Vacation Station RV Resort in Ludington, Mich., was our base camp for our first trip to western Michigan. Before booking our reservations here, we had considered staying at Ludington State Park but the friends we were camping with wanted full hook-up, which the state park did not offer. This was the first “RV resort” that we camped at, since we typically go to state parks–but we were really impressed with this meticulously kept campground.
Since this trip happened before we created TheTouringCamper.com, we unfortunately don’t have as many campground pictures to include, but the campground’s website features a nice assortment of pictures. Although the nightly rate at Vacation Station was more than we typically pay at state parks, we felt it was worth it. The bathrooms were very clean. The sites were incredibly level–like bubble level!
Sites 42 and 43
2010 GMC Savana and 2009 Flagstaff 246D (at Vacation Station Resort, Ludington, Mich.)
We enjoyed taking a swim at the pool and the kids loved the playground area. Wi-fi was available, but it seemed you had to be pretty close to the campground store to get a fast enough connection. Other amenities include laundry facilities, cable, pull-through sites, propane refill, pet run area, and a game room.
The campground has some specific rules regarding tent placement (no tents are allowed on the grass; they can only be set up on the the concrete pads), pets (limited to two per site), and firewood (you can’t bring your own in; it has to be purchased on site). So be sure to read over the policies before booking your campsite.
From Ludington we did some longer touring trips, including a visit to the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (1.5 hours south), Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (1.75 hours north), and Ludington State Park beach (10 minutes from the campground). We ran out of time to tour Ludington, which looked like a really neat town, with a lighthouse that offers picturesque views during sunsets. We plan to return to the western Michigan region in the future and we know that if we stop in Ludington, we’ll definitely make reservations to stay at Vacation Station RV Resort again.
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park
Ludington State Park Beach
Dates of visit: 7/29-12-8/3/12
My family goes to Ludington almost every year!! It’s a great little town. If you ever head back, be sure to check out the House of Flavors and James Street Brewery. We also usually head down to Pentwater (just south of Ludington) which offers more restaurants, bars, and shops…and it also has a public beach (with a campground..but from what I recall, the spots are not shaded at all…but if you want to be a stone’s throw from the beach, it’s a great option!) I believe the Big Sable Point Lighthouse is just north of Ludington State Park, which can be a pretty hike. The Silver Lake area has dune rides and some other touristy things.
Hi Ashley! Thanks so much for stopping by and reading! And thanks for the great tips–we do indeed plan to return to the area so I will file this away for that trip! Happy camping!