Depending on the weather, this beach can be very rocky, or very sandy, and often both. 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. read more

Van Buren State Park - Dune - Beaches Near Me - South Haven, Michigan

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On the recommendation of folks at the main Park Headquarters, we walked through the woods on one of the few trails here, all leading to sandy bluffs that rise above Lake Michigan. We were rewarded with a gorgeous view of the truly colorful shades of blue of the Lake. Combined, the trails are only about 3 miles in length since this is a narrow, alongside-the-lake State Park & the trails go from the main roadway, to the top of the bluffs & then back again to the roadway. Further down that roadway is a campground, a good amount of parking, a playground, picnic tables, grills, open fields, and, the best part of all, the mile long beach, which is comprised of super soft sand, space to stretch out, a not-as-enjoyable view of a water treatment plant, & the fun of collecting smooth, soft stones that dot the beach, The waters of Lake Michigan don't come much above your waist for a good 75-100 feet, so it's easy to stay cool while you stand around with sisters (that was us!), and others. Parking is $11/day read more

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State Parks aren't just for the summer. As a matter of fact, the winter may not be the most ideal time but you sure do get to see things from a different perspective. Lake Michigan is amazing in itself but climbing the sand dunes and enjoying the views from the ice formations on the lake was humbling. Bundle up and make sure you have your big boy boots on. Not only are the views spectacular but also you can be a dangerous slip away from freezing to death! We can't wait to come back in the summer to see the transformation back to "normal". Cheers to Van Buren because the view is a beautiful one! read more

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Van Buren State Park is located in south west Michigan, on the shores of Lake Michigan. These shores are a soft sand, much like an ocean beach. Dunes make for some beautiful scenery. There are sections with rocks. Water was warm enough to swim in. Dogs are allowed on the beach. The beach is within walking distance of the campgrounds. The walk is steep at parts. Campground sites are rather close together. Some sites are separated by trees. Other sites have no real separation/privacy. Our site (65) was surrounded by trees on three sides. The site was still very sunny until about 6:30 pm. That was late June/ early July. Each site has it's own firepit. Bathrooms were old. Not grading the park down for this. When I made our reservation for the campsite there were notifications that the campsite will be closing in the fall (2021) for renovations. Going in, I knew the facilities would be older. They were still functioning. More than a campsite, Van Buren State Park has all the hiking and biking trails one expects from a state park. There are picnic shelters that may be reserved. Reservations for the shelter or website may be made on the Michigan State Parks website. read more

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This is our first stay at this campground, staying over the Fourth of July weekend. The sites are very nice sized with both shaded and sunny campsites available. They just replaced all of their bathroom and shower houses, they did an excellent job with setting up the new facilities. This place is electric only with a dump station and fresh water available as you enter the campground. Getting to Lake Michigan is a very easy walk with a great beach as a reward when you get to the end of your walk. There is a shower to rinse off after you're done with the beach and bathrooms also available. read more

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With so many state parks to choose from for camping, sometimes it's hard to decide where to go! Each year my friends and I choose a new place for a couple of nights of tent camping. Van Buren State Park was our pick this year as it is close to Grand Rapids and had electricity and showers per request by one friend who doesn't like to rough it as much :) The camping area of the park is large, with two loops for both tent camping and trailer/RV camping. We reserved two sites online and they were pretty good, you don't have a view of the water but the beach is a quick walk away. The sites were large enough for two tents and a canopy over the picnic table. Note that there is a limit of two cars per site - we had a park ranger stop by when we were unloading to let us know. There are several parking lots around that are available if you need extra parking. The sites are pretty close together but we didn't really have any issues. There were lots of families and large groups when we were there, so you probably won't get a secluded, private, quiet campsite here. The restroom and shower facilities were clean (I saw people cleaning them at least twice in the two days I was there) and nice to have. They sell ice and firewood, each are $5 though so load up on ice elsewhere to save some cash. We decided to head to the beach one afternoon and missed the flat, easy path - we ended up hiking up a pretty steep dune, but the view at the top was well worth it! We found the easy path on our way back (it's near the water conditions flag). The beach is pretty narrow at this point, but not too crowded further down from the flag. The first part of the water is really rocky so be careful as they can be slippery! The water was awesome and the beach was great. You're a short drive from South Haven for entertainment, shopping, and restaurants/bars! read more

Van Buren State Park - Amazing view of the beach - Beaches Near Me - South Haven, Michigan

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We love this park, scenic beach, ample parking, great staff and full if friendly campers! Huge camp sutes, fire oits!

