Spring Lake

Spring Lake is the quiet half of a Grand Haven trip: a small village on a lake of bayous and coves, right next door to the Lake Michigan beaches. Come for a morning in a kayak, a bike ride around the lake and dinner on Savidge Street. A half day covers the basics; make it a full day if you want the whole trail loop or a Thursday concert.

Getting there and getting around

M-104, called Savidge Street in the village, is the main road. It links US-31 at Ferrysburg with I-96 near Nunica. By our routing estimates, the drive takes about 40 minutes from Grand Rapids and about 3.5 hours from Chicago or Detroit. See getting here for the routes.

The closest airline airport is Muskegon County Airport, with flights to Chicago O’Hare; our estimate puts it about 15 minutes away. Private pilots can use Grand Haven Memorial Airpark, about 12 minutes away by our estimate.

In summer, Harbor Transit’s trolley runs a Laker Loop through Spring Lake and Ferrysburg, with stops at Tanglefoot Park and Lakeside Beach. It runs Thursday through Monday from late May to early September; check the schedule before you plan around it.

Where to eat

Most of the eating is along Savidge Street, close together. These are places the Grand Haven area visitors bureau lists in the village:

• Village Baker. A bakery and restaurant on East Savidge that does breakfast, lunch and dinner: breads, sandwiches and custom pizzas, with a full bar. It skips Mondays outside summer, so check before you go.
• Grand Finale Bistro. A European-style bistro and cafe for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with croissants, pain au chocolat and muffins. The breakfast and pastry stop.
• Two Tonys Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar. The sit-down Italian dinner on East Savidge, with outdoor dining listed. It suggests calling ahead.
• Fuel Bar & Refuge. Food and creative drinks in a reworked 1930s gas station on West Savidge.
• The Front Porch. The old-fashioned ice cream shop on East Savidge, for shakes, sundaes and floats, and known for its five-foot banana split. It is listed as open April through September.

Where to stay

Our Spring Lake listings are the Holiday Inn Grand Haven-Spring Lake, a 123-room hotel on the Grand River across from Grand Haven, and The Lilley Mansion, guest suites in an 1876 Second Empire house. See places to stay in Spring Lake for the full list.

Grand Haven, next door, has far more rooms and restaurants; see our Grand Haven guide.

Our picks

Paddle the bayous Spring Lake has strict slow no-wake rules, and its bayous are no-wake for everyone, which makes it good kayak water. Tanglefoot Park has self-service kayak rental kiosks if you did not bring one.

The Lakeside Trail A paved bike loop of roughly 12 miles around the lake, passing small parks such as Whistle Stop Park. Ride the whole loop or pick a stretch. For a longer day, the North Bank Trail runs 18 miles on a former rail line.

Lakeside Beach The village’s sandy public beach, at the north end of Lake Avenue. It is the calm-water swim in town. For Lake Michigan surf and sand, go to Grand Haven State Park next door.

Ottawa Sands County Park Just west in Ferrysburg: a paved 1.6-mile loop around an inland lake and an accessible kayak launch on the Sag of the Grand River. The inland lake is for looking, not swimming or boating.

Music at the Point Free summer concerts at Mill Point Park on Thursday evenings, from mid-June to mid-August, with a break for Coast Guard Festival week. Bring a chair.

A half day, or a day

Half day. Breakfast at Grand Finale, then a couple of hours in a kayak from Tanglefoot Park. Finish with a cone at The Front Porch.

A day. Add the Lakeside Trail by bike in the afternoon and a swim at Lakeside Beach. Dinner at Two Tonys or Village Baker, and on a summer Thursday, walk over to Mill Point Park for the concert.

With kids, and on a rainy day

Kids get the calm beach, kayaks and the five-foot banana split; the trolley is a ride in itself. On a rainy day, the Spring Lake District Library is in the middle of the village, and Grand Haven’s indoor stops are minutes away.

Best time to go

Summer, from June through August, is when the trolley, the concerts and the kayak kiosks are all going. Heritage Festival week in June is a good reason to come early: it opens with a wooden and classic boat show at Mill Point Park and includes a free family night. Spring Lake also sits next to Grand Haven’s Coast Guard Festival in late July and early August, when rooms around the area fill, so book ahead.

Winter

Winter is quiet. You can ice skate at Spring Lake Central Park, and the restaurants on Savidge Street carry on, though The Front Porch closes for the season.

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