Ludington

Ludington is a beach-and-lighthouse town. Spend one day in town on the beach and the harbor, watching the S.S. Badger come in, and a second day up M-116 at Ludington State Park, where you walk to Big Sable Point Lighthouse and swim in two lakes. Plan around the seasons: the Badger and the lighthouse run from May into October.

Getting there and getting around

Ludington sits where US-10 and US-31 meet. US-10 comes in from the east, US-31 runs along the lakeshore, and M-116 leads north from town to the state park. By our routing estimates, the drive takes about 1 hour 45 minutes from Grand Rapids, about 4 hours 40 minutes from Detroit and about 4 hours 45 minutes from Chicago. See getting here for the routes.

You can also arrive by water. The S.S. Badger carries passengers and vehicles across Lake Michigan from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, in about four hours, from mid-May into October; see getting here by ferry.

For flights, Manistee County Blacker Airport to the north has daily jet service to Chicago O’Hare, and our estimate puts it a little under an hour’s drive. Muskegon County Airport is about an hour and a quarter south by our estimate. Mason County Airport, just outside town, takes private and charter planes only.

In town, you can walk. Downtown, the marinas and the beach are close together.

• Downtown parking. City spaces are timed: two-hour spots closest to the shops, three-hour lots for longer visits and eight-hour lots for the day. No overnight parking in city lots, and from November through April there is no on-street parking from 3 to 7 a.m. for snow removal.
• Beach parking. At Stearns Park, park diagonally, nose in first; Stearns Outer Drive is one-way and backing in is not allowed.
• The state park. You need a Recreation Passport on your car to drive into Ludington State Park. The park lists bike rentals, and the path to Big Sable Point is open to walkers and cyclists.

Where to eat

Most of the eating is downtown on Ludington Avenue and James Street. All of these took part in the spring Downtown Ludington Restaurant Week, except House of Flavors:

• Old Hamlin Restaurant. A Ludington institution at 122 W. Ludington Avenue since 1942, in the same family since it opened in 1929. Breakfast is its specialty, with homemade breads, pastries and pies (the soups are homemade too), so it is the breakfast stop. It does not take reservations.
• House of Flavors. The sweet stop: a family-run ice cream restaurant on Ludington Avenue that began as Park Dairy in 1948 and is one of the town’s top draws. Come for a sundae after the beach.
• Jamesport Brewing Company. Ludington’s brewpub on James Street, in a building that held a saloon in the late 1800s. The elevated deck looks over the harbor, so you can watch the Badger with a beer.
• The Q Smokehouse. Southern-style barbecue on James Street, built around a “meat and three”: one of the day’s smoked meats with sides like collards, beans and corn bread. Order at the counter.
• Ludington Bay Brewing Co. A craft brewery and taproom on South James Street, a short walk from the brewpub, with pizza and dine-in or carryout.

Where to stay

Our Ludington listings lean to bed and breakfasts in old homes on Ludington Avenue, within walking distance of downtown. Cartier Mansion is a 1905 lumberman’s home. The Lamplighter Bed and Breakfast has five rooms in an 1894 Queen Anne Victorian. The Fresh Coast Inn at Ludington serves an early breakfast for Badger passengers. For a beach-first family trip, Ludington Pier House is a seasonal motel across from Stearns Park, listed as open May through October.

For vacation rentals, campgrounds and the full list, see places to stay in Ludington.

Our picks

Stearns Park Beach The city’s free Lake Michigan beach on North Lakeshore Drive, with a playground, a skate park, mini golf and shuffleboard. In summer three wheelchair-accessible paths run to the water, and you can borrow a free sand wheelchair, first come, first served.

Watch the S.S. Badger Seeing the 1953 steamship come in and head out is a pastime locals and visitors share. Waterfront Park is the easy default, especially with kids: benches, open views of the harbor and a playground. The Channel Walkway near the marina works too, and so does the Jamesport deck. Check the Badger’s schedule for times.

