Rifle River Recreation Area

We stayed at the Ranch Campground.  This one is rustic, so no electricity or running water.  Rifle River Recreation Area has an electric campground and 3 rustic campgrounds.      

😊 = Good
😐 = Okay
😞 = Lousy

Beach/Swimming  😐 = Okay

In the Ranch campground you swim in the river.  There are 2 other lakes you can swim in at Rifle River Rec Area.  Devoe Lake and Grousehaven.  Neither lake is stellar and quite frankly, the river is your best bet.   

Campsites 😊 = Good

This is the view from my campsite.  

Campsites are large and most have quite a bit of privacy.  

Bathrooms  😞 = Lousy

Only an outhouse.  I was trying not to plug my nose during the photo shoot.  Some guy walks up and gives my photographer a really strange look.  She tried to explain that she was taking pictures for a Camping Barbie Blog.  He looked at her and said "Well, everybody has to do something."  Can you even believe it?  I mean come on, doesn't everyone know who I am?  I'm famous, right? 

Playground 😞 = Lousy

Ranch Campground only has this swing set.  The other campgrounds have more playground equipment.  

Dog Beach 😐 = Okay

No dog beach, but if you are one of the few to camp right on the river your dog can swim to their heart's content.  

Worst thing about this park:

Loud generators!  Seriously folks, if you need to run your generator all day or all night, don't camp in rustic.  So annoying.  

Best thing about this park:

This is the canoe launch in the campground.  It's a 5 minute walk from our campsite and you can put your tube in here, then float back to the campsite.  It's a nice 20 minute float. 

What else is there to do:  

Canoe, kayak, tube, fish.  Lots of hiking and biking trails.  

Want more information?

http://www.shorelinevisitorsguide.com/select-michigan-state-park-maps-and-guides/rifle-river-state-park/

Want to camp here?  

https://www.midnrreservations.com/

Warren Dunes, Muskegon, and Misc.

It has been awhile since I blogged.  To be honest, I was having quite a bit of trouble bending my arms and legs.  So I called my friend, Dr. MATTel.  He used to work for a toy company in California.  Now he lives in Florida.  He drove up in his camper and helped me out.  I feel like a new person!  

This is Dr. MATTel with his wife Mary at Warren Dunes State Park

So this blog is short because I only spent one night at each of the parks and I wasn't feeling great yet.  I'll just cover some highlights.

Warren Dunes State Park

Best things about this park:  
Tons of big sand dunes.  
Pretty beach, 2 miles long.  Lots of sand.  

Super cool Round Barn Winery close by.  

Worst things about this park:
From the campground you have no idea you are camping near a lake, or even that there is sand anywhere nearby.  
The bathrooms were crowded and smelly, I had to wait in line just to use the toilet in the campground.  
The beach is quite a distance from the campground and the only way to bike to the beach is to ride on the road. There are no bike paths!  This park has over a million visitors annually as such it is one of Michigan's busiest parks. It feels quite treacherous biking with heavy traffic on the road.  

Muskegon State Park

Best things about this park:
Nice beach that is accessible from the campground.  

Shady sites in some big trees.

Cute ice cream shop right at the edge of the park with a trail through the fence.  



Worst things about this park:
I ate too much.  

The Apex:
After driving up the coastline of Lake Michigan, we ended up at Sleeping Bear Dunes.  A MUST see for anybody who loves sand or Lake Michigan or experiencing God's beautiful and amazing creations.  

See how tiny those crazy people are?  

It's 450 feet down an extremely steep sand slope.

  

Ludington State Park

Seems like it's referred to as the 'golden child' of state parks, and rightly so.  It is so big and offers so much to do.  I almost didn't blog this, as I only stayed 1 night and didn't feel like I could adequately cover it.  

😊 = Good
😐 = Okay
😞 = Lousy

Beach/Swimming  😊 = Good

The beach is downright amazing, with miles and miles of sandy beach.  They also have a super cool looking beach house with concessions, bathrooms, and even an interpretive center.  Even better is to park along the stretch when you enter the park, then you have a private beach for yourself.  

(if you zoom in you will see the beach house)

Campsites  😐 = Okay

There are 3 campgrounds in the park, some have fantastic sites and some don't. With about 350 sites, you have a wide variety to choose from. 

