Warren Dunes State Park Camping: The Complete 2026 Michigan Guide

Warren Dunes State Park camping puts you on 3 miles of Lake Michigan beach in the far southwest corner of Michigan, below dunes that rise about 260 feet above the water. The park covers 1,500 acres in Sawyer, close to the Indiana line. The DNR calls it the unofficial gateway to Michigan's state parks from the west, and it is one of the busiest parks in the state on summer weekends. It has two campgrounds, three mini cabins and a youth group camp. Book early.

This guide covers the Warren Dunes State Park campground, the campground map, rates, reservations, the beach and dog beach, the dunes and trails, and what to know before you go.

Warren Dunes State Park Camping: The Basics

• Address: 12032 Red Arrow Highway, Sawyer, MI 49125.
• Phone: 269-426-4013 (park). Reservations: 1-800-447-2757 or MiDNRReservations.com.
• Operator: Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
• Size: 1,500 acres, with 3 miles of shoreline and 6 miles of hiking trails.
• Is Warren Dunes State Park free? No. Every vehicle needs a Recreation Passport, including campers. Michigan residents usually add it when they renew their license plate. Out-of-state visitors can buy one at the park. See our Michigan camping guide for how the passport works.

Where is Warren Dunes? On Red Arrow Highway in Berrien County, just off I-94. The campgrounds sit about 1.5 miles from the park entrance and about 2 miles by road from the beach. The walk is about 3¼ miles, so most campers drive to the day-use lots.

The Warren Dunes Campgrounds

There are two campgrounds next to each other at the north end of the park, plus cabins and a group camp.

Mt. Randall Modern Campground

Mt. Randall is the main campground, with 182 sites in two loops. Every site has electricity, and some have 50-amp service. There are pull-through sites, a playground and three modern toilet and shower buildings. Sites are a mix of shady, sunny and wooded. If you search for "Warren Dunes Mt. Randall campground," this is it.

Hildebrandt Semi-Modern Campground

Hildebrandt has 37 sites and is more rustic. It has no electric service. Most sites are sunny and open, and a few are wooded and more private. Hildebrandt has vault toilets, but you can walk five minutes to the Mt. Randall shower buildings. Tent campers who want a quieter night often pick it. (You will also see it spelled "Hilldebrandt.")

Warren Dunes Mini Cabins

There are three rustic mini cabins in the first loop of Mt. Randall. They are Pine (site 5), Oak (site 51) and Hemlock (site 65). Pine and Hemlock are in the open, and Oak is shaded. Each cabin sleeps six, with two full-size beds and two single bunks. Inside there is a table, a bench seat, a ceramic heater and electricity. Outside there is a small deck, a picnic table, a fire pit and a cook grill. Bring your own linens and cookware.

Youth Group-Use Campground

The organizational campground has six rustic sites for groups of up to 100, with picnic tables, fire pits, a hand pump for water and vault toilets. You can't book it online. Call the park at 269-426-4013.

Warren Dunes Campground Map

Open the Warren Dunes camp map (a PDF on the park's DNR page) before you book. Here is how to read it:

• Sites 1–185 make up Mt. Randall's two loops. The mini cabins are at sites 5, 51 and 65, and the 50-amp sites are marked on the map.
• Sites 186–222 are Hildebrandt, north of Mt. Randall.
• The map also marks the office, host site, firewood, water, restrooms, the sanitation station and the walking path between the two campgrounds.

The separate Warren Dunes State Park map shows the beach, the picnic areas, the dog beach, the trails and the parts of the park that are closed to hunting.

Best campsites at Warren Dunes: choose Mt. Randall if you want hookups and a hot shower close by. The cabin loop is good for families. Choose Hildebrandt for more space and quieter nights. Neither campground is on the beach, so plan to drive to the day-use area.

Warren Dunes Camping Reservations and Rates

Book on MiDNRReservations.com or call 1-800-447-2757. Michigan opens campsites and cabins 6 months ahead, to the day of arrival. New dates open at 8 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends. Summer weekends at Warren Dunes go fast, so book when your date opens. There is a non-refundable reservation fee of $8 online or $10 by phone.

