Beach Campground — Holland State Park, near Holland, Michigan, is a lively spot that draws visitors for its proximity to the stunning Lake Michigan. With a mix of tent and RV sites, this campground offers beach access and a chance to soak up the sun, though you’ll need to keep your pets and bikes off the sand.

The campground is known for its clean facilities, including a well-maintained restroom and shower house that many campers appreciate. One visitor noted, “The showers are individual and we had no trouble getting one in the late afternoon. They look recently remodeled and were SUPER clean!” Just keep in mind that the sites are mostly on asphalt, which some have compared to a parking lot, so privacy can be a bit limited.

If you’re looking to explore, you’re just a short walk from the beach and nearby shops. The area is surrounded by beautiful sand dunes, making it a picturesque backdrop for your camping experience. While some sites can be tight, especially during peak season, many campers have found their stay enjoyable, with plenty of opportunities for relaxation and fun.

Holland State Park is best known for sugar-sand beaches, beautiful sunsets, and views of the iconic “Big Red” lighthouse. The park is home to two large campgrounds, an accessible playground, opportunities for paddling and fishing, and connections to nonmotorized trails. The state park consists of separate Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan units on the northern side of the channel connecting Lake Macatawa with Lake Michigan. A boat launch with a fish cleaning station is located 1 mile east of the park.

The park now offers two EV charging stations at no cost.

Beach Campground — Holland State Park

Macatawa is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Macatawa campgrounds just for you. Find the best campgrounds near Macatawa, MI. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.

Macatawa

The Best Camping Near Macatawa, Michigan

sites: level site. semi-private (many sites close to road). couple loops to choose from.
amenities: clean.
other attractions: swimming. playground. fishing. biking. beach volleyball. great camper cabins.
I would go back again.

great

This campground is a great get away during the summer. The drive is very relaxing to get out to the camp ground. Right at your finger tips you have the lake.  Check in was a smooth process, and such lovely camp neighbors. Such a wonderful experience to relax, and enjoy the sunshine! 

Home sweet home

Campground is located directly along the beach. Some would like this but I prefer some shade here and there. Sand doesn't provide the best place to hold a tent down in windy conditions. A decent offering in West Michigan.

Sandy Beaches

We camped at Holland State Park for the 4th of July. This was our second time camping here. There are two campgrounds - Lake Macatawa & Beach. We were at the Lake Macatawa Campground. It's right across the street from Macatawa and about a 10 minute walk from a great Lake Michigan beach. Most sites were plenty big enough to fit two vehicles, two tents, and still have room to cook & play yard games. There are campsites along the main campground road that are wooded and have some privacy. The rest are pretty wide open, so you won't have anything separating you from your neighbors. I'm pretty sure all campsites had electrical hookup - Ours had 50A... not sure about the others.

The restrooms & showers were clean and functioning properly, and even though the campground was completely booked, we never had to wait for either. Ice & firewood is sold at the campground office for a reasonable price.

Alcohol is prohibited at the campground, but there's a great local restaurant & bar about 100 feet from the entrance with a good beer selection & GREAT lake perch. Right across the street is a little beach area on Lake Macatawa with parking & easy access to launch a canoe or kayak. The Lake Michigan beach is a short bike ride or walk away. This is where the park's Beach Campground is, and it is only about 100 yards from the beach.

There's a paved bike trail that goes all the way from the beach to downtown Holland. It's about 15 minutes in a car, so be prepared if you plan on biking it.

Overall a great campground for the summer months, and I know for sure we will be returning in the future.

GREAT campground near the beach

Holland State Park is popular for its expansive sandy beach along Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa where swimming, sun bathing, fishing, and boating are popular activities. Holland SP has two campgrounds – the Lake Macatawa Unit and the Beach Campground (which is where we stayed and the focus of this review). The Beach Campground is essentially a parking lot as the sites, patios and roads are paved with little grass among them. It is nestled between dunes which adds to the scenic value and blocks the strong winds coming off of Lake Michigan. The Lake Unit campground is much larger (211 campsites) than the Beach Campground and has more of a state park feel with trees, grass, and fire pits. 

Site description:

The Beach Campground has 98 RV sites of which 31 are 50 amp full hook-up and two camper cabins.  Some sites towards the northern section of the park have great views of Lake Michigan but be warned that strong winds can come off the lake and really shake your RV.  When we were there in early May the winds were very strong with blowing sand which made us really glad we were not near the water.

