Grand Mere State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grand Mere State Park |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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Beach at Grand Mere
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 Grand Mere State Park
Location in Michigan
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| Location | Lincoln Township, Berrien County, Michigan |
| Nearest town | Stevensville, Michigan |
| Area | 985 acres (399 ha) |
| Elevation | 587 feet (179 m) |
| Designation | Michigan State Park |
| Established | 1973 |
| Administrator | Michigan Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Grand Mere State Park |
| Designated: | 1968 |
Grand Mere State Park is a cool place in Michigan, near a town called Stevensville. It's a special area where you can have fun outdoors and see amazing nature. The park is right next to Interstate 94. Big sand dunes protect it from Lake Michigan. Because of these dunes, the park has unique plants and features you won't find easily in other parts of Michigan. It was even named a National Natural Landmark in 1968, which means it's a really important natural spot!
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Exploring Grand Mere's Unique Landscape
Grand Mere State Park covers about 985-acre (3.99 km2). Most of this land is covered in trees. The park is home to three very old lakes. These lakes were formed when huge glaciers melted after the last ice age. Long ago, there were five such lakes here. Over time, two of them have slowly disappeared. The three lakes you see today are also slowly shrinking. This natural process is called aquatic succession.
Cool Plants and Rare Species
The tall sand dunes protect the park from Lake Michigan. This creates a cooler environment than other parts of southern Michigan. Because of this special climate, you can find plants here that don't usually grow in this area. Some of these plants are very rare. Others are even considered threatened or endangered, meaning they are at risk of disappearing forever.
Fun Things to Do at Grand Mere
Grand Mere State Park offers many activities for visitors. You can go swimming, hiking, or have a picnic. There are also places to launch a boat. In the winter, you can enjoy cross-country skiing.
Beach and Trails for Adventure
The park has almost two miles of sandy beach. To reach the beach, you need to walk and climb over some steep sand dunes. There are many trails for hiking and cross-country skiing. However, most of these trails are not marked or regularly maintained. It's important to know that biking on these trails is not allowed.
The trails can be tricky to walk on. Some parts have loose sand, while others have hard-packed dirt. You'll find many hills, including a very large sand dune. This big dune was once used by off-road vehicles. Now, guard rails block large vehicles from accessing it.
