Saugatuck Dunes State Park
Shoreline and a large wooded sand dune.
Map showing the location of Saugatuck Dunes State Park
Map showing the location of Saugatuck Dunes State Park
Location in Michigan
Map showing the location of Saugatuck Dunes State Park
Map showing the location of Saugatuck Dunes State Park
Saugatuck Dunes State Park (the United States)
LocationLaketown Township, Allegan County, Michigan, USA
Nearest citySaugatuck, Michigan
Coordinates42°42′12″N 86°11′59″W / 42.70333°N 86.19972°W / 42.70333; -86.19972[2]
Area1,000 acres (4.0 km2)
Elevation669 feet (204 m) [2]
DesignationMichigan State Park
Established1977[3]
AdministratorMichigan Department of Natural Resources
WebsiteSaugatuck Dunes State Park

Saugatuck Dunes State Park is a public recreation area covering 1,000 acres (400 ha) on the shore of Lake Michigan between Saugatuck and Holland in Allegan County, Michigan.[4]

History

The site was once part of the estate of inventor Dorr E. Felt, whose summer home, the Felt Mansion, is an in-holding within the state park[5] that is undergoing restoration.[6] Built by the inventor of the comptometer in 1928, the Felt's summer home was sold to the St. Augustine Seminary in 1949 and used as housing for young students, and later on, for cloistered nuns. In the 1970s, the building was purchased by the state of Michigan and used as a state police post, with nearby buildings serving as a prison. The state completed purchasing the site for state park purposes in 1978.[5]

Activities and amenities

The largely undeveloped state park features 14 miles (23 km) of hiking trails, 200-foot-high (61 m) sand dunes covered with trees and grass, and 2.5 miles (4.0 km) of beachfront located two-thirds of a mile from the picnic parking area.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Saugatuck Dunes State Park". Protected Planet. IUCN. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Saugatuck Dunes State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. ↑ "When were Michigan state parks and recreation areas established?" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Saugatuck Dunes State Park". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Saugatuck Dunes State Park General Management Plan" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. March 29, 2010. pp. 5, 12. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Restoration". The Felt Estate. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
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