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!
Not my favorite State Park but it has lots of memories. We camp here every year with my wife’s extended family and it works well because we get about 10 sites and they are all open to each other (lots of sites crammed into a small space as is typical of Michigan State Parks). The beach for the camp ground is nice but often time boaters (who are not staying at the State Park) will park their boats off shore and add to the crowded beach. Also there is no dog beach for people with dogs.
Open, family friendly campground. Not a lot of privacy, beach closes at 10pm.
This campground is seasonal and is first come, first serve. They close up mid October. During the school season it is relatively easy to get a spot, September then is a great time to go as it tends to still be warm.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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
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!
Hoffmaster is an easy and family friendly place to camp. Site 31 and any along that path back up to a little creek and trail which was just perfect for the kids to play in. We also were not to long of a walk from the beach that had a fun hill for the kids to run up and down right next to a great spot were the creek meets lake Michigan. It's a busier campground than I usually like but it's an easy one to do with small kids. Nice bathrooms too!
Great hiking trails, close to Lake Michigan
Large grassy field for kids
quiet, peaceful with extra room between sites. long hike to the beach but great for families who enjoy being active. restrooms were clean and playground was nice.
Beach close, hiking trails, large spacious showers
Great play area for kids
They have the best swimming area for small children. The river that runs through the campground comes out to Lake Michigan. There are dunes on one side and a flat sandy area on the other. We always swim with our kids in the warm river water at near where the river ends and the lake begins and have an amazing time. The campground itself is wonderful too. From a great play ground to a large field there are tons of things for the family to do together.
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!
Had a great time. Ample camp space. Clean facilities. Only draw back was no real concessions at the beach. Had a broken vending machine. This was end of August.
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.
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.
Staying so close to the big lake(lake Michigan) is always great because you have a nice constant breeze to keep cool throughout the hot summer days!! Swimming in the big lake is and always will be one of my favorite fresh water sources. Beautiful sunsets over the lake each and every evening!
Good family friendly campsite. We always go with a larger group. Lots of creek access for the kids to play around in. Fairly crowded. Definitely not a place to"get away" because you will almost certainly have neighbors on all sides of you. Great place to get a lot of people together but be sure to reserve a few months in advance for the summer season! Beach is always fun and a fairly easy walk
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.
