Pines Campground — Ludington State Park

Beach was big and beautiful but you had to drive to get to it unless you love walking with a bunch of beach stuff in a bathing suit. Hamlin lake is close by and is a good spot for fishing.

Great campground with beach access. It’s great to be in the forest, then take a quick walk over to the beach.

Campground was busy, but very quiet. Neighbors were friendly.

I was fortunately on the outer side of the loop at a site that didn't immediately abut a sister site, but as a whole the sites were shoulder-to-shoulder with no privacy. Even with a small car, there wasn't a ton of space to pitch a tent at the site, which was very shallow and up against a hill, leaving no option but to pitch it within about 6 feet of the road. Campers at neighboring sites were surprisingly quiet, given the sheer number of RVs and kids on bicycles. Easy access to hiking trails, including a short ~0.5 mile hike to Lake Michigan.

We initially tried to book at this campground and we denied do to being fully booked. When we arrived to book a site, there were soo many sites open that were not available for one reason or another, but no one was camping on them. We stayed on site 58 and glad we did. This part of the park has the trail to the Sable Lighthouse off it, but it also has RVs that you can rent for your stay, that look overused and clutter was everywhere around them. The trail out to the lighthouse was very beautiful and accessible, along with the personal watercraft ramp on Lake Hamlin by the beach. I was very impressed with the ADA accessible ramp and how easy it was to use. There are a ton of activities you can do at this park, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, boating on both lakes, fishing, swimming, riding bikes and a lovely walking path for birding.

A beautiful Park with lots of biodiversity. Miles of hiking trails that take you through dense forests into sand dunes and then the beach and lake shore. The sites offer 30 and 50 amp electric, but no water or sewer. Lots of water stations throughout the campground. Spots are a little tight, but nice. Indore modern bathrooms and private showers that are clean. Biggest downfall was lack of cell service. Verizon and AT&T were slim to none in the campground. Had to drive into town for work.

Gorgeous location. The company store was fantastic. Great hiking trail and scenery. 30 and 50 amp service available but no water hookup☹️

Ludington is peaceful & beautiful. My boyfriend and I stayed at the pines campground at site 36. Only complaint I have is that the camp sites basically sit on top of eachother. Zero privacy. Pros: lots of hiking trials, swimming, kayaking, biking.

1 of my favorites. Beach is shrinking tho with high water levels

I’ve been visiting Ludington State Park since I was a young kid. It’s always been one of my family’s favorite places to visit and camp. A couple years ago I had the pleasure of bringing my daughters to visit this special place. They absolutely loved it and it was even better than I remembered as a kid. We were lucky to score a spot in the Pines Campground up against the dunes. We could walk right from our campsite up the sandy hills to see Lake Michigan in the distance. We went paddle boarding and biking, hiking and swimming. There is just so much to do there. My only complaint is that the camp sites are pretty packed in and there is not much privacy at all. But Ludington has so much to offer, we can let that part go. Definitely a must see in Michigan!

Winter camped in Pines Mini Cabin. Bunk beds with one a double- sleeps 5 total. Heat, electricity, mini fridge, microwave, table and 4 chairs. Well built and very clean. Outside fire pit and BBQ grill for summer. Awesome trails for hiking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing. Lots of phenomenal snow this year!

Miles of hiking trails, amazing views. For the water sports enthusiast there is a lot to do Hamlin lake is 9 miles long, upper Hamlin is pretty undeveloped with some really cool little bays to explore, lower Hamlin has fantastic walleye pike and bass fishing.

Ludington State Park is incredible, so I guess it makes sense that it would be packed with campers. We got one of the few sites left, in Pines, for our first visit last week and arrived to find campers squeezed in like sardines. Our site was a patch between a huge RV and a little pop up camper with all the bells and whistles, on a corner near a restroom. It was a far cry from the remote areas we’ve enjoyed at other parks and we were at first a little dismayed by lack of privacy and the traffic — people walking dogs, kids on bikes, etc etc. But everyone was friendly and well behaved— no blaring music or rude teens, just the bustle of families.

We did find the rules were rather loosely enforced— we encountered a few bikes on the trails, dogs off leash, kids out past 10, etc.— but no one really causing any trouble so our impression was people know they can bend a little but they don’t push it.

The bathrooms were fine, electrical service worked great, and the trails were immaculate and well maintained— steps, handrails, etc.

There was no cell service in Pines though we did get a couple of bars on the beach, so that’s something to consider.

We were able to walk to the lighthouse, but didn’t— we got about halfway and decided to walk to the beach instead. It was beautiful, sandy and nice for kids to swim. We were not expecting the lavish bathhouse, with nature displays, board games, benches for beach viewing, etc.

We checked out several of the other trails— all accessible on foot from Pines campground.

Relaxation at its finest! We came here to enjoy some peace and quiet! It was by far the best place to get the job done! This place is amazing!

CAMPGROUND REVIEW

Ludington State Park has several spots to camp. The Cedars Campground was one of three open this time of year. There is a great tent only section of this campground and if you can't get into the hike in sites at the Jack Pine Campground, Cedars is your next best option.

Sites back up to the woods with large berms which is nice especially if you like to jump right in and explore and for privacy. There are about 12 tent sites at this lcoation. It also has a nice general store close by as well as a nice Bathroom area with large clean restrooms and showers.

It is also a centrally located spot with nice hikes to Lake Michiganto the west and an large network of trails around several lakes and an light house to the east and north. The campground also sits next to the river that connects Hamlin Lake and Lake Michigan. A great spot to fish or enjoy an evening hike.

It won't be the most private spot you will ever camp but it is a great spot with lots of options.

PRODUCT REVIEW

As a Ranger for The Dyrt I get products to test and review. At Ludington State Park I tested Mountain House Meals.

The Mountain House Meals are a great and easy way to have a great dinner while camping or backpacking. Easy to make it is a meal that all you have to do is add boiling water to the freeze dried packet of food. I tried the lasagna with meat sauce and Chicken Fajita Bowl and they were both very tasty.

The one thing I would keep in mind is that you need to make sure you notice how many servings are listed on the outside of the bag. When it says 2 servngs feel free to share with a fellow camper. Even after a long day of hiking it was a little too much for one sitting.

It was easy to make!

They taste great!

Lots of different option for meals!

I will be revieiwng other flavors, as I go.

Cedars campground at Ludington State Park is nice campground with an amazing beach and river area. The sites are well spaced but the campground overall is not well wooded, especially the sites in the middle of the loop. Trails are great for walking/bike riding and the beach makes this campground worth it. Campfire rings are very well made which is a plus.