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    Silver Lake State Park

    4.1 (28 reviews)

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    Nichole M.

    Stopped into silver lake sand dunes to check it out for maybe a possible summer activity. I am a big fan of all things motorized so this would be the place for me. The town is definitely shut down because of the off season and I see a bunch of places to rent but scrolling online found they range from a few hundred to a few thousand so it's definitely a trip to plan for if you want to make an adventure out of it.

    Harish V.

    One more Cool place for a day trip in Michigan. After checking out the light house decided to trek these Sand dunes and it was one hell of a work out under the Sun. It took close to 3hrs trekking almost all the dunes. It was exhausting but fun and the visuals are great. Pros: ------- Amazing Visuals Buggy Rides /Motor Bike rentals Good spot for trekking four-mile Lake Michigan beach, inland Silver Lake, wooded hiking trails, campground with boat launches Visitors may cruise up and over the expansive dunes in their own 4x4s provided they're outfitted with an ORV sticker and a ten-foot orange flag. Alternatively, travelers can rent off-road vehicles specially equipped to handle the unique challenges of driving on sand. The Silver Lake Sand Dunes are the only sand dunes east of the Mississippi River where visitors are allowed to drive private motorized vehicles over the shifting landscape.

    Jemmie W.

    Great park with unique dunes that allow people to drive on. I don't know of a place like this anywhere in the region. Positives: -Awesome dunes for people to hike and 4x4 to drive on. We brought our Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and loved it. Negatives: -Campsites are very crowded. Space is at a premium. -Rednecks. Lots and lots of proud, loud, in-your-face rednecks. There were as many Confederate flags as American flags on the Redneckmobiles. I lived in Michigan for ten years and was not aware that Michigan was part of the Confederacy until I went to Silver Lake State Park.

    A beautiful view of the state park the off-road vehicle section as probably the only kind of it in the country
    Dave G.

    Absolutely love this place. It has to be one of the most unique places in the country if not the world. Orv section 500 acres of off road mayhem. Dirt bikes dune buggy four wheelers trucks anything that will go good in sand

    Someone made a boo boo
    Megan K.

    So much fun! To the newbies who want to hit the dunes...make sure you have your MI State Park sticker (you can get one for the day or year. I renew mine with my license so I can't think of price). You will also need a flag(ranges from $25+), a trail pass(free), an ORV trail sticker from the dnr($10). You also need a regular ORV sticker(I think $15). You go through a bunch of checkpoints to get I the trail...one checks stickers. Next one checked passes. Next did a seatbelt check. Then we were off! You come up to the test hill. It's lined on both sides with a shit ton of Jeeps and trucks and buggies. If you can make it up this hill, you're good. It's a good time watching people make it or fail it. We spent about 4 hours here...blazing through huge puddles and up dunes. We had our jeep loaded with leftover food from vacation(this was our last stop before home) and had to toss everything...we had smashed cookies, crumbled fresh donuts, and broken eggs from bouncing so much. It almost brought this fat kid to tears to throw all of that good food away. We even watched a van try to be an ORV and it's back sank into a huge puddle and got stuck. Someone had to bail them out. I can't wait to go back!

    Beautiful view! Sandy beach and warm water
    Amie D.

    Nice park. Very friendly staff, clean bathrooms and showers. Beach is clear and sandy. Will diffently stay here again.

    Nichole F.

    This is our families favorite nearby vacation destination. We head up here about 5 times a year to go Off-Roading! It's great - the campground is always clean and the DNR staff is always friendly!!!!

    Lynn S.

    I'm ashamed I've never known about the sand dunes. I Travel often and always proclaim my love for being a Michigander and a Detroiter. But hey I found the sand dunes and the experience was awesome. The area was filled with friendly , nice folks! Some of the best views I've ever scene of Lake Michigan. I was in awe of the area the whole time. I'm so quick to catch a flight to the Caribbean, west coast, east coast ect. when I've never taken the time to explore Michigan. The price of renting a dune buggy is steep. 750. But it's worth it. It's pretty safe at the dunes if u follow directions. You won't need a tutorial everything is very simple... Be safe have fun... Simple. To enter the park uis pretty cheap. Don't remember the price per car. But all u need is a state park pass which is like 10 bucks a year. No alcohol allowed. Family friendly

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    Ask the Community - Silver Lake State Park

    Review Highlights - Silver Lake State Park

    There's always things going on- drag races, test hill, swimming, and you can't beat the beautiful sunsets from the top of the dunes.