Bathrooms 

I'm going to refrain from rating this, since there are 6 bath houses in the park, and I don't think that rating just one is fair.  The one I did use was fine.  

Playground  😊 = Good

This playground is in Cedar Campground

This one is being built in Beechwood Campground

Dog Beach 😞 = Lousy

Animals are not allowed on the beaches in Ludington State Park.

Worst thing about this park:

Trying to get a campsite.  With almost 900,000 visitors annually (most are just daytime users), it's tough to even get a reservation.    

Best thing about this park:

There is so much to do here, with a nice variety.  

What else is there to do:

Hike the Skyline Trail, or any of the other 18 miles of hiking trails

Tube or canoe down the Big Sable River

Bike out to the lighthouse

Great camp store in Cedar Campground

Fish in Hamlin Lake 

The Hamlin Dam

And then there is also the cool town of Ludington to explore.  

Want more information?

http://www.visitludington.com/

Want to camp here?

https://www.midnrreservations.com/

Port Crescent State Park

The tip of the thumb right on Lake Huron.  My thoughts on this park are mixed.  

😊 = Good
😐 = Okay
😞 = Lousy

Beach/Swimming  😊 = Good

Great beach.  Super sandy and nice water.  

Campsites  😐 = Okay

Sites on the water are great, sites along the highway are loud.  This was the view from my campsite:

Bathrooms  😞 = Lousy

Arguably the worst bathrooms in a state park I have seen so far.  Two buildings, this one is super old.  The plumbing is bad and they are dirty.  This one was missing the drain in the floor so they nailed a piece of wood over it.  The newer building I had hopes for, but it had a terrible stench.  Plus it also needed some cleaning.    

A toe stubber...

 

Playground  😊 = Good

Nice playground in a huge sandy area.  

Check out these cute kids!

Dog Beach 😞 = Lousy

None.  There used to be a dog beach at the very end of the park, but it is no longer there.  Taffy was sad.  

Worst thing about this park:

It was dirty.  Not only the bathrooms, but there seemed to be litter throughout the park.  Plastic water bottles on the beach and little bits of trash on the campsites.  

On a side note, to be honest I didn't enjoy driving through miles and miles of windmills to get there.  Spread across flat farmland it looked like some kind of dystopian movie set. 

 

Best thing about this park:

If you include the day park, Port Crescent has 3 miles of super sandy beach.  Plus it's one of the few parks on Lake Huron where you can see a sunset. 

I loved hearing this guy play guitar at the campfire! 

What else is there to do:

You can canoe or kayak the Pinnebog.  It ends at Lake Huron and you have a great beach to play at before you turn around and head back.  

There is a cool putt putt golf and ice cream place not far from the park.

Want more information?

http://99wfmk.com/portcrescentmichigan/

Want to camp there?

https://www.midnrreservations.com/PortCrescentStatePark?Map

Young State Park

A little bit of everything at this park, right on beautiful Lake Charlevoix near Boyne City.  Overall I would recommend this campground for anyone looking for a classic camping experience in Northern Michigan.   


😊 = Good
😐 = Okay
😞 = Lousy

Bathrooms  😐 = Okay

There are 4 restrooms in the park.  3 of them are a little old school like this one, and the one in Oak campground is new.  Good water pressure and hot water, just run down and older.  

  

Playground  😊 = Good

Nice playground plus random swing sets throughout the park. 

Beach/Swimming  😊 = Good

Great sand and Lake Michigan water, it flows into Lake Charlevoix and warms up nicely.  You can rent paddle boards, beach umbrellas and various floaties at the park store on the beach. 

Dog Beach  😊 = Good

A nice dog run along a trail, and the beach next to it.  (Not sure what was going on with the rock line up...)

Worst thing about this park:  

The majority of the sites in this park are so far away from the lake you have no idea you are even camping near one.  

Best thing about this park:

Some sites have great views of Lake Charlevoix.  This was my view.  

This photo was taken before I lost my shoe.  I looked everywhere for it, but ended up leaving without it.  Then, miracle of miracles, a friend from Frankenmuth found it!  Dawn and her daughter Rachel were camping there with Sue and her daughter Julia (good thing we brought Kern's brats!).  They brought it home to me!  Next to their campsite was another Frankenmuth celebrity, Officer Daugharty and his wife Linda.   

