P. J. Hoffmaster State Park — Attraction in Norton Shores

Stopped here for a night to camp while on a costal Excursion--wish I could have stayed longer, and will be coming back. Depending on the position of your site, which there are more than 250 of, will have a slight effect on your experience I think. Mine was a corner lot, and what I preferred, to being sandwiched between others. But thats all a matter of preference. Any would have been fine, but saw the benefits to a corner once I arrived - but to each their own. As far as the park goes--it was full--as in I literally bought the last available site for a night at the cost of $41. I was neither affected by the price nor volume of people. Sites are spacious enough. Everyone kept to themselves mostly. It's a very mature campground in the sense that there's not (RAVE STYLE) immature nonsense constantly going about. We had fun at our site in a low key kinda way, but perfect for a quiet getaway, or family trip. Was quite pleasant. It's a no alcohol park, but of course we brought ours nonetheless to enhance our time. Not everyone can handle their alcohol though which is why the rule is implemented. I imagine we weren't the only ones getting saucy but we were mature and quiet about it. Each site has a fire pit 🔥 and electric hookup as far as I know, which will suit you well. There are numerous lavatory and private shower facilities with locked doors for your convenience. Showers are a separate private space which includes full hot water, a bench and hanging hooks- separate from the general lavatories, gender divided. Essentially you're covered in the hygiene department to do your thing. There are nice nature trails for hiking, kid play area, and of course the costal Sandy beach area! Beautiful white and black sand essentially entirely free of rocks along the beach. Epic dunes, and swimming areas. Water is a vivd color and was already pleasantly warm to swim in as of July 4th. There's just so much going on here. Outside of the park a matter of minutes away, you have all of your store conveniences from a Meijer, to food places, gas stations, and beer stores 🍻 all while still being a charming escape from city lifestyle....

-update- I hear that there has been some nasty erosion from the Dune I was on since I took that photo of the stream going across the beach and into Lake Michigan and it all looks different now. I havnt witnessed this personally, but it sounds like the dune running/climbing isn't as good anymore.

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My family and I love this campground. It's a bit crowded, but with some internet research, you can usually find a decent site and the lake is a short hike away, with hiking trails and a little stream that runs to lake Michigan (pictured). Kids love to play in this stream, and you can often find turtles and other wildlife in the stream.

And don't forget the sand dunes. This is one of the few places left without "stay off the dunes" signs everywhere, so it allows for tons of fun running and jumping on the dunes.

The people here are usually respectful, and not too loud, especially after quiet time begins. But there does tend to be an inordinately large number of children. There is a playground for them though, which helps.

My only complaint, which is a complaint I have of almost ALL campgrounds, is that they always close the bathroom for cleaning right when nature is calling the loudest. They do have to close them, though, and I'm glad they're getting cleaned, but it is worth noting if you're a person that has their morning ritual.

Otherwise this is a beautiful Michigan state campground, the lakeshore here is lovely, and I highly...

One of the problems I've often encountered while hiking in random state parks is they can be rather difficult to navigate. On this end, Hoffmaster stands out, having planted maps of the trail complex with numerical identifiers of its intersections at each fork in the path. This park is so well-marked that it's practically unnecessary to carry a map, so long as you remember where you parked. If this isn't quite your cup of tea and you want more of an adventure, there are also quite a few unmapped and unmarked trails meandering through the park. Though being narrower, far more arduous to follow, and perhaps not the most licit to use, I've found these hidden trails to provide far better scenery and a more fulfilling hike. Regardless of which sort of trail you tread, you will most likely enjoy near-total isolation. My first time out here, I spent half a day on the trails and only saw one other person the entire time, and that was on the beach rather than the trails.

Only downside is the bugs. In that same six-hour hike, I took around 50 mosquito bites. Can't remember many moments where I had less than four of the pests tailing me. But then again, I didn't use spray and wore short sleeves, something that could be easily remedied. They're not too bad as long as you keep moving, and once you get onto the beach they...