Ludington State Park

Went here recently, both on cloudy and rainy days! Would love to come back on a sunny day or warmer weather! Also would love to spend more time exploring and hiking the area! Hiked the area to see the sable lighthouse. Beautiful sand dunes and beach even when it’s cloudy!

Michigan has seemingly infinite natural treasures to explore, and this is one of them. I can remember fishing the breakwater near town with my Dad when I was quite young, no later than 1972, for sure. But, somehow, I’ve missed the state park. Wow, what a LONG drive out to the entrance. From the time you enter the duney drive, is it five miles to the real entrance? Great new beachhouse, handicapped accessible, fine history displays. As always, I could have spent all day here, but only had half that. On the way out, we drove through the campground area. Looks like you can have your own private tubing adventure on the Big Sable River, if you bring/​buy/​rent a tube.

This is a beautiful park that has something enjoyable for everyone. We didn’t camp at the park, but instead drove in each morning and stayed in the park all day. We floated the river, hung out at the beach, and explored tons of trails. The beach: it’s called «Lake Michigan Beach». I think it tops Empire beach. The views in both directions are fantastic, and if you’re willing to commit an hour or two, you can hike to some of the best vistas in Michigan. There’s also a kid/​family oriented beach at Hamlin Lake, where tons of trails terminate. There’s a pretty cool canoe/​kayak trail as well but I didn’t check that one out.
The Ridge Trail/​Lost Lake Trail hike is one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever done. Check it out!

Really one of the best all around state parks I’ve been to. Lots of hiking, swimming, boating and camping fir all ages. Some main points of interest are the lighthouse trail and the skyway trail. Both are great hikes with amazing views. Also have bike and kayak rentals.

Pretty much the best state park there is. Great beach, great assortment of trails, kayaking, boating. Could use a new playground in picnic area. Can get very crowded on summer weekends.

Gorgeous campground with plenty of activities for everyone in your group.
We camped here this weekend with a group of 7. I booked two adjacent tent-​only sites in Cedars. We didn’t want to be surrounded by RVs, and Cedars was the only campground that still had two sites left next to one another. We liked being near to the camp store and the hosts (free coffee!), but in the future, I’d try to book in either Pines (dune/​beach adjacent) or in Beechwood (lake adjacent). We had sites 207 and 207A, and they were very cozy– if you are alone, I don’t recommend booking just one of these sites, as they are extremely close together and not very large.
The tent only loop is right next to the playground and the camp store. We don’t have kids, so the playground was not a feature we used, and we wish it were farther away. The kids are cute and I’m happy they have a place to play, but we had a few soccer balls and softballs come into our campsite and dangerously close to our cars. The bathrooms were awesome– very clean, and there were enough toilets and shower stalls that we never had to wait. There was plentiful hot water and adequate soap and toilet paper in the restrooms.
The beach was lovely, and there was a concession stand and store in case you forgot sunscreen or want to purchase a large, inflatable crocodile or sea turtle to play with. We spent one day kayaking from the lake near Beechwood out into Lake Michigan, and this was a real highlight. The lake is pretty shallow (in some places, not more than a few feet deep, and crystal clear), and it was perfect for beginning kayakers.
The hiking trails were okay. We did a loop around the lakes, and it was a combination of dirt/​sand path and boardwalk. Most of the longer trails wind through dunes, which is not my personal favorite. If you like dunes and walking in sand, though, you’ll love it.
We will definitely return to Ludington!

We had a great time here, the beaches along the edge of the road offer a relaxing day, free of crowds and really give you a feeling of having your own personal beach. Water is a bit chilly on Lake Michigan though. The park offers so many things, bike trails, lighthouse tours, beautiful water, relaxing tubing experience and great kayaking and wilderness trails throughout. Highly recommend!

Just finished our first time camping with our son there for about a weeks. The park was great! Very clean, decent sized lots. Clean bathrooms & showers. Will definitely plan another trip.

