Love this area! Just north of Ludington with way less traffic and completely different adventures!…read moreYou can walk in and camp basically right on the beach here, which is absolutely dreamy and there are just such wonderful hiking trails throughout that offer you challenges and just the most gorgeous sights as well! This spot definitely isn't for everyone and there won't be any "easy" hikes. Nordhouse Dunes makes you work for it, but the payoff is immense and completely worth it! Uninterrupted access to Lake Michigan and stunning vibes - what more could you ask for?! Love Nordhouse Dunes!!

It's crowded but the hike is nice. We were there the first week of September and I was surprised to…read moresee the campground full of campers. I got some great shots with my cannon and my kids enjoyed the hike...it was longer than we thought it would be!

Overall great beach! They clean the sand regularly and it's an expansive area to explore. You can…read morewalk on a pier out into the water or wander the beach shoreline. If you collect beach glass or rocks you'll need to wander quite a ways down to start finding stuff.

Large parking lot right next to the beach. I also like that there was a Hampton hotel with a lot of…read morerooms with a balcony facing the water right across the parking lot from the beach. So many pavilions for families to eat at, play grounds, parking lots, the restrooms were clean for a beach and there was a place to get food and ice cream. Wishing the weather was not so chilly or we would have stayed longer. Definitely a place to be if you're in the area.

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!

Golf and crafts…read more The Red Szymarek Park was purchased by the city of Manistee in 1912 and over the decades has become more and more popular. The park has a nice picnic area with lots of tables and grills as well as a simple playground, bike rack and some easy hiking paths. In 2009 a disc golf course was installed and has become extremely popular. Since the entire area is covered with large trees it's well protected from the sun. In the summer and fall the park is home to lots of arts & craft shows as well as animal rescue events. Usually attracts pretty large crowds and because of the rustic and scenic location is a lovely area. The Red Szymarek Park isn't particular large but it's not far from the Manistee beaches and other parks. A cool place for individuals and families to spend some time.

We had a great time! Staff was super helpful and it was well run! Easy pickup & drop offread more

Having rented canoes from several other places across the country, I can't say I've ever been as…read moreimpressed as I was with Baldwin Canoe Rental. They were AWESOME!!! Since we were staying at Bowman Bridge Campground on the Marquette River, my wife and I wanted to avoid driving back and forth between Baldwin at the start and end of our trip, especially after a few delicious river Oberons. I sent them an email and Troy was quick to respond. They were able to pick us up at our campsite the next morning (on time!) and take us straight to the launch. Not needing to stop in the rental office was greatly appreciated as was the fact that they take care of the river permits for you! Even better was that when we got back to the campground, we didn't need to call and wait for a pickup. We simply put the canoe up on a rack and continued on with our day! It looked like they have staff and buses at each of the major stops of the river, ready to help out and transport any groups as they came in and every employee we ran into was super friendly. Seriously, I can't say enough about how great of a livery this place was! It's a seriously well-run operation that made our little weekend getaway so much more enjoyable!

This is a gem of a park that is a secret spot for locals. It has a beautiful in ground heated pool,…read moreand many other amenities.

First things first…read more.. Stacy and the rest of staff were amazing ! Ate at The Grille, staff there were amazing too! Desiree was our server and did a great job. Golf course is in very good condition. Played the short course, enjoyed it thoroughly, but if I'm being honest I can't say it's worth $49 for a 9 hole par 3 course. First morning my wife had no hot water at 9:30 a.m. No king size beds...

We stayed here for two nights, and had a fantastic time!…read more We arrived on Friday for our 11am tee time on The Retreat, and it was downpouring. We were concerned our golf weekend was going to be ruined, but we were informed that the course staff was working on cleaning up the course, and we should be able to tee off at 12:30! Perfect! We were hoping to be able to check-in to our room ahead of time, but the resort was full the night prior, so instead, we had lunch and a drink at the Grille. I ordered the BBQ Brisket Tacos, which were delicious! It came with three tacos and a side of chips. My boyfriend ordered the Whitefish Quesadillas, which don't sound very appetizing, but he likes quesadillas. We would not recommend them. They were so bland. We felt like we were eating Cream of Mushroom soup quesadillas. When we got to the tee box at 12:30pm, we were told that the other 18-hole course, The Revenge, was closed due to the heavy rain, so anyone golfing that course is now going to be fit onto The Retreat, which meant we would be paired with another twosome. I wasn't thrilled because it was supposed to be a couples getaway for us, and I also get very nervous playing with people I don't know. However, we got very lucky and were paired with a really fun couple! So, this ended up being a great experience, but be aware that if you are a twosome, you may get paired with another twosome. We finished our round only a few balls shorter than when we started (haha), and had dinner at the Grille. We both ordered burgers with fries (not pictured), and they were delicious! We sat outside on the back deck, which was nice, and our waitress, Gayle, was very friendly and attentive. We walked back to the resort, and had big plans to enjoy the pool or firepit, but instead crashed early from a long day on the course. Saturday morning we were looking for the "hot breakfast". I DO NOT RECOMMEND this breakfast. It's located at the Grille, and is $15/person for ham, sausage links, potatoes, and eggs - all of which were cold. It was gross. It was included in our package, but otherwise is $15/person, which is absurd. The hotel has an included breakfast with bagels, cereal, oats, and yogurt, which will suffice. Otherwise, there's Cafe 106 right downtown Manistee that has DELICIOUS BREAKFAST at reasonable prices. Since it poured again Friday night, we were worried we wouldn't be able to play The Revenge at 11am due it being under water. However, we were told we could play, but that it would be wet. Not a big deal. This course, like The Retreat, is absolutely beautiful! We warmed up at the driving range (right near The Revenge course) where I seemingly used all of my decent shots (haha!). We ended up venturing downtown Manistee for dinner and drinks to wrap up our stay here. The room is nothing fancy, but is nice, and I like that the resort has a fitness facility. Overall, our stay here was really great, and we would definitely visit again!

Great course! Wheelchair/stroller accessible! Super cute 18 hole course that gives you information…read moreabout the history and landmarks of Ludington!