Ludington, Michigan: State Park and Local Brewery

 May 2021, Weekend, 2-nights, Middle Beechwood campsite 293

Sunset from Beechwood campsite 293 at Ludington State Park.
Camper on right is on campsite 295.

Reservations and arrival at Ludington State Park

We made a reservation online, and checked in via the yellow phone when we arrived. We waited behind one camper, who did not pull ahead while they were checking in. Traffic at the booth can quickly backup, when there is no one working to direct traffic, and someone has not been to this state park before. There is no room to drive around when a vehicle is stopped at the booth, unless the vehicle pulls ahead into the small area just past the booth, or into the parking lot beyond that. There are signs telling campers to pull ahead while checking in, although they are apparently not visible enough. The camper not pulling ahead did not affect us, since we had to wait to check in after them anyway; however, the 3 or 4 vehicles lined up to enter behind us were probably not too happy! We were surprised that none of them entered the campground through the exit side instead of patiently waiting. As soon as the camper ahead of us pulled away, my husband pulled ahead into the pullover spot while I called to check in.

Looking toward lake from Beechwood campsite 293 at Ludington State Park.

Middle Beechwood campsite 293

It is about 1 mile from the check-in booth to Beechwood campground. Our campsite was empty when we arrived shortly after 2:00 PM (it had been rented the night before our arrival). Checkout time is 1PM, and check-in time is 3PM.

Sunrise through camper window on Beechwood campsite 293 at Ludington State Park.

This site is fairly spacious and mostly flat. There are several exposed roots making it better for campers than tents. There is some area suitable for a tent, although not much. The ground cover is mostly dirt. 

Looking toward lake and boardwalk behind Beechwood campsite 293 at Ludington State Park.

The fire pit was in a good location away from camper placement on the site, although it was on the line between this site and campsite 295. I felt like we were somewhat in the neighbor's backyard when sitting at our fire pit. Fortunately, our neighbor did not seem to mind, and we chatted with him a couple of times.

Beechwood campsite 293 at Ludington State Park from trail behind campground.

Lost Lake and the islands are visible from this campsite. It was easy to access the trail, and to launch our kayaks.

Recreation: hiking, beach, kayaking, fishing

It was calm around the small islands on Lost Lake for exploring from a kayak. You can also kayak on Hamlin Lake, and the short section of Big Sable River from below the dam to Lake Michigan. There is parking and a portage area on the southwest side of the bridge just before you get to Lake Michigan. This is the bridge on M-116 that you will cross before arriving at the check-in booth entrance to the campground. We observed people fishing by the dam, and many fish jumping in the river just upstream of the bridge portage area.

View of Hamlin Lake from Lost Lake Trail on the island at Ludington State Park.

We love all the hiking trails and the paved paths in this state park. This is one of the few state parks we have been to that has a paved path (away from vehicle traffic) between all the different areas: the beaches (on Hamlin Lake and Lake Michigan), the river, amphitheater, different campground sections, hiking trail access, etc. In most state parks, we need to bike or walk alongside the road to get to different areas in the park.

Along hiking trail near Beechwood campground at Ludington State Park.

There are miles of hiking trails in this park: overlooks, through the woods, out to the island, to the lighthouse, to both beaches, and more. You can find more information in my previous posts by using the search feature above for "Ludington State Park," or by clicking on one of the labels at the end of this post.

Sanitation station at Ludington State Park.

Sanitation station

Another thing we love about this state park is the fabulous sanitation station! There are 4 lanes with plenty of room for multiple campers at a time. We have never had to wait no matter what time we leave on a busy Sunday.

Misc. and area information

Camping in Beachwood campground near the water is nice. Especially, if you are planning to kayak like we did. The middle and back sections both have sites with views of the water. I actually prefer Cedar campground, however, as the sites are grassier and more protected from the wind. Some of the sites in Beachwood campground that are away from the water are also protected from the wind. We have never camped in Pines campground.

Kind of a Big Dill pizza at Ludington Bay Brewing Co.

We visited Ludington Bay Brewing Co. during our stay, and I got to try my first pickle pizza! This is something I have been wanting to try for awhile, but my husband thought it was too weird. This one also has grilled chicken on it, and he finally relented. I thought it was delicious. We observed many people ordering food, and all of the food looked delicious.

Back at the campsite with to-go from Ludington Bay Brewing Co.

The beers were also great. My favorites were Coconut Brown and Ry-Fi Rye IPA. Big Nalu Imperial IPA is another great choice, which we purchased freshly canned to-go. The brewery has spacious inside seating and two outside sections: one with sides and a roof, and an open patio. We were glad they are listed in HopPassport and Reel Craft Pass, because we had not been to this brewery before. We might not have thought of visiting, if we had not seen it in the books. We liked it better than the competitors in town.

Let me know if you have any questions or info to share!