Pure Michigan Outdoors

 

Discover the sugar sand beaches of Michigan that make up the summer playground of the Midwest. With more than 3,200 miles of shoreline, from the Keweenaw Peninsula to Beachtowns to the Sunrise Coast, you’ll find your perfect stretch of beach. Dig your toes into the warm sands. Relax to the soft lapping of the waves. Watch your children build sandcastles. Float in the freshwaters. Get ready to refresh and reconnect where the waters meet the shore.

 

Park Fun and History in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

You can almost imagine the ghosts of its 19th-century residents amid the eerily relics of Fayette--the long-abandoned iron-smelting town is part of Fayette Historic State Park on the Upper Peninsula's Lake Michigan shore (30 miles southwest of Manistique). Flanked by limestone cliffs and a placid harbor, more than a dozen buildings stand as if waiting for their owners to return. The community and its 500-plus residents thrived until the furnace closed in 1891.

 

Learn the story of Fayette's heyday and decline at the visitors center (open mid-May to mid-October). You can join in free-guided tours of the town or walk among the buildings and view interior displays on your own. Perch, small-mouth bass and northern pike lure anglers to the park. Families head for the beach along Sand Bay. You'll find a playground, picnic tables nearby and campsites.

 

Campfires and S'Mores in West Michigan

In west Michigan, you'll want to explore camping options at campsites like Muskegon State Park, Hoffmaster State Park, or Yankee Springs. In southeast Michigan, you'll find Algonac State Park and Waterloo State Park.



Michigan state parks are not only for campfires and gazing at the stars; they are the staging ground for all kinds of exciting things to do and offer a variety of outdoor activities all over Michigan. Make campground and harbor reservations online for Michigan Department of Natural Resources properties.

 

National Parks

Michigan is also home to two national parks, two national lakeshores and one national recreation area. Isle Royale National Park, approximately 50 miles off the Keweenaw Peninsula, is the largest national park in the United States. This remote summer retreat, shaped by glaciers some 13,000 years ago, remains a rugged, spectacular wilderness. Backpackers can explore 166 miles of hiking trails past ancient copper mines and lakes where moose graze. Canoeing, kayaking, trout fishing and scuba diving are popular pastimes. The island is accessible by passenger ferry or floatplane from Houghton.



In addition to103 state parks, our national parks, lakeshores and recreation areas, there are hundreds of other campgrounds in Michigan, with tens of thousands of campsites. They range from wilderness camping to plush modern campgrounds with all the amenities of a resort. For more information contact the Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds. 

 

Camping Your Way—You Choose 

Enjoy Michigan camping in tents, RVs, cabins & cottages, or sleeping under the stars. Bring your dog along on your trip as you explore some of our best dog-friendly campgrounds.