Situated on the shores of Lake Michigan, Van Buren Campground has one mile of sandy beach and high dune formations. It’s the perfect place to lounge on the beach, walk through woodland trails and enjoy a picnic lunch. Located three miles south of South Haven, the campground is only minutes away from local shops and restaurants.

Van Buren State Park is set along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The park is home to high dune formations, a modern campground, 1 mile of sandy beach, woodland trails and a day-use area.

The day-use area offers picnic tables and grills, a picnic shelter and two modern restroom buildings. Lake Michigan provides a great area for swimming and a beautiful beach for sunbathing.

From the park, visitors can access the Van Buren State Park Spur Trail, which offers a scenic, 4-mile paved route into the City of South Haven. Along the way, visitors can access Van Buren Trail State Park (gravel surface) near 16th Avenue and continue on an additional 12 miles (south) to the City of Hartford. The Kal-Haven Trail State Park connects in South Haven and provides 33.5 miles of additional trail.

The modern campground is divided into five loops. Most sites are generous in size with a mix of shaded and sunny sites. Campers can reach the day-use area, set along the Lake Michigan shoreline, via a walking path that’s centrally located in the campground. There are two modern restroom/shower buildings and a children’s play area.

Van Buren State Park Campground

We stayed here due to it’s proximity to a wedding that we were attending. Like every campground, your experience is good or bad depending on the site you get and the people who are camping nearby. We lucked out and got one of the more spacious sites (#63) with some privacy bushes/trees in between. Not all of the sites here are like that, some seemed like they were very open and close to one another. Most of the sites did not appear to be very level, so if you are in an RV bring your leveling blocks. The campground has over 200 sites, but only two bathroom buildings, so depending on where you end up, it could be a long walk to the loo. The showers were individual locking units, unisex/ family, so if you had a few little ones you could all go in at once and keep them contained. The showers themselves were clean and adequate, although somewhat dated. I did not see any ADA showers that would accommodate a wheelchair or walker, but then again I may have missed that. Over all a decent place to stay, average noise and busyness for a state campground. Close by to beaches and dunes, although the walk from the campground to the beach is a bit long if you are hauling gear, you may opt to drive to the beach parking lot instead. 

Decent

We love this campground! Not only is it a short distance from our home but it is a short walk to Lake Michigan! The campground has tree-lined lots and some of the loops are very wooded. You can choose a lot of privacy or lots that are together for camping with friends.

Feels like Home

We really enjoyed this shady campground. The sites were spacious enough that we didn't feel crammed in with our neighbors. The walk to the beach was pleasant, and playing on the dunes was something we will never forget. It's a great place to pass the weekend and have some fun with the family.

Great Campground on Lake Michigan

This is one of our favorite camping spots in Michigan. We love it for its location to South Haven and because it’s a great state park and campground.

The campground has modern amenities such as toilets and showers. The beach restrooms are modern and clean as well.

The dunes are beautiful and this is clean beach with clear water. Hike or bike to the beach from the campground or drive over. There’s plenty of parking.

Do bring water shoes. The beaches of the East Lake Michigan shore tend to be rocky and this one is no exception. Also be sure to heed the flag system for beach safety. Lake Michigan rip currents are nothing to take lightly. There are no lifeguards at this beach.

Be sure to take a trip into town for ice cream at Sherman’s!

P.S. The sunset over the lake is a must see

A favorite Michigan spot

Campground with all the typical amenitie for family camping, running water bathrooms, electric sites, playground equipment/swings,. Visited with a large 38 foot RV and had a drive through site. Fun but very steep hikes to the beach through the sandy hills. The views however were amazing and the kids LOVE running down the sand hills.

Typical family campground, with rolling sandy hills near by

While it’s frequently challenging to find spots on lakes or bodies of water in general– Van Buren has a short hike to get you to the beach. For those looking for seclusion... this is not your campsite. We had three tents in mid-October and we were within a sea of RVs. Sites are pretty close to each other but our neighbors were friendly. Remember not to move your firewood from out of state! We purchased a mix of firewood from the neighbors off-site and the check-in office. Our site had a nice picnic table and fire ring, however be prepared with your own grill grate or skewers. We had two dogs with us and well behaved dogs would fit in well here. 

A nice option near Lake Michigan

We camped here one night last summer on the way to Ontario.  Its a large state park near the resort town of South Haven.   The campsite was very crowded and full of local campers.  The sites are on top of each other with no privacy or shade.  The check in process was a mess. They did not have sufficient staff to handle the crowds during peak afternoon checkin.  The facilities were old and in need of rear.  The camp had overflowing trash cans everywhere.  The highlight is the popular beach and sandy bluff overlooking Lake Michigan.  This is worth a day visit if you are in the area.  I can’t recommend this one due to the overcrowding and poor facilities.  