Can't go wrong being close to Lake Michigan, bike trails, city of South Haven. We stayed on site 97 with 22' travel trailer. Very large site but setup limited due to electric hookup location. Our awning was in shade but other side and front of RV got sun all day. Long walk to beach. Suggest you drive, and also bring a wagon/cart if you have a lot of beach gear as it's quite a walk even from parking lot. read more

I'll definitely join the array of five star reviews. This is one of my favorite Michigan State Park camp areas. The location is within walking distance to the beach but far enough from the visitor parking lot to offer some seclusion. If you've got a bicycle it's a nice ride on a paved trail all the way to South Haven. The camping sites are level, nestled beneath trees, well spaced and the utilities are easily accessible. Restrooms and showers are adequately clean (after all, it's not Four Seasons) and placed in centrally proximate areas to the majority of the campsites. I can't wait to get back here and enjoy more beautiful sunsets from atop the sandy dunes. read more

Very nice park, great camping spots with plenty of trees. Lots of hiking and biking opportunities. If anyone in your party has even a mild amount of hip or knee pain, DO NOT attempt to access the beach. Save yourself some time and pain and drive to South Haven for swimming. read more

Beautiful state park with plenty of parking, picnic tables, volleyball areas, rest rooms and access to the beach. Serene and peaceful. This is located fairly close to the highway so it was a convenient stop. There were many families who were camping there. The path to the beach was quite steep and rocky so that was a bit unexpected but it was a pleasant experience. read more

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This review is for the camping as well. Everyone was super friendly in the park and on the camping grounds. It's $8/day for out of state cars and it was $50 for two nights of camping. The campground is beautiful with a lot of tall trees. The bathroom facilities were fair but could use an update. They also had separate co-ed showers so you had to wait sometimes to get into a shower but it wasn't bad. The host site had coffee and hot chocolate in the morning and they held nature walks daily to learn more about the state park. This would probably be fun for kids. Dogs are not allowed on the beach and so my husband and I just took our dog North of where most of the people were. Only one dog-hater said something to us but everyone else was nice and didn't care that our dog was enjoying the cool water too. I think this will be another yearly camping destination! read more

Van Buren State Park - Beaches Near Me - South Haven, Michigan

I don't know where to start. I love and hate this park. We are on our second night here and I'm ready to leave. The noise level of car/RV doors slamming, people talking and kids yelling make it hard to relax at 10pm MI time. No one is considerate of their noise level or barking dogs thus far. Not a place for families with little ones - it's a miracle my 3rd old is still asleep. Oh and I96 can be heard all night long. I really don't know how people say this place is not busy or is "well known" - campground is 100% full per the Host. Bathrooms are dated and need repair, but are functional. I enjoyed the shower, plenty of warm water and water pressure. The playground is disappointing and dated as well. As for what I love about this park - the sites are plenty big and semi private. We have two tents and an SUV on our lot. We are staying in site #188 and like it a lot. The bundles of firewood are generous for what you pay. We love South Haven and St Joseph and each are easy to get to via a scenic drive on Blue Star Hwy. If the bathroom facilities were nicer I'd probably give this 4 stars. I don't know if we will be back due to noise level and lack of updated facilities :-( read more

Van Buren State Park - Sad excuse for a bathroom stall door - Beaches Near Me - South Haven, Michigan

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Great place to build good family memories. The place to go for relaxation. Weekday camping is much better with less people. Try to investigate first the campsite as to some sites offer no shades or low ground and can have puddle of water when it rain. read more

