Van Buren State Park

This was a beautiful state park that was very busy. There is a single dump station just before you come into the camping area and you are able to come into it from both ways. Spot 37 was on the end of a loop and was very spacious. It was tight backing in our 42' 5th wheel, but manageable. The site was fairly sandy, but had a nice fire pit and picnic table.

There were several hiking trails nearby. We took the one out to the beach for a beautiful sunset view. There is a lot of parking so you can just stop by for the day and go to the beach. There is a large covered picnic area as well as a sand volleyball court.

The cell coverage was great and we didn't have any issues while working and doing video calls. The park was quiet at night and didn't get busy until about 8am. There are several activities that the park has to offer and are posted on the white board at the check in area.

We would definitely come back to the beautiful spot!

Fantastic beach within seven minutes' walking and easy, nice wooded hikes right off the site. Facilities were functional and clean, check-in was quick. Sites are decently sized but close to neighbors - great for group clusters and extroverts. In late June the Gypsy Moths had invaded and were constantly denuding the foliage, resulting in a prodigious amount of poop hitting the ground. Mixed with the rain, it made for some pretty slick surfaces. Overheard highway traffic on the last row of the campground. All in all, a functional campground for an incredible time on the beach.

This is a small state park tucked up against Lake Michigan. The amenities consist of a beach. A plus of the beach is that there is a section where dogs are allowed. It is nice to see that. It is a state park that clearly sees heavy day use on the weekend. We stayed on a Sunday night and the day use area was full of people with pop-ups having family gatherings and other events. The beach area was quite crowded.

The campground is well-worn. The sites are small and there is minimal separation from your neighbors. The sites do appear to get larger as you get farther from the beach. Getting level is not possible on some of the sites. On others, the road is so narrow that you will struggle to back a trailer into your site. We also noticed a distinct lack of etiquette among some of the campers. If your campsite is on a direct line between them and the beach, they will come wandering through your site at all hours.

If you are looking for a camping experience with a couple of hundred close neighbors, this may be your spot. If you want a quiet time enjoying nature, I would recommend you look elsewhere.

We stayed here at the end of the summer season and used this as a basecamp to visit South Haven and Saugatuck MI. Rate includes NR state parks annual permit. Campground roads are paved and sites are mostly sand & grass. As others have suggested, we unhitched our Toad at the registration office since some of the camp roads can be tight maneuvering . There were plenty of sites that can accommodate big rigs with no overhead or slideout issues. Some sites offer 50 amp service but ours was 30 amp only. Probably our biggest issue was 90% of the sites are not level so plan to use leveling blocks or boards under your levelers, or tires & stabilizers. We did not use the RR or shower facilities. It is a short walk to the beach however beach access was closed due to shoreline erosion. The facility is adequately maintained but in no way compares to the quality we typically see at COE parks for much less cost for an electric only campsite.

We stayed here with two kids and planned to be here for them. It was loud and they had a blast. They were in love with the park and the number of kids. The site was large and perfect for our pop up camper. Fire pit was perfect for cooking in. The beach was small and not a place to sunbathe but great for rock hunting which we love. The bathrooms were clean and we enjoyed our stay. The campground was full the entire weekend.

This is a large, busy park at the southern end of Michigan's Lake Michigan coastline. The sites are flat, grassy, reasonably well spaced and have electric hookups. The lakeshore is accessed by way of an easy walk through the dunes and is a popular spot for watching the sunset. At night although the campground occupants were quiet, you could definitely hear the traffic on nearby I-196 and a low hum from the nearby Palisades power plant to the south. If you are troubled by noise at night this might not be the place for you. For those out-of-staters who are not used to this process, Michigan (like other Midwest states) requires a use permit (recreation passport) for each vehicle (in addition to the camp fee) which can be purchased online ahead of time or at the park registration.

Cell phone service is important to me and AT&T needs to up their game. Two bars was sufficient for the internet and watching a bit of news with the Amazon fire stick, but I prefer at least three to stop all the occasional buffering. I chose site #208, furthest away from the beach in the hope of escaping loud kids and campfires. Because the park was basically unpopulated for the first three nights and the weather initially turned rainy and cold there wasn’t much else to complain about. The red flag was up at the beach which warned of danger and no swimming allowed. A few long bike rides, a day trip to Saugatuck, lunch at The Curve, all helped to keep the spirits up. The end of summer felt like it was here, and this feeling I grew up with while being raised in northern Michigan. I did not like it then and I do not like it now. So heading back to Florida early may not be such a bad idea. I love endless summer.

What makes this park so special is the half-mile long area of dog-friendly beach on Lake Michigan. The dog beach is actually larger than the public beach. Imagine that! Bob the dog was able to get great walks in, the occasional swim, and plenty of sand to dig a hole to put his body in. The campground is the typical Michigan State Park, close neighbors, too many campfires, partial hookups, clean showers and restrooms, and no laundry facilities. But having the beach within walking distance is a huge plus. And the paved bike trail makes getting exercise easy and safe. The western side of Michigan is far too busy for my taste. The traffic fast and frenetic. Van Buren State Park is a haven within the center of madness. Venture out at your own peril.