Parks & Recreation

Michigan
Newaygo County Parks and Recreation Commission
  • 4684 Evergreen Drive (M-37)
    Newaygo, MI 49337
  • (231) 689-7340
    (231) 689-7341

Welcome to Newaygo County Parks! The Newaygo County Parks System includes a Marina and five County Parks with day use and modern campground facilities. To enhance your outdoor experience, we are surrounded by the World Class Muskegon River, North Country National Scenic Trail, 4,000-acre Hardy Pond, and the 538,000-acre Manistee National Forest. Our newest addition, currently under construction, is the 40+-mile natural surface trail around Hardy Pond known as Michigan’s Dragon at Hardy Dam.

Newaygo County is known for its world-class natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities. Most notable is its world-class fishing, hundreds of miles of trails, thousands of acres of public lands, and some wonderful small towns to explore. We hope you will go out and explore Newaygo County and its beautiful communities during your next stay with us. Check out our tourism website to plan your next Newaygo County adventure during your visit.

We hope you enjoy our parks and Newaygo County. Make sure you like, and follow us, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We want to see how you are enjoying our parks, so please tag us on social media during your adventures. Also, to learn more about our camping cabins, please check out our Cabin Tour Video below.

Camping Cabin Tour

2023/2024 Winter Updates

Our campgrounds are closed for the season and will reopen on Friday, May 3rd, at 9 am.  We are currently updating our software to the newest system, so we will push the reservation start date back by a few days.  Online and over-the-phone reservations for the 2024 camping season will start on January 3rd, 2024, at 10 am.

If you are interested in a 2024 seasonal campsite, please contact Park Headquarters at (231) 689-7340 to be added to the waiting list or check availability for 2024. The 2025 Sandy Beach Seasonal lottery is on Saturday, August 17, at 8 am; you can pick up a lotto packet at the Sandy Beach Park Office in mid-July. 

When you are in our Parks next season, you may see several park improvements that have been completed or are taking place.   Our Park Customers who book reservations and purchase vehicle passes fund these improvements.  Thank you for your continued support in making these projects possible in 2024!

Hardy Pond Water Level Update

Consumer’s Energy has stated water levels will start lowering on November 1 with water levels returning to normal by the Friday before Memorial Day the next year.  Moving forward, water levels will follow this cycle for the foreseeable future.  Therefore, boat ramps and docks will not be open until the Friday before Labor Day at Hardy Dam County Marina and Sandy Beach County Park.

Sandy Beach County Park

Hardy Pond Water Level Update Consumer’s Energy has stated water levels will not start lowering until November 1, with water levels returning to normal levels by

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John Graves Lodge

The historic John Graves Lodge overlooking Little Placid Lake is available for group rentals. The lodge is a partnership between Newaygo County Parks and the

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