Very nice and accessible friendly park. It's a short stroll but peaceful and beautiful. Great place…read morefor fishing and bird watching. Only thing is that parking is very limited.

What a great hike! So calm and peaceful. And the elevated walkways by the canopies are awesome…read more Try and come here if you can. So close to New Buffalo!

If you're looking for a peaceful getaway, Grand Mere State Park is a hidden gem that delivers on…read moreall fronts. The park offers several trails that take you through dense forests and towering sand dunes which lead to some stunning overlooks and beaches of Lake Michigan. It's a bit of a trek to get to the water, but once you do, the lakefront is beautiful and less commercialized than other spots. Definitely recommend Grand Mere State Parkin for anyone in the area looking for a peaceful outdoor escape.

Path to Lake Michigan was flooded, water over your ankles. No easy path to Lake Michigan. A…read morehiker would love the up/down sand dunes.

Amazing park just outside of New Buffalo. Beautiful, clean, fun. Tons of playground equipment and…read moreeven trails in the woods to explore. Lots of parking. Basketball courts. Bocce ball courts. Public bathrooms and drinking fountains too. Splash zone: The last time we visited, it wasn't quite warm enough to play in water, but WOW is that an awesome feature worth mentioning in its own paragraph. If we lived in the area, you'd better believe that we'd hit this park up several times a week in the summer to cool off. Bravo, City of New Buffalo. Bravo. This is the small town park that lots of big town parks aspire to be.

This is amazing for toddlers and children. Amazing age appropriate playgrounds with safe rubber…read moreflooring directly next to cute splash pad/sprayground. Plenty of picnic tables with pavilion. Such an amazing find for the family.

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.

I'm a bit crowd phobic, and I spent 8 yrs of my life as a lifeguard. I think it's deplorable that a…read morestate park doesn't have lifeguards when there are literally THOUSANDS of ppl on this beach at one time. It makes me nervous and I couldn't really relax. There were a few dnr ppl roving around on ATVs. I found it unsafe that the dnr was not enforcing making sure that ppl don't dig giant holes on the beach, a bunch of kids dug one four feet deep. Kids, adults and wildlife can get hurt falling into holes. The dune is impressive but I have no desire to climb it. I like that there's a dog beach here, but holy moly is it crowded. It says on the website it's $11 to get in, but it was $ at the gate. Took forever to get in. It's just meh for me.

A hidden gem in New Buffalo. Fun in the winter with a sledding hill and bring your own skates ice…read morerink.

My 2 year-old and I LOVED this playground (and the pun in the name is just amazing)!…read more When you walk in, you're immediately greeted with a shaded parent area. This is great if you have older kids, but since there are two (that I saw) other entrances, it's still best to follow behind younger kids if you want to make sure they don't leave the park. There is an area called Tot Lot for toddlers, which is a scaled-down version of the rest of the park with baby swings, smaller slides, climbing structures, mounted instruments, etc. We spent some time here, but my son was really drawn to the main playground. The main area is truly a wonderland for littles. With ramps, slides, swings, ropes, obstacles, and a zip line, there is never a dull moment. We visited on a day that was about 90 degrees, so there were only 1-2 other families with us at a time, but the kids that were there all gathered in the shade beneath the main structure. There was fun to be had even under there, with the different ceiling heights and areas making playing tag or hide & seek a blast for everyone. Personally, my favorite part was the large, adult-sized swing (I regretfully did not get a photo... because I was on it the whole time!). It's a standalone swing that is supported by 4 cables. The actual seat is so comfortable it makes me wonder why all playgrounds don't have these! I imagine it's truly for older kids with different abilities, but on a slow day it was my perch. I could see the whole park, including under the main structure and 2/3 entrances, so I just enjoyed the breeze while my son played tag with his new friends. There is also a picnic area and restroom building that looked nice from far away, but we did not check them out. The whole place seems very structurally sound and well-maintained. I was positive it must be brand new because of the quality, so imagine my surprise on the way out when I noticed it had last been renovated in 2014 (11 years ago). Overall, if I could give this playground 10 stars I would. Great job, Valparaiso!

This is likely one of the best playgrounds that we have recently visited…read more We arrived early on a Sunday morning before it got busy. The vast playground has a rubbery ground and is consisted of a section for young toddlers and a larger area for older children. We have two young, energetic daughters so we gained quite a bit of steps in chasing after them as they kept running between the different play areas. I am under the impression that either everything is brand new or incredibly well-maintained. The playground equipment appear to be high-end with exceptional diversity and quality. There are several wooden structures, multi-level jungle-gyms, swings, climbing structures, slides, monkey bars with different height levels, and zip line. Several themes were highlighted in the play spaces too - from fire trucks to solar systems to Vikings. There was never a dull moment in the two hours that we spent there.

This campground is perfect for families or solo campers getting away for a couple days or even a…read moreweek or two. Its a big campground, ive met people here that book a year in advance and make it a yearly family reunion. Most campers are couples/ families. Remember to book as soon as possible this place is popular! A campsite is around $50 with electric and dont forget to get a sticker for Michigan state parks, it is required. This price is super reasonable for all you get and its dog friendly! Sites vary in size, but lots of options. The campground is super clean and well maintained (yes, even the bathrooms and showers.) I came across this gem of a campground a few years ago and I have been returning yearly. Van Buren is only about 10 minutes from South Haven so you can enjoy both vibes! They have their own gorgeous beach just a few minutes walk from your campsite and on the way there is a beautiful walk with a big and clean bathhouse right next to the beach and free life vests for all the little kids. Did i mention this campground is dog friendly!? I love bringing my furry family member here. The grounds are calm, quiet and the people are super nice. The staff is never too far away keeping an eye on things. I always feel safe here. There is a daily activity sheet and the campground host is very accessible and they have a little area right before you drive into the camp with information pamphlets and little things to look at. Hiking, biking, dunes, vollyball, beach, dunes & close to south Haven and a beautiful place to chill out at the end of the day at your campsite or RV with a nice fire and good friends. Van Buren Campground exceeded all my expectations and I hope it does the same for you.

Depending on the weather, this beach can be very rocky, or very sandy, and often both…read more This is a great beach for rock hunting anytime, and even if it's extra rocky because of heavy rain or wind, there's still nice sandy areas of beach. There's also one very large dune area that takes quite an effort to climb, but is very fun.

Beautiful park. Very spacious with a lot to do. Tennis. Fishing. Playgrounds. A great outdoor space…read moreto spend time at.

There is so much to do at this park! They have play equipment for kids (and adult kids like me),…read moresoftball field, tennis courts, boat docks/launch, fishing spots, a shady pavilion (I use it for picnics), and a trail for walking/biking. Thankfully their is a restroom because with how long we spent out here, I needed it. I've never used to boat dock, but I've seen it used and people love being able to have access to the water. My favorite is playing tennis with my husband. I've never played softball here because I don't hang out with many people but I enjoy everything else. Lots of space to just enjoy the outdoors. I highly suggest a picnic.

Amazing nature, great hiking, so many birds and, and very peaceful. Highly recommendedread more

Beautiful trails and butterfly exhibit. Stayed a few hours waking the many trails. I was advised…read morethere's around 8mi of trails. Butterfly exhibit was nice and captured plenty of photos. A nice place to solo visit or bring family and children.