Author Archives: Mike Sonnenberg

Sleepy Hollow State Park Review

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Sleepy Hollow State Park is one of the state’s more recently created parks. About 20 miles Northeast of Lansing it was created when the state acquired about 2700 acres of land. Lake Ovid in the middle of the park was formed when the Little Maple River was dammed. The towns of Laingsburg, St. Johns and Ovid wanted the new park named after their town. One of the land owners was I. M. Crane and that is where the name Sleepy Hollow came from.  

Official Website http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=495&type=SPRK

Address 

7835 E. Price Road
Laingsburg MI, 48848-9438

 

Pros

  • Convenient location for people living in central Michigan
  • Secluded wooded sites.
  • Large beach

 

Cons

  • Beach a long ways from the campground
  • No stores nearby
  • Electrical boxes a long ways from the campsite

Campground

The campground is separated into a north and a south campground. Both campgrounds are similar other than the north is closer to the beach. The campgrounds are heavily wooded and many are separated by trees and vegetation. A few are connected if you want to camp with friends but you can not “circle the wagons” if you camp with a large group. Each site has a paved section for parking a trailer on the sites can be rather small being surrounded by trees. Be sure to look at the site dimensions when booking your reservations. The power posts are shared between sites and can be far from the campsite. Be sure to have at least a 100 foot of power cord.

The north campground is closer to the beach but it is still at least a ¼ mile from the campground. The south is even further at about a ½ mile hike to the beach. I would plan on driving to the beach. 

 

Reservations

Sleepy Hollow is a popular park with people who live in central lower Michigan.  Be sure to book reservations six months to the day for holiday weekends and the popular harvest festival in the fall. For weekends in the summer you can usually get reservations in late spring but I would recommend making them as soon as you can.

 

Bathroom

Both north and south campgrounds each have one bathroom centrally located among the sites. Both bathrooms are identical brick construction. I assume they were both built when the park was created in the 70s. They are not new but are still in good shape.

Cell Service

The park is in a rural section of the state and cell service is not good. I have AT&T and did not have any service. I have heard from other people who have service from Verizon and other providers and they did not have service either. If you can get your phone to work, awesome but I would not plan on it. Beside your camping and could use a break from it anyways.

 

Beach and Boating

The beach has a beautiful large sandy area on  Lake Ovid that is surrounded by the park. A bathhouse picnic tables and a pavilion are also in the beach area. It’s a nice place to relax on a hot day.

 

A boat launch is available on the southwest part of the lake

 

Shopping

The park sells ice and firewood at the Rangers shack at the entrance to the campground. If you need to go to the store for something it’s a ways to get to Laingsburg or Ovid at about 10 miles away. Both are small towns but if you need to go to a big box store Owosso is 18 miles away.

 

Things To Do

Sleepy Hollow is an outdoor paradise with miles of hiking and mountain bike trails. A beautiful lake for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. The park also allows hunting in the fall. A disk golf course also winds its way through the park. There is plenty to do to keep any adventurous spirit occupied until the evening campfire.

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Onaway State Park Review

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Onaway State Park is situated along the shores of Black Lake north of Onaway Michigan. It is a heavily wooded park and if you like to fish and want a quiet park to stay at I think you will enjoy Onaway S.P.

158 acres

85 campsites

Official Website  http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=479&type=SPRK

Address
3622 N. M-211
Onaway MI, 49765

Pros

  • Wooded Sites with Shade
  • Boat Launch
  • Newer Shower Building
  • Waterfront Campsites

Cons

  • Small Beach
  • Shared Power Posts
  • Small park
  • Small Sites that can be difficult for large trailers

 

Campground

The campground at Onaway is an older campground with gravel roads throughout the park. The sites are nice and shaded but also have a lot of trees on them so it can be challenging if you have a larger trailer to get it to fit. The campground is also hilly and not level so be sure to bring some leveling boards if you have a trailer or motorhome. The multiple campsites share electrical posts and if you are between posts you will need a long power cord to reach the post. I would recommend at least a 100 feet of cord. Sites 1 through 24 are down near the lake and sites 1 through 14 are on the water. The shoreline along the sites are rocky so you won’t be able to pull a boat up to your campsite but you could probably launch a kayak or rowboat. The one drawback of being near the water is the park only has a vault toilet for the sites near the lake. The sites are also kinda small and you will have to “parallel” park your trailer to get it on the lot. Most of the sites in the campground are small and when checking the box for a 30’ trailer it cuts down your options to only about 35 sites that will fit a trailer 30 feet or longer so be sure to check your trailer size when making a reservation.

