What to Do, Where to Stay, What to Eat in Ludington, Michigan

I've heard about Ludington, Michigan for years for their camping and just finally got a chance to visit. We were not really sure what to expect as there was not that much information about what to do in Ludington online. This is my summary of Ludington: gorgeous beaches, amazing nature trails and great for relaxing.


Ludington does not have a ton to "do" in the traditional sense of lots of attractions but if you are looking to relax and enjoy nature, Ludington is a good place to go.


There were tons of extended families there with grandparents, children, grandchildren, Aunts and Uncles. I think that lots of people got hotel rooms next to each other or rented houses in the area which would be so fun to do with family.

We had so much fun in Ludington and here were my 5 favorite things that we did:

1. Jumping in the waves

We love, love, loved jumping in the crazy waves at Stearns Park beach. The day we were there, they were more like ocean waves than lake waves. Adalyn, Troy and I spent at least half an hour just jumping in the waves. It was her first time doing something like this and she was overjoyed.

2. The perfect sandy beaches

Our favorite beach was Stearns Park beach which was right by our hotel. The sand was so white, fine and soft. I hate sand typically but did not mind this sand as much. There were no rocks or shells anywhere. There is a huge pier (about 1/2 mile long) and at the end of the pier is a lighthouse that was really neat. We even saw a proposal there!

3. Ludington State Park

We didn't know what to expect with Ludington State Park and it ended up being one of our favorite parts of the trip. There are extremely beautiful trails to walk on with sand dunes, a dam, lakes, breathtaking views and more.


We spent a couple of hours there and Adalyn loved playing in the sand dunes and running down the dunes. They also have tube, kayak, canoe, etc. rentals there.


Ludington State Park is huge and there are all kinds of camp grounds there. If I was a camper, I would definitely stay there.

4. Blueberry picking

We went to Ludington in August which is peak blueberry season. We went to a local blueberry farm and Adalyn had a blast picking her own blueberries. We told her early in the morning that we were going later in the day and all day long, she asked for "blue berrrrry".

5. Huge marinas

We loved walking by the marinas and looking at the boats. The marinas were the nicest that we had ever seen and right by the marina, there is a huge playground that Adalyn loved.

Where to Stay in Ludington

We stayed at the Ludington Pier House which I would highly recommend. It is literally, right by the beach- it took 1 minute to walk to the beach from our room. You could see Lake Michigan from our balcony. If you go to Ludington, do not miss the beautiful sunset. The rooms are not fancy but they are clean and spacious.


They have a huge indoor pool and hot tub which my little fish of a daughter loved. They have nice picnic tables outside and lounge chairs to hang out on. The hotel guests were all families with kids which was nice for us because we didn't have to worry about Adalyn being too loud or anything. If we return to Ludington, we would stay at the Ludington Pier House again.

What to Eat in Ludington

While the restaurants in Ludington are not fancy, we did enjoy that they were all affordable. Every meal that we ate there was around $10 per person or less. Often times, in tourist towns, prices are jacked up but this was not the case in Ludington.


We went to Old Hamlin for one of our dinners. Adalyn was so misbehaved that I had to leave the restaurant for part of the meal but the staff was still so courteous to us. I was very appreciative. They have a soup and salad bar- Adalyn loved the olives and fruit especially.


Troy ordered the chicken parmesan, Adalyn got the spaghetti and meatballs and I got the Grecian veggie sandwich. Everything was tasty!


We also went to House of Flavors which is the cutest 50's style diner with yummy breakfast options. I would definitely recommend their banana bread. They also have lots of homemade ice cream which we never got a chance to try sadly.


We also enjoyed a dinner at Jamesport Brewing Company. Troy and I both felt like burgers and fries and when we were walking around town, stumbled upon this restaurant. The burgers were so, so good and had a great charbroiled flavor. It hit the spot!

Finally, one of my top favorite parts of the trip that I have to mention is Lewis Farm Market. It is not technically in Ludington but was on our way home- about 35 minutes from Ludington. Lewis Farm Market has a big store with fresh produce, ice cream, baked goods, fudge, canned goodies and more.


We had the best apple fritter there that was so amazing!!! It was huge and flavorful and perfect. We also bought a huge amount of fresh Michigan peaches that were the best peaches that I have had all summer. I wish I bought more!


Once we left the store, we went into the best petting zoo that I have ever been to. My daughter was in heaven. She started sprinting around and petting all of the animals. She said that longest sentence that she has ever said "I love you very much, Donkey!". So cute!


These were some of the animals there: camels, wallabys, deer, goats, llamas, alpacas, bunnies, turkeys, a cow, a cat and more.

A very good friend of mine!!

When Troy and I saw the alpacas and llamas, we were literally near tears- so in love!! What was funny about it was that they were the only animals there that really didn't want to be petted. We love llamas!!


They also had huge jumping pillows for adults and kids and lots of little games. The people that work at Lewis Farm Market tell me that it gets crazy busy in the fall and that there is so much to do there. I really want to return in the fall.

Disclosure; We were provided a complimentary stay at our hotel, meal at Old Hamlin and tickets at Lewis Farm Market. All opinions are my own.