Mears State Park
Charles Mears was a lumber baron with an immense fortune, a Michigan state senator, and a resident of Lincoln, Michigan. At one time, he owned more than 200 million feet of standing timber in Mason and Lake Counties over thousands of acres of land. Eventually, the lumbering industry in Michigan died down, and Mears retired to Chicago, leaving his fortune and land to his children. Upon the creation of the Michigan State Park System in 1919, Charles Mears’ daughter Carrie donated a 16-acre plot of land just north of the Pentwater River Channel to establish a state park. Mears State Park was one of the 13 original state parks to open after approval from the Michigan State Parks Commission. The park was later expanded to 50 acres and today offers one of the finest beaches on Lake Michigan. Mears State Park is also one of the most consistently full campgrounds in the state, located between the sprawling beach and Old Baldy, a sand dune that can be hiked and then run down behind the campground. One of the best things about the park is that it is under a 10-minute walk from downtown Pentwater, giving campers and beachgoers access to shops, restaurants, and other entertainment. I spent many long days of my youth on the sandy beach of Mears State Park with my grandparents, and it is a place I think about often.
