Best Glamping near Ionia, MI

We just got back from Ionia State Campground, and we had the most lovely time! First of all, I did some research ahead of time to find a more private camping spot, and ours did not disappoint. After looking around the campground, there were numerous spots that were very secluded and private. There were beautiful walking trails all around, and the lake was very pretty.

I had read other reviews saying that the bathrooms were terrible. I did not find them to be all that bad. They were certainly dated, but I found the bathrooms and showers to be kept as clean as they could be. I have also read that the bathrooms will be completely replaced at the end of this year.

The one downside I did find was the beach. I thought that the infrastructure at the beach needed work, particularly the rinse off station and the benches. We only went over to the beach for ice cream, so this didn't bother me personally.

We loved it and plan to come back!

If you have any watercraft, this is a good weekender spot. The hike trails are easily traversed and if you ask the camp ranger at reception, you can also rent single or tandem kayaks for *quite a reasonable price in varying time blocks if you don't have any watercraft of your own - you just tell them what time that you want to start and they will bring the kayak to the boat launch for you, which is great. Trash dumpsters and firewood are available at the campground entrance (if wood for some reason is unavailable, there's a BP gas station nearby that also sells it for $1 cheaper a bundle). The designated swimming area for the site is not the best unless you have small children, but if you like towed tubing, there's plenty of that happening mid-lake, outside of the other pontoons and boats. Also, despite the features listed here, there are no shower facilities available at this site, so bring bath wipes if you want to stay fresh! The water pump was also inoperable during my stay, but came prepared with plenty of bottled water anyway. The campfire pits also do not have grates for grilling/cooking any hot food, but if you have any cast iron cookware, you can get around this by placing your fire pit logs as evenly as possible so you can set your cookware direct on the flame (or just bring a mini grill if you prefer). Also close enough to Grand Haven so you can spend a few hours there as part of a mini get-away and still get to your site within about an hour or so.

This site turned out to be a diamond in the rough. Due to our lack of planning and seeking reservations, Newaygo State Park was one of the few campsites with short notice availability. As we entered we were greeted by spacious plots with enough treeline between them to cover up even the loudest of snorers. We took the next few minutes mapping out our perfect hammock setup. With so many options, we settled on our spots and built up the rest of camp. Nestled in and ready to explore, we walked to the edge of our site to the head of the beach trail to check out what we had gotten ourselves into. Less than a mile hike later and we made it to the 'beach front'. It wasn't much. The shallow buoyed off swim area was sandy, yet immediately upon passing the buoys we were met by very thick seaweed. Nonetheless, the view was breathtaking, there are plenty of lookout points over the lake to spend quiet time posted up in a hammock reading or whatever else you do in a hammock. Nighttime came and we were around the fire. We read that quiet hours start at 10:00 so being conscious of the expectations we kept our conversation at a low level and had light music playing from a phone. Around 11:10 a park ranger stopped by asking us to turn off the music, no big. But it seemed to us that no music after quiet hours should also be a part of the rules. All in all, we had an amazing weekend and we're all looking forward to our next weekend spent here. Thanks, Newaygo State Park!

Ionia has so many great outdoor activities for almost anyone.  There is a disc golf course, mountain bike trail, equestrian trails, hiking trails, a beautiful no wake lake perfect for swimming, kayaking, or fishing.   The beach is fantastic especially for little kids who might not be the best swimmers ready for Lake Michigan or lakes with lots of boats and waves to deal with.  Nice and sandy and a nice store and ice cream shop at the beach. 

The campground itself is very nice, but you may find the activities are a short drive away from your site to get there.  The sites are all a little bit shallow especially if you have a larger travel trailer you may find it a bit tight.  There is a great variety of shaded and sunny sites.   There is only one bathroom for the campground so it can be a bit busy and it could probably use an update.