William C. Sterling State Park

The sand in parts of the beach is all finely crushed shells, really cool! Beach was clean, very little trash and water was nice and warm great place to swim. Good place to go fishing, great place to sit and relax.

We absolutely love it here!! The beach area has mostly grass and a small sandy shore (not far to walk!) and the trees along the beach help provide a lot of shade! There are also grills and tables for public use. Along with a playground, sheltered bathrooms, and vending machines. This has become a staple for us on a hot sunny day!

What a great park. If you like water, this is the park for you. They've inlet fishing access, and boat ramp, beach, and picnic area. There's a small walking trail too! Even on a summer Saturday, there was plenty of parking. There is wheel chair parking as well. There are several restrooms and shelters so one can retreat when needed. There are grills and picnic tables. There was an elven dollar admission, but the staff was friendly and helpful. Annual passes are available for those in proximity.

July 2025 - came here with the family over the 4th of July weekend. The place was packed. They have a shower and bathroom. The beach was nice and the water was warm. No issues and a good park to check out.

Returned today from Sterling state campground, and we loved it. We did tent camping. There were lot of RVs and very few tent campers. I would like to list what we loved: 1. The ground were leveled and soil was soft to fix stakes in. Whole campground was lush green with grass and few weeds. 2. You would be welcomed with nicely arranged swamp roses which were there in my campground too. Yes there are areas with native plants and milkweeds. 3. Our camping area was near restrooms. Restrooms and shower were very clean. 4. Outside restrooms were placed vending machines. Also separate trash cans were there for paper, waste and cans & bottles. 5. Lake Erie view was pleasing. Lake made weather pleasant. 6. There were activities for small kids like nature walk where the female staff was telling kids to write what they would observe while on their way to Lake Erie and they should write it downl. Provided kids with unlimited foam stickers and crayons to write. Today they had different type of clouds activities for kids. 7. Lake Erie is so cool, water is cold and beach has no fishy smell. Yes few dead fishes were washed off but otherwise walking around beach and tree areas were refreshing. 8. For tent camping, there is more than ample space. 9. Campground has electric outlets. 10. Common playground was there in campground and kids slides and play area was also there if you walk through beach where there was hotdog food truck too. 11. Cottages are there. Negatives that are not campground fault: 1. Lot of mayflies or June flies were there which was sticking around us, tents and out canopy. 2. Trees are small and hence canopy is required 3. First day when we arrived, it was extremely windy that was making it very hard to set up the tent and rainfly over it. 4. View of some power plant is visible. 5. Not private campground. Overall we all loved it, kids would not be bored and so are the adults.

We love Sterling for a quick local getaway. The campsites are huge, the campground, beach and bathrooms are all clean. The playground is nice and the trails are fun and scenic.

Great park and beach. Love all the trees by the beach for shade. The bathrooms need to be more attended to with cleaning and checking them every hour. They were awful. People need to clean up after themselves with there garbage.

Good for a stopover when traveling, that's about it. We have stayed here 3x and we use it solely as a place to sleep. The park is nice enough, but the power plant and location really leaves a lot to be desired. I guess if you are local, it provides access to some big and small water which is very convenient. That is it's redeeming quality If you are looking for even a somewhat secluded campground that has chill vibes, look elsewhere.

Great place with decent scenic view! Not too far from Detroit, about less than an hour drive. You can go for family picnic, photoshoot, fishing, walking, you name it.

To be honest I think I'm a fan - It's not summer yet but I can see this place being very buggy. I enjoy that it has options for boating, kayaking, fishing, and etc. - probably wouldn't suggest rollerblading or skating here since the pavement is broken up due to roots. I would definitely bring my dog back here for a nice hike and to see some of the birds - If you're into bird watching this is the place to go. Very peaceful! Happy hiking!

