If you’re planning a trip to the third largest of the five Great Lakes of America, make sure you visit the famous dunes around Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan has become a popular attraction over the past years because of its unique and impressive dunes. Lake Michigan dunes are magnificent sights to behold, and you must visit them at least once in your life. Michigan is known as the Great Lakes City. This is not only because of 4 out of the 5 Great Lakes that touch the state but also because it has other small lakes that sit in it. Michigan has some of the most beautiful lakes in all of America. Please read all about them here.
A. How did Lake Michigan dunes form?
How did these Lake Michigan sand dunes occur in the middle of the state with no desert around? This has been formed due to the separation and melting of the Michigan glaciers that existed thousands of years ago. Extreme and cold winds are needed for sand dunes to form. Since there used to be an enormous glacier before the lake.
If you wonder which sand dunes are the most suitable for you to visit, follow this guide to find all the information and reviews about the sand dunes. You might also discover facts that you didn’t know about.
Amongst the other Great Lakes and their sand dunes, Lake Michigan’s sand dunes are some of the most underrated and beautiful spots worth visiting.
You can book tickets to the Pure Michigan website activities or their websites.
B. About
1) Silver Lake Sand Dunes (Mears, MI)
Located next to Silver Lake, these 2,000-acre dunes run along the Lake Michigan shoreline and are a sight to see.
Silver Lake sand dunes are known for dune buggy riding and driving. Silver Lake sand dunes spread through the towns of Hart, Mears, and Pentwater, making it the perfect place to go for a day-out picnic. You can enjoy the hiking trails and then go to the beach to splash some water on your loved ones.
Silver Lake Sand Dunes are the most prestigious places.
Silver Lake dunes are filled with positive things to do, and you will never run out of more things. If you are looking to relax, there are many county and state parks you can visit in all three towns. Visit the Dune Beach on Silver Lake located on State Park Rd, Mears, and get your tan on! After that, you can stop at the Golden Township Park at Lake Michigan and sightsee the lighthouse there.
If you are looking for an adventure, the ORV recreation vehicles are always available for driving on the Dunes. Mac Wood’s Dune Rides rents part of the Salt Lake Sand Dunes to provide the best experience. Mac Wood’s off-road vehicles are very famous along the coast, and many people often go for rides in the summer there.
You can also hike down to the beaches and go for a boating experience. Bamboozled Escape Rooms located in Hart is a great tourist attraction, and you can spend your afternoon there solving puzzles.
Silver Lake Dunes has no shortage of lodging if you want to watch the sunset and spend the rest of the night drinking wine with your loved one. They have hotels, motels, resorts, cottages, and for adventurers, a camping package.
2) Sleeping Bear Dunes (Leelanau & Benzie counties, MI)
Among the many Lake Michigan dunes, this place is “The Most Beautiful Place in America,” says Good Morning America, and is featured in one of America’s Top 10 Family Destinations list.
Sleeping Bear Dunes is located on the eastern coastline of Lake Michigan. Sleeping Beat Dunes also stretches to the North and South Manitou Islands.
The beach along the shore is located below the hill that encompasses the Sleeping Bear Dunes. This hill also has valleys and forests along with dunes. It is a challenging hike up and down the hill because of its steepness. This one is also steep and difficult to descend. So make sure you’re being careful if you are planning a hike down to the beach.
One great thing about this site is the two Manitou Islands. These islands are rich in wildlife and flora, which is excellent if you are a hiker, bird-watcher, or adventurer. These islands are within a boat ride’s reach from the main Leeland shoreline.
South Manitou Island has an ancient lighthouse that ships used to look for in Lake Michigan. There is also an option for underwater scuba diving where divers can find and examine shipwrecks.
Take your family or friends along for an adventure on Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan.
Book your passes here.
3) Saugatuck Dunes State Park (Saugatuck, MI)
The Saugatuck Dunes State Park is a freshwater coastal dunes area that runs along a strip of Lake Michigan shoreline. This area is pretty secluded and has both hilly and flat terrains.
Saugatuck Dunes State Park runs for 2.5 miles along the shoreline of Lake Michigan and provides a scenic secluded flora on the dune formations, which are about 200 feet above the shore.
Saugatuck Dunes State Park is the perfect place if you want to spend a calm day with your loved ones. There are areas in the dunes where you can enjoy the 300-acre Patty Birkholz Natural Area by riding the Saugatuck Dune Rides. They provide a great experience, and if you want to experience other activities like local farm tasting or heated igloo restaurants, you can sign up for those packages here. Book your tickets to the road to fun here.
Saugatuck Dunes State Park is known for its flora, especially its three endangered plant species reservation. You can also go on a hike along the dunes and experience the flora provided by the Natural Area.
4) Indiana Dunes National Park (Porter, IN)
The southern Lake Michigan shoreline embraces the 15,000 acres of Indiana Dunes National Park. These dunes cradle Lake Michigan on one side and a pond on the other. This pond has many pine trees, so if you are a bird watcher, this is an excellent opportunity to spot the unique fauna present here.
No matter what season you visit this National Park, it is constantly flooded with activities. In the summer, you can enjoy an excellent cross-country hike, while you can take your loved ones on a snow-shoeing adventure in the winter. You can also enjoy the beach, which always has perfect weather conditions for a swim.
Since this is a National Park, it has many outdoor activities planned out throughout the year, including camping, bird watching, horseback riding, and winter activities like cross-country skiing and sledding. You can explore the biological diversity that this National Park provides and be mesmerized by nature’s creatures.
Unline these dunes and challenge their hikers to take up the Diana of the Dunes Dare, a hiking trail made for the adventurous Dianas out there.
“Diana” or Alice Mabel Gray was an educated and daring woman who lived out in the dunes for 9 years to observe the wildlife and woodlands around her. This trail recently got named Diana’s Dune, and if you get high enough, you can see the city of Chicago.
5) Warren Dunes State Park (Sawyer, MI)
Located in the southwest of Michigan in Sawyer, these 260-feet sand dunes above the three miles of shoreline are a favorite camping spot. There are about 221 campsites all over the dunes, which come in both modern and rustic. They also have mini cabins for glamping if you are not a very nature-inclined person!
Warren Dunes is famous for its camping and glamping activities. Covering 1,952 acres of sand, they have several recreational opportunities like hand gliding, camping, swimming, skiing, and hiking. You can come here on a beautiful cold evening for star gazing and enjoy the camp with your loved ones.
There is no doubt that all beaches on Lake Michigan are beautiful, but the one on Warren Dunes State Park has the most magnificent sunsets. Known to have the whitest sand in Michigan, Warren Dunes has the prettiest shoreline to Lake Michigan. You can rent a tent at the State Forest Campground located on the beach.
Climb up the dunes and watch the most extraordinary Michigan shore scenery if you’re an adventurer. The dune formation is gracefully covered with forests and a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. Follow the trails to feel the dunes’ magic.
6) Laketown Beach (Holland, MI)
Located between Holland and Saugatuck, Laketown Beach might not be the most famous sand dunes to visit, but it is the easiest. This dune in Holland is pretty steep to the shoreline, so it has staircases built on sand to go down to the beach.
If you’re looking for a calm, wonderful walk along Lake Michigan, this is the place to visit. The view on the shoreline is breathtaking. The beach is not too wide, so camping here is not an option. But you can come here to have a great time and experience the outstanding freshwater of Lake Michigan.
Enjoy the beautiful views that the dune provides, and dip your toes in the cool, calming water. Bring your family or friends along to take pictures and make a memory on the wooden stairs of Laketown Beach. The stairs protect the environment of the dune while also making it easier for people to hike down to the shore.
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Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
