Jones Landing Park

Only 13 trailer spots, and the 15 vehicle-only spaces are shared with park-goers — beachgoers, birthday parties, pavilion rentals. On summer weekends and holidays like the 4th of July, you'll be parking on the road shoulder and walking. Get there early if you want a real spot, especially mid-June through August.

Coming back to the launch after dark is a real adventure — there's zero lighting on the dock. If you're planning an evening run on the lake, mark the launch on your GPS and have a good spotlight ready, because you will not find it by sight alone.

Walloon Lake has a swimmers itch problem here, particularly mid-June. The shallow wading area near the beach seems to be the worst zone. It's not a one-off thing — it's a recurring issue at this end of the lake. Towel off fast if you end up in the water during loading.

One lane means one boat at a time — be ready to go before you back down. It's a well-maintained ramp and the approach is clean, but during peak summer Saturdays you can stack up three or four trailers deep waiting. Weekday mornings are a completely different experience, practically no wait.

This is the quiet west arm of Walloon Lake, away from the big-money east side. You're ten minutes from Petoskey, the facilities are genuinely clean and well-kept, and it's dog-friendly and universally accessible — accessible beach, pavilion, and restrooms, with a rinse shower at the beach. For a small township park, it punches well above its weight.