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Michigan has an untold number of places that don’t get the recognition they deserve. With thousands of miles of shoreline on four of the five Great Lakes, millions of acres of national forest, and over 100 state parks, it’s only natural that things fly under the radar. At the northern tip of Michigan’s mitten, four hours\u00a0from Detroit, is Wilderness State Park, a 10,000-acre lakeside oasis that doesn’t quite\u00a0make it into the top 10 on Tripadvisor’s list<\/a> of Michigan state parks.<\/p>\n No matter the rankings, Wilderness State Park is a premier natural destination, only\u00a015 minutes\u00a0from Mackinaw City, a Victorian-era waterfront village<\/a>.\u00a0The park covers an entire peninsula and has\u00a026 miles of untouched Lake Michigan shoreline, perfect for swimming,\u00a0rock-picking,\u00a0or long walks. One visitor writes on Google<\/a>, “The beach stretches for miles, and the water was very clean. It was a very nice beach to sunbathe, swim, and relax.”<\/p>\n Animal lovers will be happy to know the park is super pet-friendly, and\u00a0two\u00a0sections of beach are dedicated to our four-legged friends. As a whole, the park leans in a more rustic direction, but there are multiple campgrounds, rental cabins, and a park store. Hikers can enjoy over\u00a020 miles of trails through diverse landscapes, with many miles running along the lakeshore. It’s also a designated dark sky preserve, meaning there’s minimal light pollution and otherworldly stargazing. It\u00a0all makes Wilderness an ideal place for a beachy camping weekend \u2014 lying on the sand with your dog by day, cooling off in the crisp Lake Michigan waters, and kicking back to watch the stars at night.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Enjoying the dog-friendly beaches and peaceful vibes at Wilderness State Park<\/p>\n Most of the park’s infrastructure is around the headquarters on the eastern end, along the shore of Big Stone Bay. There, you can find a long beach with the forest on one side and the clean waters of Lake Michigan on the other. There are two buoyed swimming sections on this stretch of shore, each with an adjacent dog-friendly area. One is down a little path from the parking lot, and another swimming area with dog access is down the shore by the campgrounds. These beaches are convenient for day trips, and standard Michigan state park fees apply for entrance with a vehicle.\u00a0<\/p>\n It’s a popular park for\u00a0bringing canine friends, and reviews contain many adorable action shots of dogs on the beach, on hiking\u00a0trails, or hanging out at the site. As one visitor\u00a0writes<\/a>, “Seems like there were as many dogs as people at this campground.”\u00a0During the summer, pets on the beach are limited to the designated areas to protect the habitat of the endangered piping plover, but the entire shore is open to dogs from September through March.\u00a0<\/p>\n For more beach-day vibes, in the southwest\u00a0of the park are Sturgeon Bay Beach and the Sturgeon Bay Dunes.\u00a0With untouched sandy waterfront, visitors mention the remoteness, clear waters, and searching the shore for rare stones. But\u00a0it’s in the other corner of the park, so it’s a bit of a jaunt from the main area. You can get there on foot via the North Country Trail<\/a>,\u00a0although the hike is\u00a0more than two and a half hours across the peninsula. An easier option is to\u00a0hop in the car\u00a0and utilize the\u00a0roadside parking with beach access. While this area may not be as scenic as Empire Beach at Michigan’s popular Sleeping Bear Dunes<\/a>, there are sure to be less crowds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Camping and hiking at this underrated peninsula state park<\/p>\n As a massive and well-cared-for park, there are a variety of camping options<\/a> scattered throughout. Most sites are on the eastern side, a stone’s throw from the beach. Near the water, there are two modern campgrounds\u00a0with electrical hookups and shower buildings, while the third, called the Wilderness\u00a0Pines Modern Campground, is a\u00a0short walk from the lake. These are all RV-friendly spots, and on the outskirts of the campgrounds are\u00a0walk-in, tent-only sites for more rustic vibes. On top of those bring-your-lodging sites, there are numerous\u00a0log cabins from the Civilian Conservation Corps era that can be booked online<\/a>. Most are a short hike out on the peninsula from the campgrounds and are perfect for small groups.\u00a0<\/p>\n Off the shore, the park is criss-crossed with miles of hiking trails.\u00a0A Google reviewer<\/a> writes, “I’ve been all over the U.S. camping and hiking and this place is seriously in my top three state parks in America. Incredibly well-maintained and a true gem.”\u00a0The dog-friendly\u00a0Red Pine Trail<\/a> is a popular hour-long loop that starts at the campground and winds through the forest. And others, like the\u00a03-mile stroll along the shore at the tip of the peninsula or the large\u00a03.5-hour loop that covers much of the park,\u00a0highlight the park’s\u00a0dunes, hemlock forests, wetland biospheres, and diversity of landscapes.\u00a0<\/p>\n However you spend your day, Wilderness State Park’s dark-sky-preserve status is a unique feature. So when night falls, step away from the fire and look up. With luck, you might catch the Northern Lights. If you’re continuing on a Michigan beach tour, try\u00a0Sand Dunes Beach\u00a0up north, just past the town of St. Ignace, one of Michigan’s best-kept secrets<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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