Best RV Parks & Resorts near Benton Harbor, MI

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.

We pulled in around 4:30 in the evening. The sight was spacious with plenty of room in between sites. Since the weather was cooler , it was pretty sparse with other campers. We stayed 2 nights over the weekend. You are within walking distance to the beach within the park. The buildings have great architecture. The sight had 50 amp electric hook ups but no water or sewer connections, and we knew that going in. We had a back in sight #69. There was plenty of space on all sides. We have a 37’ motorhome and pulled a Jeep behind it. There was plenty of room to maneuver around. The sight also had a wood picnic table and fire ring for a wood fire pit. We will definitely be back! I wish I had taken more photos from the beach and beach pavilion.

Elkhart County 4-h Fairgrounds: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(72 yr olds in 27’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: 4 for access to the area, very clean facilities, and not too many campers thus time of year.
Price 2024: $35 for water/electric only. Security: No Usage during visit: Very light Visual Privacy Between Adjacent Sites: none Site Spacing: very close Pad surface: our area was grass Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet except for one day of motorcycle raises at the nearby track.
Outside Road Noise: Not most sites Through Traffic in campground: Some for activities at the fairground Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: some sites Dump Station: yes Potable Water Available: At sites Bathroom: Very nice flush toilets Showers: yes Pull Throughs: Yes Cell Service (AT&T): Varied throughout campground Setting: open grass fields around very well manicured county fairground. Recent Weather: 70s and rain. Insects:None Host: I am not sure.
Rig Size: Large Sites: full hookups and water/electric only

The state park is located within the boundaries of the Indiana Dunes National Park (formerly National Lakeshore), so don't get confused by this. There also is a national park campground, but it's closed in the winter.)

This state park has a nice layout because the sites seem to be staggered so that they don't back up to each other. Also, there is a good buffer space behind the sites and decent space between each site. 

All sites have 20- 30- and 50-amp service available, plus almost all are a combination of a concrete pad and asphalt apron. Note that just because they're paved doesn't mean all of them are level. Each site has a fire pit and it appeared they all have grill grates on them.

One nice touch is that some sites have wider asphalt aprons so if you have a longer rig, you can put your towing vehicle or your towed vehicle off to the side once your rig is in place. Also, the ADA sites are nicely laid out with larger concrete pads so that even the fire pits are in the concrete section for ease of access. 

Note that after Nov. 1, the water is shut off and bathrooms are shut down until spring, although there are vault toilets available. 

You will hear a pretty regular stream of train whistles at this campground, but they aren't so loud as to be disruptive. 

You can hike to the 1929 Dunes Pavilion and a large beach on Lake Michigan. The best hiking activity, however, and also easily accessible by walking from the campground, is the series of dune trails. The Nature Center, which sits between the campground and the trails, has some good visitor's information about the dunes, the flora and fauna, and the history of the area. 

Once you finish seeing what you want in the state park, there's still the entire national park to see. Plus, there's a multi-use trail that runs for 9 miles along the state park and into the national park. 

Cell service for Verizon was two bars but speeds seem to be good. Less signal and speed for Google Fi, but not terrible.

