High 23 Issues to Do in Ludington Michigan Summer time 2023

Ludington is called a soothing seashore city as it’s house to twenty-eight miles of sandy seashores, sand dunes, and the water of Lake Michigan. Past the shores of Lake Michigan, there are a ton of issues to do in Ludington!

We simply returned from a four-night journey to Ludington with the children on a enjoyable little summer time street journey trip. We took the S.S. Badger automobile ferry over. That manner, we may have our personal automobile with us. We stayed within the cutest little cabin on Hamlin Lake at Interest Crest Resort.

When planning our journey to Ludington, we put collectively an enormous record of all of the issues to do in Ludington Michigan we needed to do and the greatest eating places we needed to eat at. We coated a ton of floor in 4 days in Ludington, and our youngsters had a blast.

Ludington has a deep-rooted maritime connection and is the best place to be taught in regards to the area’s maritime historical past at places just like the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum or Sandcastles Kids’s Museum. Ludington has a historic significance of transport alongside the Nice Lakes that started with its roots as a lumber city, and thus you will see many historic buildings.

The downtown space of Ludington affords a small-town really feel and fashionable facilities with tree-lined streets, and superb eating places, together with a few of the greatest breakfast choices in Ludington. Stroll and browse the distinctive retailers or take a look at an area competition, akin to dwell music and artisan occasions that run all through the hotter months of Might via September.

Ludington additionally affords pure landscapes that make it the best location for out of doors actions as it’s in shut proximity to each Lake Michigan, Hamlin Lake, and different inland rivers and lakes. Outside fans can take pleasure in mountaineering, boating, fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, biking, tenting, and even bird-watching.

There isn’t any scarcity of cool issues to do in Ludington, because it affords distinctive boutiques and eating places, out of doors recreation, historic places, and a pleasant neighborhood vibe, making it the best place to go to!

Planning your Journey – FAQ Ludington Michigan

How do I get to Ludington?

If you’re touring from Wisconsin to Ludington, the preferred and easiest method is to take the automobile ferry to Ludington. You may as well simply drive to Ludington. The drive time varies based mostly on visitors, however it’s about 4 hours from Chicago, 4 hours from Detroit, and 6 hours from Milwaukee.

How lengthy is the ferry from Manitowoc to Ludington?

First setting sail in 1953, the BADGER automobile ferry is the final coal-fired passenger steamship in operation in the USA, connecting Ludington Michigan, with Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The BADGER is a 4-hour ferry experience throughout Lake Michigan to Manitowoc and is a part of the historic maritime custom.

Whereas onboard the BADGER, there are many issues to do, together with procuring within the “boatique,” watching a flick within the movie show, lounging inside and out of doors on the deck, strolling alongside the deck, enjoying board video games or the well-known Badger Bingo, having fun with the toddler play space, having fun with dwell music, and visiting its small museum.

To maintain the children entertained, there’s a scavenger hunt, recreation room, movie show, and even a child’s port play space. We additionally opted to get a non-public stateroom. That manner, we had someplace to set our luggage. It was additionally good to have our personal personal rest room and a spot the place we may shut the door and have the children keep in a single place.

The ferry is seasonal and runs from mid-Might to mid-October. It leaves town of Ludington each morning at 9 am EST, arriving in Manitowoc at 12 pm CST, and turns proper again round and leaves Manitowoc at 2 pm CST arriving again in Ludington at 7 pm EST.

*NOTE – Michigan is on Japanese time, and Wisconsin is on Central time zone*

The place is Ludington?

Ludington is situated in West Michigan on the Lake Michigan shoreline and is among the greatest locations to go to in Michigan through the summer time. Ludington is the most important metropolis in Mason County and is thought for being a harbor city on Lake Michigan. 

What’s Ludington recognized for?

Ludington is thought for being an attractive seashore city situated alongside Lake Michigan, in addition to having unbelievable pure magnificence with lakes and rivers, woods, and sand dunes. One in all its greatest attracts is Ludington State Park, the place guests can discover the pure great thing about the area via mountaineering, tenting, and water sports activities.

