Van Buren State Park

Van Buren State Park is another park on the shores of Lake Michigan and a favorite within two hours of Chicago. Van Buren State Park has 220 campsites that aren’t too far from the lake. Each site has electric hookups, a picnic table, and a fire ring for your camp cooking. Updated restroom buildings are dispersed throughout the grounds as well. Popular activities at this park include swimming, boating, hiking, biking, and searching for treasure with metal detectors on the beach. Cross-country skiing and snowmobiling are allowed if you venture here in the winter.

Further north along Lake Michigan’s majestic shoreline, you’ll stumble upon reputable high dune formations slicing through the pristine sky just a few miles from South Haven's charming shops and restaurants. Pick up snacks in town before strolling the mile-long sandy lakefront stretch or winding along the woodland paths in search of a prime picnic spot. While none of the 220 reservable modern campsites have views of the lake, it's a mere 400-yard jaunt to the beach and each site is equipped with a picnic table and fire pit. Free weekly concerts at Riverfront Park entertain guests throughout the summer while the Michigan Maritime Museum and Kal-Haven Trail State Park linking South Haven and Kalamazoo offer historical points of interest year-round. To the north, the nearby beach town of Saugatuck, known as the “art coast of Michigan,” is rife with art galleries, tasty bars and restaurants, and unique shops worth exploring.

Location: 23960 Ruggles Rd, South Haven, MI 49090, United States

Google Rating: 4.6/5