USA > Michigan

West-Southwest Region

The former logging town of Ludington lies in the northwest corner of this region on the shores of Lake Michigan. The car ferry steamer SS Badger is a familiar sight here. Ludington State Park is Michigan's westernmost point. The 1867 Big Sable Point Light Station stands guard above the water. At Silver Lake State Park, the Hart-Montague bike trail invites cyclists to complete its 22-mile asphalt length.

Formerly the "Lumber Queen of the North," Muskegon is a visitor destination with its Queen Anne-style mansions and the Muskegon Museum of Art, which houses works by Andrew Wyeth and Winslow Homer. P. J. Hoffmaster State Park is directly south. A 270-year-old windmill can be visited at Holland State Park. The SS Keewatin, a former lake cruiser that brought visitors to Saugatuck, is now a dockside museum in that city.

Fruit-growing, especially apples and cherries, is prominent in the region. Blossomtime, the state's original and biggest festival, celebrates Spring along the southern Lake Michigan shore at St Joseph. Warren Dunes State Park is graced with towering dunes, a magnet for kids. Warren Woods Natural Area, north of Three Oaks, consists of 311 acres of maple and beech trees.

Wineries abound in the area. Two of Michigan's largest can be found in Paw Paw. Canoeing and kayaking are popular at South Haven. At Berrien Springs, the St. Joseph River becomes Lake Chapin, recommended for fishing.