What a great hike! So calm and peaceful. And the elevated walkways by the canopies are awesome…read more Try and come here if you can. So close to New Buffalo!

What a beautiful spot! The trails aren't very long but provide a great view of the river and the…read moremarshland. One takes you down the hill from the parking lot out onto a boardwalk through the marsh area, which is full of plants, flowers, and animals in the summer, and out onto an overlook to the river. Heading up takes you to a 60 foot high marsh overlook that sways just a little bit and gives you a great view of the area. Fishing is permitted from the lower deck. The park is free to enter. A very enjoyable walk.

Located along the shores of Lake Michigan,this State Park has over 1500 acres of pristine beaches…read moreand sand dunes making it one of Michigans most popular State Parks. There is an admission free to enter. Plenty of parking available. We went in the Fall midweek so it was not crowded at all.

Beautiful beach and park!…read more We came for the day to play on the beach and see the sand dunes. You have to pay for the use. There is a large parking area by the beach. As soon as we pulled in we noticed the beach on one side of the parking lot and the sand dunes on the other. We decided to climb the dunes first. There is one big hill that everyone was going up. It is challenging but fun. Great views from the top. And super easy to come down. Then we went to the beach. Sand was really nice and clean. A storm started to roll in so we had to leave the beach a little early. They do a great job of communicating and changing the flags when the beach conditions change. There are bathrooms and some food vendors. Only wish is they had actual showers to clean off all the sand. They have the outside ones but they weren't very efficient.

Wonderful trails. We took the boardwalk which is uncovered and can be super sunny. The walk is easy…read moreand ends at a beautiful pond. There is a tiny bench, but you probably wouldn't sit there for awhile. Back by the entrance, there is a welcome center that has a picnic table in the back if you want to bring some snacks. No mushroom hunting. Parking - there is lots of parking! Bathrooms- there are bathrooms and they are nice.

This is definitely a hidden gem in St. Joseph County! Not far from downtown New Carlisle is this…read moregreat nature preserve. Your GPS may not correctly tell you where to turn, but there is a clear sign for the road to access the preserve. Near the small parking lot is a nature center building with restrooms, but it looked to be closed while I visited. Spicer Lake Nature Preserve has a variety of walking trails, including a nice boardwalk through the wetlands. Our group had fun spotting the birds, frogs and other creatures that call this place home. Note that you cannot access Spicer Lake, but you can view it from the boardwalk.

Beautiful Beach! Went to see the Northern Lights and even though it was getting late, we captured…read moresome great photos!

Took a day drive with my family! 71miles away. By the time you get gas, some quality beef jerky,…read moreand begin driving, then you.are there already. YOU GOTTA DO IT.

If you're looking for a peaceful getaway, Grand Mere State Park is a hidden gem that delivers on…read moreall fronts. The park offers several trails that take you through dense forests and towering sand dunes which lead to some stunning overlooks and beaches of Lake Michigan. It's a bit of a trek to get to the water, but once you do, the lakefront is beautiful and less commercialized than other spots. Definitely recommend Grand Mere State Parkin for anyone in the area looking for a peaceful outdoor escape.

Path to Lake Michigan was flooded, water over your ankles. No easy path to Lake Michigan. A…read morehiker would love the up/down sand dunes.

My friend and I visited on Monday, and the weather was perfect. Mt Baldy was almost empty at around…read more5pm. The giant sand dune is a sight to behold. It's super easy to get to the area where you climb the dune and get to the other side. A ramp was made after the well-known story of the boy who was swallowed into the dunes in 2013 (look for the news story in Google), so it's perfectly safe as long as you don't climb areas that are clearly marked as prohibited/peligro. The views are stunning! The beautiful blue water, a setting sun, a vast empty beach below, and gulls singing In the air create a very peaceful place to sit, relax, #latergram, and take it all in. There is even a spot where you and a loved one can take photos and get a good background view. Check out my pics and click if you found my review useful, funny, and cool.

We have some history here, and a two-part one at that. When my son was young..2-4yrs old, we used…read moreto come here each spring. We'd walk the trail to the point were you deviated up the side of the dune (Mt. Baldy) and ascended to the top where we would explore and play. I used to post pictures of the views from the top...most believing we were at a Caribbean island or some elegant destination. Nope..just northern Indiana! Then our visits were halted. An unfortunate accident happened to a young boy here about 8 years ago and the dunes were completely shot down to visitors. Fast forward to 2020..we finally made our way back. Mt. Baldy has been forever closed to foot traffic which is very sad, most likely linked to the incident that happened years ago. You can still walk the trail around Mt. Baldy which leads you to the beach, but access on the dune is prohibited. This was a great dune to climb and explore. Hopefully, it reopens again someday.