Based in 1873, Ludington is also a historic city established due to its plentiful timber for lumber plus an accessible waterway for transport, contributing to a powerful maritime historical past that features the S.S. Badger carferry service that initially transported rail vehicles. The remaining automobile ferry is now used as a passenger ferry service.

When is the perfect time to go to Ludington?

The summer time months have essentially the most vibrant ambiance in Ludington. Nevertheless, it may be loved all yr lengthy, relying in your exercise, climate, and crowd-level preferences.

Right here’s a breakdown of the completely different seasons in Ludington:

• Summer time (June to August): When the climate is heat and sunny, you possibly can count on the height vacationer season as common sights turn out to be crowded and the world feels busy. Vacationers come to benefit from the seashores, swimming, boating, out of doors actions, and festivals.
• Fall (September to November): Because the leaves change coloration and the climate turns into cooler, there are fewer crowds, making it a perfect location for a trip. Ludington State Park is gorgeous within the fall, providing tenting, mountaineering, biking, and fishing.
• Winter (December to February): Ludington experiences chilly winters with occasional snowfall and fewer vacationers, so you possibly can count on some sights to be closed or have restricted hours. Lodging are extra inexpensive as nicely. Well-liked winter actions embody snowshoeing, cross-country snowboarding, and ice fishing. The state park even affords lantern-lit snowshoeing occasions and grooms a few of its trails for cross-country snowboarding.
• Spring (March to Might): Spring in Ludington is a quieter time with fewer vacationers and cooler climate that brings the blooming of nature and the return of birds to the world, making it very best for mountaineering, birdwatching, and wildflower recognizing.

What number of days do you want to do all the perfect issues to do in Ludington, Michigan?

We might suggest planning to spend 3-4 days in Ludington. You should have sufficient time that you may actually discover and revel in all that it has to supply.

We advise spending at some point downtown, at some point on the seashore exploring the miles of shoreline, after which 1-2 days exploring Ludington State Park and having fun with the close by out of doors actions. Or you can take a half-day facet journey to neighboring Oceana County to see Silver Lake Sand Dunes.

The place to remain in Ludington?

Interest Crest Resort is the right spot to behave as a house base when you journey and discover. We stayed at Interest Crest Resort, situated in Ludington. We selected to remain at a cottage, and we actually favored that it was conveniently situated on the shores of Hamlin Lake so we may relaxation, chill out, hang around on the sandy seashore space, and revel in water sports activities, akin to a water trampoline proper on website. 

Every cabin is supplied with a picnic desk and chairs, in addition to a fuel grill and fireplace pit. There are many eating places and grocery shops close by should you’d prefer to eat out or have a pleasant meal on the cabin.

You may simply spend the complete day again on the resort. You may go fishing, boating, and swimming, and there are leases for kayaks, paddleboards, and even pontoon boats. Children of all ages (and adults, too) will benefit from the sandy seashore, massive grassy space, and playground. When you have your personal boat, they provide boat slip leases.

Ludington State Park’s jap border is steps away from Interest Crest Resort, and it is just a 5-minute drive to benefit from the 5,300 acres of land to discover. It’s a couple of 10-minute drive to downtown Ludington. 

Along with Interest Crest, when taking a look at the place to remain in Ludington, there may be quite a lot of lodging choices. From family-owned cabins and native Ludington inns to nationwide resort chains, there’s something for everybody’s funds and journey model.

What are the Greatest Eating places in Ludington?

We now have an entire submit on the greatest eating places in Ludington right here and the greatest breakfasts in Ludington right here. However to sum it up, listed below are a few of our go-to eating places in Ludington, Michigan:

Greatest Issues to Do in Ludington Michigan

Being a seashore city on the shoreline of Michigan, many of the issues to do in Ludington contain the water in a roundabout way or one other. We now have rounded up all the perfect issues to do in Ludington, Michigan, that will help you plan your subsequent summer time journey or weekend getaway at this summer time hotspot.

1. Discover Ludington State Park

Ludington State Park wins the title of greatest Michigan State Park because it has such a big number of actions to take pleasure in as you benefit from the lovely pure setting of the forest in addition to the seashore alongside Hamlin Lake.

The park has quite a lot of completely different terrains and distinctive options, together with islands, boardwalks, bridges, rivers, and even sand dunes that you may traverse.

