Located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, Hoffmaster State Park is 1,200 acres of wooded sand dunes and 3 miles of sandy beach. The park is named for P.J. Hoffmaster, considered to be the founder of Michigan’s state parks system. Located just a few miles south of Muskegon, and 40 miles west of Grand Rapids, this park offers an outdoor reprieve where you can swing in your hammock under shady pine and hardwood forest, and enjoy pleasant lakeside strolls while peeping for migrating sparrows and hawks. One of the park’s must-do activities is climbing the winding wooden stairway to the Dunes Overlook for great views over the lake, and the fascinating dunes that have developed along the lakeshore. 

Open from April to October, the campground at Hoffmaster State Park offers nearly 300 wooded tent and RV campsites on either side of Little Black Creek. Sites are equipped with electrical hookups, picnic tables, and fire pits; restrooms and water faucets are located throughout the campground area. Sites can accommodate trailers and RVs up to 50 feet; a dump station is available near the campground entrance. A kids’ playground is located near the creek, between the two camp areas, and there are two trailheads for accessing the beach. There are also several picnic areas and a concession stand inside the park. Dogs are permitted in the campground area and on the trails, but must remain leashed; they are not permitted on the swim beaches. Campsite rates range from $25–$37/night.

If you need a break from sunning and swimming on the beaches at Hoffmaster, you can visit the Gillette Visitor Center. You can learn about the park’s sand dune ecosystem, see exhibits about the park’s flora and fauna, or attend a nature program about native birds, bugs or beasts. The center also offers guided, interpretive bird walks, dune hikes and night prowls. If you’re ready to strike out on your own, pick up a trail map and start roaming the park’s 5 miles of hiking trails. On the 1-mile Dune Overlook Trail you can climb 100 stairs into the park’s “quiet area” for a panoramic view over the dunes and Lake Michigan. Bring your birding guide with you, as the park is known for a wide variety of residential and migrant songbirds and raptors.

Hoffmaster State Park Campground

We love Hoffmaster when going with the tin can tourist rally for the weekend but not our favorite for a family camping weekend. The beach is a long hike from campsites. Most campsites are small. The bathrooms are clean and well kept.  The sites we were on for a friends camping weekend were very dirty and dusty however when we went back this year I saw they did build them up and add some gravel. We enjoy biking around the campground and waking by the creek.  There is a playground area for kids.

Hoffmaster 

Hoffmaster State Park is a great campground. Drawbacks for me, there are only 4 sites that are semi modern to choose from. So get in early or you'll get stuck with modern. There are a ton of trails which is great. But the longer the trail the less signs you will see, so take a map and plenty of water as you might be out longer than expected. I'd recommend this camp ground early in the season if you want privacy, otherwise it'll be packed and far less enjoyable! I prefer rustic sites so camping on top of other people doesn't appeal to me. 

Hoffmaster State Park

Great family campground - Paired with the area offers many options! 

With mostly modern sites situated in hardwoods, pines, or a mixture, we stayed in the hardwoods area; however, my kids would have enjoyed the pines better for it appeared to have hammock hanging at almost every site. Well-maintained and clean restrooms had soda vending machines. 

Children's play area with equipment and activity field, where several kites were hoisted high into the air, were great. Gillette Visitor Center in the State Park area about 1/4 mile away offers Explorer and interpretive programs Tuesday through Saturday, with topics ranging from nature history/preservation to information on wildlife. We enjoyed the spider and bear presentations most, but maybe that is because I have all boys! The campground beach, only a 5 - 10 minute walk from any site, was awesome! While there wasn't a lifeguard, I appreciated the "flag system" advising how safe the water is each day. Unfortunately, a red flag was flying on our visit, so we only waded at the water's edge- but - still cool to lay out on the sugar-like sand and walk its 3 mile length! I do regret not making it back to the beach for sunset as our camping neighbors RAVED about it the following morning! 

My favorite part of this campground was the trails. In addition to several trails within the campground (the one along the creek was especially loved!), many more can be accessed in the state park, which contains over ten miles of trails in its 1,200 acres. Trails to dunes, beach, and other parks as well as dune preserve: all well-marked and vary in difficulty, weaving through pine and hardwood forests nestled among dunes. Plus, the adjoining North Ottawa Dune Preserve offers an additional ten miles of trails! OMG - what a phenomenal place for a walk in the woods or trail running! One of our walks was up a 5-story staircase near the nature center, leading to an observation platform with expansive views of majestic dunes and Lake Michigan. I was impressed that a portion was barrier-free. 

