Clean, Blue Waters
As a Great Lakes Port City, Ludington offers not only the grandeur of Lake Michigan but also miles of clean, flowing rivers and numerous inland lakes surrounded in natural beauty.
Two lighthouses have guided ships through the waters of Lake Michigan and into the city’s harbor for more than 100 years. The Big Sable Point Lighthouse, built in 1867, shines its beacon eight miles north of Ludington. It stands 112 feet above the water and can be seen for 20 miles, weather permitting. The US Coast Guard automated Big Sable in 1968. The second beacon flashes from the North Breakwater Light. Built in 1924, it guides watercraft safely into the harbor with a beam that is visible for 19 miles.
The Ludington region offers 70 miles of coastlines, stretching from Silver Lake State Park to the Nordhouse Dunes. The natural beauty of the white sand beaches and clean blue water is breathtaking. Mason County is home to 60 inland lakes and a variety of scenic rivers, including the Big Sable River, Lincoln River, and the Pere Marquette River, designated as a National Wild & Scenic River by the Natural Resources Commission.
The waters of the Ludington region are ideal for relaxing on the beach, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, and fishing. Ludington Harbor is home to more than 10 public and private marinas with nearly 500 slips available.
The largest charter fishing fleet on the Great Lakes is home-ported in Ludington, and for good reason. Ludington is ranked as a top Michigan fishing port for salmon. Other popular sports fishing catches include Steelhead and brown trout. In fact, the Big Sable, Pere Marquette, and Little Manistee rivers are blue ribbon trout streams.
Ludington is also the home port of the historic S.S. Badger carferry, the only steam-powered cross-lake ferry service on Lake Michigan. The carferry was launched in 1952 and has a record of over 50 years of sailing. The 410-foot vessel carries up to 620 passengers and 180 vehicles per trip between Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin mid-May through mid-October. Each season, the S.S. Badger makes almost 500 crossings at 60 miles from port to port.
Located in Ludington State Park is the Hamlin Lake Dam, one of Michigan’s historical markers. Hamlin Lake was created when the Sable River was dammed in the 1900s during the early days of the State’s lumber boom. Today, the Dam is a popular destination for fishing and hiking, as it serves to regulate the water level of Michigan’s largest artificial lake.