Eden Springs Campground & RV Park in Benton Harbor, Michigan, run by camp manager Cindy, may well be one of our favorite small town parks! We are spending the month of August 2018 here and have found the venue quiet, well maintained, friendly and inexpensive ($375 for a month). I do not expect the prices to stay this low now that it has been “discovered”. They are working on adding an updated restroom, dog park and other facilities. The sites are large, level and spaced far apart from each other. We pulled in with a 42’ rig, pulling a 28’ hybrid trailer (total 70’) and easily pulled into our site without having to unhook. We had enough space to park a jeep in front of and and in back of the attached rig. The sites are designed so that no camper or RV faces a sewer connection. All of the hook ups are centrally located between two sites, with each rig having their driver side towards the hookups and their awning/entry sides facing the opposing side. Each site has a gravel space between them that could be traveled through, though campers all set up picnic tables, chairs and campfires there so practically there is no egress, thus privacy. This camp has the best WiFi of any camp we have ever stayed at. Some spots offer OTA TV and satellite reception. Ours did not as we chose to have a full tree canopy. Most of the sites offer Full Hookups with 30/50 amp service. The camp manager, Cindy, provides fire rings and picnic tables as requested, so, if you need either, just let her know when you call. The tables were clean and in good shape. The fire rings can be placed anywhere you want. As an aside, when a camper leaves, Cindy and her crew comes and removes the rings, cleaning up the residue so there is no mess left! The campground grass is cut routinely and “weed-whacked” as needed. Cindy has been one of the nicest hosts we have met on our travels. She is always pleasant, available as needed for emergencies and even delivered our mail one afternoon. She is a font of knowledge about the area and willing to share. Probably in keeping with her personality, the majority of the visitors here have been friendly, chatty and willing to help each other. The RV resort is about 10 minutes from St. Joseph, MI and multiple rural wineries in the area (a favorite pastime for my wife Audrey). St. Joseph’s is a small town located on Lake Michigan with excellent food, event venues and a lovely white sand beach. Be sure to stop at the Chocolate store in town & Silver Lake Pizza for a desert/dinner well worth the time. The town of Benton Harbor itself once was booming city/community, which has come into hard times, but we did not have any problems traveling around that area. This area also has a non-defunct amusement park attached to the campground which is being slowly renovated by a group of volunteers. They have restored several of the buildings, a fountain and a miniature train which takes visitors on a 1/4 mile ride on Saturday/Sunday. Additionally, the camp is home to it’s own 1800’s era baseball team which plays home and away games in the old bare handed style! Behind the camp is a now mostly abandoned religious enclave called the House of David which was started in the late 1800’s/ early 1900’s (Google it!). Some interesting architecture and several restored mansions for the 5 remaining members of the group. I recommend this park for someone wanting a quiet, clean stay.

I have camped here a couple of times while visiting northern Indiana to have repairs done on my RV. Overall, I like this campground where for $30/night you can get a 50 amp full hook-up site or $23/night a 30 amp and water site. If you plan on staying longer weekly and monthly rates are really good. The campground sits in the middle of the county fairgrounds so there is usually something going on – either a fair, concert, horse event, or an RV rally. Depending on what time of year you are here and part of the week, the campground could be very crowded or very empty. The nice thing is the people in the office let you pick whatever site you want and don’t assign one to you. There are 275 full hook-up sites with 50 amp full hook-up and 30 amp water & electric only. There are no fires allowed and some sites don’t have picnic tables but you can request one and they will bring it to your site.

There is very little shade and during my last visit the late September fall temperatures climbed to nearly 90 degrees and was brutal. This campground is better suited for RVs than tents but you are permitted to tent camp. Bathrooms and showers are scattered about and I was amazed at always how clean they (and the grounds as a whole) are. They do offer WiFi which worked pretty well in non-peak hours like early morning but was not reliable and sometimes frustrating. Since many sites have a clear view of the sky, you most likely will get satellite television reception and a dozen or so antenna channels.

One of the things I like about this park is the vast expanse of grounds to wander about walking my dog. There is a trail system just outside of the park that allows you miles and miles of walking and biking trails. Downtown Goshen is less than two miles away and has some great restaurants (including Venturi Pizza, Maple Indian Cuisine – which has an awesome buffet, and Goshen Brewing Company). The Saturday farmers market is great with lots of produce, breads, meats, cheeses, and crafts.

The last time I visited coincided with the Mennonite Relief Fund which was a big fund raiser for their charity that packed the grounds with stuff for sale, food, and activities. It was fun to be there during the event but it meant the campground and grounds were packed.

Now for the bad about this campground. It is located right next to very busy train tracks that operate 24/7 and blow their horns quite often. They were really annoying in the middle of the night. Sites are close together so if it is crowded and you have a neighbor, you will be right on top of them. There is no shade which can be very miserable.

Pros:

· Price - $30/night for a 50 amp full hook-up site

· Nearby downtown stores and restaurants

· Sites are not assigned so you can pick where you want to camp

· Grassy patios

· Large grounds to meander around

· Nearby biking/walking trail

Cons:

· Very noisy from nearby trains operated at all hours

· Few trees for shade or privacy

· Some sites are very tight and close to your neighbor

· Can be very crowded

· WiFi provided but not reliable

This is a beautifully kept campground just outside Michigan City, IN. It is gated so will need to call in once you arrive to enter. We stayed  in the premium sites which were 90ft pull thought with 50A service, water and sewer, and the best wifi I have seen at a campsite. The cement patio was large with a picnic table and an adjacent fire pit. There is swimming pool and a game room, and a small store with the essentials, and propane.

You are close to Indiana Dunes and the downtown area of Michigan city. Good food, shops are close by. 

By the way there are a number of cabins/mini homes to rent.