I'm on a mission to bang out a bunch of reviews I never got around to which is likely gonna equate to a bunch of low star assessments as if someplace was really all that I probably would have reviewed it already. I've been to worse parks than SSP but it's definitely in the lower tier. I doubt I'll ever go back. The trail around the lagoon was pretty nice; I hiked maybe half of it but there's lots of nice trails in southeast Michigan. I can't speak on the campground. For me the draw was the beach back in the sweltering August of 21. My second floor loft with no windows and no air conditioning had gotten to be unbearable as the summer dragged on so by the end of that August it seemed all I did was go to work and go to the beach. Within the span of one week I swam in Lake Michigan, hurrah!, Lake Huron, hurray! and Lake Erie, yeesh! Don't get me wrong. It was refreshing but I could feel how dirty that water was. I didn't feel like I wanted to shower after Huron and Michigan like I did with Eerie. The beach at Belle Isle on the Detroit River seems cleaner than here. I did caption my one photo with an old Peanuts movie reference "at the beautiful, beautiful beach" but pretty to look at and pleasant to be in are two different things. Fermi 2, the nuclear plant that almost lost us Detroit lurks in the background belching out smoke. I have no doubt it's a hell of a lot cleaner than a coal plant but it's still difficult not to envision three eyed fish a la The Simpsons. I don't know what the best bet for swimming in a natural body around here is but I feel like the shallowest and most polluted of our Great Lakes ain't it. There's gotta be some smaller lakes inland.

This review is only for the beach. It had great reviews everywhere so decided to try it out for the 4th of July weekend. Recreation passport is required to enter and it expires with your number plate. It's valid for all Michigan state parks. This is the only Michigan park on Lake Erie. There were lot of shade trees near the lake on the beach, picnic tables, restrooms and plenty of parking space. Good lengthy beach but was poorly maintained. Garbage and junk all over the area. Beach needs major clean up. I've never encountered so many smokers at the beach. Not suitable for family with kids.

Went for a day visit and had an okay experience. Walked the shoreline with my partner and enjoyed looking at the large trees and shells scattered along. For the most part the beach was clean, other than a used tampon applicator spotted in the middle of the shoreline. The sand had just been raked and had not settled yet which made walking difficult. Most camping guests were fairly respectful of the beach, although I was alarmed that there were many children swimming as a lightning storm started to roll in. The beach houses and RV spots are really close to the shore which is kind of a bummer if you're looking to enjoy the Great Lake. The nuclear steam towers in the distance did not bother me, I personally thought they were interesting to see.

One of our favorite places to camp cant ho wrong if u want paved bike walking trail, kayaking, beach time

This park is very large. There is a large lakefront with a good opportunity for swimming. Use caution as there are not lifeguards and currents run past this location rather swiftly. In the park are a number of small bodies of water. There was, apparently, a coal dump around there somewhere now within the confines of the park. There is a unique water discharge project going on involving releasing groundwater into the lake somewhere offshore. It is a popular place for picnics There is camping on site. Across the lake is a nuclear plant at Monroe, Michigan, and another large coal burning plant to the south. It is a strange site to see while enjoying the park. There are plenty of play areas for children. Parks within the park. The facilities are very good. The rest rooms are kept clean.

This park is pretty nice. There aren't many trees and the lake is kind of murky sometimes. The beach is nice to walk on.

Had an amazing time with my family at this lake. So neat to swim in a fresh water lake and have an amazing time with my family. Lots of tables and not too crowded. Great play ground. But we mostly hung out and swam.

We visited for a camping trip labor day weekend, and the campground was 100% full. This is a park primarily full of campers with RVs. Our 2 person lightweight tent was the smallest I saw on the whole site! Overall the campground seemed family oriented and wasn't overly loud despite being full. We say DNR officers making rounds too. Appears that the camp host offers services and activities primarily on weekends, and theres even a "little library". It has full bathrooms and showers which were reasonably clean. This is a VERY urban campground, little to no tree cover on the camp sites. The beach is fairly nice but be aware that the sand closer to and into the water is like 90% broken up shells. I wouldn't go swim or go more than a foot into the waves without water shoes! Despite the smoke stacks and Fermi nuclear stacks, it can be quite scenic. Theres also a nice long nature trail and plenty of fishing areas (both with a fishing pier or to use a boat). As with all Michigan parks there is a fee for entrance or you need a rec pass, and there's a cost to camp. Weekends in summer you'll definitely want to reserve online. I recommend a site on the outside of the loop nearer the lake.

Nice grounds, lake was cool... few services though. We've stayed in over 60 rv parks and campgrounds in 12 states and had not experienced one having no water at each rv site until this one in Michigan. We had to fill our water tank at the front gate.

