Welcome to Up North, Close By...

With spring knocking on Mason County’s door, silent sport and outdoor enthusiasts are getting antsy to venture outside. The Mason County area has many trails open welcoming joggers, adventure seekers, and wild life watchers to stretch their legs and get some much needed fresh air.

April in Mason County invites visitors to hit the trail and/or visit an area park to see the natural beauty of West Michigan, and relax.

Head Outside and Get Some Fresh Air!

The Ludington School Forest 
trail head is located on the North East corner of Tinkham and Sherman. The forest is comprised of an East and West Loop. The West Loop, about 1.25 miles long, and the East Loop, 1.5 miles long, trails are fairly easy to follow and allows dogs if leashed.

Disc Golfing
If you feel you haven’t burned off enough steam, pull out your disc golfing equipment and play a quick round at the Ludington School Forest Disc golfing course. Construction of the new 18-hole championship caliber course called Leviathan began in 2006. Located in the heart of Ludington the 150 acre school forest features Pro and Am tees, with the pro tees there are many par 4 and 5’s and the Am tees having lots of birdie and ace possibilities.

Additional disc golf courses within the Ludington Area include the three (3) 24-hole courses named Beauty, Beast, and Goliath at the Mason County Park Picnic Area. These courses have been used for the Michigan State Finals for the past 10 years because they are among the best in the state. They were also built and paid for by disc golfers from all over the world.

Geocaching 
If disc golfing isn’t your cup of tea bring along your GPS and see what treasures await you as you hide and seek a cache in the Ludington School Forest. The increasingly more popular, Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment. 

Big Sable Point Lighthouse
Head north along breath taking M-116 to take a scenic walk along Lake Michigan, through Michigan’s premier State Park to see beautiful Big Sable Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse is a 1.8 mile walk north of the Ludington State Park Entrance. The lighthouse will open to the public again Daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. in May 2009.

The Big Sable Point Lighthouse as well as the Ludington North Breakwater Light and Little Sable Point Lighthouse are maintained, restored and preserved by the Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association who also provide education to the public about the lights, and allow the public to have the opportunity to climb the towers. 

Ludington State Park
The Ludington State Park is one of the most visited state parks within the state. Situated between Hamlin Lake and Lake Michigan with several miles of shoreline and beaches on both bodies of water the park offers a 1.5 mile paved bicycle trail, 2.5 mile Canoe Trail, and more than 18 miles open to hiking. If you don’t have your own canoe, paddle boat, or kayak rent one at the State Park! 

Before your exploration begins head into the visitor’s center, open 7 days a week, for all trail related information located just before the entrance of the park. 

North Country Trail 
The trail system lies within Mason, Manistee, and Lake Counties and is one of the nation’s premier hiking and backpacking trails. Nearly the entire trail traverses mixed hardwood forest dotted with stands of birch, red & white pine and cedar. The North Country Trail is perfect for the beginner, novice, or expert hiker.

If you’re considering bringing your trail bike along and are in need of info to ride the North Country Trail, contact the Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-562-4600, for bike rental info and the skinny on trails accessible and open to trail riding.

Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Beach 
The beach is a federally designated wilderness area encompassing 3,500 acres. It’s a place to get away from it all. With 7,300 feet of pristine, undeveloped shoreline and 14.5 miles of trails, this beach is a remote but popular hiking destination which can be accessed through the Lake Michigan Recreation Area or the Ludington State Park.

Manistee National Forest
Established in 1938, the Manistee National Forest is part of the larger 950,000 acre 
Huron-Manistee National Forest, one of three National Forests in Michigan. Hiking is an adventure along terrain that changes from steep hillsides and long vistas where it skirts the Manistee River and Hodenpyl Dam, to gently rolling on the southern end of the trail.

What's Happening Inside

It’s still a West Michigan April and if it’s still too cold for you to hike or ride through the woods, check out what’s going on inside Mason County Businesses. 



Earth Week in Downtown Ludington, April 19-25, 2009:
Spring is on its way and with it comes the beginning of a busy Downtown Season. Take a stroll in downtown Ludington during the week of April 19-25, and take advantage of all “green” products and specials.

Head to the Ludington Area Center for the Arts hroughout the month of April, there’s much to do! 
The Ludington Area Center for the Arts present guest speakers who will explain major art periods from the 19th century to the present. 

- April 9 - Symbolism and cubism
- April 13 - Abstract expressionism
- April 23 - American modernists 

(A $5 donation is suggested for these informative lectures.)
On Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 enjoy the
10-minute play festival, art and the environment, cosponsored by AFFEW and the Mason County District Library at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 30.

Something cool to check out is the brand new and recently dedicated stage at the Center, which was built by the Ludington Area Arts Council (LAAC) board members and volunteers of the Center.

Cool New Events & Activities to Look Forward To!

First Annual West Michigan Birding Festival!
More than two dozen events for birding enthusiasts and their families are scheduled at the First Annual West Michigan Birding Festival to be held in Ludington on May 15, 16, and 17.

In preparation for the festival be sure to visit www.destinationludington.org to get the most up-to-date Birding Festival packages offered by several of our members.

Photo Credit:

www.toddandbradreed.com and Andy Klevorn