By:
Submission
It is a good 25min or so walk from the special Jack Pine Parking lot (near the employees only area of the park). The trail to get there is the same as towards the lighthouse. Super easy, flat (little rocky and sandy) route. If you're not a backpacker and enjoy a little glamping (like me), bring a cart to haul your gear. Loved the easy access to the water; so calm and serene.
We came in early August during a beautiful week of weather. This campground is secluded and has excellent access to the dunes and beach. You can hear the waves at night and each campsite is roomy and somewhat private from the others. We didn’t bring a wagon but would highly recommend you use one to transport gear to the campground, it’s a bit of a hike from the parking lot. There are lots and lots of bugs but all friendly and perhaps a bit too chatty. No mosquitoes or ticks that we could see. As referred to in a previous review, Ralph the Raccoon did indeed visit our campsite. We’re delighted to share that he now has a family; his beautiful wife Jeanette and son Stewy. They travel as a family unit and happened to visit our campsite just a bit after sunset (later returned). Ralph is a respectful and courteous yet traditional raccoon. He will look through all of your belongings but will leave them as he found them as long as food isn’t present. However, he has the mindset of needing to provide for his wife and young son and so can be a bit antiquated in his demeanor. He later returned (no wife and child this time) and managed to climb 7 feet up a tree into our sealed trash bag, but was kind enough to not spill anything while rummaging through. Since Ralph has a new home nearby the campsite and a growing family, he and Jeanette deserve all the privacy they can get in this difficult phase of life. There is also a family of turkeys who we saw on two occasions. They are much more bashful and shy, but nonetheless great campground companions. We were fortunate enough to be in the presence of chipmunks, friendly daddy-long legs, butteries and a plethora of birds, especially Woody the woodpecker. Overall, we miss Ralph & family dearly. Many happy returns to them and happy camping folks.
This campground is awesome! We did the hike in camping. It is about a mile from parking. But so worth it! There was a lot of flooding. Site F was okay. But some sites you had to walk through water to get to. There is great spot on the dunes just a short walk away. Easy access to lake Michigan.
The hike in was rough, definitely bring a wagon even if you have a backpacking backpack. Firewood delivery ends at 630! More than halfway to the lighthouse and the lake is just over the dune. Rustic bathrooms.
We camped here the weekend of June 2, 2023 and it was great! I would definitely return. The campsites are secluded, but kind of close to together. You can easily access the entire trail network nearby as well. Watching the sunset at the beach was our favorite way to end each day. We used a wagon (with regular wheels, not off road wheels) and made it back just fine. The path to the campground is flat and mostly firm with a thin layer of loose sand on top. There are parts where you have to go through deeper sand, but it's absolutely doable. There was no water at the campground even though the website and our reservation said there would be. We had to make the trek back to the main campground where the RVs are to fill up everyday so that was something we didn't prepare for. There is a raccoon we named Ralph who must live near the campground. He will come check out your campsite at night so make sure all food is put away or hung from a tree. The ticks were plentiful when we were there as well so spray clothes/gear ahead of time. The firewood delivery was a huge perk, but my suggestion would be to order enough on the first day to get you through the next because your delivery might not come until 7 p.m.