Ludington is a great park and it’s always a great time. I would warn anyone going to camp though! Be very careful choosing a site. My boyfriend and I had a site that was completely sand. It was like setting up camp on a beach… Which sounds nice until there is sand EVERYWHERE and in everything. Other sites around us looked much better, so as long as you’re careful when choosing you should be fine. Other than the site, everything was clean and fun!

Incredible park that offers hiking, biking, boating, swimming. Gorgeous views from the rolling sand dunes on Lake Michigan to the woods, wildlife, lighthouses, Lost Lake, and Lake Hamlin. A poster park for Pure Michigan. I’ve been camping here since I was a child & now bring my own family yearly. Many memories & enjoy every trip.

This place is amazing! So much to do here! Check it out if you like any of the following:
**Swimming– river or Lake Michigan
**Fishing– Big Sable River, or Hamlin Lake
**Historical sites– great signage here about the old town of Hamlin
**Hiking– I was here in the peak summer season and kept stumbling upon under-​used awesome trails
**Biking– nice bike trails through the park or you could bike into town. So many people on bikes out here. Just do not expect to be doing some Lance Armstrong stuff– this is an area for safe family biking. Lots of bike racks near places to swim, fish and hike
**Cross country skiing or snowboarding– apparently they keep one of the campground loops and some mini cabins open during the winter
**Kayaking/​inner tubing
**Lying on the beach (if you park farther away from the ranger station you can end up with a stretch of beach all your own!)
Now, the downside: some of the campsites here are terrible. Many of them are okay but the one I stayed at was incredibly bad, shallow and next to a huge mound of dirt that, if had rained, would have turned into a mudslide coming down on my tent. The worst campsite I have ever seen. Not much privacy at most of the sites. I’d recommend booking early and studying the campground maps to get a sense of the place. The middle campground loop is probably the busiest (that’s where the camp store is). Other than my awful awful site, the campground amenities were great. Bathrooms were incredibly clean and the showers were hotel quality in terms of cleanliness, temperature and water pressure (they are free).
So I’d advise going and keeping your expectations for your actual campsite low and keeping in mind that there is so much fun stuff to do you may end up spending very little time at your site anyways. Nearest grocery stores are in Ludington and there are some nice restaurants and coffee shops there. There’s a big sign advertising a restaurant in the state park but I don’t think it’s open so you’ll be limited in terms of what you can get out there. But they definitely have you covered in terms of buying wood/​ice/​inner tubes/​sunscreen/​ice cream, all that kind of stuff.
Seemed like a lot of the hiking trails weren’t on the map and it’s fun to just wander around and see what you find. Things are pretty spread out from each other so be ready for some good walks or (even better) bring your bike. One of the coolest things about this park is how many micro-​landscapes there are and the transitions between them. Dunes transitioning into forest, dunes meeting the water, etc. I can’t wait to go back and book a different campsite!

Nice and easy parking on the road. Multiple paths to the beach. The privacy wasn’t great, but there was plenty of room between our spot and the next person. The water was amazing and the sand beneath was perfect. We went on the 4^th and the beach wasn’t that busy.
If you are in the area, don’t bother with the downtown park beach; This is where it is!

Even though I was here the day before a major holiday (July 4^th), the beach was only super crowded around the parking lot. Walking 2 – 3 minutes away from the parking lot, towards the lighthouse, one could have yards of sand all to him or herself.
The water is quite clear and a pleasure to swim in (at least when the weather is warm and sunny). And of course there is Big Sable lighthouse, which provides a great 360 degree view of the area. Costs 2 bucks for adults, 1 dollar for kids to climb to the top.
One last note: don’t expect much greenery. The highlight of the park is the beach, lighthouse, and sand dunes.
The only downer to the park is poor signage. I still am not sure if you are supposed to pay an entrance fee (I didn’t, but there was someone at the entrance looking at every car for some reason), and it wasn’t clear what roads led to what.

Beautiful uncrowded beach stretches for miles. With only small sand dunes separating the road from the beach, it is very easy to pull over, park and walk the 50 yards to the beach anywhere here.
There is a popular campground here which is always quite crowded. A lazy shallow river runs from the lake to Lake Michigan through the campground, and in the summer is perfect for floating down in a tube. Great store in the campground has all you will need for that and more.
The park is about 4 miles from downtown Ludington.