Nice beach, nice modern restrooms. Large RV spots. Limited staff except for a DNR guy that enforces rules . Regarding our golf cart , golf cart rules that are not clear or posted. I guess they would rather have big vehicles drive around then golf carts. Road coming is looks smooth but has expansion cracks for a mile that are very tough on suspension. Also, They did surprise us with a day use charges in addition to the camping fee that was not mentioned reserving the spot.

I've been here several times, all seasons... The trail is pretty to walk and they have a camp ground toward the back. Overall they've got pretty clean beaches with nice views, but the seagull population is crazy!

Nice place to camp. Park it's self was nice and clean. Bath houses and shower areas were nice and clean. Lots were nice and deep. It was nice to be able to sit at the camper and not feel like we were out by the road where everyone was walking by. The beach was beautiful! Lots of shade trees to take some shelter from the sun.

This is a great state park! First time visiting, it is small but it has great trails, beach area, picnic area and restrooms. They offer camping here as well. My trip was a mini day trip and we had a blast! Walked the beach and picked up some awesome shells! The bathrooms were also amazingly clean! Would very much recommend, it is small but that's what makes it great!

I love this park. I read the reviews of others but you have an open mind of what's available there. If you like to hike, bike, and or view nature you can't beat this park. There's an incredible amount of wildlife there. The wetlands was a travel location by many Europeans in the 1800's. You have to read the billboards posted around the park to realize it's importance.

Drop-in for Lake Erie. Nice docks, bathrooms and fish cleaning station with power. Do NOT IGNORE THE NO WAKE SIGNS. You will get yelled at by the fisherman if you make ANY wake. It's just rude anyway. EZ-in and EZ-out. No powerloading and I am glad for it. Only improvement would be to have some sort of security around once in awhile.

Umm what? State Park?! This campground is basically like a parking lot between electrical smoke stacks and a nuclear plant. Kids ran amok completely unsupervised until nearly midnight and we had people walking through our campsite all day and night. I also "loved" the car alarm somebody set off across from us in the middle of the night. Boo! We've been so pleased with other camping experiences and state parks in MI, but we will not come to this one again!

Beach was clean and nice. Well taken care of. It was a bit windy and chilly on the day we went, so we didn't go in the water.

Very pretty and clean. Amazing views! Loved the camping area and beautiful Lake Erie. The boardwalk was nice as well.

This is a really nice state park camp ground. It still looks almost brand new. There are s row of sites that are across from the beach. For some reason it doesn't rain much here, so if you camp here, water a tree!

Water is disgusting and view is terrible with a factory nearby. Came for forth of July. After taking a shower in my home it left the tub with a green color residue. Never going back again

Awesome fishing. Nice grounds. Need to get pass online before you go. Off boat ramp you can catch large and small mouth bass.

Nice, clean park with various places to kayak. Lots of trails for walking, biking, and puppies. Nearby off of I-75, Exit 15. Take the Burger King side and go left. This area has reasonably priced hotels and fast food places so you don't have to rough it if you don't want to.

I love this place. The fishing everywhere in the park is amazing. The trails are long and well maintained. Always alot of room to park and even on the busy days at the beach, there's still nice quiet spots to relax.

Nice State Park but they charge you in Michigan to visit State Parks. Lots of garbage and their crew were actually sleeping on benches when they could be cleaning. Their facilities were a little rundown. Maybe that's why they needed to charge us to get to the shore.

I was looking for a Lake Erie beach close by and found sterling state park. It had decent reviews so I decided to check it out but was pretty disappointed... there was trash all over the place (I'm guessing because it was Fourth of July week?) and there's a huge factory blowing out smoke in the near distance. Not a very aesthetically pleasing spot. It would be a nice place to swim if they would at least clean up the trash.

Came here the other day with the kids and sister, it was wonderful how much beach there is and you don't have to sit on top of other beach goers. Although it was rocky and the crushed up shells along the beach were kind of annoying it wouldn't stop me from coming back. I wanna check out the fishing spots next! It was clean and quiet but it was also a week day but there is no doubt that it would be any different on the weekend! It was also very easy to get to right off 75! Definitely worth a visit.

