A small, nice park. We aren’t MI residents so we don’t have a “passport” so didn’t stay long in the park. And it’s off season so bathrooms were closed and we had to go. Beach was pretty and my first time seeing Lake Huron so it was an experience. But again it was off season, cold, and still too many people for my liking.

Cute gem. Love the sand bars I can walk pretty far into the water. The Play structure is old school! Brought back a lot of memories. It was so nice!! Its the old school wood structure. Huge so many kids can play around and still social distance!

So Im not sure what beach previous reviewers went to. There was nothing black and disgusting about the swim beach. It also has nice soft sand and isnt rocky at all. Now, you have to walk about 1/4 of a mile down the boardwalk to get to the actual beach. But once you get there it is worth it! The kids had a great time swimming and playing in the sand.

Out of season, only time the bay looks nice, colder water gets rid of the algae, which is there during entire summer season...

The State Park in Bay City is one of my fav places.. They have a clean modern campground, with access across the rd to the bay and large day use areas. Highlights are the nature center to learn and interact and they also have awesome seasonal activities for kids of all ages. There is a small water park, a large playscape, plenty of picnic areas with pavilions to utilize, clean bathrooms with changing rooms and utilities to rinse off the day. Lots of beautiful sandy beach to walk, relax, swim and play. Ample accessible parking and open grassy areas to walk and play.. Beautiful nature trails which some lead to the beach. Dogs are welcome for sure. Last but not least, Tobico marsh is a place of pure peaceful trails and observation towers for viewing all nature near and around the marsh. Bring your binoculars to see all the beautiful species of the marsh land, trees and air. There are a few businesses within walking distance for added fun, such as putt putt golf, a quick bite and the best ice-cream. Go and enjoy. Dont forget the sunset!

Great place to take a walk. The beach has occasional muck issues, but isn otherwise fine.Because of the way the current flows, the water remains pretty shallow far out due to sand bars that form.

Beautiful! Powerful. Warm water. Soft & so delightful to the feet sand. Has been taken care of. Pretty clean and the Sea (aka lake) Gulls were a Hoot!

Due to COVID19 we decided to take a drive to a state park we have been interested in visiting for some time. We found it very pleasant with ample parking and good location of picnic tables with some right on the beach. The water is very shallow here and great for swimming and kayaking, will be returning soon.

Nice place to go to relax, get some sun. Listen to the waves, take a dip in the water or even look for shells.

The state park was awesome. The beach had ample parking, the kids playground by the beach was great. The campground was clean and well maintained. All the employees I interacted with were kind and knowledgeable.Definitely recommend.

Nice camping. Shoreline is neat, would be nice in the summer for beach combing. Lots of marsh and boardwalks for bird watching.

Kind of disappointed and dissatisfied. Ive visited many state parks in the country, this is for people who loves silence and want to fish. Not much to see other than the shelter islands. Theres a beach you can enjoy though.

Nice variety of possible activities and areas to enjoy, plenty of parking, long stretch of beach area

My husband and I stayed here with our 6-month old and some family, occupying 3 sites total in the first loop of the campground. First of all, the whole campground is nicely shaded without having so many trees that each site is isolated (could be good or bad, depending on what youre looking for). The bathrooms were pristine the entire time we were there, and the showers were AMAZING for what you sometimes get at a campground.The distance from the trailer to the electrical hookup can vary depending on the site, so having an extension cable is recommended. The whole campground is electrical hookup only. There are two bays in the dump station, which is obvious and easy to access on your way out.You have to cross a 2-lane street from the campground to access Lake Huron. The crossing doesnt appear to be ADA Accessible, so you may have to take the sidewalk down to another section for a real crossing.However, once you get to the beach there is a really nice ramp from the walking path down to the waterfront thats made for wheels. We used it for our stroller, and it was a game changer. I havent seen that kind of ramp on any other beaches that I can recall. It sounds like the water quality at the beach is hit or miss. It was great the day we went swimming, but I heard that other days it can be really mucky.There are a lot of nature trails to walk around as well, which we didnt get a chance to explore on our trip. Overall, this is a quintessential Michigan State Park, and we would definitely go back.

