On a gloomy, early spring morning, we set off to hike to Lake Michigan through the trails of Grand Mere State Park. From the parking area, the trail is flat and paved - not the kind of tail I enjoy. I prefer something more natural and rugged, but in this case, I assumed the pavement would lead to natural trails. After about a half mile, the pavement ended with a climb up a loose sand dune into the landscape seen in these photos.
Always mindful of trampling Marram grass and other plants, we stayed on the beaten paths that meandered up and around the dunes. The views from the dune ridges were beautiful in most every direction - Lake Michigan, wooded dunes, grassy dunes, and the three, small inland lakes.
Similar to Warren Dunes, once over the first ridge, and expansive area of rolling dunes is all one can see, giving hikers a real sense of hiking far away from busy cities.
Grand Mere State Park is located in Stevensville, Michigan, only a few miles from St. Joseph. A recreation passport is required to access the park, although in busy times, visitors can pay an attendent for one day access.
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