In this blog, we will review Ionia State Recreation Area in southern lower Michigan, about halfway between Grand Rapids and Lansing along the I-96 corridor. With approximately 4,500 acres, the rec area has opportunities for water sports, equestrian trail riding, hiking, and biking. There are also rustic, modern, and equestrian campgrounds and cabins. There are also cross-country skiing trails in winter.
The modern campground at Ionia has 98 campsites with 30-Amp electric but no city water or sewer connections and no 50-Amp sites. The sites can accommodate RVs with a maximum length of 45 feet. There are two dump stations at the campground, so the ratio of 49:1 is good. You likely will not have to wait long to dump tanks upon departure, given this ratio. The campsites also have picnic tables and fire rings and are basically level. We did not see laundry machines at the campground.
There is also a very nice beach concession store with snacks and Dole whips at Sessions Lake. This concession store is one of the few places I’ve seen Dole Whips outside of Disney properties or Hawaii. The concession store also has other snack and food items. You can rent Canoes, Kayaks, and fishing rowboats from the concession store to enjoy Sessions Lake. The beach at Sessions Lake is quite large and provides a nice place to enjoy the lake during warmer days.
There are five criteria we look at when rating a campground. First up, Hospitality and Check-In. We give this a 4 out of 5 as it was easy to check in. We did have to leave our vehicle and enter the main building to confirm our reservation and receive our site tag, but it was simple to do.
Next in our review is Infrastructure & Amenities, which we are giving a 4 out of 5. The main roads and campground loop roads were in very good condition, and it was easy to maneuver with the RV. The buildings, bathhouse facilities, and dump station were all in good shape. We already mentioned the excellent beach concession store that is a nice amenity. There is also playground equipment and a horseshoe area available. The two misses were a lack of a security gate at the park entrance and no laundry machines, both of which are rare in Michigan parks. Otherwise, the infrastructure is in very good shape.
Site Quality gets a 4 out of 5 as the campsites were in fine shape, with many of the sites having significant bushes or berms between the campsites. In this regard, privacy is excellent for many of the sites. The sites are well defined and generally level, and most are slightly angled to the road, making them relatively easy for backing in. The 30 Amp electricity on the site worked fine, although a reminder that there are no city water or sewer hookups available at the campsites.
Our Exercisability rating is 5 out of 5 as there are plenty of ways to exercise at the park. Besides the beach and water sport opportunities at Sessions Lake, there are also several miles of well-paved campground loop and park roads to run and bike on. While the Rec Area website mentions that there are only 3.5 miles of hiking trails, there are another 15 miles of equestrian trails and a designated 10.5 miles of cross-country skiing trails.[1] There is also an opportunity for mountain biking at some of the designated trails.
For our final rating, we are giving a 4 out of 5 for Workability as the bandwidth for AT&T and Verizon were both fair but usable. Using an iPhone X, we had speeds of 2.48 Mbps down and 1.19 Mbps up on AT&T. Using our Verizon 8800L Mifi, we experienced better speeds of 18.5 Mbps down and 2.53 Mbps up. This once again proves the point that if you travel by RV and plan to work remotely, you should carry service from at least the two leading wireless carriers to be safe.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay at Ionia State Recreation Area and thought it was a good value for the Michigan State Rec Area price. While the campground will likely have some bug issues in mid-summer to be aware of, there are many recreational activities to enjoy. The best time to visit is likely early to mid-fall to catch the cooler temps, fewer bugs, and great fall colors. It is one of only a few Michigan State Parks and Rec Areas inland from the Great Lakes, so if you are in mid-southern Michigan along the I-96 corridor between Grand Rapids and Lansing, you may want to stop by for a day or more and enjoy the amenities.
All the best in your camping endeavors!
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https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=461&type=SPRK#overview ↑