If you’re on the lookout for extra rustic lodging, then you definately may take into account tenting at Ludington State Park, because the park has three fashionable campgrounds (Beachwood, Pines, and Cedar) and one hike-in website (Jack Pine), all named after bushes. The park has quite a lot of website sorts and places, from rustic to electrical, and a few cabins, relying in your pursuits and wishes. It may be troublesome to get a reservation. Websites turn out to be accessible to order six months previous to your keep date, so mark your calendar and speak to Michigan DNR Reservations as quickly as your date is out there to guide.

Ludington State Park has greater than 25 miles of mountaineering alongside ten main trails working via the park, all labeled by colours. The shorter trails embody Coast Guard Path, Lighthouse Path, Sable River Path, Misplaced Lake Path, and Skyline Path. These trails can all be accomplished in round 2 hours.

If you’re on the lookout for an extended hike, then chances are you’ll take into account the Ridge Path, South Ski Trails, and Logging Path, that are longer hikes and take within the 3-4 hour vary. Additionally, many hikes may be mixed for longer routes. When you have time, some of the scenic views is at Hamlin Dam and alongside the Sable River. Alongside lots of the trails, you’re going to get to view the distinctive sand dunes and even climb a sand dune on the Skyline Path.

For those who take pleasure in water sports activities, cease on the Hamlin Lake Watercraft Rental to lease canoes, single and tandem kayaks, paddle boats, row boats, or stand-up paddleboards. These renting water tools can benefit from the marked four-mile Canoe Path alongside the jap shore of Hamlin Lake, which is house to many wildlife and waterfowl. This will take 2-3 hours, relying in your paddling talents and tempo (and notice there are at the least three portages, so intermediate paddling expertise are really helpful). When you are out within the water, chances are you’ll take pleasure in fishing because the Lake has an abundance of walleye, perch, northern pike, bass, and bluegill fish.

If watersports aren’t of curiosity, then chances are you’ll take pleasure in lounging on the sandy seashore, swimming in Hamlin Lake, or stopping on the Seashore Home on the Lake Michigan seashore for ice cream. There’s a massive and absolutely accessible playground for the children, situated conveniently to Hamlin Seashore.

Lastly, Ludington State Park has an excellent paved biking path alongside the park street for guests to take pleasure in.

2. Hike to Large Sable Level Lighthouse

Take a look at the historic Large Sable Level Lighthouse, which stands at 122 toes tall in Ludington State Park since 1867 and is among the oldest constantly working lighthouses in Michigan. Get pleasure from a sandy hike of 1.8 miles lengthy to achieve this fabulous construction. Nevertheless, be ready. This hike doesn’t have quite a lot of shady spots, so you’ll want to pack a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water.

The Lighthouse path takes about 2-3 hours to finish if strolling. Nevertheless, you possibly can attain the ultimate vacation spot a bit of quicker in case you are using a motorcycle with fats tires.

When you attain the lighthouse, you possibly can take a look at the reward store that was the lighthouse keepers’ quarters, discover close by sand dunes, or climb a 130-step spiral staircase to take pleasure in scenic views of the Michigan shoreline and passing freighters.

We didn’t make it to the Large Sable Lighthouse. If you’re touring with small youngsters, notice that the path isn’t appropriate for a stroller. We determined with two small youngsters and a 3.6-mile hike, our time was higher spent exploring different sights.

Nevertheless, the nonprofit that manages the lighthouse affords Bus Days as soon as a month, June via September, to drive folks out to the lighthouse and again for a small charge. 

3. Take the S.S. Badger Ferry Throughout Lake Michigan

Chill out on the historic steamship automobile ferry that connects Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on this 4-hour experience throughout Lake Michigan. Click on right here to verify charges and schedule.

Onboard actions embody procuring within the “boatique,” watching a flick within the movie show, lounging inside and out of doors on the deck, strolling alongside the deck, enjoying board video games or the well-known Badger Bingo, having fun with the toddler play space, having fun with dwell music, and visiting its small museum. To maintain the children entertained, there’s a scavenger hunt, recreation room, movie show, and even a child’s port play space.