Campsites are plenty wide to fit your RV with slide outs and car next to it without feeling cramped. Utilities are at the very back of the site so you may need an extension for your sewer hose. All sites were level. Every site has a picnic table. There are no fire pits at individual sites but community ones are located near the beach and you are permitted to use your own fire pit if you have one. 

We were able to get nearly two dozen television stations with our antenna and had no problem locking into a satellite with our roof-mounted dish. Verizon phone and hotspot worked well. 

So is this park big rig-friendly? In general, yes. Our site was certainly long (and wide) enough to fit our RV and the tow car next to it. However, we did have the back five feet overhanging the sand at the back of the site. This was no problem for us because our stabilizing jacks are in between our back tires. We were also there at a time when the park was fairly empty so backing in and pulling out was no problem. The sites are all set at an angle to the main road which makes backing easier. 

Campground amenities:

By far the beach is the biggest draw to the campground. The wide beach lures sunbathers out in warm weather and is popular for a walk at sunset.  There is a playground, picnic area, community fire pits, dump station, boat launch and concession stand. There is one restroom/shower house that was very clean but no laundry facilities.

What we liked:

We loved that fact that this campground was so close to water and the nice paved path for walking and hiking trails in the main part of the campground. Within 50 yards from our site we could be walking along Lake Macatawa or along the sandy shores of Lake Michigan. The beach is wide and expansive and is the place to be for awesome sunsets. When we were there the beach was not crowded because it was cold and windy but it would be a great place to enjoy a good book under an umbrella. Definitely liked the fact that this was a full hook-up state park with level sites.

What we didn’t like:

The park is essentially a parking lot with little grass and trees. What really surprised us was how many cars drove through the campground that were not staying there. There apparently are no restrictions on who drives through the park so many day-use visitors came by just for a look resulting in unnecessary traffic.

Be advised there is a “no alcohol” policy in the park and campground and you have to sign a piece of paper saying you will abide by that rule. The rule states that “Possessing or consuming alcohol is prohibited in all areas of the park throughout the entire year” even inside your RV. 

In order to enter the state park you must have a Michigan Recreation Passport which costs $32 for an annual non-resident OR you have to pay $11/day to enter the park even if you are camped there. 

Pet:

There are plenty of places to walk dogs here and access points to water if your dog likes to swim. Unfortunately, they are not allowed on the beach but there is a long walking path and within the main part of the park are miles of hiking trails and a nice overlook.  This park does not have an unleashed dog park; however, there is one within five miles at the fairgrounds.

Great Proximity to the Beach

We had a wonderful time at Holland State Park. We stayed for 5 nights. You must book early for the summer because sites fill up fast! We tent camped and stayed along Lake Macatawa. I would not recommend tent camping at Lake Michigan due to it is very sandy and not many trees. The bathrooms and showers were clean. The park also does very nice nature programs with the kids. We learned about the sand and did sand art. The campground is very nice for biking and is very close to Lake Michigan with little shops along the way.

The area is very nice in the summer due to the low humidity and nice beaches to go swimming or boating. We will stay here again!

Summer week away 

We had a great time checking this beach out early in the year. What a beautiful place.

Beautiful Beach

Holland State park reminds me of Grand Haven State park. This park is essentially a parking lot (Beach Campground) for your camper. It is extremely hard to get into, so be sure to make reservations on the State website six months in advance. The campground is within walking distance to the beach. The beach is constantly packed! There is a store at the beach that carries everything from sunblock to ice cream. You can get a great view of the Holland Lighthouse, commonly known as Big Red. The water is very nice and we enjoyed swimming in it. The park is ALCOHOL free. Do not bring alcohol into the park, even if you plan on drinking it in your camper. There are picnic tables and community fire pits. The facilities are nice and well kept. When we went, there were tons of cars driving through. I am not sure why that is allowed as most state parks do not allow noncampers to drive through solely to view the campground. We prefer Grand Haven over Holland State park, but it was nice to at least give this one a try.

Parking lot party, without alcohol :-)

Camped there many times, always beautiful. Love the beach and love big red lighthouse

Best Beach Plus Big Red!

Great place

The pictures say it all! Put this on your bucket list, this is a beautiful state park!

Put this on your bucket list!

