Whitehall and Montague

Whitehall and Montague face each other across White Lake, and you should plan them as one stop. In a day you can climb a lighthouse at the channel, spend the afternoon on a Lake Michigan beach and finish with dinner and live music downtown. Give it two days if you want to ride the rail trail north to Hart.

Getting there and getting around

US-31 runs past both towns, with a Montague exit near the trailhead and a White Lake Drive exit for Duck Lake State Park. By our routing estimates, the drive takes about an hour from Grand Rapids and about 4 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 30 minutes away. Private pilots can land at Oceana County Airport, about 27 minutes away by our estimate.

The two downtowns sit on opposite shores of White Lake. Boaters can tie up at the White Lake Municipal Marina, a short walk from downtown Whitehall.

Where to eat

The White Lake towns eat casually: two breweries, a soda fountain, a bookstore cafe and a drive-in.

• North Grove Brewers, Montague. A self-described hole-in-the-wall brewpub with rotating beers, cider and wine, arcade games, darts and a pool table, and a biergarten out back that hosts summer concerts on Friday evenings.
• Fetch Brewing Company, Whitehall. A brewery in an old bank building, with seating in the vault, a penny-tiled floor and an upstairs snug. On summer Monday nights it hosts live music outside.
• Lipka’s Old Fashion Soda Fountain & Restaurant, Montague. The sweet stop on Ferry Street downtown, for a soda fountain treat or a casual meal.
• The Book Nook & Java Shop, Montague. A bookstore with a cafe and a bar on Ferry Street, known for jazz nights; it has also hosted a summer wine and jazz festival.
• Dog n Suds, Montague. The local branch of the old Midwest drive-in chain, for hot dogs and root beer.

Where to stay

Our White Lake listings are The Weathervane Inn, a 23-room inn on the waterfront in Montague beside the trail, and Michillinda Lodge, a long-running cottage resort on Lake Michigan near Whitehall; confirm it is taking bookings before you plan around it. Duck Lake State Park is day-use only. See places to stay in Whitehall and Montague for the full list, or our Muskegon guide for the bigger town to the south.

Our picks

White River Light Station An 1875 lighthouse on the channel, now a maritime museum. Climb the spiral stairs to the top for the view over both lakes. It opens from mid-May into late October, with shorter days in fall, and children must be at least 40 inches tall to climb.

Duck Lake State Park The full beach day: about half a mile of Lake Michigan shoreline below a tall dune, with a boardwalk toward the big lake. From one parking area you cross Scenic Drive on foot to reach the beach. You need a Recreation Passport to drive in.

Medbery Park Montague’s small Lake Michigan beach just north of the channel, with restrooms and anglers on the channel walls. There is no lifeguard, and stay off the walls in bad weather.

The Hart-Montague Trail The Hart-Montague Trail is a paved 22-mile rail trail north through farms and orchards to Hart. The trailhead is west of the US-31 Montague exit; state trailheads need a Recreation Passport.

The weathervane In Ellenwood Park in downtown Montague, topped by a model of the lumber ship Ella Ellenwood and billed as the world’s largest working weathervane. A two-minute stop on the way to the trail.

Tuesday concerts Free summer concerts at the band shell beside the Montague boat launch on Tuesday evenings, with free crafts for kids. Rain moves the show to the Whitehall High School auditorium.

One day, and two days

One day. Start at the White River Light Station in the morning, then spend the afternoon at Duck Lake State Park. Have dinner and a beer at North Grove or Fetch, and on a summer Tuesday, end at the band shell.

Two days. Ride the Hart-Montague Trail in the morning, out and back as far as you like. Back in Montague, get a treat at Lipka’s and see the weathervane, then take a book and a coffee at the Book Nook. Finish with sunset at Medbery Park.

With kids, and on a rainy day

Kids get the lighthouse climb, the Tuesday crafts and a drive-in dinner at Dog n Suds. Michigan’s Adventure, the big amusement and water park in Muskegon County, is the summer splurge. On a rainy day, try the lighthouse museum, a show at The Playhouse at White Lake or an hour in the Book Nook.

Best time to go

Summer is the season. Three festival weekends stand out:

• Arts and Crafts Festival. A weekend of booths at Goodrich Park in Whitehall in mid to late June, recently on Father’s Day weekend.
• Fourth of July. The parade runs from Whitehall City Hall to Montague City Hall, with fireworks over White Lake around the holiday; the fireworks night can fall before the Fourth.
• Walk the Beat. One free Saturday afternoon in July of live music across both downtowns.

Fall is quieter and still good: the lighthouse stays open into late October, and Pumpkinfest fills downtown Montague in October.

Winter

Winter is quiet. The Hart-Montague Trail is listed for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, so expect to share it. The White Lake Area Holiday Walk comes in November. North Grove Brewers runs a pinball league through fall and winter sessions; check the chamber calendar for what is on.

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