Grand Haven State Park, MI

[broark01]

Grand Haven State Park in Grand Haven MI is in an excellent location with nice views of Lake Michigan and lots of sand. There is much to do around the area and is a nice location. Bathrooms/showers are excellent for a state park in terms of cleanliness and privacy.

My experience is that when the park is close to full, which is most of the summer, it is VERY TIGHT for larger motor homes, trailers and 5th wheels over 35 feet. From the entrance of the park, to shoe horning the camper into the well marked assigned space, it can be a matter of inches of clearance with the buildings and other units. My recommendation is to arrive mid week.

I arrived on the weekend and even with all of the "neighbors" help, did not think it was geometrically possible to back the 5th into my space but was wrong. I did lock mirrors with a big motor home across from my space but was able to pull forward and fold mirrors in without much damage to anything else except the neighbors nerves and my pride.

The good or bad news is that there does not seem to be a lot of enforcement by the rangers of keeping your stuff in your assigned space therefore cars and tow vehicles tend to overflow out into the access road and take over empty spaces. Also toys, awnings and other stuff from neighbors tend to encroach into other spaces. The overflow parking will contribute to your overall health and well being through the exercise to access it due to its somewhat remote location by the entrance.

Great place but until I downsize or am able to reserve one of the more accessible sites I will not be going back.

[travelnutz]

broark01,

Yes, the huge musical fountain (originally built in 1962) and performs every night in summer and has for 54 years now. It's the same approximate size as a football field and the water goes up over 125 feet in the air and dances up and down and side to side with the music in fast with the music changing lights/colors. Very bright LED high intensity lights having 16+ million different colors capable. Sometimes there's a laser light show with it too. 32 very high quality 18" diameter specially designed speaker powered by 14 audio amplifiers providing over 35,000 watts of audio power. Many nights, the sound can be heard over 5 miles away.

Hundreds to thousands view it every night from the waterfront stadium or anywhere along the continuous waterfront park. It's that popular! The fountain is actually on the other side of the river on the side of a tall sand dune. Totally free It's in it's 54th year of nightly performances of all types of music and the fountain is constantly upgraded as higher technology develops. State of the art!

BTW, the Grand Haven State Park and campground has been somewhat the same layout since back in the 1920's when RV's were tiny and few around but the bathhouse is ultra modern with private door showers and family showers all around the exterior of the building. 50 amp electric today and other modern features in the CG. Lake Michigan shoreline land goes for over $10,000 a front foot of water frontage if you want to purchase some. That is if you can find some for sale! As a RV'er, you get to actually live on this ultra expensive property with services/feature included for about $30/day and with NO property taxes and NO maintenance ever! Pretty darn cheap!

[broark01]

Oh, and let's not forget the musical fountain, what an interesting place 🙂

http://ghfountain.com/

Still a bear for 35 ft 5th wheel and long bed pickup to get in/out of but it can be done with nerves of steel and inches to spare.

[travelnutz]

I/we live in Grand Haven and have for over 74 years and see the state park and CG everyday. Yes, some sites can be shoe horn with a very big MH or a 36 ft plus 5th wheel or TT if the tow vehicle is and crew cab long box but many are not hard to get in at all. Extremely popular CG and full all Summer long and part of the Fall too. We see many 40 footer RV's there constantly and they keep coming back year after year so it can't be that bad to get in a site.

As for being a very large paved parking lot type CG, of course because if you attempt to put your vehicle wheels or the RV wheels off the pavement say hello to a big tow truck as your rig will be sitting on it frame with the wheel buried.

Obviously, it's a different kind of CG because it's true beach camping and you are surrounded by very soft pure beach sand and the gorgeous Lake Michigan and the wide deep Grand River that has up to 800' ships coming and going and hundreds to thousands of pleasure boats of all sizes. Your RV? It will only be your sleeping and a few meals adobe because you will be out and about every day and into the night. Many will be on the voted as one of the top 5 beaches in the USA with the constant things going on or, soaking up some rays, or swimming in the water or watching the gorgeous sunsets from the beach or pier when the sunsets. But that's just a teaser for so many more ventures awaiting.

Like the thousands do every day, walking on the 1/4 mile long pier, or walking the 3/4 mile long gorgeous boardwalk lined with neat park after park with gobs of seatback benches/restrooms/ice cream and food places to downtown and Chinook Pier or a charter fishing boat, past the marinas or just in the very clean upbeat downtown where there's constant free entertainment going on daily and/or eating/quenching your thirst or shopping etc, or at any of the so many other attractions and entertainment venues. Don't forget the worlds largest musical fountain of it's kind viewed from the downtown water front every night after the sun goes down. When finally dead dog tired, you simply make your way back to your waiting home on wheels to collapse so your can do more and more the next day.

Then there's the splash pad in downtown on the waterfront and Mulligan's Hollow with the huge kids Imagination Station, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, the skate park, picnic areas, the YMCA, etc. Might catch a ride on one of the trolleys or a tour (both have ultra cheap fares). The museum and on and on! Just a sampling and downtown doesn't roll up the streets when the sun goes down as it becomes even more inviting with venues. Heck, I didn't even touch on all the great fishing here and all you need is your pole and something for the fish to much on.

Just a few reasons the state park is always full and most of the 11 other CG's locally also and why people return year after year. So much to do but so little time! Living here is like living in a 5 star resort constantly and staying in the SP CG just wets your whistle and makes you beg for more! That's why we wouldn't even think of moving away from here since because being the best means all the others aren't as good!

[is_it_friday_ye]

Grand Haven State Park in Grand Haven MI......Is a parking lot at the beach. In my opinion, there are much nicer state parks near Lake Michigan. While not directly at the beach, we like Van Buren state park. It's a couple minute walk or bike ride to the beach.

[avan]

When we lived in Michigan, we took our 36' MH to GH SP quite frequently and had no trouble. Course we went there probably 1 (more if storms were predicted) weekend, at least, every weekend all winter. The onsite ranger provided us with the lock code to enter from the fisherman's lot and would always turn on a power pedistal for us. We never had any company and we'd park sideways across a few sites oriented to watch the storms come in. A late afternoon stroll along the 'boardwalk' to town for dinner was great fun. In the summer we moored our boat at N. Shore Marina across the channel. Fabulous area. We also did use the cg from time to time in the summer and a shoehorn was needed then.

[rexlion]

Sites at McLain and Porcupine Mtn are plenty big. No site-size rule of thumb that I can see.

[TBammer]

Any park on the big lake is going to be tight. The state tries to give as many people as it can a chance to be on the lake. Its worth it for a chance to see a big lake sunset over great beaches.

[budworks]

Most state parks in Michigan is a shoe horn proposition. I went to another locale near Pentwater on Lake Michigan and it is a bear to park any rig over 30' Yes mid week is the ticket!