2215 Ottawa Beach Road, Holland MI

(616) 399-9390 – http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=458&type=SPRK

Holland State Park offers a nice sandy beach along Lake Michigan, two nice campgrounds and many fun activities. The park is divided into two separate camp areas; one on Lake Michigan and the other nearby along Lake Macatawa. The campground on the beach is quite literally a parking lot next to the beach with very tight sites and no grass, also no fire pits. This section is the only section with full hook-up.  The other campground is less than a mile from the public beach and is divided into two sections. Woodstock and Pine Side.  We stayed in the Pine Side section.  The only campstore is located in this campground and only offers firewood and ice.  We found that the ice was a bit on the “melty” side.  The firewood was good for the price we paid and we had no trouble getting afire started. Both campgrounds are alcohol free and they make this very clear at check in, although no one came to check individual sites on this.

Appearance:

The campground is well-kept and the sites are decent.  They are not overly large and some sites would be tight for larger campers.  Each site has a large raised fire pit. No sites in this campground offer full hook-up. There were camp workers active during our stay, making sure the grounds were well maintained and in working order. The sites in the Pine Side are shaded with mature trees.  The campsites in the Woodstock area are less shaded, although some sites near the perimeter do have some shade.  The roads are paved and the sites are gravel/grass.  Our site was not level, although not to such extremes that it was a problem.

Rating: One out of Five lanterns (with 5 being the highest):

 

 

 

Activities:

There are hiking trails that overlook Mount Pisgah within the park.  The trails are generally moderate, with some sections quite narrow, and or steep grade.  The top of the trail system offers nice views of Lake Michigan and very good large bird viewing (although we unfortunately did not see any on our visit).  Ottawa Beach is nearby and is a nice sandy public beach with a Food Court, showers, and restrooms.  The Lighthouse (Big Red) and Rocks are a great photo opportunity.  Downtown Holland is roughly a five-minute drive and has several nice restaurants, New Holland Brewery, etc.

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Pet/Family Friendly:

The campground is pet-friendly and most of the trails are as well.  The only section of trails that are not pet-friendly within the park is the boardwalk section.  Ottawa Beach is not pet-friendly, although there is a very nice fenced in dog park within 3 miles from the campground.

There are two nice playground area for children in the campground and we spoke with the camp hosts (very friendly) who shared many activities that the park hosts for kids to enjoy.  (crafts, nature info, games, etc.)  We would recommend taking the kids to the Dune Dogs and Snacks stand or Ottawa Beach General Store for ice cream after a day of swimming in lake Michigan or biking along the trails.  Bikes are available for rent at a nearby public campground (laundry facilities are also available to those who are camping at the Stare park (pay machine, nice facility)

 

 

Restrooms/ShowerHouse:

The restroom facilities in the Pine  Side are new and modern and some of the best we have found in state parks or otherwise.  The shower/restroom combo rooms are incredibly large and as clean as any we have found.  The only downside was that the showers were timed (about 30 seconds) but the shower were hot and had good water pressure.  The showerhouse alone will keep us coming back for return visits.

 

 

 

Overall:  We love the Holland area and will return to this state park in the future.  If you are planning a trip in July beware that the entire state of Michigan is pretty much booked.  Reserve early!

 

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