Top Three Things to do in Ludington

Big Sable Point Lighthouse by Sand Dunes

Woke up to a dreary, rainy morning in Ludington on the last day of my Michigan Fall Colors road trip. Instead of being disappointed that my weekend trip was going to be ruined, I decided to tough it out and finish my trip by exploring the town. This was my first time in Ludington so, wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt with the rain. I stopped off at the Old Hamlin restaurant in the downtown area for a great breakfast and when I was finished the rain had stopped. Time to explore…Here are the top three things to do in Ludington, Michigan.

Big Sable Point Lighthouse by Sand Dunes

North Breakwater Light

The main road through Ludington, M-10 or Ludington Avenue, dead-ends at the Stearns Park & Beach. One of the many lighthouses in the area is North Breakwater Light at the end of North Breakwater Pier. There are 53 steps to climb to reach the top and see the views of Lake Michigan. 1610_ludington_001North Breakwater Light in Ludington

Ludington State Park

Ludington being situated on the banks of Lake Michigan has an amazing coastline for miles. I decided to head a little bit north to Ludington State Park to see what kind of pictures I could get in the foggy weather. Walking through the park it was eerily quiet and the fog lent to the dreamlike atmosphere I was seeing through my camera lens. I was pleased with how they turned out with the fog floating over the water.

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Big Sable Point Lighthouse

My next stop was to hike to the Big Sable Point Lighthouse. I parked my car and headed to the 1.8-mile trail that would lead me to the lighthouse. The interesting thing is that the trail is actually only 1.5-miles long. The first 0.3-mile is a stroll through the RV campground. I noticed quite a few campsites filled with families with little kids.

Once you pass the entrance to the trailhead, it is so quiet on the trail especially if you start early in the morning. There happened to be two other photo enthusiasts ahead of me carrying their tripods. But, they were far enough away to disappear around the bends in the trails. Eventually, it was just me and the critters that were hiding (lots of prints in the sand).

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I found it to be very peaceful walking along this trail. The fog was slowly dissipating and the forest and sand dunes were coming into focus. All I could hear was my footsteps shuffling along the hard-packed sand and tons of birds that were somewhere in the trees next to the trail. I wasn’t wearing a watch so, I couldn’t tell how long I had been walking. It seemed like I was walking forever but, it was actually less than an hour before I saw the lighthouse tower rise above the sand dunes.

Big Sable Point Lighthouse by Sand Dunes

Lake Michigan

The black and white striped lighthouse tower is impressive looking sitting among the sand dunes on the edge of Lake Michigan. I was chatting with one other photographer while we waited for a family to go back inside at the top of the tower. I received some excellent camera tips and it was interesting that we kept going to the same area to get our shots. Great minds think alike.

Lots of campers ride their bikes down the trail to the lighthouse. If you want to get better shots without lots of people in them go early.

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How fitting to actually hike out to a lighthouse on a day that ships would have actually needed to navigate by that light to prevent a shipwreck. Amazing morning exploring Ludington State Park. I definitely want to come back in the summer to explore further.

How many lighthouses in Michigan have you been to? Which one was your favorite?

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Further Reading

If you are coming to Michigan for a visit, check out these posts for further travel inspiration:

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