Dune Ridge Trail

Begin at the lot’s southeast corner and head south through loose sand. At the junction with the loop, turn left for the clockwise route. You’ll cross a broader old roadbed, then turn right onto narrower singletrack. The path climbs through woods and follows the ridge until the Great Marsh opens below to the south. After the view, a steep slope of loose sand drops you back to the loop junction; turn left and follow the same short access trail north to the lot. The route is easy to understand once you reach that junction, but the direction matters if you want to follow the park’s suggested sequence.

The first stretch crosses a foredune, where wind-shifted sand can bury or uncover plants. Marram and little bluestem grasses and cottonwoods are adapted to this moving ground, but trampling can kill the grasses, so stay on the tread. The route then reaches oak savanna, where the soil is firmer and footing improves. That change is part of the hike’s appeal: you get the open dune edge, a more stable wooded stretch, and then a higher ridge without needing a long approach.

The ridge’s main payoff is the view south across Great Marsh and its surrounding forest. This is a wetland landscape, not a big Lake Michigan panorama; dense dune growth can screen the lake to the north. Great Marsh is the largest interdunal wetland in the Lake Michigan watershed. Much of it was drained for development and farming in the early 1900s, and restoration in this section began in 1998. The restored landscape includes fens, sedge meadows, and wet prairie. Its wider habitat supports birds such as kingfishers, green herons, egrets, and Sandhill cranes, especially during migration, though seeing any one species from this short loop is never guaranteed. The marsh opening framed by nearby leaves is the trail’s best photo view.

Use the paved Kemil Beach parking lot, north of U.S. 12 on East State Park Road (300E); the road is called Kemil Road south of the highway. The trail starts at the lot’s southeast corner. The shared beach lot fills quickly on summer weekends. Year-round restrooms and potable water are at the lot, not along the trail. Park passes are required. Leashed dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet; bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited. The trail is not wheelchair accessible. Loose sand makes the downhill section the part to take most carefully, and ticks are present year-round; poison ivy may grow along the trail edges.