🌤 Weather at Walter J. Hayes State Park by season
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24–70 °F | 54–84 °F | 28–76 °F | 13–36 °F |
Each range runs from the coldest monthly average low to the warmest monthly average high in that season (1991-2020 climate normals), measured at Tipton 2WNW, 3 mi away, elevation 970 ft. Conditions at the park can differ from the station, especially where elevation differs — check a forecast before you go.
Hayes State Park is a public state park in Michigan near Onsted in Lenawee, Jackson, Washtenaw County. It is a two-lake park in the Irish Hills: Wamplers Lake for boating and swimming, Round Lake for the campground.
Quick Facts
| State | Michigan |
| Nearest City | Onsted |
| County | Lenawee, Jackson, Washtenaw |
| Google Rating | ⭐ 4.5/5 (600 reviews) |
| Accessibility | Accessible There are accessible restrooms and changing rooms in the beach house located in the day-use area on Wamplers Lake. JR’s Food Concessions runs a general store that sells food and camping items and rents float mats. available. Accessible There are accessible boating access sites on Wamplers and Round lakes. Please keep in mind that Round Lake is a no-wake lake and that parking is limited at this location. available. Accessible There is an accessible fishing pier located on Round Lake, adjacent to the boating access site. available. Accessible There is a picnic shelter located in the park’s day-use area that includes picnic tables, charcoal grills and electrical service (reservations only). Shelter reservations can be made 12 months in advance at MiDNRReservations.com. There are connected modern restrooms. available. |
Location & Getting There
Hayes State Park is located near Onsted, Michigan. The park’s coordinates are 42.0711, -84.1316.
Things to Do
W.J. Hayes is a two-lake park in Michigan’s Irish Hills, and the two lakes do different jobs. Wamplers Lake — about 780 acres, 38 feet deep, an all-sports lake — carries the day-use side: the buoyed swim beach, the beach house with accessible restrooms and changing rooms, a concession store that rents float mats, and a public launch for the boats that chase its largemouth bass (a DNR mark-recapture survey estimated some 2,500 of them), crappie and bluegill. Round Lake — 50 acres, 50 feet deep, a no-wake glacial kettle — belongs to the campers: the 180-site modern campground wraps around it, an accessible fishing pier sits beside its launch, and that launch is reserved for campers on summer weekends. A channel widened in 1929 links the two.
The land side is modest: the Red and Blue foot trails run between the two campground loops, and the DNR lists snowshoeing among the park’s winter uses. This is a lake park first — plan around the water.
Best Time to Visit
Summer is the beach-and-boat season and the campground fills on weekends, when Round Lake’s launch closes to day visitors. Spring and fall give anglers both lakes with far less traffic. Winter is quieter than you’d expect for a park this close to Detroit and Toledo: roughly one in five anglers surveyed for the park’s management plan fishes here through the ice. The DNR opened that draft general management plan for public comment in March 2026, and it floats — but has not adopted — a partial hunting opening to manage the deer herd.
Visitor Tips
There are no tickets: entry is by Michigan Recreation Passport, $15 a year for Michigan-plated vehicles (added at plate renewal; no daily pass exists for residents), $42 a year or $12 a day for out-of-state plates — as of September 2026. The 180 campsites all have paved pads and 20- or 30-amp electric, with full water hookups on sites 1–10, a shower building and a three-lane dump station; book up to 6 months ahead at midnrreservations.com or 800-447-2757. Two mini-cabins (sites 85 and 87, sleeping four, heated, bring your own bedding) and two tiny houses — “Superior” and the accessible “Wolverine,” each sleeping four with bath, A/C and a small kitchen — add roofed options.
The entrance is at 1220 Wamplers Lake Road, Onsted, just north of US-12 (517-467-7401), about an hour south of Lansing and within easy reach of Ann Arbor, Detroit and Toledo; Michigan International Speedway is roughly 7 miles away. The park’s 654 acres began as a 100-acre Adrian State Park in 1920 and took the Hayes name in 1930, when Mercy J. Hayes donated land on condition it honor her brother, Senator Walter J. Hayes.
Fees, facilities and plan details verified against michigan.gov/dnr and the DNR’s 2026 draft general management plan on September 2, 2026. Fees change — confirm before you travel.
Explore More Michigan State Parks
Hayes State Park is one of many outstanding state parks in Michigan. Discover more parks in our Best State Parks in Michigan guide, or use our Park Finder to search by activity, location, or features.
Wildlife & Nature
Hayes SP — on Wamplers Lake in Lenawee County — provides swimming, camping, and fishing in Michigan’s Irish Hills region. The park’s rolling glacial terrain, lakes, and hardwood forest support white-tailed deer, coyotes, and wild turkeys. Large-mouth bass and bluegill fill the lakes. Great blue herons wade the shallows. Osprey dive for fish.
Nearby Attractions
Irish Hills — surrounding. Cambridge Junction HSP — 10 miles east — has the Walker Tavern. Michigan International Speedway — 15 miles east — has NASCAR. Adrian — 15 miles south.
More parks in Michigan: Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve and Cambridge Junction Historic State Park. See the full Michigan state parks guide.
🐾 Dogs & Pets at Walter J. Hayes State Park
- Pets allowed? statewide rule
- Pets are welcome in Michigan state parks, campgrounds, harbors and state-designated trails, except designated swim beaches and other posted areas.
- Leash rule statewide rule
- Pets must always be on a 6-foot leash and under the owner's immediate control.
- Beaches & swim areas statewide rule
- Pets are prohibited in buoyed swim areas but allowed along the shoreline outside them (on a 6-ft leash, even in the water); 50+ parks have pet-friendly shoreline or designated dog beaches.
- Cabins & lodging statewide rule
- Up to two pets (cats and dogs only) allowed at ~12 parks' designated pet-friendly cabins, yurts and lodges; $10 per night per pet (cabins) or $15 (lodges); otherwise pets barred from overnight lodging.
- Pet fees statewide rule
- No day-use pet fee; pet-friendly lodging costs $10/night per pet (cabins) or $15/night per pet (lodges).
- Statewide exceptions statewide rule
- Leash laws do not apply to dogs used for hunting on land open to such use; pets may not be left unattended.
Are dogs allowed at Walter J. Hayes State Park?
Pets are welcome in Michigan state parks, campgrounds, harbors and state-designated trails, except designated swim beaches and other posted areas. Individual parks can post stricter rules — check signage on arrival.
Rules verified July 2026 via michigan.gov. More: Michigan state parks guide · Dog rules in all 50 states compared
Park Location
Plan your gear for Walter J. Hayes State Park
From our editorial guides, matched to this park’s activities:
