Great place to relax and take the family, you can sled in the winter, go hiking, fishing, play disc…read moregolf, or bring the camera and get some amazing pictures.

Who made the maps of this place? The park is beautiful, Chippewa River runs through it.read more

This is a hidden beach that few know about, mostly because you need to drive toward the Portage…read morePoint Inn (be sure to fill your water bottles at the artesian spring, just past the camp), and then keep going right past it on a VERY dinky, one lane road. Head past the marina and yacht club, take a right, and up the dune to the parking lot (free). There's a single room changing area with a pit toilet (needs must), well lit. There are two gazebos and a wooden walkway at the south end of the small parking lot, and a gazebo with benches at the north end of the parking lot. There are dog bags, if you're walking your dog (thank you for cleaning up after them!). I especially love the new addition this year of a barely inclined wooden walkway, with a handicap mat (not sure what to call it, but it is plastic netting that is a stable place for you to walk or wheel down). There's a pier, and a lighthouse at the end. There are 4 fire rings, if you are inclined to have a lovely beach sunset fire (bring supplies). This is my favorite hidden beach in Michigan, and the swims - and sunsets - are glorious.

In prior years, this park operated under far more competent and principled management. The current…read moreleadership demonstrates little integrity, selectively enforcing rules based on which guests are involved, rather than applying standards consistently. The only faintly positive aspect is the continual turnover in management and staff, which at least suggests this leadership group may not be long‑lasting. Operationally, the park has declined to an unacceptable level. Trailers are now positioned so closely together that a single fire could have catastrophic consequences--an obvious and serious safety hazard that responsible management would never allow. Basic maintenance is also being neglected: sites remain unmowed, trash is left scattered throughout the grounds, and during our most recent visit the bathrooms were not stocked with something as fundamental as toilet paper. The park's inclusivity and overall atmosphere fluctuate from season to season, and this year has been particularly poor. Even core amenities are unreliable; toward the end of last season, the tubing bus broke down on multiple occasions, disrupting one of the park's primary activities. Additionally, the decision to prohibit wood vendors from entering the park forces guests either to bring their own firewood from outside or pay an exorbitant price for sawmill scrap--an unnecessary inconvenience created entirely by management. After four years of visiting, this season has been, by a wide margin, the worst experience to date. I intend to update this review once the current leadership inevitably turns over, assuming the next team demonstrates higher standards and a basic commitment to safety, maintenance, and guest experience.

Five stars... has Eiffel tower. Somebody needs to clean it up at the fence. Go sledding 24/7 behind…read morethe swimming pool. (big Rapids Michigan.)

My friends and I were supposed to go to a music festival out of the state last fall but of course…read moreplans changed, so we decided to book a camping weekend at Orchard Beach State Park instead. Located in Manistee, there is plenty to do nearby but unfortunately the weather was pretty rainy for most of the weekend we were there. The access to the beach was closed due to erosion but there are other beaches available. Checking in was easy and there is onsite ice and firewood for sale. The host site was awesome with lots of books for use and a whiteboard with local info. Our site had water and electric hookup, so we were tucked in amongst several RVs and motor homes. The campground was very quiet, which was nice! The restroom facilities were clean and functional, although one had a small set of stairs leading into the actual bathroom area which made it not so accessible. We were on spot 95, which is right near the highway. We knew this going in and could see from the photos that it didn't look that close. Well, it was pretty close, and very loud with road noise. This wasn't a big deal for us but if noise bothers you I'd skip this part of the campground. Another thing to note is that some of the sites hold water when it's been raining, so maybe not the best for tent camping. Our site seemed ok but it was mostly dirt so it did get a little muddy. Nothing too terrible, though. Overall we enjoyed our stay but this definitely wasn't my favorite of the state parks we've visited or camped at. There is a nice lookout point over the lake that made for some nice photos, and getting into town was easy.

Small compared to other state parks across Michigan, but a stunning state park nonetheless located…read moreon bluffs above Lake Michigan! The campground is wonderful and we really loved that it was one that was more underrated and less trafficked. We had a prime camping spot with an uninterrupted view of the lake and even though the weather we had during this weekend wasn't the best, we made do with cozy time in the tent, did a hike through the state park that was lovely and well maintained, and explored the nearby downtown of Manistee, of which Orchard Beach State Park is located just 5-10 minutes north! A wonderful weekend and state park in my books!

My feet were itching to go for a walk while I was headed up to the BEAUTIFUL Traverse City. I…read moreluckily saw this saving grace of a park on my left and I instantly turned. We got there and absolutely no one was there, but the facilities were luckily unlocked LOL! I relieved myself and then my mom and I went for a walk down trail #1. We eventually found a crossing in the path, and I got overwhelmed, so we turned back around. Satisfied all of my needs!

Used to love this campsite until the DNR threatened to evict us. Quiet hours are expected but if…read morewe're walking around the campsite quietly at night they told us they were worried for our safety and we'd break our leg so we were told we couldn't leave our campsite for any reason. They walked us back to our campsite and threaten to evict us from our campsite if we left again, but how do I use the bathroom at night without leaving my campsite?

Absolutely a hit for this Grandma! My grandsons had a blast!!! Clean beach, nice and sandy. Easy…read moreto watch your little ones, 6 and 4. Friendly people and wonderful staff. Easy parking for this handicapped Grandma. We will definitely be visiting again soon!

Very nice country park. We went to witness baptisms. There are various shelters, grilling areas,…read moreand the water was nice, even though it rained for a good portion of the late morning and early afternoon. The restrooms were as clean as one can expect being a park setting. There was real soap rather than just sanitizer and air dryers. The park grounds appeared well maintained. This park also has an art/craft barn, and a decent little shop with necessities, snacks, beverages (even coffee and hot chocolate!), And of course live bait. The day pass is $10.00 per vehicle. The only real downfall was how far you have to walk to the bathrooms

We have camped here for 16 years all summer. This weekend we had reservations but i got Covid…read more Called the office and asked if my weekend could be credited to my account. I was charged $25 apparently they would rather have you show up with Covid or charge you for be there.

This is a great park for the whole family! I love that the playground has an assortment of slides…read more My toddler likes climbing and trying out new slides so he enjoyed running around that part of the park. Also loved the spray park area...great for hot summer days. Has a skate park for the older kids and plenty of covered picnic seating. We didn't get a chance to explore the entire park but this place is a nice spot to enjoy the day with the kids.

Such a beautiful place to see! Great for finding sea glass. My husband and I enjoyed seeing the…read morepeaceful water with only one other couple there! Recommend 100% even saw a black squirrel

Overall enjoyed exploring this beach! There is not a staircase down near this parking lot so it's a…read moremix of walking in dirt/sand to get up and down. On the beach: There is a bunch of stuff that washes up here! You can find petotskys, beach glass, unakite, and other rocks! It really just depends on the time of day and how many other people are here

We have been camping for years and I have to to say this was our best trip since we started. The…read morestaff is absolutely amazing and you can tell they all love their jobs and take great pride in their park. There is a great ranger presence which has been lacking in many parks over the last several years. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Every site was mowed and weed wacked when campers left before new people arrived. The bathrooms were cleaned and monitored multiple times a day. Never saw an empty toilet paper roll in the 5 days we were there. They even got down on the floors of the shower with a brush to clean the grout. Lots of scheduled activities for all ages. Park interpreter Ed was very knowledgeable and personable. I can say the only downside was road noise but that can't be controlled. Well done Mitchell State Park. Awesome job.

The place is great and kept very well with the property. The bathrooms are very clean also. The…read moreemployees are very friendly. The only thing I don't like is the price.