Ludington is a great place to spend your time outdoors. They offer camping, hiking trails, water sports, and more! It was the first place we camped together and has grown to be one of our favorites.
Our stays at Ludington are always fun and peaceful escapes from the everyday routine. There is so much to do right at the park, plus extra activities in town. One can easily spend a long weekend there.
Beach Please
In addition to the beach in town, Ludington State Park has a large beach on Lake Michigan. While it is not extremely long, it does have a nice width, giving ample room for setting up the necessities for a great beach day (see our must have beach equipment here). However, anywhere in MI, during summer months, we recommend getting to beaches early to get a good spot before the crowds. On this beach there is a great building offering bathrooms, ice cream, food, as well as environmental details on the park and its wildlife. There’s also benches and pavement up to and around the building, if you have any elderly or handicapped to think of.
The state park also has a beautiful inland lake, Hamlin Lake. Head to the east side of the park to enjoy this lake. They have a picnic area, playground, and bathrooms, as well as a small beach and swimming area. This lake is great for swimming when Lake Michigan is still too cold, as inland lakes warm up much faster.
Water Sports
Also located by Hamlin Lake, is the rental booth. This booth has basic lunch items as well as some ice cream. Rentals include kayaks (single and double), canoes, and paddle boards. As far as rental pricing goes, Ludington offers fair prices and provides ample time to explore the area and enjoy the water. There are a few different routes you can take your boat. The bays are very calm and it is easy water to get about in. It is nice to just lay back and enjoy the sun, watch for wildlife, and feel the stress of life melt away. If you exit the bays (they’ll show you a map when you get a rental), be prepared for choppy waters due to wind, or wake from bigger boats. Whether you stay in the bays or venture out, there are places along the shore and islands where you can pull in, get out of your boat if you wish, and explore or swim in those areas.
If you’re going for a more relaxed vibe, you can tube down the river! Tubing may look different when COVID gets in the rear view mirror, however, this was the process for us. If you do not already have a tube, you can purchase them at the camp store. Make sure to get a paddle too! There is not much current and you will not get far by just floating. You can blow up your tube at the camp store as well, they have an air compressor for everyone to use. From there, pick your drop-in point and enjoy a lazy day on the river. Ludington is one of the few state parks that DOES allow alcohol, so don’t forget your cooler of cans (no glass) in the tube! (Subject to change).
*there is a lot of parking options throughout the park. Think about where to leave your car before you take off. If you have two cars, park one at the end by the main beach and take the other one, with the tubes, to your drop-in spot!
*while there are plenty of places along the shore to exit before actually getting into Lake Michigan, we do want to note that there is a spot as the river and lake meet that has a strong current and can have waves. This area is small, but could be dangerous for inexperienced swimmers. However, it is also extremely easy to avoid this area and should not keep you from enjoying your day!
Take a Hike
Dunes, boardwalk, pavement, forest - they have it all!
Ludington has many trails throughout their grounds. On the south side of the park (divided by the river) there is a beautiful skyline trail which is solid trail, stairs, and boardwalk to show off the view of the dunes. There are paved trails if you stay close to the river, however the further you venture away, the more sand dunes you will encounter.
On the north side, again, if you stay close to the main road and the river, most likely the trail will be paved. The trails around Hamlin Lake will be a mix of solid trail, boardwalk, and some light sandy areas. The north center area will be mostly forest with solid trails and light sand. The north west area, i.e. if you’re heading to the lighthouse, will be mostly sand and dunes. There is a large flat trail/road along the shoreline that also goes to the lighthouse but is almost a mile walk. If you have elderly or handicapped I believe you can drive on this road up to the lighthouse - you can double check that with the camp rangers.
Set Up Camp
Campsites at Ludington are fairly typical for state parks in Michigan. They provide a picnic table, fire pit, and power hookups. You are allowed 6 adults on site and 2 cars. There is overflow parking if needed, but it is first come first serve and the cars need to be there before 10pm when the park gates close. Prices for sites are listed on their website. There are 3 loops of campsites, the first, Beechwood, is closest to the beach and has sandy, beach vibes, however the sites do seem a little smaller and closer together, and this loop seems to have the oldest bathrooms. The second is Cedar, which is a little more spaced out, decent bathrooms, and is the camp's location for their store. It is a great store with coffee, souvenirs, anything you may have forgotten, as well as the location to blow up and buy any tubes for the river. The third is Pines and is closest to the Hamlin Lake. This loop is a similar layout to Cedar and has some nice views of the water towards the back.
Make your Reservation!
If you’re looking to book make sure to plan ahead as Ludington has many faithful visitors who return each year. The best time of the year to visit is June-September, with the warmest water temperatures in Lake Michigan during July and August (but no guarantees as the water can flip at anytime!). That’s why it’s nice to have Hamlin Lake as a back up. Follow this link to book your get away! *
*Be careful while booking as their website is a little glitchy. If you click on a campsite to check it out, see what it looks like, and then return to the full map, it may show that spot as unavailable - in reality it is just because you clicked on it. It should show as “available” again after about half an hour and you will not be able to book it until then. So beware! This has caused many a headache for us, but unfortunately all the state park sites do this.
If you are not camping, all you need for entrance is a park pass. These are $12.00 if you get them with your car registration and &17.00 if you purchase it at a park. As seen in the video, some people park along the road and walk in to avoid paying, however, the same sticker gets you into all Michigan State Parks, so we highly recommend making the purchase.
Ludington State Park has so much to offer and so much to be enjoyed! We hope this is helpful for you to find out if this park is a good fit for you and your family. We hope it enables you to get outdoors more!
Comments