For beaches, hikes, the lighthouse, boating, etc., Ludington State Park is a 5-​star experience.
For camping, however, it can be a nightmare. I have never seen a campground so crowded with people where people are practically camping on top of each other. If you are looking for a peaceful camp situation this is not for you.
I highly recommend taking the short hike to Big Sable Point Lighthouse, and climbing the 130 steps to the top. You will be rewarded with remarkable views of the gorgeous shoreline, dunes, and park land.
There is a fast food and ice cream restaurant on the beach which is passable. The onion rings are quite good but the chicken nuggets are Swanson’s and the service can be slow when it’s busy. You can actually watch them open up the frozen Swanson’s bag and fry the nuggets. Their sloppy joe is decent as is their root beer float.

Camped here over Labor Day weekend and the facility was at capacity as expected. The weather was not too cooperative though, very high winds and cooler temps. Still a great time was had by all.
You can ride your bikes only on paved areas. Within the three campground areas this gives you a few miles to tour. One exception to the pavement rule is the hard packed gravel path that leads to the Big Sable lighthouse. This path is wide enough for vehicles although they are not allowed other than for park staff, and gives you another 1.5 miles or so each way worth of riding. The area is mostly flat terrain with a few light rolling hills.
One thing I like about the layout of the campgrounds is that they nestled many sites into the edge of the tree lines and the roads are curved. Both of these help cut down on noise and you also feel like you’re not among so many other campers even though you know you are! The shower and bathroom facilities are cleaned daily and are well kept and clean, even with the campgrounds packed full.
The pines campground is where we stayed and the soil composition there is mostly sand… so for camping you might want to bring longer tent stakes than you would otherwise use in other soils.
The lazy river is cool and begins at Hamlin Dam. The total length is just over a mile and if you keep your paddles in the boat it might take you just over an hour to complete a trip from the dam to the mouth of Lake Michigan.
One other note about this area… in downtown Ludington there is a breakwater wall and light at the end of the walkway. It’s very nice looking however take a lot of caution in walking out there when the winds are high. During our stay we had 30 – 40 mph winds which generated 6 – 10 foot waves on Lake Michigan where this light is located. Someone from the Detroit area walked out on this breakwall to the light and was swept off the wall by a high wave and killed. Just be careful out there and think twice about going out there when it’s windy!!!
I would definitely camp here again. For the busy summer weekends you need to reserve at the earliest time possible on the web site.

Friendly, huge state park — in the serene and «Pure Michigan» town of Ludington. My girlfriend and I have visited this park 2 summers in a row, and while we haven’t camped here per se, we have parked here and taken the approx. 1.1 mile trail and/​or Lake Michigan beach shore walk to the beautiful Big Sable Point Lighthouse.
We have ventured into the campground to use the restroom and get a head start on the trail walk before and the site looked very cozy, being wooded and nicely in the shade — and just mere steps away from the trail to the lighthouse, as well as the Lake Michigan shoreline. The campgrounds have great space and great restroom facilities. It feels peaceful, but when we were there it was definitely packed with campers so privacy may be a concern, since when it’s busy, chances are you will have neighbors just yards away from your site. With everyone being so friendly and approachable, this would be a plus for social creatures anyway. The campground has 3 main distinct areas and plenty of rentals (e.g. kayaks, canoes, bikes, etc.).
The access to Lake Michigan from these campgrounds offer peaceful, shallow waters — excellent for swimming in the summertime, and the trail is great as well. There are some historic checkpoints along the way.
Big Sable Point Lighthouse is a great sight to see. It is not an active lighthouse, and now is a local tourist attraction. Donate a couple bucks or buy something from the gift shop with the friendly folks that run the lighthouse — and you can take the winding stairs up to the tall and historic lighthouse. The view and breeze you feel at the very top is, well, it’s Pure Michigan!
Overall, Ludington State Park is an awesome mix of friendly, beach, sand, trail, nature, water, and historic. It makes for an ideal, peaceful, and mature camping getaway — especially with the charming, quaint downtown Ludington nearby. Partiers and younger campers may prefer camping a ½ hour south of here by Silver Lake.

