Saugatuck Dunes State Park
Much of the park is still covered in trees, allowing you and your pup to escape the hustle and bustle at this puptastic retreat. With 13 miles of trails that weave through the forest in all directions, it's easy to customize a hike that's pawfect for your four-legged pal. You can connect to the trails right from the parking lot, which also features a vault toilet, water pump, and a picnic shelter.
Saugatuck Dunes State Park draws many a nature enthusiast to its grounds for bird watching, and wildlife that's indigenous to the region. Perhaps the park's greatest attraction is its 2.5 miles of dunes located directly along the shoreline. In places, the dunes rise as high as 200 feet, providing a challenging workout for even the most avid hiker.
Best of all, the park offers 2.5 miles of furbulous beach on Lake Michigan where your pup can run in the sand, or splash in the waves. You can find the beach down the Yellow Trail that begins in the parking lot. Other than another vault toilet near the beach, there aren't any other amenities, so be sure to pack for your adventure! Clean-up bags for your pup are a must, and always be sure to pick up whatever your pup lays down on the beach, or anywhere in the park. Drinking water to share is also essential. Most importantly, make sure to keep your pup on leash throughout, even on the beach and in the lake.
The Saugatuck Dunes State Park can be accessed via a Recreation Passport. Residents can purchase their $11 pass that allows access to all the state parks in Michigan for a year at the gate, or when they renew their license plate. Recreation Passports are also available for non-residents as a daily pass for $9, or a yearly pass for $32.
For a day of fun in the Michigan sun, sand and wooftastic woods, bring Fido and the family to the Saugatuck Dunes State Park!
