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Orchard Beach
Overview
Orchard Beach State Park is a scenic destination situated on a high bluff overlooking the vast waters of Lake Michigan. Established in the early 20th century, the park is renowned for its historic limestone architecture and lush, wooded landscape. While it originally served as an apple orchard, it has transitioned into one of the region's most beloved camping spots, offering a unique blend of historical charm and natural beauty that captures the essence of Northern Michigan's coastal heritage.
Location & Surroundings
The park is located just north of the city of Manistee, providing a peaceful retreat while remaining close to urban conveniences. The most striking feature of the location is the Lake Michigan shoreline, providing campers with expansive views of the water from the elevated bluff. Surrounded by dense hardwood forests, the environment feels secluded and serene, making it an ideal home base for those planning to explore the Manistee National Forest and the nearby river systems.
Amenities & Park Features
RV travelers will find approximately 166 campsites, many of which feature paved pads and 50-amp electrical service. The park offers modern restroom and shower facilities, ensuring a comfortable stay for those without full on-board amenities. A highlight of the grounds is the historic stone pavilion, which was recently moved back from the bluff to preserve it for future generations. For recreation, visitors can enjoy several miles of self-guided hiking trails that wind through the wooded areas and along the scenic bluff edges.
Nearby Attractions & Things to Do
Beyond the park boundaries, the city of Manistee offers a charming historic Riverwalk and a variety of local boutiques and eateries located in the downtown district. Nature lovers can access the Manistee River for world-class fishing or head to nearby First Street Beach for lakefront swimming and sunbathing. For those seeking even more adventure, the North Country Trail passes through the area, offering extensive hiking opportunities, while local golf courses and casinos provide diverse entertainment options just a short drive away.
Who This Park Is Best For
This park is an ideal choice for sunset enthusiasts and photographers who want to capture the stunning colors over Lake Michigan each evening. Its relatively quiet atmosphere makes it a perfect fit for couples or retirees looking for a relaxing getaway within reach of local culture. Because of the paved sites and clean facilities, it is also a great choice for RV families who appreciate a well-organized setting with easy access to both nature trails and the amenities of a nearby town.
Amenities
- Recreational Facilities
- Policies
- Other Amenities & Services
- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)
- Facility
- On-Site Rentals
- Sites
User Reviews
crafty witch
The park seems to be a large campground. The view was nice, but all the trails leading to the water have been closed or removed. We had a nice hike on the trail, but there aren't any views of the water on that hike.
Tamara Denlinger
Wonderful SP! First visit! It’s small and it’s a fisherman’s campground! Sits on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan! Had an incident with our trailer during the night due to a storm and next morning we needed help as we had damage to our place! Four young fisherman (Angels!!!) an answer to prayer helped us! Thank you again guys! May you be blessed as you blessed us by saying “yes, we will help you when we were in great need”
Wendy Fornwalt
Great park with amazing views of Lake Michigan. Beach Access is closed due to erosion. Trails are close by and you can choose how far you want to hike. Site 126 isn't level and if it rains it's quite messy. Lots of the sites are very close and most people park parallel to their site. There's also a few doggy stations for convenience. Baths and showers were super clean, water pressure was the best we've seen in SPs. Overall really nice stay, staff was super helpful as we added another night. Would definitely return but to a different site.
Nina Trabskiy
Beautiful views of the shoreline. We have state pass and parked here to look around. Not in RV. There are a few picnic tables and benches along the wooden fence. Very pretty and there is a trailhead across the street from the park entrance
Sam S VS
We tent camped here for two nights. Most people were in trailers. Small camp area but beautiful views of Lake Michigan. Steps to the beach were blocked off. No activities so a simple camp site. Electric hook ups. Bathrooms and showers are the cleanest I've ever experienced at any camp site. Staff were all very nice. Bonus: free charging station for electric vehicles (right outside of the check in station)
Amanda Schultz
This is our 2nd time here. Our first time, our son was very small so we didn't notice the lack of kids activities. One swing and one slide should be illegal for a state campground, especially with no beach access. My husband liked that there were 3 dump stations, since although we paid for full hookups, they were unusable (by us and neighboring sites), due to placement uphill and too far back into the site. We love state parks but this will probably be our last time to this particular one.
Ljupka Schwantes
Beautiful campground and incredibly courteous rangers. I was reminded of the 5 mph speed limit when I entered the park the first time. It was totally my exhaustion from driving and not paying attention. But I appreciated how much the staff cares about the visitors' safety. I didn't miss the beach as there is one just north of the campground a mile away. The sites are pretty close to each other. But I didn't feel cramped during the week. And those sunsets, they are simply legendary.
Kelly
We really enjoyed this park - it was the first time we had camped there and we were very pleased with the view from the bluff. Great sunsets and the park is very close to a beautiful beach (1st Avenue Beach). The water was calm and all sandbar! I also thought the facilities were really clean.
Melissa Fisher
Great little campground. Sites were a bit uneven and the road very narrow. You can't really back up enough to get your vehicle off the road to unhitch. So you kinda have to block the road to hitch up and unhitch. We were unlucky to have rain almost our whole time there. There was a small break and we were able to visit downtown Manistee. Great little tourist town. The bathrooms were relatively clean. The showers were super small. My youngest daughter and I could barely fit in them together. The stairs to the beach were blocked off due to erosion. So we had to drive to the beach near the city. Nice beach with restrooms, the snack bar wasn't open when we went. The pier was fun to walk on and beautiful views. Not totally sure I would visit again.
Jemry Marie
Beautiful state park, sits just off the highway. They offer tent sites, pull thru sites, full hookup sites, and sites with only electricity. You can see the lake from most sites. The campground sits on top of a bluff with beautiful sights. There are 3 sanitation stations, bathrooms with shower houses, and it's also a historical site. Most sites are close together, our site was not very much to our liking, as it sat on a slope (#53). We came late April, so the park was empty except 12 of us. There's walking trails across the road and the giant sequoias are just down the road. There's a decent size playground next to the camper cabin and there's also a mini cabin.