Mears State Park

We have visited this little summer town for many years; however, this is the first year we camped in the state park in our new 23 foot travel trailer. Campers are packed in like sardines in the campground, and there is sand everywhere, but this is probably pretty common for beach campgrounds. It was a challenge to get backed into the site; however, folks are happy to move their cars, if needed. The upside is the campground is very close to the Lake Michigan and beach area, and it is also very close to the charming town of Pentwater. You can walk or ride a bike almost everywhere.

There are no full hookups, but a pump out service from Ludington comes on Tuesday and Thursday. It costs $25 cash. We only needed to use this service once, and we were very glad it was offered. In addition, the campground hosts have 2 very, very long hoses that can be rolled to your site to fill up your potable water. This also was very convenient and appreciated. The shower house was clean. Even though the campground was full several nights, we never had to wait for a shower room.

While we miss full hookups, we would definitely camp here again as we love this area. Nothing beats a short walk to the beach in the early morning where one can sit watching the waves and seagulls. In the evening, you can't beat the magnificent sunsets while enjoying an ice cream cone.

Very quiet at night at our end of the park across from the camp host. Until Monday at 7:30 am when the garbage truck showed up. Sites are asphalt and sand. And very close together. We had a little difficulty getting backed in to our site because the road was narrow and the sites are not very deep. Nice fire pit. One bathroom in the middle of the park for the whole park.

We arrived on Labor Day hoping to avoid crowds leaving the campground and we did. Check-in was very smooth, positioning the camper was interesting. We had a pull-through site, which by pulling through on the one-way road, left us with the front of our camper pointing the wrong way. Easily fixed but a bit of a time-waster. The sites are close together but we did not feel crowded as our site was a bit bigger and the other campers were positioned in a way to give privacy. We really loved the campground and do plan on trying to make reservations next summer. Unfortunately, we had a bit of rain, but sometimes that is just how it goes. Everything was very clean, friendly staff, and the proximity to Pentwater is fantastic.

For the negatives, the camper pad could have been just a bit wider. To leave our camper and to get to the road or our truck, we did have to walk through the sand. Not a huge deal, but a few more inches would have been nice. I was not expecting wi-fi at the park, and there was a note that the wi-fi had been shut down due to budget costs. We did have our hot spots to use. Fruit flies..crazy issue. Never run into that issue before camping. When we go back, I will have something to catch them outside before they enter the camper.

Loved the water hose for filling the tank, very handy. Had an excellent time walking the trail, the stairs were a surprise but a good one. For our phones and hot spot, the strongest single we consistently got was 2 bars. An occasional 3, and sometimes 1 but for the most part 2 bars on Verizon.

Loved this park. Neighbors are close but proximity to Lake Michigan was awesome. Happy I went post-Labor day to avoid a full occupancy (was perfect at about 75%). Verizon coverage was good enough to watch MNF via YouTube TV on ipad. No water at sites but spigots in each row should you need to fill rig upon arrival.

A lot to like about this campground. Close to Lake Michigan, Pentwater, and your camping neighbors. Some sites the picnic tables and fire pits were about 10-12ft apart. Not a big deal if everyone is friendly. But it is a tightly packed campground. Be sure to verify size of sites.

Backing into sites was also a big challenge. Very tight with not much room to maneuver. So Be patient.

Small dumping station lanes (1 in each direction).

Our perception is this is one of the older state campgrounds developed when small RVs were the norm. But it’s still a great campground experience once you get setup. We will definitely come back again—probably in the fall (less crowded)

There is only one access to the beach (through the parking lot) unless you have a site that backs up to the lake.

The campground is in a very nice location close to the beautiful beach and town.

It’s a quiet campground and the sunset was amazing. Don’t forget to clap with the crowd once the sun sets.

Campground on the beach. Very quiet and easy in and out for us for one night. Very close to town and easy walk to bars and restaurants too. We will be back for an extended stay for sure!

Gorgeous stretch of beach with powder white sand. Parking is adjacent, especially accessible for disabled. Restrooms with outside showers.