Southern Gateway
Muskegon
A port city for dune hikes and beach days: state parks on both sides of town, a city beach, pier lighthouses, maritime museums and a ferry to Milwaukee.
About 5 miles away (straight line)
State park · Southern Gateway
Muskegon State Park
Three miles of shoreline on Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake, with forested dunes, two campgrounds, a CCC blockhouse and the Muskegon luge park.
Muskegon State Park gives you two kinds of water in one park: about 2 miles of Lake Michigan beach and another mile on Muskegon Lake, with forested dunes and Snug Harbor in between. It sits on the North Muskegon side of the Muskegon Channel.
It suits beach days and campers. The park lists swimming, a beach house, picnic areas, a boat launch and a fishing pier, plus two campgrounds, mini cabins and a yurt, so book ahead for summer. You need a Recreation Passport on your car to drive in (see licenses and passes).
For a view, walk up to the blockhouse. The Civilian Conservation Corps built it in the 1930s on the highest point in Muskegon County so visitors could look out in every direction.
In winter the park is home to the Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park, with a luge track, lighted ski trails, skating and sledding, and a zip line in summer. Those activities need their own tickets on top of the Recreation Passport.
Practical information
- Managed by
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources
- Best months
- January, February, June, July, August, September, December
- Accessibility
- The DNR lists a track chair at the park. Confirm availability with the park before you go.
- Official website
- michigan.gov
Location
Map of Muskegon State Park
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Nearby towns
Also nearby
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Attraction
Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park
A year-round adventure park inside Muskegon State Park with a luge track, lighted cross-country ski trails and skating in winter, and a zip line in summer.
About 1 miles away (straight line)
Beach
Pere Marquette Park
Muskegon's big Lake Michigan beach at the channel mouth, raked daily, with volleyball, kiteboarding, the South Breakwater Light and the Lakeshore Trail.
About 1 miles away (straight line)
Trail
Muskegon Lakeshore Trail
About 12 paved miles along Muskegon Lake from Pere Marquette Park to the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve, with views of the channel and South Pier light.
About 4 miles away (straight line)