Lake Michigan camping recs?

[Anonymous]

Hi - we are trying to plan a last-minute trip up to camp on the dunes of Lake Michigan. Sleeping Bear is totally booked and I'm sure it's been like that for quite some time. I am looking now at Silver Lake - the state park vs. the Silver Lake Resort and Campground. Has anyone stayed at both and can speak authoritatively to whether it's worth springing for the resort? Or do you have another campground recommendation? We will be in a tent, so I'd like to avoid RVs as much as I can.

Thanks!
(Oh, and I have two little kids, 6 and 3)

[Anonymous]

Have you tried Warren Dunes?

[Anonymous]

I've been going to Silver Lake Sand Dunes annually for 40 years now! It's great there. We rent cabins, but I drove past both daily just three weeks ago on our annual week there. NOTHING else compares. I have twin five year olds and they LOVE it there.

Silver Lake Resort and Campground seems like it has very few trees. I checked their website and do see a few trees, but they must have angled just right. We always remark how people must fry when staying there. It's also far enough away from the lake that you'll have to drive or stroller your three year old to get there, though the six year old will probably be able to walk *to the lake* but not to anywhere you'd be able to swim, because private property goes all the way to the lake. So you'd basically be driving to the State Park every day to swim anyway.

Silver Lake State park is right on the lake (do try to get a site on the lake side of the street, some are on the other side of the street - which is a grand total of fifty feet further away so a minimal distance further - but why not try to be on the lake side of the street that runs through the state park?). There's a swimming beach right there. They have "ranger programs" for the kids every couple of days, and they're right next to Parkside, the local "everything you could need while camping" store.

If the state park is full, there is a Jellystone campground too, that does have some tree cover. My ranking of the campgrounds would be

1. State Park
2. Jellystone
3. Resort and Campground

Now for the fun part -

Go on Mac Woods Dune Ride. Hopefully the endangered plover birds will no longer be nesting and they can do their "regular" ride, which includes spraying the passengers with water when they stop at Lake Michigan. The drivers tell corny jokes and tell you all about the dunes and the area history. We take ALL new visitors on this ride. Bring your camera - we got the most awesome pictures that will probably go on our Christmas card here during the break where they let everyone walk around.

After Mac Woods, go next door to the Whippy Dip ice cream place. There's a playground there too so the kids can run around a bit.

My kids absolutely LOVE the Golden Township park - you can see the playground from the road that runs around the lake (there's only one road that runs around the lake). Nothing fancy but the kids LOVE it and the drinking fountain right next to it.

Go to the dunes. Yes, you have to walk over the giant hill to get to the lake (you can park at the "other" part of the state park and walk just a little bit to get there). The cottage owners (my relatives) don't like having random people walking through their property to get to the lake. Watch the "private" dune buggies zip around - ask someone where the stairs are to the observation area.

There's a couple places that will rent you either a 4 wheeler or a jeep to go up into the dunes yourself. Sandy Korner is one. I've never done this so know nothing about which is better, other than if you want to take the kids you're going to want a jeep. We just stick to Mac Woods.

There's now a brewery in Hart (the nearest "city") that's supposed to be really good - even my uncle, who can be kind of a restaurant snob, likes it. Hart also has the nearest "real" grocery store, Hansen's, and a McDonalds.

In the "strip mall" (again, there's only one) there's the Frickin Chicken place, open Thursdays to Sundays right now but maybe more often later in the summer. Also excellent, but in a "food truck and a bunch of picnic tables" kind of way.

Visit Little Point Sable lighthouse (tallest lighthouse in Michigan, and though it's now unmanned it still works) and you can swim in Lake Michigan right in front of it. I think kids have to be five to be allowed on the "tour" that lets you walk up all the stairs and out onto the catwalk. Personally, this is where I learned where vertigo is and I don't go up anymore, but others love it.

Country Dairy ice cream is the BEST - they have a tour but we usually just eat at the restaurant. Over the years we have combined this with a visit to a nearby petting zoo (Lewis Farm).

If it rains - there's a bookstore in Pentwater that has an interactive puppet show 3-4 times a day - they charge admission but it's worth it, the kids get to help put the puppet show on. Then get ice cream at House of Flavors.

Ludington has a Children's Museum which is pretty good (Sandcastle Children's Museum) and a movie theater if it's really raining. They also have a Meijer, which is like a better version of a Super Walmart (without the icky walmart vibe). Anything you need - groceries to clothes to hardware to a toilet seat - you can get there.