If traffic is moving, it’s only an hour’s drive north from Saugatuck to Muskegon.
Yet packed into that mere 47 miles, you find five state parks—stunning state parks, each with its own personality and special appeal.
Summer days find bathers packing popular parks—and their beaches —creating cherished memories to last a lifetime.
Memories of warm, sun-soaked sand squishing between your toes as you plod down to the water. Or the exhilarating feeling you got as a kid when refreshing rolling waves hit you as they plowed their way to the beach.
Or picture-perfect days when the lake’s calm water is so blue it almost makes you gasp as it meets the blue sky against intensely tan sugar-textured sand. Throw in a lighthouse, and our heart is melting.
Here’s a look at what makes each of our fantastic five parks unique:
Holland State Park beckons visitors with the stunning Big Red lighthouse, the narrow channel to Lake Macatawa, and Lake Michigan.
Although the park’s shoreline is only about a quarter mile long, its beach is wide. Still, with hundreds of visitors trying to snatch a patch of sand on busy days, it can get crowded.
Those days leave the parking lot in a stranglehold with cars lined up vying for already-filled parking spaces.
The park sees 80 percent of all visitors between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Sean Mulligan, park supervisor, said. “If you’re coming during the season, you should be prepared to be around a lot of people and do some waiting.”
Mulligan’s advice: “If you’re able to (visit) during shoulder season, you might find it a little more quiet and enjoyable.”
And come early because the parking lot fills by 11 a.m. on weekends and even some weekdays.
With 2.5 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, crowds at Saugatuck Dunes State Park are less of a problem than at Holland.
“We have a little bit more room to spread out than at some other state parks,” said Matt Metzger, park unit manager. Still, on some days the parking lot can be at capacity.
Saugatuck is “a very primitive, natural park,” Metzger noted.
The park is for dedicated, hardy beach visitors. You can’t see the lake from the parking lot. It’s a half mile to three-quarters of a mile away depending on which trail you take requiring commitment to reach the water. Your reward can be a quiet, somewhat private beach. An added bonus: A possible glimpse of the park’s wildlife along the way.
Summer 2023 – Photo credit Ryan Burger
With not one but two lighthouses and a photogenic pier to boot, photographers love Grand Haven State Park. Some call the town’s beach vibe “a classic Lake Michigan beach experience.”
With Lake Michigan to the west and the Grand River to the north, water views are everywhere. A boardwalk along the river gives you access to downtown Grand Haven.
The park’s campground, set behind a sand dune, is mere steps from the beach so you can practically fall out of “bed” and onto the sand.
P.J. Hoffmaster State Park, with towering, forested dunes, doesn’t get as much attention as some other parks, but it’s a gem waiting to be discovered. “We have a lot of things that are unique and special,” Melissa VanderVelde, unit manager, said.
One is Dune Climb Staircase which VanderVelde says is “260 steps all the way to the top” adding: “It towers over the park so you can see out into Lake Michigan.”
Hiking the park’s 10 miles of trails is unique because instead of traversing open sand dunes, visitors hike through shaded trails too.
The park is home to the Gillette Sand Dune Visitor Center with exhibits, live animals and children’s activities.
While the park is not as popular as Holland, it’s so busy on some days that officials do have to turn visitors away.
Muskegon State Park possesses a split personality. Beach parks see less usage in the off season, but Muskegon actually bursts with energy in winter because it’s home to immensely popular Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park, one of only four open-to-the-public luge tracks in the country, Greg Sherburn, unit manager, said.
“We’re really busy in the winter because of Muskegon Luge, and a lot of ice fishermen come out to access Muskegon Lake from our boat launch,” Sherburn said.
Parking in winter can be tougher than summer beach parking, he said.
“We’re spread out a long way with a lot of hiking trails, two miles of beach on Lake Michigan and a mile of frontage on Muskegon Lake so we kind of have both inland and big lake exposure. We just have a lot of really cool things to offer.”
NOTE: Michigan State Parks have no lifeguards. Deadly undertows kill even on calm days. Check weather conditions, don’t swim alone and obey the flags.
More info: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/places/state-parks; for campsite reservations: https://midnrreservations.com/
