
Why Are There So Few State Parks on Michigan’s ‘Thumb Shore?’
Michigan is a water and winter wonderland - just ask those who carry that popular slogan on their license plate. That wonderland exploration for many means Michigan's state parks.
Up and down the Lake Michigan coast, state parks abound from Warren Dunes near the Indiana state line to Wilderness State Park. The Upper Peninsula has many of the state's notable natural areas like Tahquamenon Falls and the Porcupine Mountains.
👇🏼BELOW: The Only Destination For These Highways are Michigan State Parks👇🏼
Consider now the state's Lake Huron coast. From Port Huron north through the entirety of the Thumb, there is just a single state park.
That park is Lakeport State Park in St Clair County. It includes a beach area and campgrounds and is 20 miles north of Port Huron.
Continue north along the Thumbcoast along M-25, a full 75 miles of coastline to the Thumb-tip at Port Austin and Port Crescent State Park which is actually on the eastside outlet of Saginaw Bay and offers a few miles of sandy beachfront.
That lack of beaches may be the issue with the lack of state parks along this stretch of Michigan shoreline.
Check out these Thumbshore cities and the tiny beaches:
Port Sanilac
Lexington Beach
Port Hope
Harbor Beach
Forestville
While natural recreational opportunities are plentiful along the Lake Huron coast, unlike the Lake Michigan side, don't expect the wide, sweeping sandy beaches and dunes of the west side of the state.

The Only Destination For These Highways are Michigan State Parks
Gallery Credit: Google Maps Street View
These Very Special Streets Run Directly Along the Coast of Lake Michigan
Gallery Credit: Eric Meier