Ludington State Park to completely close for almost a year: What to know

Michigan's most popular state park or recreation area campground will close for almost a year, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. And it's just not the campground.

Ludington State Park in Ludington, which visitors love for its location on Lake Michigan, will completely close from Sept. 3 to July 1, 2025, for park enhancements.

The work includes paving the park's main road and Hamlin Lake day-use area parking lot, expanding the parking lot at Lake Michigan and warming shelters, and enhancing traffic and pedestrian flow at the park entrance.

The park had the most nights camped, with 47,265, during the last fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023, according to DNR data.

In prime camping season from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Ludington State Park had the highest occupancy rate at 94.38%.

There are more than 300 campsites between the park's Pines, Cedar and Beechwood campgrounds.

Visitors flock to the park to enjoy the beaches, sand dunes, hiking, Big Sable Point Lighthouse and other outdoor activities.

There's already an ongoing closure at the park.

The east loop of the Cedar campground is currently closed until April 19 for an enhancement project to update the campground's lift station.

Other nearby state park options for campers would be Mears and Silver Lake to the south or Orchard Beach to the north.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ludington State Park to close for construction: Dates, projects