w j hayes state park

William J Hayes State Park in Onsted, Michigan, is a treat! I went there on my own and came out of there feeling so full of peace! The lake alone is awesome... the water is SO clean that you can see the stones in the bottom of the lake! There were swans swimming peacefully and the whole view surrounding the lake was just awesome to behold. PEACEFUL.The drive through the State Park is a treat, the trees are so gorgeous!The once-a-year fee for a state pass for the parks is only $11 and is really so inexpensive for what you get to enjoy, it is SO worth it, and it helps to maintain the parks, so that's a plus.(One yearly pass covers ALL the state parks, so really it's a bargain.)There are play areas for the kids, nice beaches, and plenty of opportunities for great photos.

Although this park was clean and the staff very nice, the campsites are too small and there is absolutely no privacy. We were fine with our equipment, but if you have a big rig, you cannot get the rig on the site and your car. You have to park across the end of the site or on the site itself. You are right on top of your neighbour. I would recommend you bring your own drinking water as the public water spigots has very dirty looking water. I am sure it is safe to drink but it doesn't look very appealing. The swimming area is nice and there is lots of picnic tables, washrooms and a concession stand. Not a lot of sand for the little ones to play in.We had a good week but I won't be going back to this park anytime soon. I love lots of trees and privacy and there are many parks in Michigan that fill these requirements.