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Very nice, well maintained camp ground and park. Partially wooded campsites, however, very close to one another. My husband and I try to camp through the week so we don't experience the heavy influx of campers over the weekend. With that said, we camped Sunday through Tuesday, the first week of October, and it was pretty empty, with only a handful of campers. The campground was quiet, though you could hear the highway pretty well when the wind was blowing the right way. If it's bothersome through the night, bring earplugs. The bathrooms were nicely maintained and had private showers, which is always a plus! I was not impressed with the fire rings. Very thick and deep, with double corrugated metal rings reinforced with concrete. It did not allow enough airflow to feed the fire, nor did they have adjustable grills integrated into the ring for open fire cooking, as I've experienced in other state parks. I enjoy cooking over an open fire, so I always travel with a portable fire grill. We got through the first night, but resorted to our camp stove for the following breakfast. The beach had large amount of parking. Well maintained bathroom and concession facility, with a nice playground. However, if you're looking for the beach, there wasn't any to speak of, as it has eroded away. However, there were sandy hiking paths and majestic dunes along the shore to tuck oneself away. One could always go down to the South Haven beaches , which are nice and deep! The town is fairly close, and has a lot to offer with shopping, restaurants and taverns. Wine tasting is always a must! Lots of outdoor activities, and known for their bike trails, through wooded landscapes! Overall, it was a pleasant experience. If we find ourselves in the South Haven area again. We would frequent this campground again. read more

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It's been a good five years since I've been here and some things have changed. The rising level of Lake Michigan is changing the landscape of many beaches but Van Buren has been massively effected in the last 5-10 yrs. The depth of the beach has shrunk 50-80% in most spots reducing the beach area vastly. Heading north on the beach you're either forced up onto a dune to continue in spots or venture into the lake a bit. The dunes themselves have also experienced change. Still, this is a beautiful beach and park. The dunes here are steep and most shouldn't allow pedestrian traffic due to the damage that causes them, but most area are open to the public. Many people come here to hunt petoskey stones, which can be found every day with the incoming tide. There aren't any life guards here but buoys advise swimmers to stay inside a certain area. The undercurrent gets pretty strong here so I'd recommend extreme caution swimming. Changing rooms, bathrooms, water fountains and a shower sits right off the beach which is a nice touch for beach-goers. For a good kick be sure to check out the "NO" sign on your way onto the beach. It's a small brown sign that advises on the things you can't do here. Happy trails! read more

Beautiful campground. Lots of nice sized lots with a beautiful beach. Hiking up the dunes is the perfect way to wear out my family and dogs before heading back to our campsite for a bonfire and drinks. Relaxation at it's finest. read more

What a lovely state park Van Buren is! The beach is well tilled and picturesque. The facilities are clean, and they have those beach showers to wash off your feet or full body. We took a sojourn down to the shores of Lake Michigan here and dipped our toes in the water. Lots of Lake Michigan rocks I recommend wearing your water shoes. read more

Van Buren State Park - Van Buren State Park sign - Beaches Near Me - South Haven, Michigan

Great beach! Dog friendly, tough hike if you're lugging a bunch of stuff and kids. Very pretty and clean, not much sand to speak of but that's everywhere these days. A welcome break from the chaos of the beaches in town. read more

Bathrooms older but good. Sites are decent. Bike trail from park was the best feature for us given we had a runner with us and we bike. We road from park to Grand Junction via VanBuren connector and KalHaven. Runner ran into South Haven on trail. I would camp here again. COVID precautions were good. read more

Van Buren State Park - Site 119. - Beaches Near Me - South Haven, Michigan

Spent a night hammock camping - it was pretty cold in May! The park has clean and easily accessible bathrooms by the campground and beach. The beach isn't large, but mainly rocky. However, there are lovely dunes for climbing with beautiful views! There is a paved path running from the park to South Haven (5-6 miles) which was a great walk - would be faster by wheels (rollerblades or bikes). We enjoyed walking there and back though. We didn't see much wildlife, other than squirrels, chipmunks and birds. read more

Van Buren State Park - Beaches Near Me - South Haven, Michigan

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I'll repeat what most have said. The downside to Van Buren is that the sites are all super close to each other. The camper next door was basically right next to our picnic table. It wasn't an issue, but definitely got a comment or two since we could see inside our neighbor's camper pretty easily. Again, not a major issue, but something to think about if you hate close sites. Otherwise, the bathrooms were probably cleaner than most state parks I've visited. It's a nice, family friendly park with a nice path to the beach. Not much to complain about. read more

Love this place! Nice Campsites, newly remodeled restrooms, close to Lake Michigan...all I need!

