighthouse, and great little town. We enjoy it a couple of times a year and do a lot of walking, bike riding and eating.

[ktosv]

welove2drive,

Anything specific you like to do? Biking, hiking, fishing, shopping? Honestly, I think any Michigan State Park on the Lake Michigan shoreline is great. They all seem to offer something a little different.

We like camping the off season at Grand Haven cause you can have a lake front view. We actually like the Holland State Park Beach campground because you are right there and the kids can play in the sand right outside of the camper. The Holland and Grand Haven areas offer dare I say hundreds of miles of paved bike paths. Two weekends ago four of the kids and I rode from Holland SP to Grand Haven. My six year old asked when we could do it again! There are also several great mountain biking trails/paths in the area.

Holland and Grand Haven also offer unique shopping and dining experiences. But I think that can be said for most of the cities (South Haven, St. Joe, Saugatuck) along the lake.

I know it sounds like you aren't in favor of one of the beach campgrounds, but if you decide to I typically reserve a site where my awning will be facing away from the lake so I don't have to worry about the wind.

[Parrothead_Mike]

2X on Van Buren State Park near South Haven. The campground is sheltered from windy conditions with the beach a couple of hundred yards from the campground. There are plenty of trees as well as open sites. It has a great beach and plenty of dunes to roam around on. South Haven is a nice town and if you want to go a bit further north check out Saugatuck. There are wineries in the area too.

A note regarding reservations at Van Buren SP, the last weekend in September is booked full. That's the weekend of the campground's Harvest Fest celebration. Trick or treating, pumpkin carving, etc. Had to make reservations 4-6 months out.

Depending upon which weekend you're planning to travel you might wait up to a week out to make a reservation and keep an eye on the weather forecasts for the areas you want to camp. Outside of the Harvest Festivals (many Michigan state parks schedule these events in the early fall) you shouldn't have any problem getting a campsite.

[brirene]

welove2drive wrote:
Thanks everyone for the information. If the kids cannot take 2 days off we will go somewhere further south on the lake. Are there any areas similar to Grand Haven with an interesting town, pier,etc.?

Holland sp has similar lake and beach access, as well as a cg area slightly further inland, but not nearly as convenient to town. There are other activities within walking or biking distance.

[michigansandzil]

The general area you plan on staying at is pretty nice. Lots to see and do on that side of the state.

Regarding swimming in Lake Michigan in September, not this year, it's just too cold. My kids swam briefly at Wilderness State Park and flat out refused at Silver Lake. It was 80 degrees and sunny in July and the water was too cold for the kids. Some of the teenagers went in, but it was rather on a dare.

Hopefully next year we can swim in the lake again. It's really been a rather pathetically cool summer.

[welove2drive]

Thanks everyone for the information. If the kids cannot take 2 days off we will go somewhere further south on the lake. Are there any areas similar to Grand Haven with an interesting town, pier,etc.?

Dick_B we stopped at Cozy's on our way north one time. Checked that off my bucket list!

[GordonThree]

1000 opinions about camp grounds, I'll let the others take you up on that.

Regarding SWIMMING in Lake Michigan:

Lake Michigan has surface temps in the 50s and 60s this year. Dangerous to swim in if you ask me

A recent polar vortex just rolled through, some readings are now in the high 30s low 40s. 😞

See here!:
http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/glcfs/glcfs.php?lake=m&ext=swt&type=N&hr=00

[bid_time]

Any of those state campgrounds along the western Michigan shoreline, you better check for vacancies first (now). You're inquiring about an area where getting a reservation may be few and far between or even non-existant depending on when. This is a pretty late date to get a reservation in that area. They go 6 months in advance.

[travelnutz]

Lake Michigan at Grand Haven is normally NOT colder until late September or early October. We live here and have for over 72 years and know as we swim in the lake a lot, often well into October. Lake's been chilly all summer so far this year but the forecast is for very warm weather starting next week but will it happen, the weather report etc isn't always right. Hoffmaster is an excellent 1100+ acre state park with approx 300 campsites in 4 loops the woods behind the big dunes with a path a couple hundred yards between the dunes to the beack areas and the CG is mostly booked/reserved full until after Laborday. 2-1/2 miles of pristine pure golden sand beach and very gentle sand bottom going out into the water. We love Hoffmaster as there's miles of trails and an excellent visitor center to enjoy.

Same fabulous beach but even so much wider at Grand Haven and rated by the travel magagines etc as one of the 5 best beaches in the entire USA including Hawaii. Also the very popular miles long boardwalk along the wide deep Grand River to and miles past downtown. Over 160 miles of paved constructed off the road bike paths all over the area. Grand Haven area is extremely busy all summer but slows down after the kids go back to school. There's so much to do in the area without spend hardly any money as most venues are free all season llong and families and the retirees simply love it and come back year after and later so do their kids with their families.