The North Breakwater Light pier gets you closest, but it is an exposed pier and an optional extra. Skip it in high winds, waves, ice or any rough weather; police close the breakwater when waves wash over it.

Ludington State Park Dunes, 21 miles of marked trails and two swim beaches: Lake Michigan on one side and warmer, shallower Hamlin Lake on the other. Drive out on M-116 along the dunes. The Skyline Trail is closed for reconstruction.

Big Sable Point Lighthouse An 1867 tower, banded black and white, at the end of a 1.8-mile sand and gravel path through the park. Climb it, then walk back along the beach when the weather allows. The path has little shade, so bring water.

Hamlin Lake The paddling half of the park. Rent a kayak, canoe or paddleboard in season and follow the water trail along the west shore, or start in the protected coves of Lost Lake if you are new to it.

Ride the S.S. Badger A four-hour crossing to Manitowoc on the last coal-fired passenger steamship in service in the United States, as her operator bills her. Book ahead and be at the dock an hour before sailing.

Wednesday concerts at Waterfront Park Free summer concerts by the channel on Wednesday evenings, with sunset views and a chance to see the Badger come in. Bring a lawn chair, and check the season’s lineup.

One day, and two days

One day. Breakfast at Old Hamlin, then the morning at Stearns Park Beach. Walk down to the harbor to see the North Breakwater Light at the entrance, and time it with the Badger’s arrival or departure. Lunch at The Q, an afternoon back on the sand, then a beer on the Jamesport deck and ice cream at House of Flavors.

Two days. Give the second day to the state park. Drive M-116 early, walk or bike the 1.8 miles to Big Sable Point and climb the tower, then spend the afternoon swimming or paddling on Hamlin Lake. Bring a picnic and plenty of water. If you have a third day, ride the Badger across and back, or head north to Manistee.

With kids, and on a rainy day

With kids. Stearns Park has the playground, mini golf and a big beach in one place. At the state park, the Hamlin Lake beach has a buoyed swim area and warmer, shallower water than Lake Michigan, and the Big Sable River stretch inside the park is used for tubing. Watching the Badger from shore is free, and Waterfront Park, with its playground, is the spot for it with kids.

On a rainy day. Sandcastles Children’s Museum downtown is hands-on for kids. The Port of Ludington Maritime Museum fills the 1934 Coast Guard station with shipwreck, car ferry and lighthouse exhibits. Historic White Pine Village, an open-air museum of more than 30 historic buildings on the Buttersville Peninsula, is open from May into October, and the Ludington Area Center for the Arts hosts movies, exhibits and performances. Check each one’s hours before you go.

Best time to go

Summer is beach season: the Badger makes its crossings and Lakeshore Keepers opens the area’s lighthouses for tower climbs. We’d book July and August stays early.

The shoulder seasons are worth a look:

• May. The Badger returns in mid-May, and Big Sable Point reopens in early May. In mid-May, volunteers plant tens of thousands of red, white and blue petunias along Ludington Avenue for the Petunia Parade. Spring is also for morels, fishing and quiet beach walks.
• September and October. Color hikes, orchards and fishing. Big Sable Point stays open on a reduced schedule after Labor Day into late October, and the Badger’s season ends in October.

We’d pick early September: the Badger is still sailing and the lighthouse is still open for climbs.

Winter

Ludington is quiet in winter: the Badger is in port and the lighthouse is closed. The draw is the state park.

• Ludington State Park. Listed for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and the area has winter hikes and sledding on the dunes. Ask the park about trail conditions, since the Skyline Trail is closed.
• Lantern-lit hikes. On select winter Saturdays, the Friends of Ludington State Park light a trail with lanterns for a free evening walk or snowshoe that ends at a bonfire, with snowshoes to borrow. See the lantern-lit snowshoe hikes for this year’s dates.
• Downtown. Aglow on the Avenue brings Santa down Ludington Avenue on Small Business Saturday, and the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop ends the year with a street party, a midnight ball drop and fireworks.

Winter events depend on the weather, so check before you go.

Hours, menus and schedules change, so check with each place before you go.