And the Award Goes To… Best Michigan State Parks to Hike, Camp, Rock Hunt & More!

Just a few short years ago, I had only explored a handful of Michigan State Parks. Growing up, we biked to Warren Woods State Park and would spend hours in our own little world, climbing logs, hiking, and exploring. In the off season, we would comb the beach at Warren Dunes State Park for hours searching for beach glass and try to witness as many sunsets as we could. 

Later, life would move me to the middle of Michigan, and I was inspired to start a new goal. Instead of just focusing on a couple of tried and true favorites, we would visit all 103 Michigan State Parks and Recreation Areas.

We have visited over half of the state parks and recreation areas here in Michigan, and if I were giving out awards, these are the ones I would hand out. Given that we are only a little over halfway through visiting all of Michigan’s state parks, this list is personal, a little biased, and definitely still evolving.

Best Place to Camp: Muskegon State Park

I know this one is going to be highly controversial, so I am starting with it because these awards are based on our experiences so far. That’s what’s great about exploring Michigan, everyone has different pros and cons, deal breakers, and memory makers. So you can quite literally find something in this state for anyone.

Here’s what we love about the Muskegon State Park campground:

• Proximity to the Adventure Luge and all of the trails found there
• Walking through the dunes
• Access to all of the fun activities in Muskegon
• The tall, gorgeous trees
• Clean facilities

All these factors make Muskegon State Park a top pick for our family and the spot we try to book again and again for a camping trip.

I grew up tent camping as a child, and introduced this to our family a couple of summers ago. I will admit, tent camping is a lot of work. Many times, in the throes of it, my husband and I question ourselves and each other about what exactly we were thinking. But we always look back at those trips fondly, and so far, each trip has been worth it. 

Kids’ Choice Award: Bay City State Park

With mini-golf and ice cream places lining the road as you drive to the Bay City State Park day-use area, it’s easy to see why this would draw the younger state park visitors.

The trails found beside the visitors center are perfect for little legs. Even if you choose not to swim in the bay, the splash pad with shaded picnic tables offers the perfect place to cool down.

My kids often ask to return to the nature playground, and with the recent upgrades, it’s easy for me to see why. I have an almost four-year age gap between my two children, and they both find things to do and enjoy here, and as a parent, this makes Bay City State Park a win-win. 

Top Spot for Rock Hunting: Lakeport State Park

Honestly, I had never heard of Lakeport State Park until I moved to the middle of Michigan. When searching for places to spend on a Great Lake, this one kept resurfacing.

Spending my childhood on the sandy shores of southwest Lake Michigan, I was intimidated at first by the pictures of the rocky shoreline. I quickly found it was nothing a good pair of water shoes couldn’t handle.

So with our beach toys packed up and our mesh bags slung over our shoulders, we headed to Lakeport, and oh, the treasures we found. I had never found a Petoskey fossil before visiting this state park, and have just recently found my first cold water agate here.

If you are just beginning your rockhound journey, I would start here. You’re allowed to take up to 25 pounds of rocks per person, per year, from public land in Michigan. Just take your favorites, skip anything marked private, and leave plenty behind for the next person to find.

Best Beach for Kids: Duck Lake State Park

Admittedly, I had never heard of Duck Lake State Park until I was working on our goal to visit all the Michigan State Parks. The secret has gotten out on this day-use only gem, as each visit seems to get a little busier.

Duck Lake is easily one of our favorite parks to visit on a warm day, as you can enjoy the best of both worlds: a shallow inland lake shoreline and the beauty of Lake Michigan. My children love spending the day walking back and forth through the channel from the calmer Duck Lake waters to Lake Michigan.

We all know that the weather in Lake Michigan can change in a moment. More than once, we have set off to go on a Great Lake adventure, checking conditions before we venture out, only to be greeted by red flags as the weather has turned during our journey to the shore.

What’s great about this day-use beach is that you can still follow through with your lake plans in the inland, more protected lake if you happen to travel on a day as described above. 

Top Park for a Scenic Hike: Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park had felt like a huge undertaking when it first crossed my travel plans radar. Such a long drive, such a huge park. I decided to stop worrying and just go for it.

We first visited the park to marvel at the Lake of the Clouds overlook. Slowly but surely, we added on more as we felt more comfortable navigating the park. Making our way to chase waterfalls at the Presque Isle Waterfalls loop and one of my favorite hikes in all of Michigan, the Union Mine Interpretive Trail.

This park boasts so many scenic hikes that I could never name them all in just a short paragraph, and we have barely scraped the surface in attempting them. Sticking with family-friendly and beginner-friendly trails so far, I am excited to add more to our next visit as our skills and endurance grow.

The Porcupine Mountains require a bit more preparation as the cell service is spotty at best, so you will want to have trails downloaded beforehand. However, I promise it’s worth it if you love a hike with a view. 

Most Underrated Gem: Port Crescent State Park

If you’ve read any of my previous work, you know that I have fallen a bit (or very) in love with the Thumb Coast. I consider the whole thumb coast underrated, as I don’t think it gets near the attention that its west coast counterparts do.

Whether you choose to use the trails at the Steel Bridge Trailhead or the beach at the day-use area, Port Crescent State Park offers a quiet beach day and the invitation to explore more of the Thumb Coast area while you are there. Dog-friendly beach areas, a dark-sky preserve, and a birds of prey observation deck make this a state park I think you should add to your visit list. 

Best State Park for the Ultimate Beach Day: Warren Dunes State Park 

I couldn’t hand out awards and not include my childhood state park. At Warren Dunes State Park, you’ll find concession stands, kayak rentals, and huge dunes to climb. What more could you ask for in a beach day?

This state park also has a dog-friendly beach area, and the Mt.Randall loop is a favorite trail of mine to hike in the southwest Michigan area.

Harbor Country is dotted with many public beaches along the shoreline, and this will be one of the busiest stops. If you do choose to visit, I suggest arriving early to avoid a long wait at the gate. 

*Bonus* Most Accessible Outdoor Adventure: Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway

This is a bonus pick that isn’t a state park, but deserves a mention for being the only universally accessible waterfall in the country. This adventure is the most requested revisited for my oldest son. If we are going to take a long trek, he always requests that it’s to “the waterfall we can swim in.”

Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway offers other hiking trails, but you can also head down the accessible path right to the water. 

Find More Michigan State Parks to Love

We’ve still got a lot of exploring to do, but these are the parks that have stood out to us so far – whether it’s for camping, hiking, rock hunting, or just enjoying a simple beach day with the kids.

Michigan’s state parks all have something unique to offer, and narrowing it down isn’t easy (or final). If you’re looking to go beyond the usual picks, check out this list of underrated Michigan state parks for even more ideas.