This place is great for hiking and meeting up with friends! I really enjoy all the flora & River.read more

The Black River Preserve is truly a spectacular place. The location of the preserve, along the…read moreLake Michigan coastal area, makes it a premier migratory songbird stopover. There is also great biological diversity ranging from poplars and redbud trees to hemlocks and birch trees. The Preserve encompasses 120 acres of rolling forest, meadows, and scenic tributary ravines. The trails are all marked and offer easy-to-difficult hiking options. We spent a Sunday afternoon in October walking through this magical preserve. The Mainstem Trail is the most direct route through the preserve. We traversed slops of the north and middle ravine and crossed streams along the way. We stopped at the "quiet spot" bridge and closed our eyes and just listened to the peaceful sounds of nature. The Black River Preserve is located on 8th Ave. in South Haven. There is a gravel park lot and a trail map posted at the trail head. If you are looking for a place to go for nature and a quiet atmosphere, be sure to check out the Black River Preserve.

Driving between Cleveland and Chicago, we like to make time for a stop at Indiana Dunes State Park…read more This time it was a blustery chilly day (Nov 2025), so it wasn't going to be a swimming or hiking day. But we didn't mind the $12 vehicle fee just for the view. South of the park on SR-49, you'll see a Visitors Center, and if we were staying longer, it's a nice stop for local park info, campground reservations, souvenirs, and refreshments. The drive into the state park to Porter Beach takes you through thick woods, and we saw a buck crossing the road, which was a real treat and a reminder that these parks are wild enough. At the end of SR-49, there's an ornate pavilion, and it was closed due to the upcoming holiday, even the cafe and store were closed. The restrooms outside on the boardwalk were open. And we brought our lunch in from Culver's down by I-80. There were only a couple other cars during the time we were there. We pulled up and braved the blowing sand to get a look at the thrashing waters of Lake Michigan. With gusts up to 40mph from an approaching storm, the eaves were spectacular! But it was difficult to stay upright in that wind, not to mention the light sand-blasting we were getting. And we were on the road heading for a holiday visit, so we didnt stay long, only an hour or so. It's a beautiful park, even in the winter. We want to sled down the 170ft dune-canyon known as Devil's Slide!

I'm surprised that seemingly so few people know about the Indiana Dunes State/National Parks! This…read moreis a beautifully unique park, and a must visit for anyone who loves hiking and is looking for a fun challenge. We visited for my husband's birthday, and it was a little tricky to determine which trails were located in the State Park and which trails were located in the National Park. We actually ended up paying for a National Park pass first, but then realized the trail we wanted to hike was in the State Park and so we ended up having to pay for access to that as well. It doesn't make much sense to me that there's not one main visitors center with a flat rate for both parks, but oh well. Let this be a reminder to your research if you're planning a visit soon! We hiked the Three Dune Challenge around 4 PM on a Friday, and there was no one else on the trail! We were shocked to have the whole hike to ourselves. It is indeed a challenge, but the view was well worth it. After making our way down hill and through the campsite (where they could use a bit more signage, especially since that's how they recommend exiting), we drove to the beach and enjoyed the sunset. This park is definitely worth a stop!

This was one of our first state parks to visit as new campers and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay!…read more They were so welcoming! Our campsite was well equipped and perfect for our family. The dump site was brand new and especially user friendly! The scenery was gorgeous. We were there a little late in the season, but the lake was still beautiful and we enjoyed watching all the wildlife.

Staff is always friendly The park is well taken care of…read morewithout looking too groomed. I love to run the trails and just get away here. There are camp grounds and horse trails, lakes and running paths and lots to do here. This is one of my escapes.

Beautiful trails and butterfly exhibit. Stayed a few hours waking the many trails. I was advised…read morethere's around 8mi of trails. Butterfly exhibit was nice and captured plenty of photos. A nice place to solo visit or bring family and children.

This was legit one of the nicest maintenance nature areas I have been in. Tons of elevated…read moreplatforms to view and we walked on wood paths most of the time in the lower marsh. Such beautiful views. Great visitor center!