Nice location. Lots are not large and located close together. Located on the shore of Lake Erie. Paved trails great for bike riding . Places to launch boats and docks to fish from. Close to reaturaunts and attractions. Approx 30 miles from Detroit and surrounding towns. Close to Ann Arbor and Flint. Park sits at the edge of a power plant if you don't let that bother you it is a very nice place

This is probably the worst camping experience I have ever had. It is basically a glorified parking lot with little to no regard for assigned lots or personal space. The bathroom started off clean, but it did not remain that way for long as most of the visitors had a low aptitude for social awareness. I had one neighbor and his kids treat my site as thoroughfare to and from their lot to the rest of the park. A second neighbor accidentally set off his car alarm and also forgot how to turn it off for about ten minutes around midnight, which woke me up, but didn't seem to bother the rest of the campsite because everyone's kids were still riding around on bikes. A third neighbor left food out for the morning creatures to fight over. A forth neighbor had little respect for the surrounding children and would yell a curse words as if he had Tourette's. All and in all I would never recommend this site or come back to it.

Nice clean park on Lake Erie. But, whatever happened to camper etiquette? We had people constantly cutting through our site. Then they would be surprised when they came upon our dog.

This is a beautiful clean state park. There is a large beach on Lake Erie. You can camp or fish in this park. There is a dock for unloading your boat. The camp sites have electrical and water connections. This is across the street from hotels and has an easy access point.

Maybe I'm a little bias since I live in the area and have been to numerous state parks all throughout the state, but I would rank Sterling as one of the least desirable state parks. The only good thing about it is its convenience for fishing. The lagoons have some good shore fishing, and the boat launch is one of the few public access points to Lake Erie. Overall, the park is very bland and uninviting. The walking trails around the lagoon are peaceful and scenic. The campground is basically an open field with a giant power plant looming over you, where the whole area is apparently designated a free-for-all playground. The beach area is disgusting, and I don't know how anyone would let their kids swim in the nasty water, which is constantly advised against due to high levels of bacteria. I give a generous 2-stars, because if Sterling wasn't there, then there would be nothing there. It's worth the drive to simply go somewhere else for camping, fishing, or to spend the day at the beach.

It was clean and quiet and such but there weren't any trees between each site, that was very lame. It was like a giant parking lot. I wouldn't go again.

We camp at Sterling more than any other place. Living Downriver it's only an hour drive which makes it really convenient. As a previous review said, the campground doesn't have many trees, but the sites are good sized and you can get some privacy and the edge sites have shade. They have full hookup and pull through sites; the beach and campground are clean and well patrolled. The really nice thing about this park is that it does have a lot to do; the beach is on Lake Erie, with a boat launch. There are paved nature trails along the lake and into the woods that connect into Monroe (a long ride), play grounds for the kids and a fishing lagoon with kayak rental. One of my favorite places to camp.

I drove down from the Southfield area on Labor Day weekend. I've lived in Michigan for a lot of my Life but hadn't seen it yet. The beach is actually quite narrow, with a lot of shade trees (which is nice.) The water is full of shells. It was mostly families there. There is a boat launch area and a camping area, as others have mentioned. There are hotels and restaurants nearby.

I love this park. It's near my house and my husband and I run and bike the trails at least twice a week. It's beautiful and shady and we see a ton of wildlife. Awesome addition to Monroe county.

The park is nice but it's not really a tourist friendly. First of all I only visited here once today and I am just expressing my experience. Nothing more. I moved to Ann Arbor less than a week ago from Tucson, AZ. Before AZ I lived in WA for 20 years. I had to pay $9 to get into the state park that is not much to see here. If you have a Michigan license plate the price is $11 per year but like I said I recently moved from AZ. There are so many impressive National parks/State parks all over the states and this park is nice but not worth $9 entry fee. Also one local does not represent a whole neighborhood but I parked few minutes at the parking lot full of trucks with fishing boats and got yelled at loudly to move my car to elsewhere. I actually went to this park because my mom is visiting from WA and wanted to show around. This fat ignorant white middle aged men with big truck as big as his giant ass ruined my day. I wished that he drowns his heavy body full of fat and ignorance with his big ugly boat. I will stay in my nice Ann Arbor bubble for a while. People have manners in Ann Arbor. They must be educated or have mothers who taught them well.

The beach is pretty. The water is unthinkably ugly. It is a solid gree or black from solid algae blooms. The white caps roll in looking like the color of asparagus. I didn't even wade in it. Someone please do something about this!