This is a perfectly pleasant campground and a good spot to be close to Lake Michigan. The campground has enough amenities to satisfy most car or RV campers. We had a perimeter site in the Lake Macinaw grouping, which afforded us a little more privacy--however the road noise was ever present, especially after traffic for the beach backed up past the campground. There is swimming at lake Macinaw (just across the busy road), and a very small beach area to set up. The camp bathroom and shower facilities are really up to date and absolutely, marvelously clean.

The lake M campsites are a fairly long walk to the beach at Lake Michigan. A long, hot walk in the sun, on the pavement, and beside the road full of stopped traffic waiting to park at the beach. Parking at the beach isn't an option unless one goes very early in the morning (note the stopped traffic for over a mile). The walk can be a pleasant stroll if just going to the beach. However, if campers plan to tote a beach blanket, towels, lunch, water, sunscreen, water toys…etc….then they would be wise to bring a wagon. This wasn't our favorite Lake Michigan campground--but it works, and it's not bad either.

On the other hand, Deboer Bakery and Dutch Brothers Restaurant down the road was incredible. I am tempted to drive 1,000 miles just to go back again. AMAZING

Cleanest Camp Showers and Bathrooms!

This is a beautiful campground right on the beach of Lake Michigan. It had plenty of paved camping spaces and even cabins to rent, you can walk to the pier, and lighthouse. Watch the boats go by at morning and spend a nice day down at the beautiful clean beach. It's a great spot for any weekend. But plan ahead, spots are usually booked!

Beautiful convienent campground 

Family friendly, busy decent place to stay

Busy State Park on lake

Loud

The campground is about a half a mile from Lake Michigan beach access, which requires you to drive or walk. If you are planning on enjoying one of Michigan’s oceans get there early by Noon they were turning cars away because of lack of parking on the weekend. The campground it’s self is busy, not many sites open even on the weekday. 


Get to the beach early! 

No fire pits. You are quite literally in a parking lot. No alcohol allowed. If you don't ride a bike good luck

Horrible

Beautiful scenery and convienent pull up sites. The best spots are near the water and beach entrance (Hemlock loop). Active place with hikers,cyclist &amp; runners. Nice place to escape especially during the weekdays. Popular and busy on the weekend. Access to water for filling jugs nearby. Outhouses need better air ventilation. Nice campground for all types of campers.

Sites with close access to the lake

There are are three options for camping at Holland State Park (this was confusing before we arrived and then it made sense). The Beach campground is (duh!) closest to the beach although you do not have a view of it and it is a large, paved parking lot where RVs are lined up like diagonal dominoes with no privacy between sites). The Woodstock and Pines Loops are about a mile from the beach and there is a paved path along the beach road for access. We stayed in Pines (newer) and the bath house is the cleanest I have ever seen in a state park! Sites are level, some are paved and some dirt; some have 30 amp and some 50 amp. No sewer or water. If you don’t have a reservation, best to arrive before 5pm or you will have to use the dreaded yellow phone to register (cannot do same day on line or cell phone check in after 5). $33 does not include required state parks pass ($9 daily or $32 annual). We stayed on a weeknight after Labor Day and had no problem securing a site but I imagine it is quite busy during the summer and on warm weekends.

Large and clean campground 

Love walking the pier here. One of my favorite ways to get a large amount of sun in one weekends 

Can’t get a much better sunset either. Decent amenities for a beach day. 

RV camping seems to be very popular here. Not always the cleanest beach in terms of litter or clear sand. 

Great beach!

We were on the lake loop not the beach campground. We were so thankful we didn't book the beach sites it's a paved parking lot, hot and no trees or privacy. The line to get into the beach day area also the campground was a mile long &amp; they don't have a separate line for people camping in there. 

  

We stayed in the Pine loop campground and it was shaded &amp; big sites with a fire pit and picnic table. 

  

NO ALCOHOL allowed in the campground. You sign a form and post it on your camper. There were so many family reunions going on there were a lot of people camping. Our site was big yet a camper was behind us (back to back &amp; they had a tent with family staying in it) that was behind their camper &amp; in our site. They only stayed a few days but was still right out our window. When we backed in &amp; very close to the tent we felt bad but they shouldn't have put it there they had plenty of other room. 

  

We went to the beach in the state park it was nice getting out on the Jetty there was a guy with some big kites flying them getting them up in the air it was cool to watch him.  When we left the line coming in was a mile long again glad we didn't stay on the beach loop.

