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    Ludington State Park

    4.7 (61 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    Ludington State Park
    Amanda L.

    Ludington is one of those places where I simply cannot believe I haven't written a review for yet! This is one of my all-time favorite state parks and one of the best places to camp, but everyone already knows that because this is definitely one of the most popular destinations to camp at - so you'll be hard pressed to find availability if you're not on top of it and booking 6 months out!! But immaculate campgrounds aside, Ludington has even more to offer as well! They have beaches (including a dog-friendly beach), miles of shoreline, a gorgeous lighthouse, dunes, and miles upon miles of wonderful hiking trails! I think I hiked 20+ miles in one weekend, all within the confines of Ludington (and a few of those miles at the neighboring Nordhouse Dunes, which is a bit difficult to get to drive-wise) and saw so much scenery change and beauty! It was absolutely stunning! If you've never been to Ludington, then the must-hike trail is the one to and from the lighthouse! It can be a loop too if you begin inland a bit more, which stems off of one of the campgrounds. You can also do a massive loop and span the entire state park too, depending on how ambitious you're feeling! But if you're looking for something a bit more "off the beaten path," while still being a clearly marked path, I would highly recommend the Island and Ridge trail loop. The entire loop is about 5 miles and you get to see so many different landscapes and terrain, it's definitely a favorite of mine! Absolutely LOVE Ludington - a model Michigan state park! It feels isolated, while also feeling so populated and you could truly spend your entire time at this state park without feeling the need to visit anywhere else. It's a bit of a drive from the city of Ludington to get to the entrance of this state park, which sort of adds to that secluded feeling, but there will be a ton of activity once you get to the state park since everyone loves coming here. I've been coming here since I was a little girl camping with my family and other family friends every summer and I continue that tradition on in my adulthood with my own friends!

    Dam
    Leah S.

    What a great place to camp! So much to see and many trails to walk or bike. Cool Dam to view too. Great camping sites. Popular place because it's so awesome

    Jessica F.

    It doesn't get much better than this. Crystal clear water, pine needles scattered in the sandy trails and great views of Hamlin Lake and lake MI. Lost Lake and Island trail is one of my favorites and there is so much to enjoy from the birdsongs to ferns and irises. A little elevation but nothing too rigorous. Can't wait to come back and kayak!

    Lillie G.

    A little slice of heaven on earth! I've grown up coming here. There is nothing quite like it. The lake is beautiful and the trails are just fantastic. I enjoy walking them w my dog too.

    Pines loop site 89
    Kerry F.

    *this review is for the campground* It's easy to see why this is one of the hardest campgrounds to get into. This park is one of the nicest, most beautiful and activity filled in Michigan. We arrived for a Friday-Sunday stay and after a easy check in (the registration booth is a distance away from the campground to avoid traffic back ups at the main entrance) we pulled into site 89 located in the Pines loop located next to the dunes. There are 3 different loops here the Pines (lake MI beach), the Cedar (middle/forest) and the Beechwood (Hamlin Lake/ boardwalk) they are all different and have different feelings to them. Our site was sandy and open, with a private-ish path leading right up the dune to overlook Lake MI. The sites here are typical State park sites, not huge but we never felt cramped because, with so much to do in the park, most people are gone from their sites during the day (us included) Staying here makes people happy. This was easily the most friendly camping experience we've had all summer. The rangers were helpful and approachable. The bathrooms in the Pines loop were older than some of the other loops but were in good condition and were clean the duration of the weekend. We have reservations to return twice more this year and we can hardly wait.

    Hamlin Lake Dam
    Lauren W.

    The park is beautiful! My boyfriend and I went camping in the park in mid-November. At that time, the park stores were closed for the season and there weren't many visitors as it's cold during this time of year. But we loved having the park to ourselves, especially since it's supposed to be very crowded in the summer. When we visited, the leaves were changing colors and it was absolutely beautiful! The locals mentioned the leaves typically change colors in mid- to late-October. The park has several short hiking trails that are very well marked. I'd highly recommend the Lost Lake/Island Trail and the Lighthouse Trail. The park also has a lot of beach front, which would be fun to relax at in the summer. We stayed for two night and were able to explore most of the park and were even able to spend an afternoon in town (Ludington). I'd highly recommend visiting Ludington State Park for a day trip or overnight stay!