What else is there to do:

Hike Mt. Avalanche in Boyne City.  Awesome view of the lake from the top.  My friend Rebecca showed me this cool place.    

Lots of hiking trails within the park as well.  

There is a fishing pond with a nice dock to fish from.

Park store with snacks, ice cream, souvenirs and beach stuff.  

Good boating with a boat launch in the park

Fantastic Bike Trail into Boyne City.  Rumour has it the trail will extend from Boyne City to Charlevoix when it's complete.  

  

Want more information?
https://www.michigan.org/property/young-state-park

Want to camp there?

https://www.midnrreservations.com/YOUNGSTATEPARK

Otsego Lake State Park

Just off of I-75 south of Gaylord, but nothing to write home about (or Blog about?).  
Remember to click on the name of the state park to read this on the blog.  And click on the pictures to see them bigger.

😊 = Good
😐 = Okay
😞 = Lousy

Bathrooms  😞

Looks impressive right?  Don't be fooled!  It's one of those environmentally friendly bathrooms, which basically means they let a bunch of weeds grow up all around it and the showers have NO WATER PRESSURE!  Did I say that loud enough?  There is not enough pressure to get the sand off your body, let alone get the soap out of your hair.  Seriously.  And the water is cold on top of that.  Have you even been standing in a public shower, hair soapy, wet, and frantically pressing the meter button to turn back on, only for the measly dribble that comes out?     

Playground  😐

Literally one swing set and one slide.  There is a basketball court, and several volleyball courts.  

Beach/Swimming   😐

The beach is decent enough, with nice sand.  It's the lake that is disappointing.  Warm, but dirty.  With lots of stuff floating on the surface with nowhere to go. 

Fishing and boating are big here.  The campground has lots of these stairs that go right to the water, so I can hop on a boat or a jet ski super conveniently (my yacht doesn't fit on this lake).   

P.S. This is the only picture of me in this blog because I couldn't get all of the shampoo out of my hair...

Dog Beach   😐

Not really a beach, but at least a place to take your dog swimming.  All of the steps were a little too much for Taffy.  

  

Worst thing about this park:

The showers!!!

Best thing about this park:

The views from your campsite.

What else is there to do:

Eat.  Some of you have been asking what Barbie eats when she is camping.  This is Chicken Pizza Packets, gotta love the clean up on the foil dinners! 

There is a camp store that sells snacks, ice cream and bait.  They also rent paddle boards and kayaks.  

Want more information?

http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=482&type=SPRK

Want to camp there?

https://www.midnrreservations.com/OTSEGOLAKESTATEPARK

Mears State Park

It's like a giant sand box right on Lake Michigan in Pentwater, south of Ludington. 
(Just click on the pictures to get a closer view)

😊 = Good
😐 = Okay
😞 = Lousy

Bathrooms  😐 = Okay

I struggled with the rating on this one.  The bathrooms themselves are fine, updated and similar to other parks.  Bottom line is it's a very heavily used park and they can't always seem to keep up with the cleaning.  Plus there just aren't enough showers.  Weekdays are better than weekends.  

Playground  😊 = Good

Great playground with the rubberized surface.  Right on the beach.  Another swing set is located next to the bathroom as well.  

Beach/Swimming  😊 = Good

It just doesn't get any better than this!

Eat your heart out Malibu Barbie! You can have LA with the smog and traffic, 

I have Lake Michigan! 

Dog Beach  😊 = Good

Taffy says it's the best dog beach ever!  

I love that it's just part of the regular beach, and I can hang out there with her and read a book.  Or, maybe shade is better.  I saw this chick reading on top of the dune in the shade and it looked nice!

Worst thing about this park:  

It's basically a parking lot in the sand.  Super tight sites.  

Best thing about this park:

Sand and sunsets!

What else is there to do:

Rent a paddle-board from the beach concession stand.

Hike the 1 mile Old Baldy trail, there is a great downhill dune run at the end.

Walk into downtown Pentwater for dinner or ice cream.

Take a fishing charter in Pentwater.

Want more information?

http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/details.aspx?id=470&type=SPRK

Want to camp there?

https://www.midnrreservations.com/