4. Chill out at Stearns Park Seashore

Stearns Park Seashore is situated on the western fringe of Ludington, the place it meets Lake Michigan and affords 2,500 toes of shoreline, and is Ludington’s greatest seashore.

The seashore has plenty of actions for households to take pleasure in, together with picnic areas, playgrounds, a volleyball courtroom, and concession stands to buy snacks.

Right here you possibly can take pleasure in swimming within the clear waters of Lake Michigan, enjoying within the sand, or strolling alongside the seashore. Households can take pleasure in a view of the North Breakwater Lighthouse or take pleasure in recreation actions close by. Recreation actions embody Skate Park Plaza, shuffleboard courts, a playground on the sandy seashore, and Ludington Space Jaycees Mini Golf Course.

This Ludington seashore is wheelchair accessible because it has three ramps that lead from the free parking zone to the water.

5. Play at Sandcastles Kids’s Museum

Our children LOVED Sandcastles Kids’s Museum. We spent over three hours right here, and our youngsters would have stayed all day if we allowed them to. That is the perfect kids’s museum we now have ever been to.

It’s actually nice for 1-4-year-olds. Most youngsters’s museums are for older kids, however Sandcastles has many areas and actions for smaller toddlers.

Households can create, discover and uncover at this hands-on museum that can preserve the children entertained for hours. The Sandcastles Kids’s Museum is right for kids aged 2-10 and is a good exercise for a wet day, and is among the greatest methods to burn off some power.

The museum affords 4 full ranges of family-friendly hands-on actions akin to:

• S.S. Badger Playship – my youngsters beloved the ship. Right here kids can play within the wheelhouse, use the telescope, blow the whistle, and slide down from the highest of the ship.
• The nursery – kids can role-play with infants and faux to be a physician, nurse, or mother or father as they deal with child dolls utilizing real-life gadgets akin to child heaters, bassinets, and child scales
• Home of Flavors & Hungry Howies Pizza Parlor – Right here, kids can serve up some tasty desserts or bake a pizza.
• Bubbles Galore – kids can play with quite a lot of bubble wands.
• Calming Nook – a quiet place to relaxation and chill out, providing sensory actions
• Climbing Wall – kids can check their power and steadiness on this indoor climbing function
• Creation Station – unfastened elements that kids can create and design with and let their creativeness run wild
• Grandpa’s Barn – permits kids to be taught extra about agriculture by enjoying with the walk-in barn, corn conveyor, tractor, and Buttercup – a life-sized milking cow.

6. Climb to the High of Ludington North Breakwater Gentle

Climb to the highest of this iconic focus on the Lake Michigan shoreline, and benefit from the comparatively straightforward mile-long spherical journey stroll alongside the breakwall in your method to the Ludington North Breakwater Gentle.

This common attraction in Ludington is the right place to benefit from the close by picturesque settings, watch the BADGER cruise in Lake Michigan, or an excellent place to easily sit and benefit from the sundown from the highest deck of the lighthouse. From high to backside, the climb is roughly 53 steps.

The world across the lighthouse is a good spot to go fishing, and the close by seashore affords an excellent spot for swimming or having lunch within the picnic space on the seashore. The lighthouse incorporates a porthole on every of its three decks, and every stage has distinctive artifacts and photos for guests to view and be taught extra in regards to the historical past of the lighthouse on their method to the lantern rooms.

Lighthouse tour climbs can be found through the excessive season, usually from the tip of Might till early September.

When you have small youngsters, I recommend placing them within the stroller. We had each of our youngsters in our Zoe double journey stroller, and I felt extra snug understanding they had been strapped in.

7. Seize a Pint at a Native Microbrewery

If you’re a beer lover like us, you’ll be happy to seek out a number of microbreweries right here in Ludington. Right here you possibly can take pleasure in a superb meal and domestically crafted beers. We’re at all times on the hunt for the perfect beer when touring and attempting distinctive native craft beers.