Waterfront campsite on Black Lake

Reservations

Onaway state park is not as popular as some of the nearby parks so it is somewhat easy to get a reservation. For holiday weekends be sure to book 6 months to the day if not at least 3 months in advance. For the rest of the weekends, you can usually get a site a few weeks in advance or not the day before. This is a great campground for a last minute trip. The big issue is trailer size. If you want to stay here and you have a large trailer the sites are limited and you want to reserve the large sites as soon as you can.

Bathrooms

The bathroom building is an older building but it is in good shape and maintained. There is only one modern building in the campground, when it is closed for cleaning vault toilets are available across the street from the building so be sure to look at the posted cleaning times. A new building is next to the bathrooms and houses the showers for the campground.

Shower Building

 

Beach and Boating

The beach at the campground is rather small but it is a nice little sandy beach. If the beach is crowded and you want to lay out in the sun there is a nice grassy area next to the beach. The beach at the day use area looks as if it is not used much since it is covered in rocks, driftwood, and woodchips. Onaway S.P. does have a nice boat ramp and being on Black Lake I would think the park is popular with fishermen or fisherwomen. I did not see a dog beach anywhere so I am not sure where you can take fido swimming. 

Campground Beach

Day Use Beach

Shopping

The park does not have a store but, there is a large party store right outside the entrance to the park. If you need something that the party store does not have the town of Onaway is about 7 miles away. If you really need something at a big box store Cheboygan is about 34 miles away.

Party store at the entrance of the park

Things To Do

Besides enjoying Black Lake, Ocqueoc Falls is 13 miles away. If you like to hike or hunt there is lots of state land around Black Lake including Black Mountain Recreation Area with miles of hiking trails.

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Lakeport State Park Review

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Lakeport State Park located on Lake Huron north of Port Huron is an ideal place to camp if you live in the south-east part of Michigan. Its a well-maintained park with newer bathrooms and you can enjoy a Michigan sunrise on the Lake Huron beach. With two campgrounds to chose from you can have a sunny grass coverd site or a shaded paved site. 

 

 

Official Website http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=466&type=SPRK

Address
7605 Lakeshore Road (M-25)
Lakeport MI, 48059

Pros

  • short drive for southeast Michigan residents
  • Nice grassy sites in North Campground
  • Paved camping sites in South Campground
  • newer bathrooms in North Campground

Cons

  • M-25 can have heavy traffic
  • Beach is a little rocky
  • limited nearby shopping
  • no boat lunch in the park

Campgrounds

The park has two campgrounds to choos from.

The north campground is closer to the water. It has about 200 nice grass covered sites which are rare, most state parks I have been in are dirt sites. There are few trees and the campsites will be sunny. There is a newer playground and horseshoe pits in the center of the campground.  I would imagine you would not want to have a site next to them since they would be noisy with children playing and the clanging of horseshoes.

The North Campground and the grass covered sites

Playground in the middle of the north campground

horseshoe pits in the middle of the north campground

The south campground near the Ranger booth has fewer campsites but a lot of trees so there will be plenty of shade for hot Michigan summer days. The campground has 50 campsites and all have paved camping pads. I was not able to tour this campground since it was closed when I was there. they were updating the electrical and I heard they are supposed to build a new bathroom building in the fall. I will have to take a trip back there and check it out. 