Some family ventured into nearby towns of Muskegon, Spring Lake, and Grand Haven to experience what they had to offer: shops, museums, World War II boats, piers to walk, and several craft breweries - all 15 minutes away! Our dogs enjoyed the visit to the unleashed dog park at Coast Guard Park that is a ten-minute drive or a five-mile walk through the trails. 

Logistics to note: Campground sells ice - $2/7# bag and wood/$5.50 a bundle. We quickly realized that residences outside the park sold it at $5 for larger bundles. Area grocery stores include a Meijer superstore and Leppinks grocery. We preferred Leppinks for the quick trip and Meijer for items beyond groceries, such as that forgotten bathing suit or a propane tank for the grill. While we don't have a big rig, I did notice the backup of campers at the two campground dump stations Sunday before 1pm checkout. Being a state park, Hoffmaster requires vehicles have a recreation passport to enter ($11/year -residents and $32/year -non-residents or a daily rate of $9). No alcoholic beverages between April 15 and Labor Day. 

I talked to a ranger about coming back later this year, and he told me it is best to book months ahead for weekends because they fill up at the beginning of summer; however, cancellations are not uncommon, so watch the DNR site for openings. Weekdays usually have availability, especially the first half of the summer. He added that a great time to visit would be the weekend before Halloween as they encourage people to decorate their sites, wear costumes, and participate in trick or treating on Saturday night.

Woods & Water Wonderland!

This campground is nice and shady in terms of sites. Not enough hiking trails in my opinion and the beach is rapidly disappearing. Each year it's half the size of the year before. This year there was nearly no beach. Also, WAY to long and annoying of a walk down to the beach, making it a bit of pain in the butt than an enjoyable experience. We go every year in July.

Just ok. 

This is a beautiful campground, if you are traveling in the area and need a place to stay for a night or two or 10, please do not hesitate. This is a hidden gem!

This is stunning!

We had a great time here!  As with all Michigan DNR campgrounds you only get electricity. No full hookups but the camp sites are gorgeous!

Great Michigan State Park

Book early for outer edge sites with nice shade, well tended by staff, bathrooms typical for high volume, 1/2 mike walk to dunes/beach is perfect

For a busy campground, good access to lake MI, some less crowded sites

One of the best hiking spots in W MI. Campground well shaded. Short hike to beach and trails. Land and trails stretch the lakeshore down to Ferrysberg at Coast Guard Park. Name actually PJ Hoffmaster State Park. $25-37/night. DNR strictly enforce drinking and late night beach visits. 

Great hiking

This campground has a great layout and is one of the top Michigan campgrounds I have ever been to. The beach is sandy and clean. Bathrooms were great and staff was helpful. You can catch a beautiful sunset here.

We enjoyed taking our bikes here and riding around the campground. Grand Haven is a great place to enjoy for the day, visiting odd side ales, shops, and the water.

Great camping and perfect location for a West Michigan Vacation

This is one of the absolute best campsites in Michigan, in my opinion. With great access to dunes and Lake Michigan, stunning sunsets are just part of the charm. The restrooms are well kept and large enough that I didn't have to wait at any point, and there is ready access to some of Michigan's cutest towns with lots to do whether you want secluded hiking trails or to taste a flight at a local brewery.

I will say the sites on the inner circle of the loops can be a little crowded, they'd be perfect if you have a larger group looking to have a group campsite feel. If you want some space without children running through your camp, get sites on the outer ring. The sites on the "corners" of the loop are enormous!

Peaceful and idyllic

For our campsite not being ‘private’ it felt that way. We were there towards mid-late September and not too many people were there. Our campsite backed up to a creek which was nice for a little nature walk but also connected to trails leading you to the beach and dunes. It was perfect for a short little getaway! Very close to the beach!

Scenic Hikes! 

It’s not too far of a walk from the beach side and it’s not located too far from town so if you needed anything it wouldn’t be a waste of gas. It’s spacious between other campground sites and very well secluded!

Very nice, clean and spacious! 

Good fun park. Some of the sites are on the small size. Had we not arrived early we would not of been able to get our 30’ trailer in our site. Also had concerns of poison ivy on our site. We had family staying that weekend too so we were able to spend our time at their much larger site. Overall was a fun park with a nice beach. Dump station moved quick which was nice. We happen to be camping same weekend as the vintage camper show so that was a great experience. 