Listed below are a number of microbreweries in Ludington that you may go to:

• Jamesport Brewing Firm: Sip in your beer when you take pleasure in views of the Ludington harbor and the S.S. Badger ferry service. This family-friendly informal setting is pet pleasant and has an excellent patio. Jamesport Brewing Co. is a good spot to go for lunch.
• Ludington Bay Brewing Firm: Rigorously crafts beers on the shores of Michigan, together with S.S. Badger Blue in honor of the automobile ferry. The beer is brewed proper downtown in Ludington utilizing native elements, additionally pet-friendly on its patio.
• Ravenous Artist Brewing: In the course of the nation, in a barn, you will see some tremendous distinctive and attractive beers. Adam beloved their IPA beers, and I actually loved their sours. The proprietor is superior and actually keen about his beer. He was nice to speak too and find out about how the brewery has developed and his beers. Word there isn’t a meals served right here, they usually aren’t open each day, so verify their hours prematurely.

8. Seize Ice Cream at Home of Flavors

Celebrating 75 years of operation in 2023, Home of Flavors as soon as held the  Guinness World File for the Longest Ice Cream Dessert. A 3rd-generation family-owned enterprise, it manufactures over 25 million gallons of ice cream a yr. Serving over 40 distinctive flavors of ice lotions, sundaes, milkshakes, and ice cream sodas, it makes the right place to seize a candy deal with!

This 1950’s themed diner serves the whole lot from sandwiches, salads, soups, and burgers along with their tasty desserts. Click on right here to see what ice cream flavors they’ve accessible. It’s a tremendous common spot on sizzling summer time days!

There’s extra than simply ice cream on the Home of Flavors restaurant. They’ve a full menu and are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

9. Discover Downtown Ludington

If you’re a foodie and revel in native eating places, then you’ll want to take a look at downtown Ludington. Providing quite a lot of eating places, cafes, and positive eating institutions serving the whole lot, together with American, Mexican, and Italian.

Downtown Ludington is house to many historic buildings, such because the Mason County Courthouse, Ludington Space Heart for the Arts, Mason County District Library, and the Ludington Masonic Temple. Legacy Plaza, within the coronary heart of downtown, has picnic tables, a fuel fire, a coated pavilion for farmer and artisan markets, and a stage for dwell music. Rotary Park affords a quiet spot to relaxation with a fountain, benches, and inexperienced house.

Ludington Avenue is a picturesque road to take a stroll and window store the retailers and boutiques that promote clothes, house decor, and presents. One other excellent place to cease is the Mitten Bar serving solely Michigan-made beer and wine, additionally situated proper on Ludington Avenue.

10. Get Sandy on Mac Wooden’s Sand Dune Tour

Climb to the highest of sand dunes and catch some superb views of Lake Michigan and Silver Lake on a Mac Wooden’s Dune Experience. This thrilling tour is a should for all ages. Our three-year-old son beloved it!

Since 1930, Mac Wooden’s has been providing dune rides with a four-passenger dune scooter. You may catch a glimpse of what the 1934 Ford Scooter appears like of their museum store. At the moment the experience is a bit of completely different in a 20-person four-wheel drive automobile.

Excursions are 40 minutes lengthy and run all through the day from mid-Might via the tip of September. They don’t take reservations or promote tickets prematurely. You simply present up and buy your ticket for the following leaving tour. We solely needed to wait about 5 minutes.

11. Go to a Vineyard in Ludington

Who doesn’t love a pleasant glass of wine? Guests can be taught extra about genuine artisan wine-making by studying extra in regards to the wine strategies used and having fun with some samples within the sampling rooms that spotlight native wines.

There are a number of wineries situated within the Ludington space together with:

• Pere Marquette Vineyard: Get pleasure from a wine pattern within the previous equestrian tack room was a sampling room.
• North Department Vineyard: Get pleasure from handcrafted wines which are fermented and bottled on-site and may be paired with a charcuterie board. They provide quite a lot of grape and fruit wines made with native elements.
• Fox Barn Vineyard: They develop wines made with produce straight from the orchard, and the restored vintage barn and patio provide a soothing setting to take pleasure in wine on the tasting bar along with a barn-bites meals board. They’ve each wine and cider that you may buy and take with you.
• Love Wines: A small-batch vineyard utilizing native Michigan fruit and grapes all fermented onsite at their lakeside vineyard and tasting room. Deliver the children too, they provide native Michigan sodas and flavored waters.