This park is great! There is no end to the fabulous beaches here. The sand is white and so super soft, the water crystal clear and the perfect temperature. I did not camp here, but did walk through the campground which looked pretty decent. There is a store to purchase all kinds of stuff from food to beach supplies, and I saw a bike rental area. they even have ice cream! I bought a new raft and was pleased to see they had an air compressor which saved my lungs from a workout! A great option I wish we had time to do — many were tubing down the river which ends at Lake Michigan. Do the 4 mile (round trip) hike to see the lighthouse — the views are spectacular! Everyone just seemed to be happy here, maybe because of the wonderful surroundings! I just can’t say enough good things about this little piece of paradise!

The Ludington State Park is great. I have camped here and also done most of the trails. I really enjoy the Island Trail.
They have 3 different campgrounds, with lots of activities. A nature center, beaches, canoe/​kayak/​paddleboat rentals, a nice dam to go look at. Also here is the Big Point Sable Lighthouse. This place is great.

Ludington State Park can serve as a day-​use area or starting point for a backpacking adventure. On the West Coast of Michigan, about 5 hours from Chicago, this State Park is right on the Lake and offers weekend parking for backpackers. There’s also free road-​side parking on the road leading up to the park that people can use during the day for easy beach access.
We recently embarked on a 16 mile lake-​side trek leaving one car up north at Magoon Creek and then driving south to Ludington State Park, parking the other car there for State Park fees — $ 6/​day or $ 8/​day for out-​of-​state plates. We then hiked north through the Nordhouse Dunes (viewing the lighthouse on the way, 1.8 miles from the parking lot) with the intention of ending up at the Magoon Creek Natural Area.
Unfortunately, north of Cooper Creek (north of Lake Mich. Rec Area) the beach got very narrow and eventually it was impossible to walk on the beach anymore. There were railroad ties in the water for a long stretch, perhaps for boats to be docked, making walking in the shallow water pretty close to impossible. So our only option was to walk up on the land, in the brush. For a short distance it seemed as if there was a narrow trail some people had previously used, although it was obviously not maintained. Eventually though the «trail» disappeared into the steep bluffs and we were basically thrashing through the weeds and trees. It was dangerous as you couldn’t tell where the ground was; the weeds were deceptive in tricking you that there was a solid spot to put your foot when there wasn’t. After about ½ a mile of this, with no end in sight, we climbed someone’s stairs to end up in their backyard. The neighbors notified us that we were still about 2 miles from our car at Magoon Creek, which we just walked to along the road.
Despite the end of our adventure, the rest of the hike through the Nordhouse Wilderness was great. I’m not sure if the State of Michigan has not maintained a trail where we were or if the landscape has simply changed since the book we were using was written (2007), but no worries, I did drop a line to the author to notify him!
For future hikers, I’d probably suggest either hiking between the Lake Michigan Rec. Area (crowded) and Ludington State Park, camping in the Nordhouse Wilderness (pretty isolated) along the way. Or else just go in and out from Ludington State Park. Once you get out of the Park and into the backcountry it’s great — you basically can just pitch your tent anywhere in the dunes, as long as you’re far enough away from the water (400ft, I believe). Firewood is easy to come by in the woods and the sunsets are not too shabby sitting on the dunes! We had minimal problems with bugs or wildlife, although hiking 16 miles through sand was a bit harder than I envisioned! Check in at Ludington State Park for car permits and to register as Nordhouse Dunes Campers — they’ll mark down your emergency contact info.
BOTTOM LINE: Beautiful stretches of beach, isolated shoreline in the Nordhouse area, too populated in the Lake Michigan Rec. Area. Prepare your calves for hiking through the sand and you’ll be a-​okay. Just don’t try to do the hike from Ludington to Manistee (Magoon Creek) because, as of now, it doesn’t exist!