How to Go Camping by the Beach at Mears State Park

by Traveling Seouls

Have you ever been camping by the beach, especially in Michigan?

Michiganders have a knack for going camping. It’s the thing to do here on the west side of the state. But I’ve never gone camping by the beach. (Camping in the woods? Check.)

Camping by the beach is a different style of camping. You can feel a breeze by the waters that you don’t always feel in the woods, depending on the weather. You get little sand granules in everything. Your toes, clothes, and tents.

On a very busy July 4th weekend, Prof found an open campsite at Mears State Park in Pentwater, Michigan.

mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent
sunrise mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent
mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent cabin cottage
mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent july 4th fourth beach
ice cream mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent
mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent
mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent clear blue beach lake
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mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent
sunrise mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent
mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent cabin cottage
mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent july 4th fourth beach
ice cream mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent
mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent
mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent clear blue beach lake
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Accommodations at Mears State Park

Charles Mears State Park is a smaller beach side campground, much different from Ludington State Park‘s massive acreage site, you can enjoy the beauty of Michigan’s lakeshore at one of its 175 campsites. Located near the town of Pentwater, you can expect the following at Mears State Park:

  • campsite area
  • cement fire pit
  • electricity
  • nearby bathroom/shower facilities
  • two playgrounds (one located next to bathroom/shower facilities and the other at the entrance)
  • walking distance to the Mears State Park Beach
  • access to Old Baldy Hiking Trail
  • trash dumpster at the entrance of the park
  • water hook up
  • volleyball nets
  • horseshoes
  • Check-in 3:00 pm
  • Check-out 1:00 pm

We camped at site #128.

campsite 128 mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent

The photos on the website looked dismal. No shade covering and a lot of sand. Lots of it. I was expecting the worst. (Remember Cuyahoga Valley National Park?) But when we arrived, the sand felt good, and the boys were glad to run behind a trail right behind our campground.

mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent

When you reach the top of the hill, you can see this:

sunrise mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent

and this:

mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent lighthouse

I also noticed a lot of campers and RVs. A LOT. There were a few tents, but I think with little tree cover, campers and RVs ruled Mears State Park.

mears stat park pent water michigan lake michigan campers tent

Need a Quick City Guide to Pentwater, Michigan?

Pentwater michigan City Guide pinterest graphic

Camping Activities at Mears State Park

Before Prof set up camp, we enjoyed a few hours at the beach. Do you see this beautiful shoreline? This is Pentwater Public Beach. All you need is a Michigan Recreation Pass, and you can go right in on July 4th. Otherwise, the entrance post will turn you away.

mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent lake michigan

Let me tell you that the waters of Lake Michigan never looked so good. It looked like the crystal-clean waters of Cyprus, but without the salt. Yes, that’s right, beach waters without salt.

mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent clear blue beach lake

You can go sailing, boating, jet skiing, paddling, kayaking, or skimboarding.  If you can think of a water sport, I bet you can do it on Lake Michigan.

mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent canoeingmailbox mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent

If you don’t have the luxury of buying or renting a boat or high-end water equipment, you can rent these green paddle boats from the shop at Mears State Park beach.

mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent

Our boys are a bit young for some of those activities, so we opted for sandcastling. tic-tac-toeing on the sand, wave jumping, etc.

sandcastles mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent

Skimboarding intrigued Piano Man the most. I think we may have to invest in one of those someday. However, I enjoyed the cool beach scenery. Look at these seagulls taking flight:

mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent birds seagulls

And don’t forget that the beach is a place to be on July 4th!

mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent july 4th fourth beach

If the beach scene is too much to take in, you can also opt for a quieter water activity and go fishing.

REMINDER: Children 17 and under can go fishing for free in Michigan. But if you need to assist your child, you need to obtain a fishing license.

*Get your Fishing License through the State of Michigan Here*

mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tentmears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent fishing

We didn’t catch anything, but at least we enjoyed the scenic beauty of Pentwater:

mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent cabin cottagefishing mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent

Pentwater’s Main Street

After setting up camp, we walked around Pentwater to see the main street. On July 4th, the town was bustling with tourists and locals enjoying the day.

american flag mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent main street

You can eat ice cream, and candy, look at toys, get books, have a beer at the local pub, and devour a pizza. There’s so much to do in Pentwater:

ice cream mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tentmears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent toy box storemears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent pizzapizza mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent

My Final Thoughts on Camping by the Beach

While I liked the fun lake and shady tree covering,  beach camping offered little to no shade. It reminded me of our experience in Ohio. Hot and double hot. But the difference this time was the accessibility to Lake Michigan.

You already know how much we enjoyed camping in the woods at Ludington State Park. And if camping in the woods proves to be an enjoyable experience, then camping by the beach can be a whole new level of experiential fun.

campsite mears state park pentwater michigan lake michigan campers tent

For More Information about Mears State Park:

Love Pentwater

Related:

Camping in the Woods at Ludington State Park
Camping in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Grand Haven Beach on Lake Michigan

Ludington State Park Camping 2016 Cuyahoga Valley Camping 2014 pinterest graphic Grand Haven Beach pinterest graphic vertical

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2 comments

Alisha July 15, 2016 - 8:30 pm

This makes me wish we had spent more time at Lake Michigan!

Reply
Doug December 16, 2023 - 12:31 pm

Camping in a tent at Mears is awful. Definitely more of a parking lot than a campground. There are much better options along the lakeshore.

Reply

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