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    Ludington State Park - My dog @ Ludington State Park

    Ludington State Park

    4.7(60 reviews)
    24.8 mi

    I stopped in here for half a day to do some hiking and get my nature fix before moving on to my…read morenext road trip destination. The road to the entrance is full of sand dunes and beaches on Lake Michigan before turning into a wooded area at the actual park. We got to see a Bald Eagle perched upon a tree as we entered the park. The park has several RV camp sites that to me looked to be right on top of each other. They pack them in like sardines but I think that is the norm at these type of places these days. Not sure what the cost is to camp but for non-residents to come in for a day pass it was 11.00 per day. We decided to do the Lost Lake trail which is a loop across a couple islands on Hamlin Lake (yes there are bridges, you don't need to bring your snorkel). The hike was relatively void of people only passing a few along the way. I did see a hand full of people kayaking on the lake and a few more kayaks parked on the bank near the campground. The hike is 2.1 miles long and relatively flat the whole way. I wanted to do the lighthouse trail as well but there wasn't enough time. Great place to get your nature fix via kayak or foot. Not sure I would want to camp here on a weekend though unless you want Billy Bob and Mary Sue's 7 rugrats running around your site screaming.

    My bestie and I spent 2 days here camping in her Winnebago. Each site is very scenic and spacious,…read morewith beautiful forest surrounding you. The amenities are wonderful. Bathrooms and showers are spacious and clean. Staff is courteous and very helpful, as well.

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    Ludington State Park - Ludington State Park

    Ludington State Park

    Ludington State Park - Ludington State Park Campground

    Ludington State Park Campground

    Ludington State Park - A bald eagle on Lake Michigan at the entrance

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    A bald eagle on Lake Michigan at the entrance

    James Tellen's Woodland Sculpture Garden - Sr. Peter, originally sculpted for a trout farm

    James Tellen's Woodland Sculpture Garden

    4.5(4 reviews)
    59.7 mi

    When you decide to see the James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden, be sure to double check your…read moremap. It's located in a residential neighborhood, south of Sheboygan, that is off the beaten path. The first thing you see is a log fence along Evergreen Road. In the trompe-l'œil sculpture, you'll find a Native American family, a momma bear climbing a tree and her two cubs playing in a tree. Park your car in the lot off Evergreen Road and walk back up to the road to take a closer look at the fence. The amount of detail that James Tellen put into his work is evident in the logs. You'll find a Native American family, a momma bear about to climb a tree, and her cubs playing on the tree top. Near the large sculpted tree (go ahead and stick your head in the large opening!) you'll find a box with an information sheet that describes the sculptures you'll be seeing as you walk the path into the woods. Where did this all come from? James Tellen worked in a Sheboygan furniture factory where he painted stripes and other details on the products. When not working, he studied painting under local artisans and later worked with other media. During the depression, production slowdowns gave him time to pursue his artwork. This log cottage and land, south of town, was a family refuge and became a place for him to pursue his artwork. During the winter, he would work on sculpting heads in the basement of his home. In Spring and Summer, he attached the heads to armatures that supported his concrete sculptures. Tellen died in 1957, leaving a legacy of 30 such sculptures at the family cottage. The Kohler Foundation acquired the sculpture garden in 1988 and in 2001, the collection was gifted to the John Michael Kohler Art Center. The Tellen environment is the first addition to the JMKAC collection that is off premises. (The JMKAC is in downtown Sheboygan.) A sculpture of a young Abraham Lincoln, splitting a log, shows Tellen's incredible dedication to detail. It is reminiscent of Clarence Shaler's "Lincoln the Dreamer" sculpture on the campus of Ripon College. Tellen tried to depict everyday people, and the young Lincoln is represented as an everyday neighbor rather than as the statesman that we all remember. The Tellen collection is open dawn to dusk daily. It is one the art environments restored by the Kohler Foundation and listed as part of Wandering Wisconsin. I have reviewed some of these sites on Yelp, too. https://www.jmkac.org/exhibitions/wandering-wisconsin.html

    Nice walk through the woods. Interesting in a kitschy way. Go back to the roadhouse a half mile…read moreback down the road for some good drinks.

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    James Tellen's Woodland Sculpture Garden - Young Lincoln

    Young Lincoln

    James Tellen's Woodland Sculpture Garden - Native American Family

    Native American Family

    James Tellen's Woodland Sculpture Garden - Native American Family

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    Native American Family

    Silver Lake State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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