Warren Dunes

Warren Dunes is a broad Michigan state park where wind-blown dunes rise and shift along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The tallest of them, Tower Hill, is a steep wall of loose sand that because of the constantly shifting winds has no path up it, so you pick your own line to the top. From up there the whole lake opens to the west, and on the clearest days the Chicago skyline floats as a thin grey line far across the water. The climb is tricky up the soft dune face but the view is worth that effort! Sunset is the reason to come. The shoreline faces west, so the sun drops straight into the lake bring amazing colours and reflections. Down at beach level, low light adds long shadows across the dune faces and crests that are fun to experiment with. Getting to the park is simple, a paved road off Red Arrow Highway leads to large parking lots by the beach. Since this area is a stat park, a vehicle pass is required to enter. Fall brings rich colour to the oak woods behind the dunes, and winter often brings huge piles of ice to the waterline. In spring and summer, parts of the beach may be roped off where rare shorebirds nest, so be aware of your surroundings while you set up and keep clear of the marked areas. (Sawyer, Michigan, United States)