Race Weekend
Hotels and Lodging
STAY AT CAMP! (North Star Reach)
$5,000+ Donation
Sleep where you swim and experience the magic of camp with overnight lodging in a cabin at North Star Reach! Become a dedicated fundraiser, grab your teammates, and you can sleep where you swim on Saturday, August 15, 2026. Come to
camp to pick up your race packet before settling in to one of our climate-controlled cabins and exploring camp at
your leisure for the rest of the day/evening. Each cabin has 2 full bathrooms, 6 bunk beds, and 2 semi-private
bedrooms. Cabins can sleep up to 12 people.
Host Hotels
Book your group rate for the 2026 Swim to the Moon!
Holiday Inn Express - Ann Arbor for $185.00 USD per night
Complimentary full hot breakfast buffet, parking & internet are included in room rate.
*Last Day to Book : July 15, 2026!
Hampton Inn & Suites - Ann Arbor for $159.00 USD per night
Complimentary hot breakfast offered daily, high-speed Wifi and parking are all included in the room rate.
*Last Day to Book : July 14, 2026!
Camping
Bruin Lake Campground in the Pinckney Recreation Area. Click here to reserve!
Parking & Shuttles
Parking is be available at Halfmoon Lake Beach in the Pinckney Recreation Area.
This race is held at a Michigan State Park, which requires a Recreation Passport, your year-round pass to Michigan’s great outdoors! Michigan residents can add it when renewing their license plate. Non-Michigan residents can purchase a daily or annual pass. Everyone can buy at the park entrance, but to save time on race day, we recommend taking care of it in advance. The link below has all your purchasing options.
michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/rec-pp
The Department of Natural Resources will be selling Recreation Passports at packet pickup. Cash only!
If you don't have a pass and arrive so early that nobody is at the gate, you may find something that looks like a ticket when you return to your car. No need to fret, it is not a ticket, just a notice asking you to pay the regular fee.
Sunday Shuttle Bus
No parking is available at North Star Reach. All 15K & 5K swimmers must take the shuttle bus.
Buses will begin departing from Halfmoon Lake Beach, 8725 Hankerd Rd, Gregory, MI, at 5:45 a.m. and will run every 15 minutes until 7:00 a.m. Spectators may not ride the bus.
Pick up the bus in the upper parking lot at Halfmoon Lake Beach.
Pre-Race Athlete Briefing
You are invited to join the pre-race athlete briefing the Tuesday before the race. The Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants.
