Petoskey State Park
Michigan State Park · Petoskey, Michigan
Petoskey State Park lies on the northeastern shore of Little Traverse Bay, on Lake Michigan, a few miles from the resort town of Petoskey. It is a mid-sized park with a sandy swimming beach, a shaded campground set among trees and a dune on the grounds known as Old Baldy, which has a trail (confirm the route, length and surface). The beach is best known as a place to hunt Petoskey stones, the fossil coral that is Michigan's state stone, best seen when wet. The bay is sheltered compared with the open lake, so the water is calmer, though still cold in early summer. The park suits families, campers and rock hunters, and it can be crowded on July and August weekends. Allow half a day for the beach and a short walk, or stay a night or two to use it as a base for Petoskey, Harbor Springs and the Tunnel of Trees. A Recreation Passport is needed. Expect cool water, thunderstorms on summer afternoons and ticks and mosquitoes in the woods.
2475 M-119, Petoskey, Michigan, 49770, United States
Michigan state parks are commonly open daily from about 8 AM to 10 PM for day use, and Petoskey State Park is generally treated as a year-round day-use park, though confirm posted hours with the Michigan DNR before a winter trip. The campground is seasonal, typically from spring through early autumn, and summer weekends fill well ahead, so confirm opening dates and the booking window. A Recreation Passport is needed for each vehicle. Beach conditions, lifeguards and swimming advisories change with the season and the water, and there is no guarantee of staffed supervision at the beach, so confirm what is posted when you arrive. Snow can close trails or limit parking in winter.
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