Van Buren State Park

Van Buren State Park is a 400-acre state park located on Lake Michigan. It is 4 miles south of the town of South Haven in Michigan. Van Buren is home to 1 mile of sandy beach, high dune formations, woodland trails and a modern campground that is suitable for all camping equipment.

Site Review:

There are 220 campsites in total; all with electric hook-ups, with 66 of these offering 50 amp connection. None of the campsites offer a view of the lake, or direct lake access. A walking path links the campground to the beach area.

Some sites are very close together.There are a variety of sites:

The best quality sites are at the end of the campground loops where they are spread out more and offer some extra space and visual privacy. The best site might be site #178. It is large, shaded and private.

Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire pit.

There are 2 well-appointed comfort stations with flush toilets and free hot showers.

Activities:

Beach:

There is a walking path to access the beach from the campground. There is also a parking lot suitable for all sizes of vehicles should you choose to drive. The beach is a mile long and is mostly sandy with rocks and driftwood naturally occurring. You can borrow life jackets at the main beach. The shore along the beach is bordered by some of the large sand dunes that Lake Michigan is known for.They are fun to run down- not so much fun going back up haha!

The main beach does have a runner in place to allow wheel chair access.

Exercise caution when enjoying Lake Michigan, it is one of the Great Lakes, and as such with any lake of it’s size, it can be wavy, and have an undertow present. There are no lifeguards on duty.

Biking:

The campground roads at Van Buren State Park are all paved and ideal for biking.

Van Buren Spur Trail:

There is also access from within the park to the Van Buren Spur Trail. This is a wide, paved, multi use trail suitable for biking, that connects to other trails and the town of nearby South Haven. The town is about 5.5 miles from the park. You can access the trail from the campground at the end of the visitor parking lot located near the gatehouse where you check-in.The trail is flat, well maintained and provides some nice leisurely biking.

South Haven:

The town of South Haven is located on Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Black River.  During settlement, major ship lines stopped there, both passenger and freight. In the early 1900s, South Haven became a resort town, sometimes referred to as “The Catskills of the Midwest”. It is still a major regional tourist draw because of its recreational harbour and beaches. It is also the western terminus of the Kal-Haven Trail,  which is popular with bicyclists and snowmobilers. 

South Haven is picturesque with a vibrant downtown area full of shops and restaurants.

South Haven Municipal Marina

There is a large marina, where there are transient and seasonal slips available. Amenities at the marina include:

• water
• electricity (30 & 50-amp)
• restroom
• showers
• pump-out
• ice
• fish cleaning station
• boat launch
• long-term parking
• day use dockage
• 24-hour security
• grills/picnic tables
• laundry
• beach bicycle rental
• boater’s-lounge
• fishing pier
• picnic shelter
• refuse receptacle
• wifi/internet

South Haven Municipal Marina is within easy walking distance of downtown. You can  walk the harbourwalk surrounding the historic harbour, view the tall ship and visit the city’s public beaches, which include:

South Beach

South Beach is the sole public beach on the south side of the river. It is on this side where you can access the pier and the lighthouse. This is not a publicly maintained pier and there are signs cautioning you to use it at your own risk. It does afford a nice view of Lake Michigan and the shoreline though. You can appreciate the vastness of the lake from this vantage point.

There are other beaches and access points throughout the town.

Things to Know:

1. Wood for sale at the gatehouse.
2. Pets are permitted.
3. Van Buren Trail State Park is different than Van Buren State Park. Van Buren Trail State Park is an undeveloped trail that is not paved and runs between Hartford and South Haven. It has rough ballast stones, long sections of sand and grassy two-track. It does not make for particularly pleasant riding. You can access this trail from the paved spur trail that goes to Van Buren State Park, but not directly from Van Buren State Park itself. This is confusing. The two Van Buren State Parks are unrelated.
   
4. A Michigan Recreation Passport is required. If you do not have one, they can be purchased at the gate. If you are a non-resident you will be charged $11USD per person for admission.
5. Check out the review for Interlochen State Park on this website if looking for more ideas if travelling in lower Michigan.

IMO:

Overall, I like Van Buren State Park. The sites are close together and this made for an elevated noise level. The privacy between the sites was also not great. The sites though were generally level which made setting up easy.

The beach is nice with lots of room to spread out and a gradual slope into the water. The dunes are also a nice feature, though it did make some areas of the beach difficult to access. The bike trail and the proximity to the town of South Haven allowed for some extra activities that you can enjoy during your stay. I would recommend Van Buren State Park as an RV Place to Go.