Warren Dunes State Park

Warren Dunes State Park
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Map showing the location of Warren Dunes State Park

Location within the state of Michigan

Location Lake Township / Bridgman, Berrien County, Michigan
Nearest city Bridgman, Michigan
Coordinates 41°54′55″N 86°35′36″W / 41.91528°N 86.59333°W / 41.91528; -86.59333Coordinates: 41°54′55″N 86°35′36″W / 41.91528°N 86.59333°W / 41.91528; -86.59333
Area 1,952 acres (7.9 km²)
Governing body Michigan Department of Natural Resources
http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/details.aspx?id=504&type=SPRK

Warren Dunes State Park is a 1,952-acre (7.90 km2) Michigan state park, located along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in Berrien County. The park's large sand dunes and lakeshore beaches make it one of the most popular of Michigan’s state parks with an average of about one million visitors annually.

Large sand dunes are found throughout the park. Among the park's dunes are Mt. Fuller, Pikes Peak, and Mt. Edwards, with the most significant being Tower Hill, the highest point in the park, which stands 240 feet (73 meters) above the Lake Michigan. This dune is the one that is most visible to visitors, many of whom delight in scrambling up its slopes and rushing back down again. Easy access to the dunes make it a popular location to practice the sport of sandboarding.

The dunes and beach area was preserved by a local businessman, Edward K. Warren,[1] who originally purchased the site as a favor to a friend who had encountered significant financial difficulties.[2] By 1930, the Warren Dunes area had been taken over as a state park.[3]

Facilities and activities

Camping

Warren Dunes is in the top 5 most popular camping destinations in the state of Michigan.[4] The park contains 2 main campgrounds: Warren Dunes Modern and Warren Dunes Semi-Modern. Warren Dunes Modern has almost 200 campsites and is on the inland side of the dunes so the beach is just a short walk.[5] Warren Dunes Semi-Modern is rustic and much smaller (only about 30 campsites). It has a variety of sites—some with high levels of privacy and others that are fairly close together. Both campgrounds are immensely popular and normally at full capacity in July and August.[6]

Other activities

Tower Hill dune rises 236 feet above the lake

See also

References

External links

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