The stunning environment and four-season beauty of Mason County mark it as a destination for those interested in outdoor activities.
Camping sites in Mason county range from riverside to inland lakes to sandy shores of Lake Michigan. A variety of trails for both hiking and biking are available throughout the region, including Ludington State Park.
The Manistee National Forest provides endless recreation opportunities for visitors. It is home to a significant section of the North Country Trail, one of the nation’s premier hiking and backpacking trails), the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area, the Lake Michigan Recreation Area and five Wild & Scenic Rivers that include the Pere Marquette, Pine and Manistee Rivers
Located within the Manistee National Forest is the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area. This 3, 450-acre ecosystem is the only federally designated wilderness in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and features one of the largest tracts of unspoiled dunes in the world.
Ludington State Park is located between Lake Michigan and Hamlin Lake with over six miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. The Park boasts sand dunes, virgin stands of evergreen and hardwood trees, soft, sandy beaches, and an extensive network of hiking, skiing, biking, and canoe trails.
A 1.5-mile paved bicycle path runs through the main park area and a 1.5-mile gravel road runs to Big Sable Point Lighthouse. A bike lane extends along Lake Michigan on the shoulder of highway M-116 to the entrance of the Ludington State Park. The Park also has 16 miles of cross country ski trails.
There are plenty of opportunities to view the wildlife of the region along the 18 miles of Park hiking trails, as well as the bayous and inlets of Hamlin Lake’s shoreline. Bring your camera and capture wildlife in its the natural habitat--herons, egrets, waterfowl, deer, squirrels, frogs and other animals are plentiful in Mason County.
In addition, the Great Lakes Visitor Center located at the Park offers interpretive displays, slide and video presentations, and live programs on the wildlife, geology, and history of the area.
Mason County is an outdoorsman’s paradise for year round hunting and fishing. In addition to the forests and streams throughout the region, approximately two thirds of Ludington State Park is open for hunting. The Park also allows trapping in the open zones during specified seasons.
The Ludington region has it all for hunters: big game, small game, upland game birds, waterfowl, and trapping. And Great Lakes fishing is known the world over for lake trout, brown trout, walleye, salmon, steelhead and bass.
