Ludington State Park Beach — Attraction in Hamlin Township

My family and I personally like secluded camp sites. The best campground to find this within this park is Beechwood IMHO if that is what you're looking for. It's hard to even book a site in advance because LSP is so popular, but I would advise to take anything you can get if you book online, and check everyday at the office once you arrive to see if anything else has become available. We originally booked online a site in The Pines in a very cramped "people very close to you" site. We checked every day, and ended up moving to Beechwood which has more spacious, private sites. Any site is tolerable because of the large size of LSP and all the things to do. Floating down the Lazy River is a must! You can get off early if you want, but we were determined to make it the whole way. The best bet is on a calm day, when the wind from the lake doesn't work against you heading towards Lake MI. One of the best features of LSP is the miles of beach you have access to. You can go walk down to the beach from the Pines campground, or I'd advise driving down M 116 a short spell until you find your own private beach. Park anywhere on the large shoulder and you can make a short trek across the dunes to the beach. Lots of hiking and biking trails and so much wildlife to see. The bathrooms and showers are cleaned often. Hiking or biking the trail (1.5 miles one way) to the Big Sauble Light House (accessible from Pines) is highly rewarding. Probably one of the most beautiful lighthouses I have seen (aside from those of the East Coast). You can climb to the top for a small fee ($2.00) and the knowledgable volunteer staff are very friendly and...

This has always been our favorite State Park, and we try to visit at least once a year.

It is so beautiful and beautifully maintained. However...

Last night, we were on the beach near the park entrance and there was not one, but FOUR dogs on the beach and in the water. Three were loose, and there were other beach goers wading and trying to enjoy peace and quiet. There are two large signs near the pull off that say "no animals on beach" and "dogs must use designated dog beach."

More and more people seem to think that the rules don't apply to them, and that's extremely unfair to other folks who choose to abide by the rules. There are so many reasons why these rules are put in place.

As a former state park employee who has seen my fair share of dog attacks and incidents, I thought the park staff should know about the loose dogs, so I was an "evil snitch" and called the office. I was told that someone would come down. 40 minutes later, the dogs were still running around and no park rangers were to be seen. One dog owner's response to us was "our dog is a service dog, so he can be down here." Based on the dog's temperament and reaction to other people and dogs on the beach, that was clearly a lie. We left feeling very disappointed and frustrated that our favorite beach is now overrun by...

The area is stunning and the camp ground is well-maintained. Halfway into this trip (my first trip to the area), I told the people that I was with that we had to return next year. The reason I am giving the Ludington State Park a poor review is due to the communication breakdown between park rangers. After I followed the exact directions of one, another gave me a parking citation for not following the rules. I understand that it was a busy weekend, especially considering the fact that there was a large wedding that took place on campgrounds, but clearly labelled signs and directions of where to park could have allowed for this situation to be avoided. I explained it to multiple personnel, each of whom told me that there should have been no issue. The ranger who gave me the ticket did not seem willing to understand. The area is wonderful and so are the campgrounds, I just wish that we could have ended our trip on a...