warren dunes state park

This state park has a little bit of everything and appeals to young and old alike! It's tucked away on the shores of Lake Michigan just sixteen miles from the Michigan State line. It's popularity has only grown over the years and because of that the facilities have improved immensely! The park offers hiking, beach combing and in the summer months, parasailing and water sports. The true wonder is the largest sand dune fondly referred to as "Old Baldy" by the locals. You can see for miles and miles on a clear day. The Chicago skyline is visible to the south on those bright clear days. The endless stretch of beach allows for ample space for everyone to enjoy. The park is well staffed from Memorial Day through Labor Day. It is open during the off-season as well providing visitors with the opportunity for sledding and cross country skiing. It offers gorgeous sunsets and the quiet and calming sound of the water to all who visit. There is a campground however it does not offer sewer at the campsites. It's location deep in the woods does lend itself it a bit of a buggy haven in the hot summer months but with the right preparations it does not take away from the natural beauty of the park. A great day trip or long weekend for the more adventurous.

Warren Dunes is a must see State Park. Climbing the dune nearly 300 feet is a bit of a workout but well worth the effort. You can even see the tops of some skyscrapers in Chicago when the weather and humidity is just right.

We visited Warren Dunes a few times this past year -- both for the day and to camp. Either are totally worth it! Pretty much, I was looking for somewhere about a 2 hour drive (2.5 hours MAX) from Ann Arbor to go hiking and hopefully to a beach for the day and I found Warren Dunes. I did not want to go to a crappy beach on a super tiny inland lake, which I why I was drawn to the south area of Lake Michigan. We went in May on the Saturday of Memorial Day and we spent about 5 hours hiking dunes and exploring the park. I thought it would be super busy, but we found plenty of quiet areas as we hiked around and explored. Only the dunes by the main beach area were crowded/busy, and there are tons of others father in and more north. We went back in August and camped for 2 nights and got to explore the park even more. The water was super warm in August so we spent plenty of time in the water as well. The main beach area was crowded both trips, but we would always just hike north up the beach and find lots of space and some areas with fun sandbars to wade out to. We will definitely be going back. If it's your first time and you are going to hike/explore and aren't setting up a huge set-up at the beach, I HIGHLY recommend parking in the nature area parking lot (head right after the park gates, towards the campgrounds, rather than left towards the signs for the beaches) and hiking IN to the Lake, rather than driving towards the lake parking lot. The attendant recommended we do that our first time and I am so glad we did, since the views we got as we hiked in were both surprising and spectacular. We definitely wouldn't have got the same effect if we drove to the beach parking area.

If you haven't been to this place, you need to go! The dunes are fun to climb and not too difficult, worth the view once you get to the top. They have nice facilities and it's great for everyone...pets included!

A great place to explore whether it be along Lake Michigan, climbing Tower Hill, a large sand dune, or hiking some of the trails. You get a great view at the top of the sand dune as well as a great cardio workout! Summer time offers camping as well. Definitely worth a repeat trip!

We camped in the park and spent half a day over at the dunes/beach. Climbing the dunes kept my kids occupied. We all made it to the top and just enjoyed the view. We were able to take the dogs to beach so they could swim. We're definitely planning a trip back in the summer.

We camped at the campsite and it was a wonderful trip. The bathrooms are clean, and the showers are very nice for a campground. There are miles of trails to explore. A very safe site for kids. We had a blast!

We LOVE this place. The sand dunes offer hours of fun for climbing and exploring. Not to mention the cardio you will get from the climb! The beach front is clean. Follow the shoreline down and a creek will run off it. Our favorite activity is following that creek to the clay pit! Once we cover ourselves in the "mud" we enjoy our walk back to the lake! Such a fun day full of options besides just the beach!

Warren Dunes has long been a favorite of ours. If you're wanting to go to the beach and hang out for a day, this is a great place to do that in MI. Plenty of sand for kids to play in; plenty of trails to go hiking if you're not wanting to stay on the beach necessarily; really good beach to walk in - not too rocky. We go everytime we're in MI.

We (2 adults, 2 kids under age 10) had a wonderful time on the beach, trails, and dunes. We stayed overnight at the campground, which was at capacity on Saturday night. It was very tight - the campsites are packed close together. Unfortunately for us, our neighbors partied til 1am, the no alcohol permitted rule apparently is unenforced here. We'll keep this as a special place to day trip, but won't camp here again.

My wife grew up in Midland, MI, and for our summer vacation she showed us placed her family visited as she grew up.She talked about Warren Dunes being beautiful and tall and fun.I saw a few pictures before we visited, and I was blown away by their ~170-180 feet height, the deep blue of the cool-but-enjoyable Lake Michigan water, and the great time our family had.We recommend a visit, ideally more than just a day visit, to anyone.

Just another reason that Michigan is one of the most beautiful states in the midwest. The dunes give you an amazing view of the lake and if you are willing to climb it can also give you a great workout ;)

Warren Dunes is a awesome place to visit. The address shown on Michigan.gov site for Warren Dunes is incorrect. My GPS followed the incorrect address and let me into a wooded area instead until I found a party store and found out that I was at the wrong spot just like many other people. Warren Dunes is located off exit 16 on I-94 and NOT exit 6 (which is what the incorrect address shows).

On our drive from Detroit to Chicago we seen he park on the GPS and decided to stop. The park was great. Beautiful dune and nice long beach. We stopped during prime seasons and it was busy but did feel too crowded ( probably because the beach and dunes were spread out ). There is a charge. It was $11 but it lasted until the taps have to be changed do your and this might be different for out of state guests.

After going along the 'private' beaches we decided to check out 'the dunes', we've been back 5 times in 3 months! There is plenty of room on the beach, it never feels super crowded and it's not a long walk from your car with all of your stuff. And walking up the dunes can be fun too if it's not 90 degrees. We haven't explored the camping/hiking area but will soon.