Muskegon State Park

Muskegon State Park

3560 Memorial Drive North Muskegon MI, 49445

231-744-3480

1-800-447-2757 (Reservation Phone Number)

http://www.michigandnr.com/ParksandTrails/Details.aspx?id=475&type=SPRK

Pros: Located adjacent to Lake Michigan, beautiful views,great hiking trails, modern restrooms.

Cons: No dog park, very basic playground.

Overview

Muskegon State Park is located in Western Michigan along Lake Michigan. The campground consists of two separate camp areas: Lake Michigan side (106 sites) and the channel campground (139 sites). We stayed at site #10 on the Lake Michigan side. Our site was $30/night. There were 50 amp sites available at $32/night and basic mini cabins for $49/night. The campsites are large; there is a decent amount of space between campers. Like all other Michigan State parks, a recreational passport is required. For non-residents that is $9/day or $31/annual. A dumping station is available. Firewood was available for $5/bundle. In addition, there were various families nearby who sold firewood for better values.

Appearance

The campground was manicured but nothing overly exciting. Of the two campgrounds in the park, this one is preferable. We were not impressed with the channel side campground. Sites there were mostly sand and tall grasses. The Channel campground did have a Halloween weekend when we visited, and families seemed to be enjoying the campsite decorating contest and group activities.

However, the Lake Michigan section is a beautiful and shaded campground with tall oak trees. During the fall, acorns fall from high elevations can cause damage to camper or vehicle roofs. We were at site #10 and had a steady stream of acorns falling on the camper and car.

Rating: One to five lanterns with five being the highest.

Area Attractions

There are a variety of local attractions available for campers. Right outside of the Lake Michigan campground section of the park is an ice cream stand called Ruth Ann’s. When we camped (in October) it was already closed for the season. However, from online reviews, it seems like a popular place. Putters Creek offers mini-golf and go-karts for the kids. Michigan’s Adventure is a great amusement park for kids that includes rides as well as a water park. For more information, visit this website https://www.miadventure.com/ We had a very nice dinner at Hobo’s Tavern. We chose this restaurant based on reviews and their extensive gluten-free menu. Good food and friendly atmosphere.

Rating:

Family/Pet Friendly We were disappointed that with as much acreage there was no fenced in dog area. However, there were miles of trails that were well-blazed and great for our dogs. One trail even has an eagle nest and frequent eagle viewing. Sadly, we missed seeing eagles perched near their nest by less than five minutes according to locals on the trail. 😦 On the other side of Muskegon (25 minute drive), the Norman F. Kruse park is a dog park located on Lake Michigan. Dogs are permitted on the beach and in the water. Our dogs loved it. One aspect we felt could have improved this location would have been a fenced area not on the beach. Not all dogs love to swim, and those who do could have used a nice fenced in area to run and dry off before heading home.

The playground at the lake Michigan campground was very basic; it was essentially a swing set. This campground has a multi-tier deck for watching beautiful sunsets. The stairs lead down to the beach. The beach is wide but there is not a lot of space between the bluff and the water. The sunsets here are spectacular! Between the two campgrounds there is a public beach with a shower/bath facility and concession stand. This was not open during our stay. Nearby is the USS Ironsides museum that is docked in the channel and open for museum tours.

Rating:

Restroom/Shower Houses

The bathrooms are modern and are generally well-kept. There are individual rooms for showers. Each shower room has a dressing area with hooks and a bench. The water flow was great and the temperature as well. On cool Michigan evenings it is nice to enjoy a hot shower!