Other Recreation Sites
Laketown Township has hundreds of acres of park land and water access. The township is also home to more public recreational opportunities:
Saugatuck Dunes State Park, 6575 138th Ave.: A thousand acres includes hiking trails of varying difficulty through dunes to Lake Michigan with 2.5 miles of lake front. Restrooms and picnic areas. No camping. Recreation passport required. The park’s 300-acre Patty Birkholz Natural Area contains a coastal dune system and three endangered plant species and stands as a testament to environmental champion and former state Sen. Birkholz’s legacy of love and commitment to the coastal dune system.
For more information, visit the park’s website.
Goshorn Lake, end of 65th Street south of 138th Avenue: This road-end offers access to the 30-acre lake for kayaking, boating, fishing and swimming.
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Kelly Lake, 66th Street between 145th and 146th avenues: A 20-acre lake with limited access for fishing and swimming.
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Gilligan Lake, 66th Street between 142nd and 144th avenues: This 20-acre lake is perfect for fishing and kayaking.
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Dune Pines Nature Preserve, 4574 S. Audubon St. (west end of 146th Avenue): This 13-acre parcel was established in 2006 and is overseen by the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. The 0.6-mile trail winds through forest and hills and is a place for a quiet walk. The preserve protects a forested backdune ecosystem near a critical dune area.
For more information, visit the website.
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Castle Park Nature Preserve: The 5-acre Castle Park Nature Preserve was established in 2003 and is overseen by the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. The reserve can only be accessed by walking along the beach. The nearest public access is Laketown Beach, about a mile to the south. The preserve protects nearly 400 feet of undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline in a designated Critical Dune area. Together with Dune Pines Nature Preserve and an adjacent privately held conservation easement, Castle Park Reserve is part of a natural area that protects more than 50 acres of lakeshore habitat.
For more information, visit the website.