Saugatuck Dunes State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saugatuck Dunes State Park |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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Shoreline and a large wooded sand dune.
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 Saugatuck Dunes State Park
Location in Michigan
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| Location | Laketown Township, Allegan County, Michigan, USA |
| Nearest city | Saugatuck, Michigan |
| Area | 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 669 feet (204 m) |
| Designation | Michigan State Park |
| Established | 1977 |
| Administrator | Michigan Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Saugatuck Dunes State Park |
Saugatuck Dunes State Park is a public recreation area covering 1,000 acres (400 ha) on the shore of Lake Michigan between Saugatuck and Holland in Allegan County, Michigan.
History
The site was once part of the estate of inventor Dorr E. Felt, whose summer home, the Felt Mansion, is an in-holding within the state park that is undergoing restoration. Built by the inventor of the comptometer in 1928, the Felt's summer home was sold to the St. Augustine Seminary in 1949 and used as housing for young students, and later on, for cloistered nuns. In the 1970s, the building was purchased by the state of Michigan and used as a state police post, with nearby buildings serving as a prison. The state completed purchasing the site for state park purposes in 1978.
Activities and amenities
The largely undeveloped state park features 14 miles (23 km) of hiking trails, 200-foot-high (61 m) sand dunes covered with trees and grass, and 2.5 miles (4.0 km) of beachfront located two-thirds of a mile from the picnic parking area.