Great Shoreline Beach

Our experience here was pretty good, but I still can't bring myself to give this campground more than three stars. It was clean and relatively quiet at night. Bathrooms had free hot showers, and it's a 10-minute stroll to the shores of Lake Michigan. There's a huge sand dune to climb, and you can watch the sun set over the lake every night. Bike rentals are only $10 per day, even for tandems, and there's a flat, paved bike path that takes you to the quaint town of South Haven, about 5 miles north, where there are lots of touristy shops and restaurants. We enjoyed the Michigan Maritime Museum on the north shore.

The down side of the campground is that the beach is pretty much non-existent. You walk down through the pretty dunes, but there is literally no more than five feet of sand, and even less if the wind is blowing waves in off the lake. There are a few wide spots, but a lot of people sit up on the dunes because there's no place to sit on the beach. Do not expect big wide beaches to walk on. There are also no trails to speak of, if you want to hike. When you select your campsite, be aware that there's a path through the middle of the campground and some sites are right next to it, meaning very little privacy. The higher numbered sites are farther from the lake.

Classic Middle American Campground

The campground is a typical State Park campground, fairly open to other sites. The bathrooms were older style, but clean enough. The thing that sets this campground apart from others is the pristine Lake Michigan beach. You just can’t beat that!

Beautiful Beach

Good size lots, clean bathrooms, we always like to go there. There isn’t much of a beach this year, but in town there are two bigger ones. 

One of our go to parks!

Camp sites are well shaded and have a lot of space. Walking distance to Lake Michigan with beautiful view of the sunset. Bathrooms were clean and showers were okay considering it is a campground. There is a playground for kiddos as well as bike rentals. A lot to do within the State Park. 

Only negative is to be prepared to level your RV. Our site was not even. Not all spots were this way, but you will definitely need blocks or what not. 

Family friendly

My husband’s family has been visiting this campground for 34 years and it hasn’t lost its luster!  The beach has shortened QUITE A BIT, but it’s still a great campground and park. 

A family favorite!

We go here once a summer for the past 30-ish years. I love the rocky beaches, and the beach combing is the best. We have found may different color of beach glass along with fossils and many unknown oddities. The campground is clean and the campsites are large and shady. It's a bit of a hike from the campground to the beach, but if it's too long for you driving is an option. Many restaurants in nearby South Haven along with a maritime museum and tall ship rides. Weekends fill up fast, but you'll want to spend more than two days anyway!

my favorite place to camp

We had the best time at this campground. The site was clean and well kept when we arrived. The fire pit  and the picnic table were in excellent condition. The bathhouse was clean. This is a very family friendly campground with a playground and swings. The beach is a short walk from the campground. South Haven is a 10 min drive. We would stay here again!  

Great campground! 

We stopped here to swim on our way back home after a 9 day camping trip. The beach access has eroded and is marked as closed, but there were plenty of people on the beach and a ranger who was at the orange fencing gave a friendly hello and let us exit.  You have to be willing to climb down off of a concrete slab to get to the water. It is doable, but if you have physical limitations or a small child, it might be impassable.  There is plenty of space to spread out and keep your distance. Water was wonderfully warm compared to further north. 

Great beach, but access is washed out

Small campsites, outlet on site, clean bathrooms, great walking paths and short walk to the lake. Very family friendly with lots of kids.

Family Friendly 

It has really spacious sites and there are two different shower houses. 

Beautiful campground

One night stop in this great state park.  No thrills, just beautiful nature(forest, dunes, and lake)!  No full hook, just electric.  But water and dump onsite.  

Beautiful Park, close to the Lake HZ

The campground itself is nice and clean with clean bathrooms and showers. Sites are close and does not provide a lot of privacy. More RVs than tents. Had some issues with some loud parties even after midnight, but hoping that was just that week. There was barely any beach left due to high water levels, so we had to get to the beach early in order to get a spot on the beach. 

Would visit again due to proximity to where we live.

Nice park; but barely any beach 

Camp is clean and quiet. Bathrooms and showers are clean. 
Walking distance to the beach.
Would visit again. 


Nice place

Family oriented campground with 2 playgrounds-thus very noisy during day with kids. Brand new shower houses. Zero privacy between sites. Sites on small side. A long walk to the beach on Lake MI. Recommend driving or biking to beach. Beach very nice with nearby flush toilets. 
At nighttime, nearby highway noise which I dislike. Bring own fire rack for cooking-none provided. 


Family campground 

Clean campground with large sites but no privacy between sites. There were lots of tall pine trees so most of the sites had some shade. Moderate hike to the beach and sand dunes.

Large sites but no privacy

The park rangers were super rude on the beach. There were children screaming and running around everywhere. Definitely too crowded and loud way past quiet hours.