Reservations

The park is a popular destination for people who live on the southeast side of the state. Its a short drive for them on the weekends so if you want to stay here for a holiday weekend you will want to make your reservations six months to the day. during the rest of the summer, you will probably be ok getting reservations in the spring but its always best to make reservations as soon as you can.

Bathrooms

The north campground has newer bathrooms and both bathrooms are identical so it does not really matter which one you use. They are both your typical design with the men and womans bathroom on one side of a walkway and a row of showers on the other side of the walkway.

I was not able to see the bathrooms for the south campground since it was closed when I was there.

One of two identical bathrooms in the North Camground

 

Beach and boating

The park has a long Beach along Lake Huron. It’s not as nice as the beaches along the west side of the state since it’s rather rocky along the shoreline. It still would be nice for relaxing on a hot summer day. You will also be able to watch the freighters as they pass by although they will be a ways offshore.

There is no boat launch in the campground. There is a boat launch in the State Harbor in Lexington. With the rocky shorline, I would not recommend pulling a boat up to the beach. I don’t have a boat but I would assume this is not a popular campground for boaters because of its limitations.

Shopping

The park has a nice size camps store. I can’t comment on what the inside is like since it was closed when I was there. I imagine it is used by many campers since there are limited stores and shopping near the park. There is a small store and a few bar type restaurants in the town of Lakeport. If you are looking for a place to be a tourist Lexington is about 12 miles to the north. It has a nice downtown area with plenty of bars and gift shops to keep you busy for an afternoon. The town of Port Huron is about 11 miles to the south of the park and has anything you would need. Note that it is only 11 miles but it may take you some time to get there as traffic on M-25 can be really busy especially on the weekends. 

The park store in the north campground

Things to do

As mentioned before the campground has a nice playground and horseshoe pits. The park itself is not as large in area as some of the parks but there are some hiking trails. The Park also has a day use area that is about a mile south of the campground. The campgrounds and the day use area are separated by the town of Lakeport.

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Krystal Lake Campground Review

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Between Vassar and Mayville in the thumb is Krystal Lake Campground. It’s a privately owned campground. Its location makes it a great place to stay if you want to visit the popular tourist town of Frankenmuth The campground has full hookup. Water and electric sites and a few rustic sites for people who like to rough it in a tent. The campground was well maintained with nice mowed grass. The lake in the campground is a large horseshoe-shaped lake with plenty of lakeside campsites.

 

Website http://www.krystallakecampground.com/

Address
5475 Washburn Rd,
Vassar, MI 48768

The park has a nice beach with kayaks and rowboats for rent. If you forgot something the camp store has most necessities and the most important thing, ice cream. They also have a nice in-ground pool. It’s not a large Olympic size pool but it is a nice pool and I think it’s heated. I did not take a dip in it so I am not sure.  They also have a miniature golf course and playground to keep the kids entertained and burn off some energy.

The bathroom building was nice with a couple of showers. It was nothing fancy but it was just as good as any state park bathroom. I think it’s not used much since most people use the bathrooms in their trailer. Especially if they have full hookup

The location makes it ideal if you want to visit Frankenmuth which is about 8 miles away. If you need something from groceries to hardware Vassar is only a few miles away. I know most people think of farm fields when they think of the thumb. The park is surrounded by trees so you have that up north feel and it blocks the winds that blow across the fields.

If you are looking for a place to camp in the middle of Michigan’s Thumb. Check out Crystal Lake Campground. It’s a great option if you live in the Saginaw Valley area for someplace close by to camp.

P.S.  I stayed over Mothers Day weekend. I paid for my site and my opinions are my own.