What a terribly disappointing experience. My daughters and I camped for three nights (Sunday through Tuesday), hoping that the park would be a little less crowded than on the weekend. Sunday night was the most packed, but even though we were just a few feet from other tents, there was only the friendly occasional dog bark and audible tent zipper. The next two nights were a different story. Monday, a group about five sites down cranked their radio, had bright lights blaring through our tents, and were hooting and hollering and lighting firecrackers at 2 a.m. it was not until some fellow irate campers threatened to call the police that they quieted down. Tuesday, two groups of women with small children set up shop right next to our site and stayed up half the night smoking, drinking and using foul language. I get the impression that much of this campground’s base are locals who somehow think it’s more fun to party at the state park than in their own backyards. The kids and I did enjoy the beach and the bike trails, as well as visiting some friends who live in the area. But the unregulated noise pollution/partying was a total downer. This was a far cry from my pleasant memories of camping at Michigan State Parks as a kid. If you’re looking for a restful or family-friendly experience, I do NOT recommend camping here.

Great place to go camping!! Love it here! Facilities were clean and the sites were a perfect size!

Very nice park. Would have been 4 stars but most sites are very un level. Campground across the street from Day park water side.Many trails for hiking and biking. Fishing very good also.

Beautiful park! Lots of areas to run around as well as a beachfront to the bay. The bay was a little green when we went; but otherwise the park was clean and convenient.

We love this park. It is one of our favorite campgrounds. Nice mature trees, big sites. Clean and well managed. Have camped here for years. Nice for bike riding, nature walks. And you have the beach on the bay. Close to any shopping for any needs but far enough removed to be peaceful. Great spot.

Always a great visit! I enjoy playing on the wooden playset with my child and then walking along the beach. Sunsets here are so beautiful!!!

Such a beautiful campground!! Super quiet and the beach across the street is breathtaking!! We will definitely be back!!

We are really enjoying ourselves here. A park with many trails to explore, its clean and well kept up, a beautiful loooong beach, its quiet, but not a stuffy quiet.. just a wonderful place to catch up with and spend time with those you love. Its been a fantastic break from life as we know it at this time.

Good size beach area, but water is murky and waters edge has tons of seashells, so hard on the feet. But overall a nice park/beach with good size playground area for kids. There was also a water playground (splashpad area) but it was closed (fenced off) when we were there. They have nice size restrooms with changing area, but no showers. We spent a couple hours there, building sandcastles and enjoying the sunshine.

Great biking or walking trails. Make sure to check out the observation towers. They are worth the ride. Only a couple miles round trip from the campground on the trails. Easy riding for the kids also.

This state park has a huge play area with a water playground. There are paths for miles along the bays shoreline as well. Right across the road there is a campground and miniature golf & Ice cream is walking distance as well. Its a great park to explore and play!

Wonderful beach and water. Plenty of space to spread out.

Campground is smaller, but beautiful, lots of trees, and tucked away in a quiet setting. Clean bathrooms during peak season (vault toilets only, unfortunately, during off-peak season; boo). Waterside is disapointing. Beach is not what you envision on the west side of Michigan. Can be a bit narly due to being on the Saginaw Bay. Splash pad was fenced off. Playground is a bit difficult to keep a watchful eye on kiddos, even though its fenced in- just lots of nooks and crannies for them. Great for kids; not so great for parents. Average in my books, but not enough to discourage me from taking the kiddos there to get some wiggles out when in the area.

Nice quiet place to come watch the sunset on a calm Monday night.

Bay county has really improves State Park in Bay city.Bonfire pits and the beach is just so awesome.

Loved it. Good place to run without people telling u to where a diaper on ur face. Vote trump 2020 people and save our parks and recreational services

Nice camping lots, they arent as struct about some of the rules as others at least not while we were there. The staff were friendly and the amenities were nearby. Lots to do in the area

It seemed pretty small but I didnt see the campground. Nice visitors center though.

Awsome love to come here and eat my lunch and look out at the bay and burn one.. has a cool jungle gym with little water park for kids to free to the public

Great place to go for a walk. Plenty of trails, some paved and woodland trails with wood chips and natural ground.

This is a beautiful facility that is family and pet friendly! Take time to explore the marsh trails, let the kids enjoy the playground, or spend time on the groomed beach...a great place to take your picnic lunch and spend the day!

We popped in to used the EV charging station, and it was very nice. Free charge in a great setting!

Beach has really been cleaned up nicely, and the trails are in excellent shape... Beach is wheelchair and disability accessible, and the sand is clean with every little litter.

Nice place to take your dog for a long walk peaceful and beautiful

We absolutely love bringing our children here. They love to swim play at the spray park and fish.

