Charles Mears State Park

We spent our first camping trip of the 2017 season at Charles Mears State Park in Pentwater, Michigan.  This park fills quickly during the summer months, but in mid-April, most sites remain open.  The campground is located right on the shores of Lake Michigan.  It has two loops of campsites, and we chose to stay in the loop closest to Lake Michigan.  The 5-6 sites closest to the entrance along Lake Michigan have views of the water, and the remaining sites have a small dune between them and the Lake.  The dune is not too tall to climb, and has several established trails to the water.  The top of the dune has a few benches spaced out from one another, which would provide an excellent place to sit and watch a summer sunset.

 The sites with Lake Michigan views also have the general beach access parking lot between them and the water.  Being mid-April (although unseasonably warm), there were not many people coming to the beach.  In the height of the summer season though, I imagine the parking lot and beach are full.  On windy days (Saturday for us had winds of 25-30 mph), these sites also get a lot of blowing sand, and have very little shade.  If you’re looking for a day at the beach in your RV, these sites would be perfect.  If you’re looking for a little more privacy, these sites would not be ideal.

Each site at this park has a paved pad from what we could tell – being so close to Lake Michigan, there is a lot of sand.  Sites on the outer edges of the park seem large enough for most lengths of trailers (the reservation website says the maximum length is 40' but that would be a tight squeeze).  When the park is full, I can’t imagine having much room for more than your RV and the tow vehicle on each site, making it difficult to have visitors. 

Sites on the interior of the westernmost drive are not very deep, and would likely only accommodate small RVs (the DNR lists 35' as the maximum length for an RV on these sites, but that seems generous).  Each site has the typical Michigan state park fire ring and a picnic table (most of which appeared to be made from a composite material to hold up better against the elements).  A row of split rail fencing separates these sites from their adjoining neighbors, and some of the sites are very close to openings in this fence which appeared to be intended as a pass-through for accessing the restrooms.  Sites with this access likely get a lot of foot traffic. 

The bathroom building in the campground is relatively new, and has two men’s rooms as well as two women’s rooms, and several showers.  The restrooms were kept clean, but keep in mind, we were there when the park was less than 20% full.  There were also bathhouses at the beach area, all of which were closed this early in the season. 

A small playground near the bathhouse with two swings and a slide appears to have been there for quite some time, but was in good condition.  For parents looking for a more modern playground for little ones, the beach area has an excellent playground with a section geared toward kids under 5 and a section for kids 5-12.  It also has cushioned rubber mats under it for added safety.  This playground is also close to the walkway along the channel connecting Pentwater Lake to Lake Michigan, which offers a nice place to stretch your legs.

This park does not offer full hookup sites, but each site has electricity.  We had great cell service here too, which is probably because the park is so close to Pentwater.  I know having cell service is not something everyone looks for in a campground, but it is nice to know that you can still be connected to the world while relaxing, so that if you have to get work done or keep an eye on social media, you can.  We didn't have the best luck with picking up television channels, but we didn't really need them for anything (and, the windy weather probably had a lot to do with that!).

The park has one sanitation station with two lanes to access it.  With the park being nearly empty, we had no wait to fill our water tank upon arrival or to empty our black & gray water tanks at departure.  In the height of the summer season, I could see a line forming around check-in and check-out times.  There were several dumpsters for campers to leave trash on the way out. 

We can certainly tell why this park is full during the summer months.  It is rare to be able to camp this close to Lake Michigan at a park with beach access.  The park is also very close to the village of Pentwater, which offers several restaurants, bars and shops.  The park clearly makes you feel as though your camper is a beachfront cottage in a quaint town.  Because we prefer a little more seclusion for our camping trips, this park will probably be one that we only visit early or late in the season.  That is  more of a reflection on our camping preferences than this park though, because the park fills quickly for the season.  

In the end, the best review of a campground is whether it is a place you would return, and this park certainly passes that test.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time here!