Saugatuck Dunes State Park
Located between Saugatuck and Holland with towering dunes, 2.5 miles of undeveloped shoreline, and no crowds–this is one of the great Lake Michigan parks.
Read MoreView Map 4574 S Audubon St, Holland, MI 49423
The trailhead is on the north side of Audubon Road, about a quarter-mile west of 66th Street. Visitors can park on the shoulder of Audubon Road in front of the preserve sign.
The forested, rolling hills of Dune Pines Nature Preserve provide an ideal setting for a quiet walk through the woods. Wildlife enthusiasts appreciate the diversity of birds, which are particularly abundant during the spring and fall migration periods. History buffs can walk along the old Interurban Railroad bed on the west side of the preserve.
In an area surrounded by development, Dune Pines Nature Preserve protects an important forested backdune ecosystem near a designated Critical Dune Area. Together with a privately-held conservation easement and Castle Park Reserve, Dune Pines helps protect more than 50 acres of continuous lakeshore habitat.
With the help of volunteers, the Land Conservancy is working to remove invasive species like oriental bittersweet and periwinkle that threaten the health of the forest.
The western boundary of the preserve is marked by the bed of the Interurban Railroad, which once transported vacationers from Chicago to summer getaways in West Michigan. The tracks themselves are gone, but the raised railroad grade is still evident.
In 2006, the Land Conservancy purchased the property with the support of families with ties to Laketown Township.
Located between Saugatuck and Holland with towering dunes, 2.5 miles of undeveloped shoreline, and no crowds–this is one of the great Lake Michigan parks.
Read MoreThis little-known park features a hardwood-pine forest with mature tulip trees. There are also pockets of wetlands and in the northwest there is an open “blow-sand” area that is a good reminder of how the land was left after the logging era.
Read MoreHiking trails loop through the dunes, around wetlands, to the north shore of the Oxbow Lagoon, along the Kalamazoo River channel, and the Lake Michigan shoreline, offering scenic views at every turn. At the beach, look for migratory shorebirds including gulls, plovers, sandpipers, and terns.
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