Nice but very busy campground

North of Seeley Lake and stunning. Lots of camping spots but bring bug spray. There are tons of mosquitoes 🦟!! Take the hike to Holland Falls and swim in the designated area. You’ll love it. 

My favorite place❣️

This has easy access to US-2 not far from Saint Ignace; however, right now it doesn’t have guaranteed access to the Big Lake. 

With the day beach: picnic area closed due to high water, your only chance to be beachside is to have a camping site in the beach. 

The beach side sites are AWESOME; however, please note that they all have stairs. All beach side sites are great for ham-mocking! We “mocked” here for a short night on our way to other ventures! 



The sites here have a nice “private” feel, and the campground host is exceptional! (At least in 2020). 



Easy Access to UP

We camped with a 25ft pull behind camper on lot 71. Beautiful spot, lots of privacy. However, it was a bear to back the camper into. Between the beautiful pines and the corner it was on it made the cut a tricky one. We ended up going the “wrong way” down that lane so we could get a workable angle. 

Beautiful spot

Holland state park has two campgrounds; Beach and Pine. Even if your planning on staying at the Beach Campground you have to register at the Pines campground office first. 

Beach campground and Pines campground

We stayed at the Lake Macatawa campground in August.  The sites are small, the roads are tight, the crowd is pretty loud, and the bathrooms/showers are a bit insufficient for the campground size.  

This 
average campground is saved by the fact that it is in an amazing location.  Not far from quaint downtown Holland and within walking distance to the large Holland State Park beach.

If this campground wasn’t this close to the beach then I would probably never return.

Amazing area - Crowded campground

The site was a little short for our 28ft trailer. Clean sites and bathhouse. The park attendants were friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the trails with park access. One trail lead to a very nice overlook of Lake Michigan. 

Clean sites and bathhouse  

Campground is clean.  Most sites do not have water hookup.  Bathroom/Showers are neat and clean. Across from the lake.  Great for kayaking, biking, hiking and exploring. Beach down the road.  Campers of all ages.  
Reasonable fire wood prices.  

Awesome Advice 

We stayed here well we tested everything out on our new travel trailer!￼

Great place!

We love fall camping and Holland is one of the most picturesque places to do it. We had campsite #193 and loved the positioning of the site. It was huge too, 40’ x 80’ with 120 volt and 30 amp as well. We camped in a large tent, so the power was a nice luxury. The site was slightly sloped toward the road but manageable. The canopy of trees was nice, but the acorns will drive you crazy. I did not reflect this in my rating. It can’t be helped unless you camp out in the center of the campground. We like being nestled in the shade of the trees. 

The fire ring is great. The picnic table was very nice and appeared to be new this year. There are water spigots throughout. And, one huge surprise for us was the incredible shower facilities! Wow! Clean, spacious, and modern. We will likely book our next site close to this next time. 

By Far Our Favorite Yet

Camped in Whitetail Cabin in February. Cabin sleeps 7; mini frig, microwave, ADA accessible. Outhouse. Very near Lake MI and overlooking channel and Big Red Lighthouse. Such beautiful sunsets.  Went snowshoeing at nearby Pigeon Creek Park- beautiful! This county park has Lodge w/ food, rentals, fireplace and restrooms and mIles of cross county ski and snowshoeing trails and a  Sledding hill. Gave slightly lower rating due to cabin not being as clean as I’d like. Frig. was unplugged and moldy. 



Winter Cabin Camping

40$ per night for a tent / camper. 
No trash bin at camping site. Bathrooms ok ish..
Don’t get me wrong it ain’t terrible. It’s just that I would have expected a much nicer stay for that money.

Expensive for a mediocre canpground

Winter camped in camper cabin. Cabins with heat, electricity, mini fridge, microwave. Sleeps 7. Outside pit toilet. Very near lighthouse and Lake Michigan. 


Camper Cabin 

This is a very popular beach campground with 2 different campgrounds.  Beach camping in a parking lot, or 200 sites across from Lake Macataw.   Sites on the inside of the loops were a little tight, outside on the curve of the loop offered more space.  Cars will probably be parked all over the place as it is a very popular campground and beach traffic will be heavy.  Shower house was decently clean for the amount of people using the facility.  Electric only sites.

