Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan | By Sherry Trautman | Traveling Michigan
Want to drive and explore these stunning sand dunes in your ATV, jeep or truck? Here are the requirements, necessary equipment, rules and a map to get you going!
Silver Lake Sand Dunes, located in Mears, Michigan, is a gorgeous place to spend a day or a weekend as there are so many things to do! Sand dunes, sparkling beaches, shriek-inducing dune rides...what are you waiting for, let's go!
Seriously, how fun is this?
Please read: To take your vehicle on Silver Lake Sand Dunes you must have all current permits including: ORV Permit, ORV Trails Permit, Recreation Passport, 4-wheel drive vehicle, tires with a max of 15 PSI, and a safety flag.
We created this Silver Lake Sand Dunes Interactive Map to help you find your specific stops and aid in planning your trip.
Helpful Map Tips:
Silver Lake State Park, 1857 N. Ridge Road, Mears, MI.
We had a bit of a time finding where to go. See the map above, the directional signs were confusing. Wish we had this map when we went!!
You can use a Black and Decker Cordless Tire Inflator or there are hose reels to use along the fence.
What should the tire pressure be?
12-15 lbs max PSI
Attach your flag with the parts mentioned above. Bring gloves.
We attached our Go-Pro to the roof of our jeep for fun videos!
Turn left onto Fox road and head to the parking lot and check in (See map above). There are nice bathrooms there too.
Nope, but you can park close and go walk on the beach.
The Silver Lake Sand Dunes are open April 1 to October 31, Open 9 am to 8 pm until May 1. May 1 to Sept 15 9 am to 10 pm, Sept 15 to Oct 31 9 am-8 pm. So there you go!
We recommend staying in Ludington as there are many more hotel and lodging choices. You can also camp right at the Silver Lake State Park.
Dune rides are an absolute blast!! Plan ahead because during the summer months, your wait will be around 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on day and time of year.
We did not book ahead off time, just showed up. There are covered areas to wait with bathrooms and a gift shop. Be sure to have water with you.
Be sure to book your hotel or campground early as Silver Lake Dunes is a busy place in the summer!
We really love Silver Lake's beach. It was very clean with restrooms and shade trees. Lots of places to walk and explore too. We brought lunch in a cooler and relaxed under the trees. Lots of areas for kids to play and be kids!!
287 N Lighthouse Dr, Mears, MI 49436
The Little Sable Point Lighthouse is 115 feet high and one of the tallest working lighthouses on Lake Michigan, visible for 19 miles. In continuous operation since 1874, it is a guardian to ships that pass the Silver Lake Sand Dunes at Mears, Michigan.
The lighthouse is now open for tours! Call the State Park for dates and hours of operation.
Silver Lake Road has a few small restaurants including ice cream, pizza and snack shops. Just take a drive around the area to see what looks fun!
So, if you are searching for a heart pounding quad, buggy or outdoor adventure, Silver Lake Michigan dunes are for you. There is so much to do! Plus there are at least six campgrounds in the area so start planning your trip today!