Mears State Park — Attraction in Pentwater Township

The campground is fantastic. It’s well maintained. The folks that utilize the grounds are generally very friendly. The location is superb. I can’t say enough good things about my many experiences at this campground.

The beach is also very well maintained, and plenty sizable to accommodate the large crowds that show up come the warm, sunny weekends.

The ONLY thing I have to say regarding the operation in its entirety, is the small concessions shop that occupies the beach’s central hub.

I understand it isn’t going to be the world’s most serviceable store. I would never expect that from a place that needs to get thousands of people in and out, weekly, with such little square footage to work with.

That being said, I would hope that when unique circumstances arise, and a customer has a justifiable request for refund, that those requests be met.

I had purchased one of their body boards for $25, in hopes my wife could enjoy the small surf that Saturday. Not more than 5 minutes of standard usage (ie. swimming with the board below your belly) had passed, when the board snapped in half. So I made my way back to the shop to request a refund. I was a little apprehensive to exchange, as I it’s a little difficult to trust that nothing will happen to the next board.

I honestly wouldn’t have followed up with this, if the exchange between myself and management had been cordial, but the second I requested to just receive a refund, it was as if I had demanded getting everything in the store for free. How dare I?

I was greeted with a less than professional tone. I admit, I’m not one to condescend, but this was another level of disrespect, toward someone who’d been shopping there for years.

After being asked to provide a receipt to verify the purchase timeframe, which was well within 15 minutes, I was still denied a refund.

The owner was just as passive, and equally rude as the manager. I tried to play everything by the book as a good customer. Didn’t raise my voice. Addressed the two men properly and without resorting to petty name calling. None of it worked, and I was spoken to as if I was being malicious, when I was most certainly not intending to be.

Anyway, I took the exchanged board, which I’m grateful for, and I just hope to sell it for a cheaper price, maybe make a kid happy.

I’m really disappointed in this establishment. It’s one thing for a lame duck employee to act this way, but it’s another when the leadership and ownership do. I hope to see new ownership occupy the concessions shop in the near future, until then though, they won’t be receiving my good word...

It's a lovely expanse of beach in a tourist town... some of the best sugar sand around. (Imagine it off-season... I'm jealous of the purebred locals!) There's a dog portion, as well. A fair amount of swings and other playscapes for kids, but the real treat is Lake Michigan itself. There's public restrooms, a nice section of boardwalk, a concession stand, and a walkway down onto the beach itself for strollers and wheelchairs, as well as accessible picnic tables. There's also a collection of rocks off the pier that are available to climb on and around, good for fishing and photo ops, and fishing in the channel, as well. Everything is obviously at your own risk... there's a few small dunes to clamber around on, as well as a deceivingly steep hill in the back that you can climb from behind and then run down into the park itself, a great workout for anybody (kiddies beware though, it is deceptive! Doesn't look tough... but halfway up you'll be crying and ready to quit. But don't! Keep going, it's worth it, I promise. The view from the top of the park laid out before you... and then the run down... you'll fly). The park rangers are very strict about afterhours visits (as in: get the hell out and go home, no loitering, etc), so be careful if you're wild n crazy hooligans after dark... (but I say try to visit at least once at night under cover of darkness.... the stars are absolutely beautiful). Remember to always pick up after yourself! This beach is beautiful and deserves to...

Mears State Park has long been one of our go-to spots for summer camping. The location is fantastic, right near the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan, with easy access to the beach, scenic dunes, and the charming town of Pentwater. The natural beauty and overall vibe of the park are what keep us coming back year after year.

However, during our most recent visit, we were really disappointed with the condition of the campground facilities. The campsites have always been on the smaller side and very close together, so privacy isn’t a strong point here but that’s something we’ve come to accept. What really stood out this time was the lack of cleanliness in the bathrooms and shower areas.

Over the course of the week, the restrooms were consistently dirty and clearly not being maintained as frequently as needed. One shower stall had mold and mildew visibly growing on the walls, and shockingly, there was even human waste left in a wastebasket, something completely unacceptable in any public campground. It was disturbing and gave us serious concerns about hygiene and park oversight.

We still love the location and the atmosphere at Mears, but it’s hard to overlook the decline in maintenance. We truly hope the park steps up its cleaning protocols and attention to the facilities especially during the busy season. Until then, campers should come prepared with lower expectations...