12. Go Fishing in Ludington

Ludington is a well-liked vacation spot for fishing in each Lake Michigan and close by rivers and waters akin to Hamlin Lake.

Anglers seeking to fish in Lake Michigan can fish from the pier, shoreline, breakwalls, or rent a constitution boat to go on a deep-sea fishing expertise. Lake Michigan is common for fishing quite a lot of fish species, together with trout, walleye, salmon, and perch.

There are lots of skilled skilled charters that may present tools and data on the perfect spots to fish. Ludington is called being the perfect port to catch salmon in all of Michigan.

The Pere Marquette River is a good location to go paddling and fish for trout or salmon, or steelhead within the spring. The water is low sufficient that you may wade within the shoreline to fish. Hamlin Lake permits anglers to fish from small boats akin to canoes and kayaks or from the shoreline. Hamlin Lake affords fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, pike, panfish, and walleye.

13. Pet the Animals at Lewis Journey Farm & Zoo

If you’re touring with youngsters, a go to to Lewis Journey Farm & Zoo is a should. It was a favourite spot for our youngsters. You may simply spend a complete morning or afternoon right here.

The Lewis Journey Farm and Zoo is the right place to spend the day with the household, as there may be a lot to do on the farm. Our children beloved the large slide (it was one among their favourite issues), using the Bumpalong Barrel prepare, using the carousel, the massive enjoyable leaping pillow, pedal carts, low ropes course, crawly spider net, and a lot extra!

Children can take pleasure in all of the video games on the farm, together with skeeball, balltown, cornhole, and rubber duck races. If you wish to pet some furry associates, then you definately’ve come to the appropriate place. You may benefit from the petting zoo or go to Bunnyville to be taught extra in regards to the livestock and examine them.

We didn’t eat right here, however the farm has 4 completely different meals venues to attempt together with Grilled Cheese, Burgers, Hen Sandwiches, and Mac & Cheese. We did, nonetheless, seize a contemporary dessert from the bakery, the place they serve contemporary pies, donuts, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, plenty of cookies, and extra!

It’s a good way to spend the morning. Count on to spend 3-4 hours right here or longer if in case you have the time. If you’re hungry for lunch or want some ice cream, head to County Dairy, which is barely a two-minute drive away. They’ve a full lunch menu and actually good ice cream too.

14. Tour Amber Elk Ranch

Stand up shut with Elk on the Amber Elk Ranch, which gives guided excursions and permits guests to find out about elk conservation and different wildlife. Guests will be taught all about elk habitat, elk habits, and their function within the ecosystem on this 130-acre farm.

The ranch is house to a few hundred elk and is situated simply outdoors of Ludington. Don’t overlook to attempt the Elk Burger if you go to the ranch!

15. Go to the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum

The Port of Ludington Maritime Museum affords guests an enchanting journey into the maritime historical past of Ludington, Michigan, offering a wealth of data to its company.

Situated within the former U.S. Coast Guard Station and now listed on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations, this family-friendly, state-of-the-art museum overlooking the channel to Lake Michigan has everlasting and altering reveals that supply uncommon glimpses into the previous with genuine artifacts, historic pictures, and the voices of people that performed key roles in maritime industries that formed the area. 

Guests will be taught in regards to the maritime heritage of Ludington via the three ranges of the museum by viewing pictures, fashions, interactive reveals, and artifacts that train company in regards to the significance of fishing, lighthouses, boating, and transport on the Nice Lakes. 

A favourite exhibit, particularly for youths, is the interactive pilothouse of the Pere Marquette 22 automobile ferry within the Nineteen Thirties, the place guests can take management of the helm and navigate into and out of the harbor as nicely throughout Lake Michigan.

16. Eat, Drink, and Bowl at STIX

STIX is a world-class leisure facility and restaurant that could be a staple in Ludington. Get pleasure from an grownup beverage at both the second-floor patio or the Biergarten, which incorporates a patio in addition to an excellent house to take pleasure in garden video games like cornhole and tic tac toe.

For those who occur to have a wet day, they’ve a brilliant enjoyable bowling alley. The brand-new bowling alley options state-of-the-art bowling know-how to supply company the perfect expertise doable.