Nice park 

Stayed at hoffmaster with a group of kids. There was plenty to do to keep the kids busy! The playground was up to date and walk to the beach was awesome. There is a campground host/volunteer who runs activities she is very nice. We will definitely stay there again!!

Great family park

Camped here summer of 2014 and 2015 for a football camping trip. I did not arrange the reservation but assume they can accommodate very large groups. We had easily over 40 in attendance. Not a huge amount of amenities at our site but no major problems arose from this.

The state park nearby has a wonderful beach and a huge dune! We made a competition on how fast we could each climb to the top. It must have been a sight watching 40+ football players run down the dune. 

Our open space, rustic campsite was perfect and had the ability to create a fire large enough for the whole team with their large rings! 

Big big groups!

When we arrived we were a little overwhelmed with how small and close the sites were, but it actually was an amazing experience!  

They have very clean bathhouses, the staff is super helpful and friendly, there is a great fire pit, and the grounds are extremely well kept! 

There is a small beach walking distance from the site which is perfect for watching the sunset every night over the lake!  
Other reviews stated that it was “buggy” but we didn’t experience that.  Maybe it depends on the time of year? 

We would highly recommend this camp ground! We can’t wait to go back! 


Amazing camp ground! 

THIS IS A DRY CAMPGROUND during the summer.  We stay at this campground once a year with friends. Most of the sites are relatively small. There are some that can handle larger rigs.  The campground is very wooded and quiet.  There are multiple beaches, but you have to drive to get to them or you can walk about 1/2 a mile to the closest one.

Nice campground on Lake Michigan

Hoffmaster State is a beautiful campground with great views and a very cool visitor center with a live animal exhibit featuring some of Michigan’s coolest native species! The campground is very large and is almost entirely covered by trees, providing great amounts of shade during the hottest parts of the year. Hoffmaster is a pretty clean campground featuring fire pits and picnic tables at most sites, however they do not have full hookup. The dump/fill station is clean and easy to maneuver. You do have to travel a little ways to get to the beach, but it is absolutely worth the travel once you arrive! Overall, Hoffmaster is a very cool state park campground that everyone should have on their list to visit! 

Great campground with great facilities!

This was my first camping trip solo and I lived the experience! The camping spots were nice and the amenities were great: bathroom, showers, fire pit, picnic table, trails, etc. It was a full campground and it can be a tad noisy depending on neighbors. I came mid-May and it was very cold at night. The beach is nearby and the sunsets are stunning. You can bike to Muskegon and enjoy museums, breweries, restaurants, farmers market, cheese shop, etc. 

Beautiful sand dunes 

Super spot to camp 🙂 clean , fairly spaced and laid out sites, with quite a few trees that give The illusion of seclusion. Nice fire ring and table. Showers are clean with hot water an good pressure. Each camp loop has one. Good play ground for kids, along with an activity field. A short stroll to an awesome beach with dunes. Would definitely recommend this camp ground. It is about 5 miles north of a great summer resort town in Grand Haven where any and all amenities are found.

West coast of the Midwest 

The campground is completely full this weekend, many people with campers and RVs, but it is still so peaceful and quiet!

Our view outside of our tent is gorgeous tall trees overlooking a creek area with no campsites behind us, only on each side and across the drive. 

Timeless in the Trees

PJ Hoffmaster is a modern campground with newer facilities. The bathroom/showers are very clean. Beach within 5-10min walk (dogs allowed on the beach but outside buoy area). Sites are nice but do not have pads. Many sites shallow and close to each other. Recommend trying to stick with larger sites at this location.

Very clean, close to beach

Campground with easy walk to lake MI. Beach very nice and very clean. Lots of kids at campground thus noise level during day is high. Nice playground.  Shower facilities very clean.  Campsites very close together with little privacy. Make sure to visit nature center and learn about dunes. Campsites 2-37 get loads of foot traffic as that is the main route to beach. If u are looking for a quieter camping experience avoid those sites. 

Nice family campground 

We stayed here for 3 nights shortly after Memorial Day. The campground is wooded and clean, the sites on the outside loops are well-spaced and the showers and bathrooms are clean. The beach is beautiful. We had a great time and highly recommend this park!

Beautiful beach!

Sites are very close and is a typical campground outside of the beautiful trails and beach access. 

Beautiful Beach

Great tree covered sites. Bathrooms nice. Site loops confusing, friends couldn’t find me. Very family friendly not for ppl that stay up past 10pm. 

Great Michigan life. 