Located along the shores of Lake Michigan,this State Park has over 1500 acres of pristine beaches…read moreand sand dunes making it one of Michigans most popular State Parks. There is an admission free to enter. Plenty of parking available. We went in the Fall midweek so it was not crowded at all.

Beautiful beach and park!…read more We came for the day to play on the beach and see the sand dunes. You have to pay for the use. There is a large parking area by the beach. As soon as we pulled in we noticed the beach on one side of the parking lot and the sand dunes on the other. We decided to climb the dunes first. There is one big hill that everyone was going up. It is challenging but fun. Great views from the top. And super easy to come down. Then we went to the beach. Sand was really nice and clean. A storm started to roll in so we had to leave the beach a little early. They do a great job of communicating and changing the flags when the beach conditions change. There are bathrooms and some food vendors. Only wish is they had actual showers to clean off all the sand. They have the outside ones but they weren't very efficient.

Currently more stairs than beach, but there's a picnic table off to the side and some roadside…read moreporta potties. Could be a good place to fly a kite, put an inflatable in the water, or just get some stairs for exercise, but the beach is quickly disappearing if you wanted a place to relax.

This place was absolutely beautiful, don't get me wrong, but I don't know that I could highly…read morerecommend it at this point. The beach has been heavily eroded and was very hard to access. There were also several tires in the water. Definitely a nice, secluded spot, but proceed with caution until repairs are made. Wouldn't recommend for dogs or small children.

I thought this was a great park! There's a beach, zoo, and more…read more The beach was beautiful! The boardwalk was nice to walk along the beach. Plus there were lots of picnic and seating areas. The parking is nice and there's plenty of it. But I ended up having to pay twice since each lot had a different zone code even though we were in the same park.

My husband and I went to Washington Park to see Lake Michigan and take our pictures in front of…read morelighthouses. Unfortunately, the parking was really expensive. So we got out of the car, took some pictures, and left quickly before we could be ticketed. High prices sucked the fun out of Washington Park.

If you are looking for a dog park with a lot of land, water available (minus the winter months),…read moreand fenced in, this dog park is highly recommended. An important note is that there are two parks here. There is a small dog park and the large one. The rest of this review is for the big dog park: There is a two tier fencing system, where you can open one gate, take your dog in, take the leash off, and then let them run into the park. There are also poop bags in this area, and it is expected that you pick up after your dog. It has two major parts, one being flat and where most people will hang out. There are benches for people to sit and hose water for the dogs. On the other side, there is a small hill with trees in which squirrels live, so some dogs like to chase them from tree to tree. There are also chairs throughout, so you don't have to be by people unless you want to. Due to the large size, it may take some time to get to your dog if you need to so keep that in mind and stay close to your dog if you are worried they could get into trouble. Overall, I highly recommend this dog park to anyone with energetic dogs that like to run!

Great large dog park. My doggo loves stopping by this park. I am from Indianapolis but often come…read moreup to south bend to visit my boyfriend. We ALWAYS make a stop at this park, i can't believe it's free. So much room for the pups to play and my dog's favorite part is the pools. There is also a good amount of trees so you can usually find some shade if it's hot. I highly recommend

Nice dog park along side the East Bank Trail Walk. Area for large dogs and separate area for small…read moredogs. Lots of room for your dog to run around. Picnic bench area that is covered. The East Bank River Trail is adjacent to the Dog Park. You can walk your dog on the trail to the dog park. Nice area in general.

This was one of our first state parks to visit as new campers and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay!…read more They were so welcoming! Our campsite was well equipped and perfect for our family. The dump site was brand new and especially user friendly! The scenery was gorgeous. We were there a little late in the season, but the lake was still beautiful and we enjoyed watching all the wildlife.

Do not let your dog is the water here. They have algae that is poisonous to dogs! This can be scary…read morefor people that don't know this.

Excellent dog park! Dogs are pre-screened to be included in the friendly community area. Dogs that…read moredon't behave around other dogs are not allowed into the friendly area. They do have a section for dogs that don't play well with others area. They provide poop bags with poop bag receptacles throughout the park. They provide a kiddy pool for the dogs to play in and they provide the water. They also have fresh water and community dog bowls. It is well maintained and enjoyed by frequent guests. They also have a small dog area that is segregated from the general community area which has all friendly dogs. They give you a key fob for unattended access.

One of my dogs licked the hand of another person. That person lied to the administration and said…read moreshe was bitten. Witnesses stuck up for us, but we were still banned from the park. It's not worth it to be there with liars and cliques.

Cool place to relax with your pooch! Lively scenery and sounds of nature. Lovely water and birds…read moreeverywhere

This dog park has definitely seen better days, but we still enjoyed it. There was nothing…read moredangerous, it could just use some updating/love. Contrary to what others have noted, there is not free parking here but there is a lot right next to the park. You still have to go through the gate at the front parking lot to get there and it's Metropolis so they charge how long you parked there by your license plate. We were there less than an hour and it was $4. There were only a few other dogs and owners during our visit and everyone was nice/respectful. My dog and I have done an agility class before, so we had fun trying some of the different obstacles set up. Its a nice idea to have everything in the park made up of recycled materials too - very unique. I wish there was an easy way to donate since I think it's a community-run park - maybe add a Venmo QR code sign? Seems like the park could use some help but maybe it just hasn't been refreshed yet for the upcoming summer season. Either way, love the location right in Jackson Park so we were able to also walk around some of the trails.