The DNR's 2026 rate table lists:

• Mt. Randall: $45 a night for 20/30-amp sites, $50 for 50-amp sites and $60 for full-hookup sites.
• Hildebrandt: $40 a night (no electric).
• Mini cabins: $80 a night.
• Youth group camp: $20 per group of six.

Rates change, so check the reservation site for the price on your dates. The Recreation Passport is extra.

Camping rules: check-in is at 3 p.m. and checkout is by 1 p.m. Cabin check-in is 4 p.m. and checkout is noon. Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., and you can't run generators then. If you can't check in by 3 p.m. on the day after your arrival date, change your reservation. Otherwise it is canceled automatically.

Is Warren Dunes Open? Seasons and Closures

The DNR's 2026 table gives a May 1 to October 21 reservation season for Mt. Randall, Hildebrandt and the cabins. The youth group camp is listed as open all year. The 2026 camping season is over, so check MiDNRReservations.com for 2027 dates. With the 6-month window, May dates open in November.

We checked for closures when we wrote this guide. We found no current DNR closure or construction notice for Warren Dunes. The day-use park stays open in winter for hiking and cross-country skiing. The sanitation station runs Memorial Day to Labor Day. Hunting is allowed in parts of the park, so call the park for the rules and wear bright colors on the trails in fall.

Warren Dunes Beach and Dog Beach

The Warren Dunes beach is the main reason people come. There is a buoyed swim area along the day-use lots and three accessible bathroom buildings with foot showers. Five picnic areas line the entrance road.

• Accessibility: three 100-foot accessible walkways run from the sidewalk toward the water. They stop just short of the water's edge. You can borrow one of two beach wheelchairs at the ranger station.
• Dog beach: pets can use the shore north of the northernmost swim buoy, which gives you about 2.5 miles of dog-friendly beach. Keep dogs on a 6-foot leash. See our camping with dogs guide.
• Food and rentals: the Big Springs Souvenir Shop in the beach building sells snacks and ice cream. Food trucks park in the beach lot from May through Labor Day. Third Coast Surf, by lot 2, rents paddleboards, kayaks and paddleboats from mid-May through Labor Day.

Warren Dunes weather and water temperature: Lake Michigan stays cold into early summer and is warmest in late summer. Wind can bring big waves and dangerous currents, so check the beach flags before you swim. Nights by the lake are cool even in July.

The Dunes and Trails

The park's dunes have their own names on the map: Tower Hill, Mt. Randall, Pikes Peak, Mt. Fuller and Mt. Edward. Climbing Tower Hill and running down the sand is a Warren Dunes tradition. The Great Warren Dunes Natural Area protects the larger open dunes, wooded dunes and wetlands. Hang gliding is allowed with a permit.

The 6 miles of hiking trails connect numbered posts, and most legs on the park map are a mile or less. Bring water, because the dune sand gets very hot by midday. The park is on a bird migration route, so spring and fall are good for birding.

Warren Woods State Park, about seven minutes away, is a 311-acre nature preserve with towering beech trees. It makes a good shady half-day trip.

Other Rules to Know

• Alcohol is banned in the park from April 1 to September 30.
• Firewood: don't bring it from home. Buy local or certified heat-treated wood. The camp map marks the firewood spot.
• Metal detecting is allowed only in marked areas, and only registered campers can use detectors in the campgrounds.
• Nature programs have finished for 2026 and start again around Memorial Day 2027.

Hotels near Warren Dunes State Park: Sawyer, Bridgman and New Buffalo all have places to stay, including the Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo.

Recommended Gear

Lake Michigan weather changes quickly, and you will walk a lot of sand here.

• Coleman Sundome Camping Tent: an easy, weatherproof tent for a Mt. Randall or Hildebrandt site. See how to set up a tent.
• Helinox Chair One: a light chair you can carry from the lot to the beach. See our best camping chairs roundup.
• Black Diamond Spot 400-R Headlamp: for the dark campground loops and the walk to the showers.

For the rest of your list, use our camping checklist and pack for camping in the rain.

More Great Lakes Dune Camping

Warren Dunes is one of the closest Michigan dune parks to Chicago. Just across the state line, try Indiana Dunes National Park camping. Farther north, see Sleeping Bear Dunes. On the Wisconsin shore, try Kohler-Andrae State Park. For Illinois, see Starved Rock. For more family picks, see our family-friendly campgrounds list, and plan your campfire with local wood.