In 2005, the Land Conservancy worked with the Ottawa County Parks Department and the Grand Haven, Spring Lake, and Ferrysburg communities to protect these 500 acres and turn them into a county park. Before protecting the North Ottawa Dunes as a county park, a residential development was proposed on the property and prior to that was slated for sand mining.
Today, North Ottawa Dunes County Park is known for its excellent trail system, including a stairway leading to the top of a dune that gives magnificent views of Lake Michigan to the west and the Grand River valley to the east. Ten miles of hiking trails link North Ottawa Dunes to Coast Guard Park, North Beach Park, and P.J. Hoffmaster State Park.
Project impact
- Created a contiguous 1,800-acre parcel of natural land connecting P.J. Hoffmaster State Park, North Beach County Park, and Coast Guard City Park, and acreage protected by Spring Lake Township.
- Protects one of the largest wooded dune assemblages remaining in the central West Michigan area.
- Eight distinct dunes on the property are over 750 feet high.
- Trails on the property link state, county, and city parks.
Special Thanks
Grants from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, Wege Foundation, Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, Alcoa Foundation, Loutit Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation as well as many private donations were key to making this project a success.
