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Sand Dune Trails

Short trails to long trails--we have them all at Ludington State Park. The trails not only give you an experience with nature but also with history. Some of the trails were carved out by Native Americans long before Europeans set foot in the area. Some trails can be traced back to the logging era and others were laid out by the men of the 1930s Civilian Conservation Corp Camp Ludington.

We have trails through forest and some that sweep across the open sand dunes. Some trails climb high up on the dunes to open on vistas of Lake Michigan, the lighthouse, Hamlin Lake, and miles of undeveloped sand dunes. Shelter buildings along selected trails provide a peaceful spot to rest and reflect on your stay.

In the winter months the trails become highways for cross country skiers and snowshoers. The forest of the sand dunes provides excellent shelter from the harsh cold winds coming off Lake Michigan during the winter thus giving the forest trails greater use by visitors. The trails are the roads by which our feet propel us through this unique coastal dune ecology.

See the map of trails and meeting site locations for interpretive programs.