Bay City State Park — Attraction in Bangor Township

Hate to lower my rating howevet had a situation happen that made me feel slightly unsafe at this park.

Im homeless in a vehichle, I have the upmost respect for people around me and the propery around using trashcans where provided, restrooms provided etc. I use to park near the back closest to the beach untill i realized i was having issues with visitors at which point I then decided to start parking in an area less crowded being closer to the fenceline near the main road so that i made sure i stayed completly out of everybodies way so i wouldnt have issues out of respect.

Well I was casually sleeping as i do during the day because i work late overnight shifts. Untill I heard a couple passerbys yelling, "Leave that van alone" which startled me awake as im always on alert, i peered out my windows to find a female worker lerking around my vehichle looking into the windows (Mind you, I have curtains on every window) as if she was looking for something. What I have no clue and dont care to know. For someone such as myself who has had nothing but respect and courtesy for those around me i would expect the same back, If she has something to say to me i would HIGHLY suggest that you train your workers to simply knock on said vehichle. If she is uncomfortable speaking with me for whatever the reason may be then send a male or a law enforcment officer to have a simple chat. Write out a note saying the issue and leave it on the windshield.

It is very unprofessional and rude to be staring into other peoples vehichles especially with the crime rate we have these days. We dont know why your looking in our car, looking for something to steal? looking for something to use?

Simply knocking on the persons vehichle will do. But please do not go around staring into there vehichle windows especially when they clearly have curtains that show we want our privacy.

In the end before she left i caught her and asked her what her deal was, I found out it was because my vehichle had expired tags by about a week because i simply forgot to renew my tags because im always busy working or helping my elderly parents or catching up on lost sleep. Another complaint i have is she was floating around me to close. and by that i mean i was rechecking my tags to be sure they where expired as she told me and she was hovering over me reminding me my tags where expired like she didnt just tell me that, yea i heard you the first time i have trust issues therefore yes im going to confirm it myself before i drive away. She told me her issue i said ok thankyou have a great day and ill leave shortly.

Second issue is, i litterally got out of my van to talk to her barefoot, no shoes or socks on so i told her ill be gone in a few after i get socks and shoes on, annnnnnd well she sat there in that golf cart staring at my van untill i finnally cranked it over to signify that i was leaving.

If i was disrespectfull i would understand, but i have had nothing but pure respect for yall. I clean up, i use provided things such as restrooms and trashcans, I leave ussually by 8pm or earlier and never return untill roughly 5 or 6am when i normally get off work.

Again expired tags all you need to do is knock on the persons vehichle tell them and then walk away or leave a note letting the person know.

So with all this being said what warranted this level of disrespect? If i did something come and talk to me but dont be disrespectfull towards me all because i did something that made you unhappy. Im a tottally mature person willing to work things out but you need to actually talk to me to work it out. Issues dont work itself out by silence. I never once sat there cursing you guys out, never sat there tossing my trash around, i never sat there blaring my music for the entire park to hear. Im honestly very upset with the way i was treated all because of tags being expired by a week maybe a week and a half...

Bay City State Park: A Hidden Gem Just an Hour from Flint!

My girlfriend and I recently visited Bay City State Park (BCSP) for the first time (June 2024), and we were absolutely blown away. Living just an hour south in downtown Flint, I had never heard of this incredible place in the four years I’ve been here. It’s a quick drive up the freeway, making it a perfect escape close to home.

Upon arrival, we paid for a Michigan recreation pass using a debit card. It's valid as long as my license plate is until my next birthday, and then I can renew it with my plate going forward - this means it's good for ins and outs during any particular day, and it's also good for any of the dozens of state parks throughout Michigan at any time of the year.

Driving into the park, we were greeted by signs for an amazing and busy playscape-splash pad combination, large enclosed changing stations, and plenty of sidewalks for anyone with mobility issues. Just a few yards up the coast, a boardwalk forks into two paths: one leads into a marshy area perfect for fishing, nature walking, or bird watching, and the other to a stunning beach. Seriously beautiful beach. Clean sand and a nonstop breeze. The seagrass and reeds give it the feel of the Carolina or Florida coastline.

The sandy beach and lake bottom (no yuck-o moss!) extend well over 100 feet into Saginaw Bay and remain shallow, not much more than waist-high, well within the designated swim area. The swim area is well marked with white buoys, and during our three-hour stay, we saw only a few pleasure boats, with one even pulling an inner tube.

The other beachgoers, mainly families, were good-natured and there to have a quality time. High school and college kids were playing volleyball, listening to music, and simply enjoying themselves without any shenanigans or loud disruptions. The campground gets a high rating and this is the relative beach, so family-style fun is the beach vibe.

My girlfriend and I were absolutely blown away by this park. Bay City State Park is a fantastic destination for families, couples, and anyone looking for an affordable, beautiful summer spot. Discover this hidden gem—you won't be...

Context: We are yearly State Park travelers with 2 adults and 6 kids in tow (middle childhood through older teens).

Bay City State Park would receive a B from us compared to other parks we have stayed/spent time in (St. Ignace, Grand Haven, Harrisville, Tecquamenon Falls, Brimley) primarily due to the low quality swimming here and the loud sound of road traffic from our sites. We loved the remoteness and relative privacy on the back loop (sites 56 and 57) with a 3 minute walk to the bathrooms when needed. Plenty of room to spread out on the 2 sites we chose compared to many others that were much smaller. This park has plenty of trails but it was a hot week with some rain while we were here so we didn’t get out on the trails as much. It was a 20 minute walk from our sites to the beach but the Bay was unswimmable unfortunately. The brown murky slimy smelly water was enough for us to say no thanks to swimming during our stay, especially since there have been closures this summer due to high levels of bacteria.

Some of the best features of this location include proximity to Frankenmuth and Birch Run if you’re interested in water parks (Zehnder’s Splash Mountain and Bavarian Inn) and Year Round Christmas Shopping (Bronner’s) and outlet mall shopping (Birch Run). Conveniences that not all state parks have that Bay City does are grocery stores very nearby (Walmart and Aldi and others) and coffee options and other chain stores and businesses. There is a restaurant/ice cream very nearby and mini golf as well.

We wouldn’t necessarily come rushing back due to the swimming limitations but we did still have...