Very nice campgrounds. Clean facilities. Active in daytime with lots of things to do. Quit at night.

Dont expect to do any swimming here. The water along the shore is very mucky and sludgy! We were camping at the Bay City State Park for 2 weeks and walked across to the beach with our 3 young children, who were overjoyed to go swimming only to be disgusted when they saw the brown sludgy water. We were all not impressed. There were many washed up huge dead fish laying along the beach that were washed up and not properly disposed of. Many boards with rusty nails sticking out were laying along the beach. Not safe for kids! There was even a long wooden boat ladder that washed up on shore along with many trees and random items. Seemed to be more of a wasteland than a beach. Very sad! There needs to be people of the State Park or the city to clean up the beach and maintain it to remove any and all dead fish and anything that washes up on shore. Should do a thorough daily cleaning!

Went here with my friend and her child for a picnic! The weather was beautiful, the place was clean with little to no litter, and it was nice seeing everyone out and about hanging with their families!

After living in Alabama for 25 years the park has changed but its still beautiful.

Nice large beachfront park. Playground. Restrooms. Sandy Beach North of the park.

Nice park.Well kept, clean restrooms, and great Playground.Definitely a good visit for a family with small kids. The splash pad is nice, if a bit packed on hot days. Which is to be expected. The beach area is a long walk from parking, but the sand is nice. The water is always kinda gross, which is not the fault of the park staff.We visit almost every time we are in town.

Water is beautiful, taking a boat out on the water is amazing here. They also have a sand bar, its really cool and I had so much fun.

Small, beautiful, comfortable place to walk around. Never camped here but would love to sometime.

Lovely set of trails through marsh, forest, and beach. Gorgeous fall colors!

Water looked clean & blue. Plenty of room to get around

Really busy. Simple to get to. Beach was busy.

Nice beach area, big. Short walking trail.

I love stopping in here for a picnic or a hike. The playground is really great and the beach is popular too.

Today, my daughter had a photo session at Bay City State Park for some head shot she needs for Interlochen Summer Camp and Interlochen Academy.The place is beautiful, and the views of the sunset are magnificent.

Great nature sites today! We were able to observe Beavers playing in the water, Deer Cranes, and multiple other species of birds.

Great camping nice camp ground with ez accommodation for campers love where the dump station and water fill is

I love to bring my dog and walk around here. Lots if trails, you can walk on the beach, benches to sit on and pavilions to sit under. The spray park is awesome in the summer if you have kiddos!

Dont get me wrong the Bay City State Park is a great place for walking️But in my opinion the park needs better management. Be warned there are quite a few stalkers so be very careful.

Beach and trails are kept debris free, most other boaters are great at helping other boaters in need. Friendly atmosphere, and some amenities such as a porta john on land, just before trail starts.

Packed in pretty tight. Not much privacy. Nice staff and close to water.

Nice for a walk. Nice park and a good swim area.

Good facilities and a short stop off 75. Couldnt find a drinking fountain or water bottle fill spout.

Our site was clean and the beach was perfect. They followed the Covid guidelines and we felt safe there. Perfect experience.

Went fishing and always go there for swimming and it’s peaceful and nice people there and I love the new parking spots closer to the beach.

Great place. Very peaceful. Beach is sandy and nice now that the algae was pushed to the south.

I love the trees and trails. Well kept restrooms. Lovely park. A favorite!

A cool place for a picnic, or a short walk, or just relaxing. Theres a playground, a small lake (where you can rent boats), a nature trail around the lake, an interesting visitor Center, and a beach on the Lake Michigan shore. [The local squirrels are so friendly and funny..]

We have been here twice. Once for a hike along the trail and boardwalk (great birdwatching!) and once for a beach tip. Enjoyed both experiences.

The path around the marsh area is a great place for bird watching. It’s wild and has lots of native plants with berries. There is large variety of plants and the cottonwood trees are huge!!! This would also be a good place for finding frogs and dragonfly’s :) I can see this place even being good in winter with large dead trees for woodpeckers and brushy places for wildlife.

Great trails along the shoreline and inland. Fairly quiet since Bay City isnt really a destination hot spot. It IS smaller than some other state parks and once you go inland there is a lot of traffic noise, but the trails are still well maintained and not too busy (at least in November).

