Saugatuck Dunes State Park

Love this park. A great Saugatuck must. The walk back to the beach is amazing, especially knowing the dunes and beach treat that await those who make the journey. My only complaint and it lies more with the State of Michigan, is the lack of a dog friendly beach area. Providing a designated dog friendly area on the beach for those of us who cherish our pets, has proven successful in so many other beach parks, including neighboring Muskegon. As the parent to a labrador, it breaks my heart to tease her with only a view of the water. She lives for a rolling wave and a stick.
And as others have indicated, if you are lucky enough to be a dog owner, remember there are ticks in the area along the paths.

ONE CAVEAT: We found 2 deer ticks on us after our last hike along the south loop, one on the dog, one on me. WEAR YOUR INSECT REPELLANT AND KEEP YOUR PETS UP TO DATE ON THE FLEA/​TICK KILLER. (This was the first week of November 2015).
We hike these trails several times a week with our dog. The views are amazing, the trails are great exercise and we all love it!!!
This will not keep us off the trails, we just need to be more cautious (it ain’t the olé tick-​free Michigan we used to know).
And for the record — we hit all the trails along our beautiful lakeshore, but this one is our favorite. A definite must see! And after your hike, wander into Saugatuck for an Uncommon Grounds coffee!!!
Oh yeah — watch out for the south loop — it is 5.5 miles and hits some serious high dunes. Can you say calf workout?

I took the beach and north trails and walked along the shoreline. I have bad knees, so it was a little struggle to get up the short Sand hill that parts the woods from the beach.
The trails are pretty well marked, and on the weekend, there’s enough people around to help.
I wish people would pick up their garbage from the beach. There’s a little bit of garbage, and people should maintain the serenity if they bothered to walk a min. of .5 miles with their kids.
The sand is so comfy to sit on. I live in Chicago, and it’s nice to be on real sand.
I really recommend the north trail, especially if you are returning to fitness and want to relax.

This nice, compact state park was a great afternoon excursion for my family and I while vacationing in western Michigan. Being from NW Indiana, we are a little spoiled by Lake Michigan dunes. But, this park though small is a pleasant nature getaway for those spending time in the area.
We found the various trails well-​marked and clean being both wide and compacted. The wooden scenery is very peaceful, and the beach area is one of the best I’ve been to in the Midwest. The amenities were kinda scarce – there wasn’t much as far as restroom access, no camping, and limited shelters. But what it lacks in facilities, the park makes up for in natural beauty.
The one complaint we had surrounded the confusing entry fees. Signs at the entrance indicated that access was by permit only (Michigan residents receive one through their vehicle registration). There were procedures for non-​residents to pay for a $ 9 day pass but these were not very clear and there was no attendant on duty. We found out later that passes can be purchased on the DNR website.
The weird entry setup notwithstanding, this state park is a nice day trip for anyone staying along America’s Third Coast.

Awesome. Starts off with a 10 – 15 minute hike on a trail and leads to a beautiful view of the lake. Definitely worth checking out!

We make it up to Michigan several times each summer to visit the different parks with sand dunes. We’ve been to all of them and each is different in its own way.
The best part of Saugatuck Dunes is the forested area located between the parking lot and beach. There are several trails back here that range between a mile to get from the parking lot to the beach, up to maybe two miles. Depending on which way you go, one could spend a couple hours trekking all of the trails offered. The trails themselves are wide and well packed, each taking you through a serene forested area filled with giant pines and Aspen tree’s. The land contours depending on which trails you hike, some offer more vertical than others. Most are on easy walk.
The beach itself is small and littered. At least, that’s what we saw today. Although the beach had no more than 10 people in a mile’s space, the sand was littered with every imaginable piece of debris. The depth of the beach is also really compact, although this has become true of most beaches on Lake Michigan over the past two years.
I liked SDSP but wouldn’t choose it over several others in the vicinity.
Cheers.

