Dan and Judy away (2009) May 10-15

**Dan Ellsworth** Sun May 10 2009, 00:05

Judy and Dan will be away from home from Sunday afternoon, May 10, through late Friday, May 15, 2009, staying at Muskegon State Park, Channel Campground. We remember having wireless access at that campground once, but even if we do, we will not be as active online as usual.

For most of Monday, we won't be at the campground, returning to our Robbins Church for a funeral. Otherwise, we'll be at our campsite and in the Muskegon area.

We're hoping to identify some Great Lakes ships from Judy's book, and generally have a relaxing good time, returning in time for grandson Jake's birthday party Saturday.

**William** Thu May 14 2009, 11:29

Beautiful choice! I don't think this will print the pictures, but Dan's hyper-link will take you to this plus the pictures and map!

78 Muskegon State Park
wildlife viewing | directions and facility information

Photos:

Phil Seng

Photo: Wolf, MI DNRMore than 1,000 acres of scenic natural area are nestled between Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan. This site contains dunes, interdunal ponds, forests, fields, lakefront, and a rare coastal plain marsh. Bicycling is prohibited on all trails due to Protected Dune status of the park. A future cooperative “bike route” is planned which would run along the north side of Muskegon Lake, through Muskegon State Park, then north along the Lake Michigan shoreline to Duck Lake State Park.

Wildlife Viewing

Photo:

Phil SengBecause a large portion of this park is surrounded by water, it is naturally a good place to view waterfowl and shorebirds from spring through fall. Bald eagles are also seen along the lakeshores during winter. For those who enjoy unique plants, the area around Lost Lake is a gold mine. Lost Lake really is not a lake at all. It is a coastal plain marsh — a rare natural community, and one of only 41 left in Michigan's state park system. Look carefully along the shores of Lost Lake and you probably will find the carnivorous (meat-eating) pitcher plant. This specialized plant is able to digest small insects to supplement the scarce nutrients available from bog soils. Please do not pick or disturb fragile bog plants.

The park is closed to hunting, but waterfowl may be hunted on Muskegon Lake during the proper season. All hunting must occur from the water and shooting toward the shoreline is prohibited. Contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for hunting seasons and regulations.

Directions

From Muskegon, go north on US-31 to M-120. Turn left (west) onto M-120, and proceed through the town of North Muskegon to the park entrance. In North Muskegon, the road name changes to Ruddiman and later to Memorial Drive.

Ownership: Michigan Department of Natural Resources (269) 744-3480

Size: 1,165 acres

Closest Town: North Muskegon

Weather and Driving Directions for North Muskegon

Facilities and Opportunities

Restrooms – 8 modern with barrier-free access; Lake Michigan Campground (north) has barrier-free showers; 6 pit toilets located throughout park.
Trails – 12 miles of marked hiking trails from easy to difficult. The trails are a diverse series of loops that meander through a variety of landscapes, from flatland to marsh and from lowland to the top of scenic sand dunes. All are self-guided.
Picnic – 4 picnic areas with tables, 3 with grills available (Snug Harbor, Lake Michigan Beach, Block House Overlook); 1 with a playground (Snug Harbor); shelter reservations for Snug Harbor (2 shelters) are $45/day.
Camping – 247 modern sites with 20/30 amp electric hook-ups, approximately 30 sites in each campground have 50 amp service; 139 with pads (all in Channel Campground south); limited number of pull-thru sites. Call 1-800-44 PARKS or check here for availability. NO primitive sites available.
Cross-country Skiing – 12 miles of ski trails, with 5 miles of lit trails during the winter months (fee); Easy to difficult; rental equipment available at the Winter Sports Complex.
Boat Ramp – One boat ramp at Snug Harbor, access to Muskegon Lake and the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan). Open 24 hours a day.
Drinking Water – 9 locations throughout the park (Snug Harbor-2, Lake Michigan Beach, Sports Complex, Channel Campground-2, Channel Walkway, Lake Michigan Campground-2).
Fishing – all types; trout/salmon, bass, walleye, and panfish. Fish cleaning station at Snug Harbor. Bait available across the road from the Snug Harbor Boat Launch.
Hunting – the park is closed to hunting, but hunting is allowed at nearby Duck Lake State Park, 15 minutes north on Scenic Drive.
Entry Fee - Michigan State Park Motor Vehicle Permit required for entry.
Barrier-free – Lake Michigan and Channel Campgrounds, Snug Harbor, Lake Michigan Beach, and Channel Walkway.

Additional Information:
Muskegon State Park

Conservation Efforts:
To volunteer for local conservation efforts, go to Friends of Muskegon State Park