 

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Tawas Point State Park Review

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Tawas Point State Park is one of the most popular parks in the Michigan State Park system and probably the most popular park in the east side of the state.  If you want to camp here in the summer you definitely need to make reservation six months to the day. The park sits at the tip of a point that sticks out into Lake Huron. Some refer to it as the “Cape Cod of Michigan”

Official Website http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=499&type=SPRK

Address
686 Tawas Beach Road
East Tawas MI, 48730

Pros

  • Near East Tawas
  • Beautiful Beaches
  • Nice Bathroom Buildings

Cons

  • Popular park and can be difficult to get reservations
  • Sites are small

Campgrounds

The campground has 193 campsites and there are only a few trees so the sites are mostly open and sunny. In my opinion, the sites seem to be smaller than in other state parks that I have camped in. Its a beautiful place to camp on a point out into Lake Huron away from a busy road just be aware that in the summer the park is popular and usually full even midweek so there will be a lot of people in the campground. The sites to the south are near the water along Tawas Bay and are the most popular sites in the park. There are some trees between the water and the campsite, so you probably won’t be able to look out over the water while sitting in your campsite. The campground is flat so no matter where you are at your site it is going to be relatively level. I don’t have a large trailer but if you do be prepared for the streets to be tight and it can be tricky to back into your site. Be sure you have a spotter or a couple of spotters to help with backing up.

Cabins and Yurts

The park has two mini-cabins and a yurt along the north side near the bathroom. And there are two camper cabins near the bay with a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a living room. The porch faces towards the bay and you can sit on it overlooking the water. I have never stayed in one but if you don’t have a camper and you want to stay in Tawas a cabin overlooking Tawas Bay for about $90 a night is a good deal.

Reservations

Tawas Point SP is one of the more popular parks and if you want to camp here you need to make reservations six months to the day. The lots closest to the lake are taken first so you have to be sure to try for those right when the system lets you reserve them at 8 am.

Bathrooms

One of two identical modern bathrooms in the campground

The campground has two identical modern bathrooms. They are newer bathrooms that seemed to be well maintained. They also have a dishwashing station for washing out pots and pans after cooking dinner and is really helpful if you are camping in a tent.

Beaches

There are two beaches in the state park. The main beach is over by the lighthouse along Lake Huron and has a large bathhouse.  The other beach is on Tawas Bay in the campground. Both are wonderful beaches but the size of the beach can vary depending on the level of the water in Lake Huron. A few years ago the water level was low and there was plenty of sand before you got to the waterline. Lately, the water levels are up so the beaches are smaller than usual but still worth going to. I know many people who say they are the nicest beaches on Lake Huron. If you go camping with mans best friend there is also a dog beach so you can take them swimming on hot summer days.

Shopping

The Park is about 5 miles from downtown East Tawas. Just to clarify there are two cities next to each other Tawas and East Tawas (which is north of Tawas, I did not come up with the names). East Tawas is where the main tourist shopping district is near the harbor.  I think it is one of the reasons why the park is so popular since there is a variety of shops and restaurants to visit. Tawas is a large enough town to have anything you would need, with a Walmart and hardware stores. If you need something it’s not a long drive to get it.

Things to Do

The best thing to do at Tawas Point S.P. is visiting the historic lighthouse. Even if you are not camping and you have never been to the lighthouse it’s worth the trip to the park just to see the lighthouse which is open on the weekends for tours. There are some hiking trails through the marshlands of the park which is popular for birders. In may there are a variety of bird species that migrate through the parks. if you are working on a big year or just enjoy watching birds, the park is a good place to visit.

Tawas and East Tawas have plenty of events to partake in while you are there. A list of events can be found HERE 

About 20 miles away is Lumbermans Monument and Iargo Springs along the Ausable River.

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Visiting Belle Isle

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One of the most popular things to do at the State Parks is relaxing on the beach and enjoying the sunshine. If you have lived in Michigan for a while you know that we don’t always have warm sunny days. If you have a recreation passport for the Michigan State Parks on your license plate you can visit Belle Isle which has some excellent free indoor attractions on the weekends.  