    Easy access to Lake MI from Ludington State Park
    Joe T.

    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 1/2 hour south of here by Silver Lake.

    looking south towards Ludington
    Mark D.

    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.

    rain giving way to sun

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    3 years ago

    Amazing. I have traveled all over the country and I can honestly say that the facilities are so nice. I am so impressed

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Large park with beach access. Restrooms were open and clean. Beach was nice with close parking.

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    8 years ago

    Our. Family really enjoyed coming to the Park. Beautiful lighthouse and gorgeous each made for a pleasant experience.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Ludington State Park

    Can anyone provide info about the "lazy river" below Hamlin Dam? Length, access info, etc

    Not sure on length but there are several access points from the dam to the lake. I'd say roughly 3/4 mile-mile? It can take anywhere from 30mins-2 he's depending on how lazy you want to be ;)

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Ludington State Park

    Crystal clear water, pine needles scattered in the sandy trails and great views of Hamlin Lake and lake MI.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    Cartier Campgrounds

    Cartier Campgrounds

    4.3(6 reviews)
    4.6 mi

    Cartier Campground was a great spot for a weekend camping with friends. I booked the sites 6 months…read morein advance over the phone and we ended up getting the best sites in the campground! 147, 147A and 147B are all at the very end of one of the loops. 147 is the last campsite so you only have one neighbor next to you, which made it really nice for our group as it was very quiet and a little more secluded. The site adjacent to 147 is also nice as it's large and tucked back off the drive a little bit. The people at the office were great and will deliver wood or ice that you purchase right to your campsite. The restrooms were very clean and somehow had very few bugs inside which was awesome. The showers were great with hot water and adequate water pressure. The campground is right off some really nice paved walking trails and they also have a winding mountain bike trail. Plus you're right near Lincoln Lake. The campground is a quick drive to downtown, the beach, restaurants, bars, etc. I read about a company (Lakeshore Watersports) that rents kayaks on Lincoln Lake (supposedly right from the campground), but we called them and they never called us back, kind of a bummer. The sites were $28 per night for a tent spot with electric hookup. They kept the big RVs up towards the front of the campground which was nice as it made it much quieter back where the tent spots were. I would definitely camp here again.

    This is my first time to "camp" like this. I met the night crew last night and they were awesome!…read more I had a lot of questions and they answered every one of them with a smile and friendly joking back and forth. The grounds are very nice and shady. The only improvement I see is maybe the addition of another shower facility, but i'm here on the 4th of July and they may not have regular business to justify it. I would most definitely stay here again.

    Dunes Harbor Family Camp - The Cove where we can get some wifi signal

    Dunes Harbor Family Camp

    4.9(9 reviews)
    23.4 mi

    This campground is wonderful in many ways. Well maintained, friendly & helpful staffs. They pay…read moreattention to little details & so close to the sand dunes. I like that they collect trash twice a day, you just need to put trash out next to your site number. They light up the site number so it was very easy to find out site when we got back in the dark. No alcohol campground so in general, it isn't noisy or loud, just people enjoy their time. Easy in and out as one way around campground. Has lots of things to do for little kid, they have rotating weekly schedule. My toddler loves the playground & big sandbox. We ate some ice cream too as a night treat. I definitely want to be back next year. Just one small thing to keep in mind: as a T mobile user, all of us don't have any cell service. The only place they have wifi is the Cove, so we took turn to spend a short time there to use wifi to keep in touch with family at home. We are okay with no wifi but it is a bit difficult with no cell service.

    We stayed at this campground after researching the area extensively. It is definitely what it says,…read morea family campground! You will hear the laughter and cheers as children play throughout the day! While the pool was definitively the favorite spot of our 6 year old, there really were so many things to do in this campground. There were plenty of staff members to make sure everything was running smoothly. We would rank this as one of the top 5 campgrounds that we have stayed at!

    Photos
    Dunes Harbor Family Camp - Raspberry sorbet & rush hour cone

    Raspberry sorbet & rush hour cone

    Dunes Harbor Family Camp - Another side of ice cream store

    Another side of ice cream store

    Dunes Harbor Family Camp - The pool area with lots of things to play for kids

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    The pool area with lots of things to play for kids

    Ludington State Park - campgrounds - Updated August 2026

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