Greenbelt Trail to Lake Michigan

This is the Greenbelt south-lot route to the beach at Cowles Bog: a 4.4-mile out-and-back, about 2.2 miles each way. You walk the Greenbelt connector into the Cowles Bog trail, then follow it through wetland and dune terrain to Lake Michigan and return the same way. It’s a good half-day choice when you want more than a short overlook but don’t want the longer Cowles Bog loop from the north lot.

The Greenbelt lot serves two bike routes as well as hiking access, so choose the marked footpath. The connector is about a mile; after that, the route carries you through a mosaic of ponds, marshes, swamps and black oak savanna. The last approach climbs a steep sandy dune before opening onto the beach. For a photo, turn back toward the dune so the climb is still in the frame.

The path alternates packed dirt and loose sand; on the final dune the sand shifts underfoot and makes the climb harder than the distance suggests. The Cowles Bog hike is moderate to rugged. Allow around three hours, and more if you want a real break at the beach. Lakeshore weather can be very different from the parking lot. Bring water, sun protection and an extra layer—there’s no drinking water on the route.

Cowles Bog was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1965 for its plant diversity. Botanist Henry Cowles studied plant succession and ecology here in the early 1900s; his research helped establish plant ecology as a field. The walk’s shift from marshes and ponds to oak savanna, high sand and lakefront is the reason to linger over more than the shoreline.

Start at the paved Greenbelt south lot on North Mineral Springs Road. It has restrooms but no potable water; if the Cowles lots are full, overflow is at park headquarters across U.S. 12 by a pedestrian bridge, with no restrooms there. A park pass is required. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet; the route isn’t wheelchair accessible.