The Belle Isle Aquarium is the oldest aquarium in the country. It was designed by famed Detroit architect Albert Kahn and with its decorative entrance and green tiled interior, the building itself is a fantastic place to see. Inside the aquarium has a large collection of fish and aquatic animals on display.  you can find out more about the Aquarium HERE 

Next to the Aquarium is the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory which was dedicated to Anna Scripps Whitcomb who donated her 600 plant orchid collection to the City of Detroit in 1955. The conservatory was originally built in 1904 and displays a variety of plants and flowers from Palm trees to orchids. you can find out more about eh Conservatory HERE

Along the Detroit River on the Island is the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. The museum features exhibits such as one of the largest collection of model ships in the world, and the bow anchor of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which went down in a storm in 1975. you can find out more about the museum HERE

Besides the indoor attractions, there are plenty of other things to see on Belle Isle like the James Scott Memorial Fountain and the Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse. I figure if you paid the $11 for the passport you might as well take advantage of it. Next time you are near Belle Isle on the weekends stop by and visit some of the attractions.  

Not far away from Belle Isle is the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center. I have not visited it yet but it looks like a lot of fun. you can find out more about the Adventure Center HERE

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Otsego Lake State Park Review

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Nestled on the shores of beautiful Otsego Lake near Gaylord is the Otsego Lake State Park. With a beautiful beach and close to I-75 this a very popular park. With the town of Gaylord only a few miles away and lots of golf courses in the area, you can find plenty of things to do and places to see.

Official Website http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=482&type=SPRK

Address
7136 Old 27 S.
Gaylord MI, 49735

Pros

  • Near Gaylord
  • Next to I-75
  • New Bathroom Building in South Loop
  • Beautiful beach and clear water

Cons

  • Popular park and can be difficult to get reservations
  • Beach can get crowded on hot summer days
  • Sites near the road and railroad tracks can be noisy

Campgrounds

The campground is divided into a north loop and a south loop. The south loop is more popular because it is closer to the lake and has one of the newest bathrooms in the state park system. The north loop is the larger of the two loops. It has its own little beach with a ramp that leads to it. Most sites in either loop are well used and dirt surface. Booth loops are wooded and shaded. There are some small hills in a few areas of the park so you want to make sure you get one that the DNR calls level. The sites on the east side of the park are closer to the water. I would not say they are right on the water like some of the sites at Young State Park but they are the most popular. Old 27 runs next to the east side of the park and you can hear some road noise so the sites on the west side are better too. There are also some railroad tracks that run between the road and the park. I think they are not used frequently but a train did go by during the daytime when I stayed there.

one thing to note about the campground is the location of the dump and water stations. They are located next to the booth at the entrance and can be tricky to get to after you check in. If you are like me, and fill up with water when you get there, be sure to squeeze over to the right as far as you can when you stop to check in so you can make the u-turn to get back to the water and then you have to do the same to get back to the park so you want to use the outside water station if you can.

Reservations

Otsego Lake SP is one of the more popular parks and if you want to camp here you need to make reservations six months to the day. The lots closest to the lake are taken first so you have to be sure to try for those right when the system lets you reserve them at 8 am.

Bathrooms

The recently constructed bathroom building in the south loop

The bathroom in the south loop is one of the nicest bathrooms in the state parks. It’s like the Taj Mahal of bathrooms. The state must have gotten a grant to build this new modern environmentally friendly green building. I would definitely try to get a site in the south loop because of the bathroom building. I stayed in the north so I did not use the showers and I read some reviews that they are low pressure and not as warm as people would like because of the green design. The bathroom buildings in the north loop are older buildings but adequate.

Beach and Boat Launch

The beach on Otsego Lake is nice and sandy with crystal clear water. It’s a little bit of a walk from even the closest campsite. There is a large parking lot for the beach and on hot weekends it fills up and the beach can get rather crowded. You can go down to the north loop and take the ramp to the beach. It may be a little less busy than the main beach. A boat launch is located a the south end of the parking lot for the beach. I don’t have a boat but from the number of trucks and trailers parked it must be a popular boat launch.  The shoreline along the park is sandy and I have seen a lot of boats pulled up to the shoreline and tied up. I think people camping can leave there boat in the water if they chose to do so. that’s one of the reasons why the sites along the lake are so popular.