We had the opportunity to visit on Memorial Day weekend and found the park to be surprisingly empty. There are a number of trails to walk through old oak, maple and beech to the beach, which is approximately 0.7 mile from the car park. The beach was very peaceful and the Lake Michigan water very clean and clear. This park is a little gem. The hiking is light and almost all trails from the beach lead easily back to the parking area. A nice way to spend an afternoon if you are in the area. Unfortunately the neighboring Felt Mansion was closed for a private event. I’m told its worth a look if one is at the Dunes.

Went for a day hike to check out the frozen lake in late February. The parking lot was almost full with a bunch of people getting ready to, or packing up from, cross country skiing and snow shoeing. Definately wasn’t expecting so many people to be there when it’s below freezing outside. The trek to the beach was pretty easy even though I only had hiking boots. All the trails, though snow covered, were very well trodden, perfect for waking or cross-​country skiing.
The lake was very beautiful with a bunch of different ice formations to explore. It was cool seeing the different phases that the lake froze in and being able to walk and climb it all.
Highly recommend checking out Lake Michigan when it’s frozen, just make sure to bundle up! The wind picks up when you get to the lake. Next time I’ll definately remember to bring a sled: the people sledging seemed to be having a lot of fun, along with all the doggies running around with booties in their feet! So cute!

Not too far from highway, nice shaded area for picknick next to parking lot. On Sunday afternoon it was super super crazy busy. Walk to the beach (on the beach trail) is about 15 mins thru the forest, relatively flat with few ups and downs. Beach is sandy and nice, was very packed around 4pm but then just started to empty out

My husband and I visited the park on August 9^th and took the north trail to the beach. This end of the park had very few people due to the longer walk. It’s a beautiful beach with clear water and fine sand. However, we had to cut our visit short due to the tremendous amount of biting stable flies! The flies are very quick and difficult to kill. They also didn’t seem to be too bothered by our bug repellant. If you are visiting the beach during this time of year I would recommend bringing a high DEET level bug spray, a fly swatter, and a pop-​up screen tent.

This is really a good place to hang out with friends and family. I visit there with my girl friend and it’s very quite and not crowded. it has a disc golf ground and beautiful wood to explore, you can hike, cycling or running here in this park.
The beach is very beautiful and a lot of water spots on the lake, I saw many boats, jet skii and so on. although it take about 20 min walk to get to beach and you need to pass a small hill. there are lots of things to do here, you can really spend a whole day here.

Really beautiful place. Serene, uncrowded — perfectly clean sandy beach with water to match. Couldn’t ask for a more lovely spot to hang out and enjoy the beauty of nature and Michigan’s freshwater coastline. Stunningly pretty walk from car park to the beach (bring your bug spray), with moderate exertion over a 30 minute trail. Totally worth it, as you will not find a more beautiful beach anywhere.

Beautiful area. The forest is very exuberant and and it makes the walk very pleasant. We saw some animals by the trail and it made our journey fun for the kids. The sand is very white and the water looked pristine clean. Highly recommended. Will definitely go back.

It’s a short one mile hike to the beach. Had a lovely stroll with my family. We were there in April 2014 for spring break and ice and snow covering the beach… of course. It was a beautiful sight.
My husband and father both received a soaked foot a-​piece from climbing the mini glaciers and plunging through the ice. There was a family with four children and two of them were barefoot. The sun was shining and we can’t wait to go back this summer, when evidently this beach is very quiet.

Breathtaking. I cannot say enough about the beauty of this beach.

