Travel Reference
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port. For a foreign note, a towering cross overlooks the harbor; it memorializes Père Mar-
quette, the French explorer and missionary who trekked through the area and is thought to
have died nearby in 1675.
FromLudington,headnorthonLakeshoreDrivetoRte.116andfollowittoLudington
State Park. Bookended by Lake Michigan and Hamlin Lake, this 5,300-acre park abounds
with waterside campsites. Fishing, boating, and waterskiing can be enjoyed at both lakes,
and canoeing is possible not far away on the Big Sable River.
ReturningtoLudington,thedrivetakesRte.10/31east,thencontinuesnorthonRte.31
through a mix of farmland and forest. When you reach Forest Trail Road, follow signs to
the Lake Michigan Recreation Area.
2.
Lake Michigan Recreation Area
Swimming, picnicking, camping, and trails aplenty make this recreation area one of the
most popular in the state. But if you're seeking a little more peace and quiet, you won't
have to go very far. The adjacent 3,450-acre Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area—a glori-
ousuntouchedmileofrollingsanddunes,interdunalwetlands,andmixedstandsofjuniper,
jackpine,andhemlock—isanoasisofsolitude.Nomotorizedvehiclesarepermittedinthis
federally designated wilderness area, so the only noise you are likely to hear as you stroll
along the wide, sandy beach are the sweet sounds of nature—the shriek of gulls, rustling
leaves, or the crash of the waves.
3.
Manistee
Back on Rte. 31 the drive continues north through a glacier-sculpted landscape where tiny
sapphire lakes are surrounded by an emerald forest. The region's natural wonders are ex-
plainedattheU.S.ForestServicerangerstationjustsouthofManistee,anoldlumbertown
named for the Chippewa spirit of the woods.
Like many busted boomtowns, Manistee has undergone a commercial renaissance in
the age of tourism. Manistee's prosperous past is still visible in the grand Victorian-era
buildings that make up its downtown (the entire area is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places). An 1883 commercial building houses historical exhibits, while several
churches reflect the Irish, German, and Scandinavian heritage of the town's early settlers.
Just north of Manistee lies Orchard Beach State Park, which, from its perch high atop a
bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, offers splendid views. Several miles east of the park,
switch over to Rte. 22 and follow it north as it hugs the shore.
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