Shopping

The state park has a store next to the beach that sells firewood and basic necessities. Opposite the entrance, is a party store if you’re looking for some adult beverages. About 8 miles away in the north side of Gaylord is Meijers, Walmart and Family Fare that has a Starbucks and a Dairy Queen, I like to go there to get groceries then I can get a Peanut Buster Parfait. East of I-75 on Main Street near the courthouse is lots of downtown shopping and restaurants.

Things to Do

Otsego Lake State Park is not a large park in terms of area and does not offer much in the way of hiking trails. I don’t play golf so I am not sure what makes for a good golf course but I know there are a lot of golf courses in the area. Besides shopping in the gift shops in downtown Gaylord I like to go see the deer and elk at the Gaylord City Elk Park. there is a viewing area behind the Secretary Of State office on Grandview Blvd. Not far away from there next to Jay’s Sporting Goods is Cops and Doughnuts. My favorite is the peanut butter cream long johns.

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Tips for Getting Reservations at Michigan State Parks

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Michigan is one of the most popular states for recreational vehicles and camping which can make it difficult to get reservations at your favorite Michigan State Park. The current online reservation system is the best and most intricate one the DNR has created and is a long way from the days when you had to send in a check by mail to hold a spot so you could choose what was available when you got to the campground. The current system lets you choose a date to see what is available in the state or you can pick a campground and see what dates they have an opening for that specific campground. I am not associated with the state parks and have no “inside knowledge” but I have learned some tips over the years to help with getting your reservations. If you don’t already know it, here is the link to make reservations https://www.midnrreservations.com/

Make them as soon as you can

The Michigan DNR will let you make reservations for a campsite six month to the day before the first day of your reservations. If you want to make reservations for 4th of July you will be making them the 4th of January. The system starts taking reservations at 8 am weekdays and 9 am weekends. For the most popular parks like Ludington, you will need to try to make reservations when the system opens for the day since the park is so popular. (if you are wondering I have yet to get a site reservation at Ludington)

Be flexible

Most people want to stay at the most popular sites in the most popular parks on a holiday weekend. If you are like me and are restricted by when you can take your vacation because of work, you need to be flexible on when and where you want to stay so you can find a campsite. It may not be exactly what you want but a day relaxing next to the campfire is better than not going at all. The system lets you pick your dates and then you can look on a map to see what campgrounds are available for those dates. Make sure the pull down with the lists of all the campground is set to the Michigan State Parks and it will show all the parks on the map and if they have availability

Maybe you are retired and the dates you go are not that important but you have a campground you want to stay at you can search for days the campground has openings. If a site you want is reserved you can click on it and see the schedule to see what days it is reserved and what days it’s available.

Do your research

If you are going to book six months to the day #SMTTD be sure to check the campground map ahead of time to know what site or a couple of sites that you want so you are not trying to figure it out while other people are clicking on sites. You can check the night before you make your reservations to see what is available.

Go a day early

Because the system lets you reserves sites starting with the day you arrive if you go a day earlier you can make your reservation before others do. I know this is not always feasible but if for instance on a holiday weekend you take Friday off from work you can go up Thursday and get a chance for a campsite before someone else who is going up Friday.

Please be considerate. Because the system will let you make reservations starting with the day you arrive and will let you reserve 15 days. Some people will make reservations 15 days before so they can get the site they want first. Then, later on, cancel the early days. I don’t do this and although it is legal it is really inconsiderate. Like people who cut the line or save seats for people. The DNR has changed the cancellation policy to help curb this. I am not sure how many people do this and I am thinking it is not as common as some people think. I know there are a lot of retirees who stay at the Michigan State Parks and are fortunate enough to camp for two weeks at a time. There are also more and more Michiganders who are going camping so some of the parks are really hard to get reservations for.

Going Later

If you are staying at a park for a week for your summer vacation it can be hard to get a campsite on the weekends since that is when they are usually full. I know you don’t want to give up time for relaxing but I have waited until Sunday to head to the campground. You can have more choices to choose from since the park may not be as busy during the week. Plus traveling on Sunday you may be going the opposite direction as the weekend crowd, so traffic is not that bad. Plus you will have Saturday to pack your trailer for the trip.

