nordhouse dunes wilderness area

We camped at Lake Michigan Recreation Area and hiked on top of the dunes with a gorgeous view of Lake Michigan the whole way. Quiet and peaceful at night. The sky pops right out at you with more stars than you've ever seen before. My kids are 10 and 13 and loved swimming in the lake, climbing the dunes, and building sand castles .Highly recommended for a couple days escape. Make sure to bring a compass to avoid becoming lost hiking unmarked wilderness trails.

Located just north of Ludington State Park, Nordhouse Dunes feels almost a world away, with many fewer hikers and tourists. Be sure to download a pdf of the trail guide from the National Forest Service site before visiting, as trails are not marked but are easy to follow with a map. Although we visited the week of July 4, we saw only 8 other people during our 3 hour hike. Bring water, as there are no facilities past the parking area.

My husband has backpacked at Nordhouse Dunes a couple of times, but this was my first time backpacking here. It's a fairly easy hike in (a mile or two), but the trails are not marked at all, so pay attention to the path you take on your way in. The dunes are awesome, there's a ton of areas you can set up camp, lake is beautiful. Only issues we had were with the biting flies! Great trip for first time backpackers since you don't have to hike very far to get to a site. Great for those who want a lazier vacation too, as you can spend your days soaking up the sun on the beach.