The Easy Way To Check How Busy Holland State Park Is

Lower Michigan is in the midst of a pretty intense heat wave that has seen Holland and Muskegon hit new record high temperatures with 94° and 93° respectively, records that hadn't been broken since 1905 and 1957.

Like every Michigander when they hear it's going to be hot, my first thought after hearing it was going to be 90° for an entire week was

wait that's going to be perfect beach weather...

and as such, the beaches were absolutely packed over the weekend. I mean, LOOK at these conditions.

My go-to beach is Holland State Park. One of the best beaches in the state in my opinion. So when it comes to knowing if the beach is going to be insanely busy where there is no parking and nowhere to set up your towel, there is a backdoor way to get a 24-hour view of the beach you can access anytime: The Holland State Park Live-cam.

Provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Michigan DNR, the City of Holland, and Park Township, there is a live stream of the Holland State Park and surrounding areas that was launched in 2020. It's a wonderful tool that shows visitors the current weather conditions at the beach (and also shows how busy the beach is on a good day). It has been used by first responders on multiple occasions to provide an aerial view of the lake when needed.

Next time you're considering a trip to the beach or visiting to watch the sunset, give the live stream a view before you head in. Oh, and don't forget the sunscreen.