Check for cancellations

If that park you want to get into is full keep checking back to see if a site has become available. People can cancel their reservation and you may be able to snag it before someone else does.

Check for festivals and events.

Don’t forget about local events near the campground you are thinking about. Events like the Cherry Festival in Traverse City or the Cheeseburger Festival in Caseville will cause the parks to have a large number of people at them. If you are going to a festival or not there may be one that weekend, be sure to book early. Don’t forget about the harvest festivals most parks have in the fall. They are very popular and fill up the campground. If you want to go to one or avoid them check the list of events on the DNR website here. http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79133_79205_84073—,00.html

Trailer Size

Be sure to check the pull-down menu for trailer size. If you have a smaller trailer like I do, make sure you don’t have a larger one selected otherwise it will only show you sites available for a larger trailer.

 

 

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Interlochen State Park Review

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Interlochen State Park is the largest and oldest park in the system with over 500 modern campsites. There is a lot of people in the campground when it’s full and the population can be like a small city. It’s location near Traverse City and the Leelanau Peninsula makes it a great location for lots of stuff to do and is a place I would recommend if you’re looking for somewhere to stay for a week-long summer vacation with your kids.

Official website  http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=460&type=SPRK

Address 
4167 M-137
Interlochen MI, 49643

Campgrounds

The modern part of the campgrounds, situated on Duck Lake, is divided into two loops with a north loop and a south loop. When I was there the north loop was more popular probably because the sites seemed a little bigger and more accommodating to larger rigs. The southern loop is larger and has a lot of campsites. The one drawback to the southern loop is there is a large valley the runs through the middle of the campground near sites 320,499 and 396. The sites are “ stair-stepped” so they are somewhat level but I would avoid this area if you can. I would recommend staying in the southern half of the south loop where it’s more level. The campsites have trees through but I would not say they are heavily wooded. You will have to look on the DNR website to see if the site you want is shaded or not. There is a boat launch in the south loop which is popular with kayakers and fishermen.

the rustic campsites are on the other side of the street from the main campground and are on the shores of Green Lake. I did not drive through the rustic campground so I will have to check them out next time I am up that way.

Reservations

Reservations for Interlochen are usually easy to get since the campground has so many sites. The sites along the lake are the most popular and you should reserve those as soon as you can. I would also make reservations as early as you can for holiday weekends. The most popular weekend is the Fourth of July with theCherry Festival happening in Traverse City. For the most part, this is a good park to check for last minute campsites because they may have some available because of the size of the campground.

Bathrooms

The bathrooms at Interlochen are ok as state park bathrooms go. They are older but seemed to be maintained. I hope to get back there soon and get some pics to post

Beach and boat launch

There is a nice sandy beach at Interlochen on Duck Lake located between the north and south loops. I was there in the middle of the week and it was not too crowded but imagine when the park is full the beach could be crowded. If you like to be near the beach I would recommend the sites on the north loop. The sites closest to the beach on the south loops are not totally level but would be ok if you had to. There was a sign warning of swimmers. I have not read about anyone complaining online about it like they do for Higgins Lake but I would take precautions like showering after swimming.

The modern campground on Duck Lake has two boat launches. one near the park store by the main day use parking lot and one in the south loop of the campground. Parking is not available for the one in the campground so if you launch a boat from a trailer you will have to take your trailer back to your campsite.  There is also a boat launch at the rustic campground on Green Lake.

Shopping

Interlochen is not a large town, but there is a nice size grocery store about 2 miles from the campground. There is also a gas station for when you need to fuel up after towing a big heavy trailer. If you don’t feel like cooking Bud’s is about a mile from the campground. The food is excellent and they also have a gift shop and a grocery store. A hardware store about 10 miles away at Chums Corner at the intersection of M31 and M37. I know this because I needed a fuse for my trailer. Always keep some spare fuses.

