Silver Lake State Park is near Mears, on a strip of dunes between Lake Michigan and inland Silver Lake. The Michigan DNR lists nearly 3 miles of Lake Michigan shore, about 2,000 acres of sand dunes, a modern campground, a day-use area, a boat launch and the 450-acre Silver Lake ORV Area. 1

What to see

Two-thirds of the dunes are for people on foot. The DNR says there are no marked hiking trails; visitors walk the open sand. Pedestrian parking is at the end of North Shore Drive. Walking the dunes is harder than a sidewalk. 1

Little Sable Point Light stands in the south end of the park. The DNR dates the tower to 1874, more than 100 feet tall, still holding its original third-order Fresnel lens. A paved, accessible walk leads to the base. Tours from mid-May to October are run by the Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association. The park lists a fee to climb 130 steps and does not post the amount here. 1

Inland Silver Lake has a day-use beach, a buoyed swim area, an accessible beach house and a boat launch. The lake does not connect to Lake Michigan by boat. 1 Mac Wood's Dune Rides runs a 40-minute interpretive tour in a separate part of the park in the summer months; the DNR names that concession on the park page. 1

The ORV scramble area is 450 acres. The DNR calls it the only motorized sand-dune riding of its type east of the Mississippi. Pedestrians and ORVs use different zones. The ORV page has the season, hours, permits and parking-voucher rules. 12

Best seasons

The park is used year-round. The DNR posts the ORV season as April 1 through October 31 and sends riders to the ORV page for hours. 2 Fat-tire bikes use the ORV dunes December 15 to March 15; those details are on our Winter page. 3 A shoreline horseback season runs in November; reservations and fees belong on the DNR horseback page, not here. 1

How to get there

The DNR address is 9679 W. State Park Road, Mears, Michigan, 49436. The ORV welcome area is listed at 8960 W. Fox Road. 12 A Recreation Passport is required for motor vehicles entering Michigan state parks. 4

Tips

  • Stay in the zone meant for you. The ORV area is not a walking beach; the pedestrian dunes are not for motors. The park map marks both. 12
  • Pets are allowed on the full Lake Michigan shore and on inland Silver Lake except the designated swim beach. Keep them on a 6-foot leash. 1
  • Alcohol is prohibited in the ORV area, the welcome-center area, the pedestrian dunes and within a quarter mile of the ORV boundary. 1
  • We do not have a Silver Lake listing in the shop. The nearby light at Big Sable Point is a different tower, in Ludington State Park.

Safety

Lake Michigan currents, heat on the dunes and moving ORV traffic are the risks the DNR names. This page does not report today's flags, hours or which ramps are open. Check the Silver Lake State Park page, the ORV area page and the DNR beach safety page before you go. 125