aranpura
Pre-Flight
Thanks to everyone who helped us plan our little camping trip this week. We were initially hoping to do a round trip through New York, PA, and Connecticut, but we had to shorten our plans because of thunderstorms and work. So we then planned to visit a few sites in Michigan based on suggestions from folks here, and in the end we only made it to Ludington State Park.
The park itself was absolutely beautiful! It's very popular, and is probably 90% occupied by big RVs and motorhomes -- the campsite feels a bit like a parking lot -- but once you're away from the tents it's an idyllic spot. On the east side of the park, large sand dunes roll up to the edge of Lake Michigan, and the beach there is wide, soft, and perfect. For most of the length of that beach, we hardly saw another person. It feels very wild and natural. On the western side of the park, Hamlin Lake is still, tranquil, and perfect for swimming. There is a popular little beach on the lake, but it doesn't feel at all crowded. Then the park is filled with great hiking trails offering amazing views, and criss-crossing through lake views, thick woods, dunes, and "ocean" like views of Lake Michigan. If you want to be near water and beaches, there can't be a better place in the Midwest.
There were a few negatives for pilots. The closest airport is Mason County (KLDW), about 12 miles away. It's around a $25 cab ride, but the real problem is that the state park forbids cabs from coming in. We were told by one woman that we had to buy a $6 car pass for the taxi, then sent down the road 1.5 miles to buy the pass. Then we went back to the SAME WOMAN who said she'd been mistaken, the taxi wasn't allowed in at all! This woman would have stranded us with our tents and luggage and a hungry 18 month old baby 2 miles away from our campsite, but luckily a ranger turned up and waived the taxi through.
So if you fly in, you're much better off renting a car than trying to go by taxi. Renting a car will also allow you to pick up firewood, ice, etc in town for less than 1/2 the price the stuff is sold for in the park. It's a bit like Disneyworld pricing in there!
Overall, we're extremely glad that we went. It's definitely a motorhome / car oriented park, but if you don't mind some ancillary expenses, it's a beautiful place to stay for a few days.
-Ash.
The park itself was absolutely beautiful! It's very popular, and is probably 90% occupied by big RVs and motorhomes -- the campsite feels a bit like a parking lot -- but once you're away from the tents it's an idyllic spot. On the east side of the park, large sand dunes roll up to the edge of Lake Michigan, and the beach there is wide, soft, and perfect. For most of the length of that beach, we hardly saw another person. It feels very wild and natural. On the western side of the park, Hamlin Lake is still, tranquil, and perfect for swimming. There is a popular little beach on the lake, but it doesn't feel at all crowded. Then the park is filled with great hiking trails offering amazing views, and criss-crossing through lake views, thick woods, dunes, and "ocean" like views of Lake Michigan. If you want to be near water and beaches, there can't be a better place in the Midwest.
There were a few negatives for pilots. The closest airport is Mason County (KLDW), about 12 miles away. It's around a $25 cab ride, but the real problem is that the state park forbids cabs from coming in. We were told by one woman that we had to buy a $6 car pass for the taxi, then sent down the road 1.5 miles to buy the pass. Then we went back to the SAME WOMAN who said she'd been mistaken, the taxi wasn't allowed in at all! This woman would have stranded us with our tents and luggage and a hungry 18 month old baby 2 miles away from our campsite, but luckily a ranger turned up and waived the taxi through.
So if you fly in, you're much better off renting a car than trying to go by taxi. Renting a car will also allow you to pick up firewood, ice, etc in town for less than 1/2 the price the stuff is sold for in the park. It's a bit like Disneyworld pricing in there!
Overall, we're extremely glad that we went. It's definitely a motorhome / car oriented park, but if you don't mind some ancillary expenses, it's a beautiful place to stay for a few days.
-Ash.