Out of state visitors be aware that Michigan requires a $9.00 per day or $33.00 annual recreation pass, in addition to campground fees.We stayed at Bay City Campground for only one night during our travels to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. That one night was enough. The site was 54. The site was level, full shade, a picnic table, fire ring and electric were provided. The grounds behind the sites are very swampy, with that comes mosquitos. This area does not look like it drys up in hotter weather. The bathroom/shower house are centrally located within the campground, not far from any site. The showers are individual rooms with locking doors and enough room to share with someone. The pressure and hot water were great. The campground is clean and well maintained. State beach access is across the street from the campground. We drove over to see the Bay City Beach Access after setting up camp. The beach was not really pretty and had litter all over. There is a marshy area, which smelled nasty, prior to the actual beach.

Who would not have a time. Its a beautiful sight. In the mornings take a wind breaker. But its a very nice Beach.

Beautiful and peaceful sitting are wading area away from the main swim area. I am not sure where the plastic garbage bags washing up to shore come from though.

Great park but because of the flooding the beach was having some issues. If you go to the beach north of the spray park it is a much better, but a further walk, but worth it.

Friendly staff and vary clean. It was a great weekend and we will come back

Awesome! So beautiful! Great relaxing day.

This park has improved so much in recent years! The beach looks great and is back to where it was when I was a kid! Its a great getaway without having to go too far!

Great place to visit during the week without the crowds, especially during this pandemic

Cleaned up real nice I had a BBQ party the grill worked great and there was a fire pit beside it with benches

The State Park was nice and clean. The staff was also friendly and supportive. The only negative was the water at the beach was dirty and looked polluted.

Perfect, just dont touch the water.

Fun for the family great playground restrooms and the beach to go swim on

Absolutely beautiful!! Since the clean up few years back state park just keeps getting better!!

Lots of nature and fun little beach.

Just the best! So peaceful! We are blessed to have this resource!

Right on Lake Huron. Clean and modern playground.

The beach is beautiful here. The wind created soft waves off the shore and it is so enjoyable to spend the day sunbathing and swimming.

What a rare surprise to see Sand Hill Cranes

We stayed here from 8/30/18 - 9/2/18 in a 31 ft travel trailer on Site 101. I would definitely recommend staying here. The park is heavily wooded and the sites are really large. Even with the trees we could have probably fit 3 more trailers on our lot. As per most state parks, only electric was available but they did have 4 fill stations up front. The bathrooms were reasonably clean, although I continue my hatred of their sensor toilets. Dont you dare move a muscle as you do your business lest you face the wrath of the almighty flush. Oversensitive toilets aside, the big draw to this place is the splash pad and giant playground. While they are not directly in the campground, it was only a short 5 minute walk across a 35 mph road to get to it, and well worth it for the hours of fun my 3 yo had. We did not partake in the beach or walking trails, but they looked really nice. Walmart and Meijer were only about 10 minutes away and there were also a bevy of restaurants within 5 minutes, too. Again, I would highly recommend this place and will probably return next year.

Picked up our lunch from Muscle Beach and took it to the park for a picnic. Highly recommend both Muscle Beach and the Bay City State Park.

Great park, lots to do. Big campground.

Beautiful! Great play area and beach

We were only at the swim beach for a few hours on a quick trip to Michigan but it seemed like a great place and we would definitely visit again if we had the chance.

The campground has large sites which was especially nice. All the park staff was exceptionally kind a d efficient. Given we are under a facemask mandate there wasnt a time I noticed a single ranger without one. In addition the bathrooms were cleaned regularly (noticably enough that there were multiple times in our 4 day trip they were closed when one of my kids needed them). The only semi negative thing I can say is the walk to the beach was considerable long carrying things but in reality was about .25 miles. There is a pretty large swamp area to go around though and it was quite frustrating you couldnt get a direct route. Even so, it was a nice beach and for a busy one not too much noticable trash.

Loved this placeHad trails. A swamp and beach

Nice sandy Beach. Walked the trail around the marsh. Shady just about the whole way.

This location has really nice access to the water of Saginaw Bay.

Awesome place to visit in the summer.

Kids love the splash pad. Nice place to cool off at.

I was surprised to have to pay $9 just to drive in and take a picture. They should have a much lower fee for that, especially given Id been there plenty of times with no fees at all then this surprise. I was there for

Great place. Relaxed and picked up peoples trash left behind or washed up. But all in all amazing place to just connect again with nature.