Saugatuck Dunes Sate Park is outstanding! It is a day-​use park, and yes, rustic, but that is a big part of the beauty preserved there. The tremendously varied environs, with rolling mixed forest of oak, poplar, and red & white pine, and firs giving way to awe inspiring dunes of up to 200ft! We took the North Trail — from the north end of the parking lot — and stayed on the outer loop until we found the really big dunes. It was peaceful and breath-​taking, especially after the climb up! A great panorama of the scale of Lake Michigan from the top of the massive dunes. We then continued on a short way to the lake shore, where smaller dunes are sculpted into bluffs with tufts of grasses, still of a spectacular scale, and great beauty. It’s a 2.5 mile round-​trip hike, but worth it. The lake shore was clean, and perfect for a picnic. Our group was kids and adults, but none of us could resist rolling up our pant legs and running along the smooth sand beach, chasing and being chased by the iridescent waves rolling, then crashing in. A nearly perfect way to spend a day, and not as crowded as some of the other dune parks. I recommend it, and if you take me at my word, you may see me there, because I will be going back again as well.

I went to Saugatuck for a long weekend with my family. After getting coffee in town we wanted to go hiking along the lake. We did not know Saugatuck had a state park until we asked a Saugatuck resident.
After passing the Dune Rides on Blue Star Highway we ended up in the parking lot of Saugatuck Dunes State Park. Since we went in early May we were able to get in for free.
The trails to the beach weren’t marked very well near the parking lot. Once you left that area they were well marked. We had fun walking down the beach and looking at the expensive house, where the Kalamazoo River meets Lake Michigan.

I grew up on the east coast and spent this past summer in California, where I drove down the state’s famous «17 mile drive» along the ocean. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Saugatuck. It was late October. We walked a mile to the beach through gorgeous, golden foliage. At the end, the beach trail opened to sky and water. The lake stretched on forever and felt like the ocean. The waves were calmer than ocean waves. There’s a nice spot at the end of the trail where you can take in the view and enjoy a sandwich. It felt so serene.

This is one of my favorite state parks to spend the afternoon at along the coast of Lake Michigan. This is not a park that you park at and there is a short walk to the beach. Expect a bit of a hike to the shore. Because of this, the beach is noticeably less crowded than some other parks. The two trailheads at the parking lot lead to the beach. I like to take one trail, spend some time on the coast, and then take the other route back. The south trail is longer and just for hiking. With the exception of south trail (which I don’t have experience with), the trails are fairly easy. The most difficult part is hiking back up over the dunes from the beach. Most parts of the trail are dirt, but some sections may have sandy areas, so be warned.
The forested area and the beach is beautiful and tranquil. One of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon on a nice day.

Perhaps surprising everyone I’ve known since my youth, the last few years I’ve become quite the outdoorsey gal. Beaches, hikes, farms… I love them all! I’ve gotten into getting my hands dirty and my my feet a little sandy. As such, I sincerely ADORE the Saugatuck Dunes State Park, one of my favorite nature spaces in all of Michigan.
A parking lot allows you to stash your car, lace up your sneakers, hit the bathroom, and get ready for your walk/​bike ride to the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan.
Now, I’ve never made it out to Saugatuck with my bike so I can’t comment on the biking trails but the hiking trails here are top notch. If you’re an animal lover like myself it’s always a blast to walk through the 20 minute-​half hour hike through the dunes/​forest and look for deer, wild turkeys, insects, butterflies (once saw the most beautiful blue butterflies hanging around), etc. I’ve also heard of snakes, foxes and coyotes wandering around but I’ve never seen them. But here is always the promise of wildlife which gets me excited!
You’ll also get a wonderful workout since the dunes are hilly beasts made of slippery sand. Most of the trails are packed down pretty tightly making for easy walking but the closer you get to the lakeshore the rougher your footing will get. Feel the burn in those calves! Once you feel the temperature drop and the trees begin to clear you know you’ll be near the lake. Throw down your towel and hop right into clean waters, although this time of year the water is still a chilly 46 degrees. Brr!
There are a number of different trails set up through the park, some shorter than others, some hillier then others, but they all lead out to the magnificent fresh water lake. Also great? The beaches are not so terribly crowded, even in the summer. Plenty of room to sprawl out, catch some rays and relax.
You might have to work a little for your beachside views of Lake Michigan here but I assure you you will not be disappointed. Particularly at sunset which is just out of this world gorgeous as it goes down on the water.