Crazy Busy SP campground 

Stayed one night and it was a nice campground. The spot we got was super hard to back our 33’ trailer into and we had to ask for a diff site. They were super nice about it and accommodated us right away. Walking distance to the beach and some cute beach shops and restaurants. Just remember if you’re visiting MI it’s freaking cold! Even in the summer. We visited beginning aug and it was mid 70s and nights get super cold. 

Stayed one night 

If you like to camp in a parking lot, like Walmart or Cracker Barrel, you will love this lake side campground- it's a parking lot! 

  

PROS 

Toilet/shower facilities very clean 

2 bars TMOBILE 

Walking distance to Lake Michigan 

Rangers strictly enforced beach closure each evening- lots of sirens. 

  

CONS 

Pricy state park camping at $53/night for full hook up

$8 Fee to make on-line reservations 

Since out of state, we had to purchase a $39 Michigan State Park Permit in addition to paying for campsite 

No senior or veteran discount 

Campground is one big asphalt parking lot with painted lines to delineate each site. Absolutely no privacy from any other campsite. 

Camping is slammed together as tow vehicles have to be parked next to camper/RV insufficient space to park in front of camper/RV 

Must check-in before going to campground even with on-line reservation and payment in full 

3pm check-in was strictly enforced--there was quite a line of RVs backed up at 230pm. Once registration opened it took us 20 minutes to register. 

Needed plumbers tape to connect hose to site water faucet 

Waist high weeds behind campsites 

No shade and most of time too windy to deploy awning 

No security gate closure overnight. 

Anyone can drive through or walk in from the beach. 

Lots of drive thrus by non campers 

No campfire rings or lantern poles at campsites 

Lots of campfire debris dumped behind campsites from those who bring their own fire pit and charcoal grills 

Site 396 not level 

No park WIFI

Beach Campground = Parking Lot

This is a tough park to get into in the warm months. The back up to get in is crazy. The staff at the booths move things along, but the cars were still backed up a mile.

  

 There are 2 campgrounds. The Lake Macatawa campground is across the street from a small beach on the Macatawa Lake. This is a wooded campground. The sites are pretty tight as is usual for a Michigan State Park. This is where you check in to camp here &amp; at the beach campground. Don't forget or you'll have to turn around &amp; come back! 

  

The best thing about the beach campground is it's closer to Lake Michigan &amp; the campground has beach access. No dogs or bikes on the beach. Sounds good if it was actually enforced. We saw no one getting yelled at, so go ahead &amp; do what you want! 

 The campground is surrounded by sand dunes on both sides.

 This campground is entirely on asphalt. You're not allowed to put anything on the sand- including tents! Crazy.

 There's no fire rings at the beach sites. Bring a portable if you want a fire.

  

 The interior sites up to the shower house have full hook up. All others are electric only. There's one restroom/shower house for the whole campground. The showers are individual &amp; we had no trouble getting one in the late afternoon. They look recently remodeled &amp; were SUPER clean!

  

   The best campsite is 348. This site gives you a good view of the beach outside your rig. Other good campsites are 347 &amp; 349, but your door faces away from the beach.

 There are trees by the following campsites: 305/309/319/321/323/331. They won't give you a lot of shade, but they look nice.

 I would recommend getting a site North of the bath house. You have a shorter walk to the beach. There's a double dump station&amp; that's where you also fill up your water tanks. There's also dumpsters there.

interesting campground

We stayed at the wooded campground near where u check in, it was busy, and every loud motorcycle going down the road right next to us, was pouring on the exhaust all night long. No alcohol campground also, so everyone had nice tumblers walking around 

Too loud and crammed in

Unfortunately, tents have to be on pavement and weighted down because stakes can’t be put in. Sites don’t have fire pits either. There is not really a view of the lake at all, but it is a minute walk to the big beach which is nice. Bring a fire pit and a camper, not tents. Beach is beautiful. 

Not the best for tent camping 

Got to campground at 13:00, checked to see if my reserved site was vacant (it was vacant) then went to check in. Attendant told couldn’t check in until 15:00. Had to park in marina parking lot.  Went back to check in and there was a line out to the street (safety issue).  It then took us 1/2 hr to check in then had to wait another 1/2hr in line for water. Got to site at 16:15.  Something has to change. Was told this was a Holland State Park decision because other state parks don’t do this.  Horrible, horrible policy

Photos of Beach Campground — Holland State Park

Real photos from real campers