It’s that time of year when most state parks are closing the campground or converting it to rustic camping. The modern bathrooms are closed and the water is turned off. Some parks do have year-round modern camping including, Tawas, Mitchell and Rifle River. For the complete schedule of when parks close for the season click HERE
P.S. one thing I have noticed too is that when a campground switches over to rustic they usually close the dump station.
There were a few kids this weekend trick or treating at Bay City State Park’s Harvest Festival. I think I saw all of the Avengers, several princesses ( or is the plural of princess princei or princen) I also saw most of the Star Wars rebels and empire leaders, sadly no Jar Jar Binks. I am also waiting for the one kid to go as the Dopler Effect. Unfortunately, I am still waiting to see that kid. We gave out over 400 pieces of candy in about half an hour.
I am looking forward to next year. I can’t think of a better way to end the Michigan camping season with friends, a campfire, and candy
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On my recent trip to Tawas Point State Park, I was shocked to see how much the beach has changed. I took this photo of the beach in 2013. This is the main beach at the tip of the point near the lighthouse. It was a beautiful sandy beach with a volleyball net and plenty of room on the sand to lay out and soak up some rays.
This is what the beach looks like today. Most of the sand is gone. I am not sure if it is just the high water levels or erosion or both. The beach is not what it used to be. It still is a great place to hang out and cool off on a hot summer day. The water in Lake Huron is still cool, clear and refreshing and there is a long shoreline at the point but the beach has changed a lot this summer.
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Burt Lake State Park was started in 1921 with the donation of 83 acres of land by Cheboygan County along the Burt Lake shoreline to the recently formed Michigan State Parks Commission. It was one of the first 25 parks the commission created. Shortly after the donation by the county an additional 40 acres was deeded to the State of Michigan which increased the park to 123 acres. From 1931-1939, through land exchange and transfers, additional acreage was acquired bring Burt Lake State Park to its present size of 406 acres.
The park also had a tall observation tower. I could find little information about it. I did see a postcard the referenced a telescope was at the top for visitors to look through. The postcards I found were dated back in the 1930s so it must have been constructed close to that time. I am not sure when or why the tower was taken down. I was told years ago by someone that it stood on the ridge near the corner of Old US-27 and M-68 where another shorter platform stood. I think that one is gone now also. It’s been a few years since I visited it. I am wondering with the tourists visiting the tower if that is what influenced the the Cross In The Woods Shrine.
If you want to read my full review of Burt Lake State Park check out the State Park Handbook HERE
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Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state in the United States. Of the approximately 125 lighthouses still standing in Michigan, a few of them are located in some of Michigan’s State Parks. Here is a list of parks you will want to visit to see the lighthouses that call these parks home.
Ludington State Park
Big Sable Point Lighthouse stands in the dunes along Lake Michigan. It is a few miles from the campground and parking lot but well worth the hike to visit it.
Belle Isle State Park
The only light tower constructed for navigation is the Livingstone Memorial Light that proudly stands on the east end of the Island.
Tawas Point State Park
The park is home to one of the most visited lighthouses in the state. While you are camping you can see the light shining at night.
Leelanau State Park
The Grand Travers Lighthouse stands at the lip of the Leelanau Peninsula and is a popular destination for tourist visiting the peninsula. They say the old lighthouse is haunted and tours on the weekends in October are a popular event.
Grand Haven State Park
The beach at the Grand Haven State Park is one of the most popular beaches in Michigan. The bight red Grand Haven Lighthouse stands on the pier separating the channel from the beach.
Fort Wilkins State Historic Park
The Copper Harbor Lighthouse is part of the state park. You can see it from a parking lot on the west side of M-41 that faces the harbor. The lighthouse is separated by private property and the road to the lighthouse is not open. Unfortunately the ferry service that took visitors to the lighthouse is no longer operating but hopefully, the state will be able to find a contractor to start the service again.
Sturgeon Point State Park
The small state park on Lake Huron near Harrisville is home to the lighthouse maintained by the Alcona Historical Society.
Holland State Park
The lighthouse is known as “Big Red” guides sailors into the channel next to the state park beach. You can not access the lighthouse from the state park but you can get a good view and photographs of it from the park.
One of the newest lighthouses in Michigan stands on the Detroit River at the state harbor near the DNR’s Outdoor Adventure Center.
