Grand Mere State Park
Summary
This quieter, less crowded next-door neighbor to the popular Warren Dunes State park is home to towering dunes, interdunal lakes, and 180° views of Lake Michigan.
In winter, snow-covered dunes and deep blow-outs make for dramatic scenery, and offer plenty of opportunity for challenging hikes, or Nordic skiing with sufficient snow cover.
There are about 4 miles of trails forming a loop through open dunes and the wooded areas of the park, but they are neither marked nor maintained. A 2-mile hike around Baldtop, involves steep climbs through soft sand (or, in our case, lumpy snow), but will reward you with gorgeous scenery and excellent views.
Grand Mere is an excellent example of dune succession from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems. The interdunal lakes reveal the progression from open water turning into marsh, then woodland swamps and closed bog forests.
Grand Mere has about a mile of Lake Michigan beach, but with Great Lake levels currently at a historic high, it is narrow, bordered by a fairly steep sand ridge, and may be inaccessible during periods of high waves.
Where in the midwest is it?
Michigan DNR Grand Mere page.