Van Buren State Park doesn't get as much Traffic as Warren Dunes or the city beaches in South Haven, but that is one of the reasons I rate it so highly. Its rarely too crowded. Maybe because its closer to the power plant. But more importantly, it has ammenities galore! I wish I lived in the park! -Ample parking -tons of picnic space -Pavillions for groups -volleyball courts -camping -hiking trails in the dunes -good bathrooms -presentations on wildlife, nature, dune succession, etc. given by the park rangers -soft sand beach -playgrounds read more

This state park is totally hidden and not crowded at all!! I visited here on a friday afternoon and I saw maybe 5 other people the whole visit. It was great. There are a couple miles of beautiful beach to walk,trails to hike,dunes to climb and pretty much go into cardiac arrest. I like to think of myself as a pretty in shape person I workout almost everyday and I found out that no workout can prepare you for the monster of sand dunes.They suck each foot step in and suck the air out of your lungs! After a couple breathers my Bf and I finally made it to the top of the highest dune...it was beautiful and worth every asthma attack. Another Plus is the fact that there are clean bathrooms to use!Theres also beach volleyball courts and great birding.The birding is fab since there arent any lil ankle bitters squeling and scaring away all the birdies. Love it! read more

VBSP isn't the largest, prettiest, sandiest, or easiest-to-find. But lack of popularity means less crowding. And, in the summertime on Lake Michigan, perhaps that's OK. Not too far from blueberry stands, interstate access, and services at South Haven. read more

Lovely park! Clean and easy access to the beach. The bathrooms and showers are more than adequate. My partner and I love to camp, and though the site is lovely, I don't think we will be back. It is, as per other reviewers, more for families - though it was such a pleasure to see all these adorable kids playing. I think in all I saw maybe two or three other tent campers. Most people had huge RVs and trailers - during check in and check out times, there's a ton of road traffic. There is also a nuclear power plant nearby that can be heard all night long if you stay in one of the higher number (futher away from the beach) sites, like we did. We are partial to Manistee State Park, a little further north, and Leelanau. But we are gearing up for some hike-in camping and can't wait to try out some more secluded spots. read more

Van Buren State Park is probably the nicest park within a 3 hour radius of Chicago. My husband is from Michigan, so he's always happy to have an excuse to go back to his home state, and since I strongly prefer MI state parks to IL, we wind up camping in Michigan at least a couple times every summer. I planned a group trip with friends to Van Buren a few weeks ago, and we were impressed by the park. The campground hosts were very welcoming, and the sites are spacious and semi private due to the trees that separate them. We needed two sites because we had a larger group, and this was one of the few places with two adjacent sites free over a weekend on about two months notice. The beach here is lovely and not too far of a walk (less than 10 minutes). We were not able to take advantage of any hiking because it rained almost the whole time we were there. I'd love to come back and experience the park when the weather is nicer. read more

Beautiful,AWESOME place to go on vacation. Camping at Van Buren State park, well kept, clean and beautiful..

Nice quiet campground. Most of the campsites are large and somewhat divided. Bath houses are decently clean. Very nice beach. Great experience. read more

Van Buren State Park - Bonfire at van buren!! - Beaches Near Me - South Haven, Michigan

I've visited this campground twice now, with a third trip already planned. There is a good variety of sites, and many different types of trees throughout the park. It's a fairly short walk to the beach, though you have to cut through a few parking lots to get there. I liked that the two sites that I've stayed on both had trees surrounding the sites. I do think the bathroom buildings need to be updated (though they are functional), and also that the park should have recycling available, but had no complaints otherwise. read more

Excellent! Love this beach. Great amount of rocks/treasures to find. Bathroom facilities are nice. read more