The state lists a lighthouse at McLain State Park in the Keweenaw near Hancock. It’s more of a beacon that stands on a breakwater than a lighthouse but I figured I better include it on the list.
Silver Lake State Park
The park is most noted for the sand dunes and ORV area but it does have a lighthouse. The Little Sable Point Lighthouse stands along Lake Michigan in the park and is open to visitors.
If you have ever driven across the Mackinac Bridge you have probably seen the Old Mackinaw Point Lighthouse that stands on the shoreline in Mackinaw City. It is one of the most popular places to stop and take a pic of the bridge.
Cheboygan State Park
You probably won’t find a lighthouse listed at the state park probably because it is no longer standing. The foundation can be found off the hiking trails and is still worth visiting. From the shoreline where the old lighthouse once stood you can see the Poe Reef Lighthouse in Lake Huron.
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Hidden among the pine trees in the heart of Hartwick Pines State Park is little log chapel. It’s a peaceful little sanctuary away from the hustle a bustle of modern day life. It is the perfect place to sit down and reflect on the beauty of nature.
Inside the church on the altar is written Nature’s Prayer:
Our Heavenly Father, Creator of all that is nature,
We humbly come to you in the midst of nature’s splendor,
To thank you that as Americans we are free
To worship as we please, work as we please,
And move about as we please to enjoy all that is nature:
Its mountains, its hills, its valleys, its lakes,
Its streams, and the living things that dwell therein;
We pray unto you that someday the world may be at peace
And all men be free to enjoy nature’s abundance.
We ask you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
That we be guided to protect this priceless heritage
Which we, in America, are privileged to enjoy. Amen.
It is a short little hike through the woods ( I would guess about 200 yards) down a paved path from the parking lot for the museum. It is well worth a visit to the little chapel in the woods.
If you want a Camp Michigan Shirt they will only be available for a short time this spring. I have a lot of trips planned around Michigan this summer and it will be difficult for me to fulfill orders so I am taking a break from T-Shirt sales for the summer. Now is a good time to order, if you want one they can be ordered from my Lost In Michigan website HERE
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The Michigan DNR is continually working on improving the State Parks. Here is a list of construction projects for the 2019 camping season.
Baraga State Park
Beginning May 1, the north side of the campground will be closed for construction, reopening June 28. The south side closure will begin July 15 and continue through the end of the camping season. Construction is expected to be completed by Nov. 1.
Park improvements will include an upgrade to the electrical system, resulting in new 20/30 and 50-amp services, site renovations to include camper pads, more pull-through sites and the addition of 14 full-hookup sites offering 50-amp service, plus water and sewer.
Lakeport State Park
South Campground (sites 301-356, White Pine and Cedar cabins) will temporarily close for the replacement of the restroom building. The project will begin at the start of the 2019 season and is slated to re-open in mid-fall 2019.
F J McClain State Park
A new Bathroom building was completed but campground reconfiguration and construction are continuing because of massive erosion of the Lake Superior coastline.
Muskegon State Park
The Channel Campground is closed for the 2019 camping season for bathroom replacement.
Muskallonge Lake State Park
The campground (sections 1 and 3) at Muskallonge Lake State Park will temporarily close due to electrical updates and site improvements. The two sections are slated to re-open in mid-July 2019.
Hoeft State Park
The modern campground, modern lodge and sanitation station at P.H. Hoeft State Park is being updated Some sites will be open for Memorial weekend. The remainder of the campsites will open June 14, 2019.
Wilderness State Park
The renovated West Lakeshore Campground opens this summer. The East Lakeshore Campground is slated for renovations in the summer of 2020
Let me know in the comments if I am missing anything.
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Spring is here and the modern campgrounds are opening for the season. Most of the parks open the first couple of week in April. You can see the Michigan DNR’s list of opening dates HERE I think the dates may change if it is going to be below freezing they may wait a little bit before opening the bathrooms so if you are going to the park opening weekend you might want to contact the park to be sure the bathroom buildings are open if it is important to you.
I am looking forward to this camping season we have reservations at 6 different parks and plan to visit several more.
P.S. if you are wondering the pic above is the beach at Twin Lakes State Park
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Fall seems like a long ways off but we are coming up on the 6 month window to make reservations. The list of state parks announcing their dates for Fall Harvest festivals is growing. You can see the list in the DNR website HERE
P.S. sorry I have not posted much lately, I am in the final stretch of getting my book published. I hope to have it available in mid-March
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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
Cons
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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