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A friend and I were interested in doing some fishing from the yaks and camping overnight, so we settled on HMI because of its proximity, especially compared to Assateague. After researching options I settled on North Point state park because it was a short paddle, looked interesting for trolling, and seemed like boat traffic would be limited for early morning. The trolling was pretty horrific. Imagine massive grassy, weed areas all the way up to the surface plaguing the water throughout. We pulled lines up and didn't bother for the rest of the trip. I would not recommend trolling it this time of year, even with still water.
I made sure I was educated on the rules and regulations for both state parks, but both were outdated/conflicting that NPS have posted, which frustrated me. I received a notice from my family that evening that police had come by concerned about my overnight parked vehicle in the park; thinking that a potential search and rescue may be needed. If you look carefully on the DNR page, parking overnight is allowed, but with advance notification. The catch is the visitor center is only open Wednesday-Sunday. We were greeted by a NPS (ranger?) in the morning who asked if we were the party that had the overnight vehicle, informed us we might be fined, and then we paid her for the campsite. Talking to her, she mentioned that for overnight parking, North Point was not an option, which directly conflicts with the DNR page, so if you are thinking of making the trip out there be sure to call and get a straight answer. In terms of amenities the HMI DNR page is incorrect if you plan on camping out there. There is no running water available, and supposedly it never was available (DNR site boasts of having running water). Male toilets were open, but female toilets were locked up. There weren't many boats around the island either, which was really nice and no other campers, so it's a relaxing experience out there.
It was a relaxing couple days of camping and kayaking. Definitely not worth fishing. I thought I would add this in case anyone else was thinking about this location/trip, so they would have accurate information.
I made sure I was educated on the rules and regulations for both state parks, but both were outdated/conflicting that NPS have posted, which frustrated me. I received a notice from my family that evening that police had come by concerned about my overnight parked vehicle in the park; thinking that a potential search and rescue may be needed. If you look carefully on the DNR page, parking overnight is allowed, but with advance notification. The catch is the visitor center is only open Wednesday-Sunday. We were greeted by a NPS (ranger?) in the morning who asked if we were the party that had the overnight vehicle, informed us we might be fined, and then we paid her for the campsite. Talking to her, she mentioned that for overnight parking, North Point was not an option, which directly conflicts with the DNR page, so if you are thinking of making the trip out there be sure to call and get a straight answer. In terms of amenities the HMI DNR page is incorrect if you plan on camping out there. There is no running water available, and supposedly it never was available (DNR site boasts of having running water). Male toilets were open, but female toilets were locked up. There weren't many boats around the island either, which was really nice and no other campers, so it's a relaxing experience out there.
It was a relaxing couple days of camping and kayaking. Definitely not worth fishing. I thought I would add this in case anyone else was thinking about this location/trip, so they would have accurate information.
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