Things to do

I think Interlochen SP is a great place to stay for a week or longer since there is so much to do in the area. It’s between Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Dunes. You can also go shopping in downtown Frankfort and visit the lighthouse there. If you like lighthouses you are not far from Point Betsie, Grand Traverse Lighthouse and Old Mission Point Lighthouse. and the Music school is right across the street if you want to listen to a concert check their schedule. They have some concerts performed by the teachers that you can listen to for free. Or some big-name artists that you will need tickets for.

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Bay City State Recreation Area Review

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If you love to hike and go antiquing Bay City State Recreation Area is a park you should stay at. North of beautiful Bay City on the Saginaw Bay the park contains the Tobico Marsh with miles of trails for the outdoor enthusiasts. A few miles away, is downtown Bay City with its large antique shops and unique specialty stores.

Official Website http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=437&type=SPRK

Address 3582 State Park Dr.
Bay City MI, 48706-1356

Pros

  • Excelent place for hiking and birding
  • Not a long drive from Metro Detroit and other cities
  • Near downtown Bay City
  • Newer bathroom facilities
  • Playscape and splash park

Cons

  • Beach can be mucky at times or even closed
  • no campsites overlooking the bay
  • You have to cross the road to get to the beach
  • No boat launch in the park

Campsites

For the most part, the campground is flat and the sites are level. It’s also wooded and the sites are shaded except for the sites nearest the entrance which has fewer trees and can be full sun. The park laid out perpendicular from the beach that is across the road from the park. The sites closest to the entrance are closest to the beach. If you are in the back of the campground it’s a long walk to the beach. The sites in the back of the park are near the road and they can be a little noisy.

Reservations

Reservations at the campground are usually easy to get as it’s not one of the most popular parks in the system for camping. As always you should book as early as you can for holiday weekends. I did get a spot a few weeks before Labor Day. I checked and a few days before the holiday it was full. If you are going to camp in October be sure to book early since the park’s harvest festival is extremely popular.

Bathrooms

The bathrooms at the park are both newer bathroom buildings and identical so if you like to be near the bathroom either one would be good. They are what I call the typical design with the walkway with the row of showers on one side and the men’s and women’s bathrooms on the other. They seem to be well maintained.

Beach

The beach is a nice large beach on the Saginaw Bay. The staff does their best to maintain the beach but it’s kind of a hit or miss thing. Being near wetlands and marshes the water along the edge of the beach can get mucky. It rare but the big issue is that the beach has been closed a few days in the summer for high levels of E-coli. I would say if swimming is a high priority you may not like Bay City SRA. They do have a large playscape and sprinkler park. I am wondering if they built them because of the beach closures.

Shopping

If you need some groceries there are a couple of party stores a few miles south of the park. Walmart and home depot and just about anything else is about 7 miles south of the campground. If you don’t feel like cooking Muscle beach is right around the corner. I have not eaten there but several people tell me it’s good. They also serve ice cream if you’re looking for a cool treat to end a hot summer day. with some of the largest antique stores in Michigan, downtown Bay City is the perfect place to shop for the exotic one of a kind item. They also have lots of bars, restaurants and gift shops. You could easily spend an afternoon or a whole day wandering around all the stores.

Things To Do

The best part of Bay City R.A. is the Tobico Marsh north of the campground on the other side of the road. It has miles of trails through forests and wetlands that will make any nature lover happy. A map of the trails through the Toboco Marsh can be found HERE.  I am not a birder but if you are going for a big year there must be a lot of bird species that can be spotted in the wetlands. A paved rail trail the runs behind the campground that goes for miles north through the Tobico Marsh. I rode my bike down it with the intention of reaching the end but after a long ride, I was getting tired and turned around before I could find the end if there is one. I am sure a devoted cyclist who is in better shape than me would enjoy riding their bicycle through the marsh. In August the park has a waterfowl festival and in October a Harvest Festival. The Bay City Recreation Area is also home to the Saginaw Bay Visitor Center with nature-based activities and programs for kids of all ages. you can find out what is happening at the center HERE

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