Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rarely will you see large wildlife other than an occasional whitetail deer or red fox.
There have been reports of the occasional black bear.
fog rolling in at Whitefish Dunes State Park
Hiking
The dunes here are among the highest on Lake Michigan, east or west. They were formed
by numerous advances and retreats of ancient lakes and, later, Lake Michigan, and zillions
of storms. Sand banks first closed off Clark Lake in what is now the mainland, and as ve-
getation took hold three millennia ago, wind deposits began piling up atop the sandbar. The
result is a microcosm that couldn't possibly occur on the bay side of the peninsula—a wide
beach rising to forested dunes. The tallest, Old Baldy, stands 93 feet high.
Check out the
nature center
, from which all trails depart (and where you can pick up
trail maps), for its exhibits on the geology and anthropology of the area. A village site has
been recreated just outside to show one of the eight periods of human habitation. It's open
weekends in summer 10am-4pm.
Nearly 15 miles of trail exist. Thoughtfully, the park has a plasticized mat laid over the
first hundred yards or so of all trails to both protect the ground and make it easier for you