Van Buren State Park now has a great off-leash dog beach! Recreational State Park pass required for parking Easy to get to, just take W. Main out of Kalamazoo. Park at the furthest parking lot. The trail to the dog beach is near the right upper hand corner of the lot; don't follow those walking to the main beach entrance. Walk towards the swings and picnic tables. At the entrance to the woods you will see a sign that says "Dog Beach Access." There are two trails side by side, both get you to beach. It's a seven minute hike up wooded sandy hills then down to the beach. Bring decent sandals since it's a rocky trail/beach. It's a long beach to play on with plenty of room. There isn't a separate, enclosed area for dogs, it's just that dogs are allowed at the south end of the beach (closer to the power plant). Because of this, people occasionally trek down to the end and back, so make sure your dog is somewhat behaved/friendly. There aren't any doggie bags or trashcans on the shore so you will have to bring your own, stash it, and carry it out to the trashcan. read more

We came in June. We've been coming to VBSP for many years to camp. This last trip had plenty of ups and plenty of downers. We brought our 10 pound dog and I wished I hadn't. You can't bring the dogs to the beach and walking a small dog through the campground was an experience. Lots of big dogs were there and several off leash on their sites. As soon as they saw the small dog they went after her. So we walked out on the main road and people drive way too fast. In the campground she stepped on a fishing lure left from previous campers. We stayed on site 206 and we did have to level our trailer quite a bit from side to side. Be prepared with leveling. There are lots of trees which is a plus. This camp ground is dated and the roads are not very wide. Even still we saw every size set-up come through. The larger motor homes and 5th wheels had a little bit of a challenge driving around the loops but seemed like they all made it in and out. The bathrooms. Don't expect a hot, warm or even lukewarm shower on a weekend in June. Not going to happen. I didn't have a good warm shower until Monday. The bathrooms are in desperate need to be re-done but they were clean. The park rangers are friendly. Lots of activity. In the many years coming we'd never had a ranger stop and warn us about the weather. Even though the storms didn't hit us the night of the warning it was nice to know they are doing that. There was fresh bark along the pathways and the grounds were mowed and sites were cleaned during the day (that fishing lure clearly was buried). The power did not go out this time. There are two dump/water fill stalls at the entrance. Plan on waiting in line for your turn. Camp host has coffee and lots of literature. The beach is great near the entrance, a bit rocky as you walk down toward the power plant. read more

Looks like a beautiful park. No clue how the beach is as it's completely inaccessible to me because of a disability. Really sucks.

Extremely unfriendly to dogs! They make you take the steepest uncharted path to a beach that is two feet from the regular beach if you have a dog.. Seriously sad for anyone handicapped with a dog! read more

Great place to visit and even better place to camp. Right on Lake Michigan.

This is a review for the campground. We stayed for 2 nights in mid October 2013 in a tent. Because of the poor weather that weekend, the camp was only 15% full. We had a large choice of sites. I believe we picked 157 near the playground and bathrooms. Site was level with lots of trees. Normal Michigan fire pit. Bathrooms are older but clean. Walk to the beach was under 10 minutes. Be aware of sites from 20 to 30 as these seem low and may flood. Overall a good but not great campground. read more

Our family loved this park. It has hiking & beach in one. It has trails that meander through woods and sand dunes. The beach was less crowded than other public beaches in SoHa. The price was the same as the other public beach, but there was more parking options within the park. It was of course most private on week days and during mealtimes. Also compared to the public beaches, this beach had a combination of both sandy areas and rocky areas. Our toddler enjoyed throwing the smooth stones along the shore into the waves. We actually saw several turkeys in the woods while walking to the beach. They had a playground that was shaded with nice mature trees. We recommend this park to families and couples alike. read more

This beach is a good alternative to the South Haven city beaches. Entry and parking here is free with the state rec passport. Parking is close to the beach and is a huge lot - I got there on Sunday at noon of 4th of July weekend and the parking lot wasn't busy at all!! Restrooms are available and well maintained. That's pretty much why I come here. Is it the nicest beach in the area? No. The beach itself is very narrow (from the water to where the sand ends). It is also very rocky, so walking the shoreline is not really possible without shoes on. I have been here twice this summer so far but I should venture around the park a little more to explore. I heard people talking about climbing a dune but wasn't sure where that was relative to the beach. They have lots of open grass area near the parking lot where people have set up their picnic spots when you need a break from the sand. I have never used their camping facilities so the rating is for the beach only. read more

Van Buren State Park - Summer Sunday in June. - Beaches Near Me - South Haven, Michigan