Trail Guide for Ludington State Park
The Ludington State Park trails are as varied as they are beautiful. Hike or bike 18 miles of eight marked trails with information kiosks.
Photo by Todd & Brad Reed Photography
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently announced that the Ludington State Park will be closed from approximately September 3rd, 2024-July 1st, 2025 for enhancements and renovations.
Improvements include re-working traffic/pedestrian flow at the entrance, paving the park’s main road and the Hamlin Lake day-use area parking lot, and adding parking at the Lake Michigan Beach House and warming shelter areas. In addition, there are plans to renovate the Skyline Trail. The projects are being funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) COVID relief funds.
Although the park will be officially closed during this time, there will be parts of the park not impacted.
The plan at this point is that no visitors will be allowed north of the Big Sable River and when construction on the Skyline Trail is in progress, the amphitheater parking lot will be closed.
Areas that park officials expect will remain open include the south trails, trails off Piney Ridge Road, the boardwalk below the dam, the open dunes in the south part of the park, and beaches along M-116. Parking will be limited in those areas with the exception of the M-116 beaches. Other areas that shouldn’t be affected are parts of the park accessed from Nordhouse Dunes or by boat on Hamlin Lake. Rick’s Beach, which includes the dune and beach southeast of the dam, will also be open to the public
The majority of the park will close Sept. 3rd, 2024 through July 1st, 2025. The dates of this closure and access to the park may change based on the progress of construction. The 2,000 acres of parkland and beautiful 3-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline south of the Big Sable River, including the hiking trails and boardwalk, will remain open and accessible to the public via roadway parking along M-116.
This project will realign and repave the park’s entrance and exit near the entrance booth; expand and repave the Lake Michigan beach and warming shelter parking lots; repave the Hamlin Lake parking lots and entire main park road. To improve pedestrian safety and help vehicles circulate more efficiently, we will also add and improve pedestrian walkways around the entrance and into the beach parking lot. Additionally, the Skyline Trail will be renovated and other upgrades to park buildings and grounds will take place.
We are closing the majority of the park for safety reasons. This project will entail a lot of heavy and large construction equipment coming and going. With all the construction activity, we need to ensure that visitors are not put in harm’s way and contractors can operate equipment more efficiently and safely, which will hopefully help us meet the July 1st, 2025 reopening.
These projects are funded by a massive $250 million investment made possible through the American Rescue Plan Act. The funding must be obligated by Dec. 31st, 2024, and completed by Dec. 31st, 2026. Bundling projects into one large enhancement project lessens overall project costs and keeps the impact limited to the one or two seasons (instead of spreading it out over multiple seasons). The reason we scheduled a closure in May and June is due to the operating season for asphalt plants.
Once we get a contractor in place and they provide a construction schedule, we will have a better grasp on which areas can be utilized by the public. The plan is to close the areas north of the Big Sable River, which means the dam, footbridge, and highway bridge will temporarily close. Alternately, the 2,000 acres of parkland and 3-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline south of the Big Sable River, including the hiking trails and boardwalk, will remain open via roadway parking along M-116.
When the Skyline Trail construction begins, the amphitheater parking lot will also closed. Accessing the far northern portion of the park via Nordhouse Dunes (by foot) or boat on Hamlin Lake shouldn’t be a problem. We just ask that visitors do not venture south toward any of the construction areas .
A lot of construction will take place in the Hamlin Lake day-use area. This area will be closed to the public and boats will not be allowed to moor. The dune and beach southeast of the dam, locally known as Rick’s Beach, will remain open to the public. The dunes at the far north end of Hamlin Lake will also be open to the public.
We will be updating this FAQ on Facebook as we get closer to the project start. Updates to the closure dates will be posted on this page and shared with local media. We will also be posting regular progress photos or videos throughout construction. In addition, you can visit the DNR’s closure page at Michigan.gov/DNRClosures or visit the park page at Michigan.gov/Ludington.
Planning a visit to the Ludington State Park area? Have questions about your trip? Here’s where you can find help:
The Ludington State Park trails are as varied as they are beautiful. Hike or bike 18 miles of eight marked trails with information kiosks.
Dune Grass Concessions offers watercraft & bike rentals, concession food, ice cream, convenience items, State Park & Hamlin Lake souvenirs!
The beautiful Lake Michigan Beach House in the Ludington State Park is a two-story shelter with visitor exhibits, lounging, and concessions.
The Ludington State Park holds multiple events for the whole family during the summer months. Don’t miss the live music and presentations!
The aerial view of Big Sable Point features Hamlin Lake, Ludington State Park, and Big Sable Point Lighthouse on Lake Michigan.
Friends of Ludington State Park is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting wise use and conservation of the Ludington State Park.
Is your business located in Ludington? Contact us today to learn about advertising opportunities with VisitLudington.com.
THANK YOU!
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement | 1 year | Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 1 year | Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Analytics" category. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 1 year | The GDPR Cookie Consent plugin sets the cookie to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 1 year | Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie records the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 1 year | Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie stores user consent for cookies in the category "Others". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 1 year | Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie stores the user consent for cookies in the category "Performance". |
CookieLawInfoConsent | 1 year | CookieYes sets this cookie to record the default button state of the corresponding category and the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. |
elementor | never | The website's WordPress theme uses this cookie. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time. |
rc::a | never | This cookie is set by the Google recaptcha service to identify bots to protect the website against malicious spam attacks. |
rc::c | session | This cookie is set by the Google recaptcha service to identify bots to protect the website against malicious spam attacks. |
viewed_cookie_policy | 1 year | The GDPR Cookie Consent plugin sets the cookie to store whether or not the user has consented to use cookies. It does not store any personal data. |
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
_ga | 1 year 1 month 4 days | Google Analytics sets this cookie to calculate visitor, session and campaign data and track site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognise unique visitors. |
_ga_* | 1 year 1 month 4 days | Google Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views. |
_gat_UA-* | 1 minute | Google Analytics sets this cookie for user behaviour tracking.n |
_gid | 1 day | Google Analytics sets this cookie to store information on how visitors use a website while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the collected data includes the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. |
The Ludington State Park is currently closed for renovations. The park is slated to reopen on July 1st, 2025. Improvements include parking lot repaving and expansion, plus upgrades to warming shelters and traffic areas. There are parts of the park that are still accessible. Read about the details here.