17. Experience Horses at Stony Lake Stables

Previously often known as Rainbow Ranch, Stony Lake Stables is a family-friendly ranch that brings a little bit of the previous west again to Michigan by providing path rides alongside the shady paths within the lovely countryside of Western Michigan.

Stony Lake Stables is house to miles of scenic trails that can take you thru quite a lot of terrain, together with rolling hills, deep ravines, agricultural fields, swamps, and rivers. Guests can take pleasure in both a 1-hour or 1.5-hour path experience possibility.

18. Take a Stroll via Waterfront Sculpture Park

Waterfront Sculpture Park is the right place to let youngsters run wild on the playground, watch the sundown, or stroll and discover the sculptures all through the park. The park options 9 sculptures within the five-acre park, and every sculpture tells a narrative in regards to the historical past of Ludington.

The sculptures within the park are a part of the one-of-a-kind Sculpture Path situated all through Ludington. You will discover different sculptures alongside the route, together with at Mason County District Library, Mason County Fairgrounds, Ludington State Park, Maritime Heritage Park, Stearns Park, and the Lake Michigan shoreline walkway.

Waterfront Park additionally options an amphitheater, a municipal marina, and scenic walkways which are the right place to benefit from the sundown from a close-by bench.

19. Go to Up North Farm Market & Petting Barn (Free)

A enjoyable free common exercise for the children is at all times a plus for us, and when there may be beer and cider on faucet, even higher! Whereas mother and father benefit from the alcohol and meals, youngsters will benefit from the petting barn, the place they will work together up shut with livestock akin to llamas, pigs, horses, sheep, rabbits, goats, chickens, and extra.

Assist native farmers as you should buy farm contemporary produce from the market or cease by the North Farm Market Bar and revel in one of many eight completely different beers and ciders on faucet or the wine alternatives.

The Up North Farm Market additionally runs a number of seasonal occasions, akin to pumpkin selecting and hayrides within the fall. There’s additionally a enjoyable youngsters play space to maintain the children entertained even longer.

20. Cool off at Copeyon Park Splash Pad & Playground

On a sizzling summer time day, Copeyon Park is the best location to chill down within the enjoyable water options discovered on the splash pad. The park has a shaded pavilion and picnic tables, that are the right location to take pleasure in a picnic lunch.

We actually favored this playground for our youngsters’ present ages. The playground isn’t huge, there weren’t quite a lot of open areas they may fall from, and once we had been there at sundown, it was simply us there.

21. Get Ice Cream at Nation Dairy Farm Retailer

Nation Dairy has been producing milk since 1983 and, since 2004, has been serving quite a lot of ice cream treats, together with over 29 completely different ice cream flavors.

There’s additionally a full menu on the Nation Dairy Farm Retailer. We stopped in for lunch and ice cream. The burgers are REALLY good! Within the farm retailer, you should buy cheese, milk, meat, jams, and extra. For those who can’t make it to the farm retailer, cease by a grocery retailer in Ludington, as many shops carry Nation Dairy merchandise.

When you cease for ice cream, you too can take a farm tour and be taught extra in regards to the cows and different animals on the farm. There’s additionally a playground for the children.

22. Step again in time at Historic White Pine Village

Study extra about what Ludington was like through the late Nineteenth-early twentieth century pioneer instances as you tour and discover the historic buildings. Historic White Pine Village options over 30 historic buildings, together with the unique 1849 Mason County Courthouse, steam locomotive, and dealing sawmill.

The buildings and artifacts train guests in regards to the agricultural and wealthy lumbering historical past of the area. Company can stroll via the buildings and step again in time to know the previous!

Ludington is a busy vacation spot through the summer time months because it affords a soothing seashore setting, a historic waterfront, tons of enjoyable sights in Ludington, and plenty of out of doors recreation alternatives close by.

Ludington is a good place to take pleasure in a three-day lengthy weekend getaway as it’s straightforward to journey to from inside Michigan in addition to Wisconsin, due to the BADGER automobile ferry service that operates frequently through the summer time months.

We hope we assist you plan your Ludington trip! You will discover extra trip-planning info at PureLudington.com.